What to do in the Eiffel Tower in Paris

What to do in the Eiffel Tower in Paris

Originally published by Clémence on November 2014 and updated by Vanessa on May 2023.

The Eiffel Tower. The real beacon of Paris, the landmark of the city of lights, the true iron lady of France’s capital! Built in 1888 by architect Gustave Eiffel, it stands since the Paris World Exhibition in 1889.

But once you are face to face with the iconic monument of Paris, how to explore and discover it? Here, just for you, we explain what to do in the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Read also; Top 15 Things to do Around the Eiffel Tower

Walk up the Eiffel Tower ? The alternative to elevators

In total, there are 1665 steps from the square to the top of the Eiffel Tower. You can walk up the Tower to the 2nd floor and then take one of the elevators to the top, for an experience that is both physical and breathtaking.

That’s exactly 674 steps to climb! The ascent will take you between 30 and 45 minutes. It is the opportunity to wander around the center of the Tower’s metallic structure at your own pace and slowly contemplate the fantastic iron work.

Tickets for the second floor on foot are available online on the Eiffel Tower website. Staircase + top lift tickets are only available on site. In both cases, accessing the Eiffel Tower by taking the stairs is time saving, the queues at the cash registers are much shorter.

Read also; Here are five amazing things you can do around the Eiffel Tower

For those who wants to learn more about the history of the most famous monument of Paris, you can experience a skip-the-line small group guided tour to the second floor.

The first floor

– The adventure game

This year 2019, on the occasion of its 130th anniversary, the Eiffel Tower offers a fun treasure hunt that will immerse you in its history. The game is free for visitors and accessible to everyone, alone or as a team, with family or friends.
The game starts on the first floor and ends in the tower gardens ower gardens with the final enigma.
To play, all you need is a pencil and a game booklet available on site or on the website. It’s up to you to decipher the riddles to unlock the secret of the Tower…
If you want more information about the adventure game, click here.

– The cultural path

In the first floor of the Eiffel Tower, you will also find an overview of its history through fifty illustrations of its evolution, photographs, engravings, drawings, films and interactive systems.

– Services and relaxation areas

You can also enjoy a rest and contemplation area, a restaurant (“The 58”), a buffet restaurant and a souvenir shop, all with a breathtaking view of Paris.

– Discover the original spiral starecase

On the first floor of the Eiffel Tower, you can take a closer look at one of the remaining pieces of this historic staircase. It used to link the second floor to the top, and Gustave Eiffel would use it to reach the office that he‘d set up for himself!

Read also; 18 Tips for Visiting the Eiffel Tower at Night

The second floor

You don’t want to miss the panoramic view from the second floor, with all Paris at your feet.

The arrival on the second floor is astonishing. You enjoy a completely unobstructed view of all the monuments of Paris: the Louvre museum, the hill of Montmartre, Notre-Dame, the loops of the Seine river…

From the Right Bank to the Left Bank, the Eiffel Tower offers you the most unique view on the major landmarks of the city of lights.

The second floor also host a very, very fancy restaurant: “Le Jules Vernes“. The location, the starred chef, the gourmet dishes… you imagine that going to this restaurant has a cost. But if you can afford it, it’s a unique experience to live! There is even private elevator access to the restaurant!

The Eiffel Tower

Some says the best time to visit the Eiffel Tower is in at night, when you can appreciate a more calm atmosphere as well as the incredible illuminations. After sunset, the Tower sparkles with thousands lights and his open until 11 pm.

Finally, the summit (third floor)

You are there. At 275 meters high, overlooking Paris. The emotion is at its height.You can walk both inside and outside, in order to immerse yourself in Paris, its lights, its monuments, all aspects of this magical city.

Read also; Things to do between the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre

– Gustave Eiffel’s office

As I mentioned above, Gustave Eiffel had set up his office in the Eiffel Tower… quite logical according to me !

On the third floor, you can take a look at Gustave Eiffel’s reconstructed office. Observe the wax characters more real than life; Gustave Eiffel himself and his daughter, Claire Eiffel, with the American inventor Thomas Edison, founder of General Electric.

– Champagne ?

Want to feel very chic? Enjoy a glass of champagne at the top! Nestling into the very structure of the Tower, the champagne bar offers you a choice of a glass of either rosé or white champagne, served as chilled as you like. The bar is open until 10 pm and serves drinks for a cost between €12 and €21.

For your return, I would recommend you to extend the magic of your visit with a romantic and timeless getaway in the gardens of the Eiffel Tower ! You will be amazed, looking up, to discover the Eiffel Tower from perspectives never seen before.

Why the Eiffel Tower is famous for love

The Eiffel Tower is one of the world’s most recognizable landmarks in Paris. For generations, couples wishing to confess their love for one another have visited the tower. The Eiffel Tower has long been a symbol of love, whether it’s a proposal, a honeymoon, just a romantic getaway, taking wedding photos, or simply enjoying a lovely view of the city. The Eiffel Tower has become a popular romantic destination for a variety of reasons;

Read also; Things to do between the Arc of Triumph and the Eiffel Tower

Its iconic symbol: The style of the tower is elegant and timeless, with elaborate ironwork and graceful curves creating a romantic ambiance. The Eiffel Tower was built during the Belle Époque, which literally means “beautiful period,” and it is a total beauty. It was 300 meters long. If you love Paris and its iconic landmarks then you’re familiar with the names “Madame de Fer” (Iron Lady) and “La Femme Rouge” (Red Woman) for the tower.

© William Crochot / Wikimedia Commons

These names all allude to the physical appearance and what the tower is made of. It is constructed of iron and turns red when it rusts. Also, before they painted “Eiffel Tower Brown,” the anti-corrosion paint they employed to protect its distinctive lines was red. The tower has come to represent many things to many people over the years, from a testimony to human ingenuity to a symbol of national pride. But maybe most famously, it has been associated with romance.

Its Romantic Location: Built in the heart of Paris, a city famed for being the most beautiful place on the planet, how could the Eiffel Tower not be romantic? The views from the Eiffel Tower’s balconies will take your breath away. From the complex architecture to the way its light hits the city’s silver roofs, it truly is a sight to behold. From the Eiffel Tower, you can see Notre Dame, the Pantheon, the Louvre, and numerous more attractions.

Proposal Destination: There are various romantic legends about the Eiffel Tower, ranging from tragic love to one woman who attempted to marry the tower. And the peak is a favorite location for spectacular love gestures. It turns out that the Eiffel Tower is one of the most popular venues in the world to propose. Data from prominent social media platforms revealed that 1 in 679 Instagram proposals are made in and near the tower.

Photo by Dimitri Kuliuk from Pexels

If you’re looking for a place to propose, the top of the Eiffel Tower is a classic swoon-worthy move. If you’re concerned about crowds, propose near the center, where there will be more room to move around and arrive early! The Trocadero is the ideal location in Paris for an Eiffel Tower proposal. You’ll have your pick of amazing views, from the big area overlooking the Seine River to the famed cliff. It quickly becomes crowded, so it’s best to arrive early in the morning.

Read also; Things to do between Invalides and the Eiffel Tower

Its Love Locks: Love locks were popular at the Eiffel Tower in the early 2000s and evolved into a big phenomenon. Thousands of locks would be attached to the railings, creating a visual symbol of the love shared by couples all around the world. The locks varied in size, shape, and color, giving the famous structure a lively and unique touch. However, Concerns regarding the structural integrity of the Eiffel Tower, as well as the rising weight of the locks, prompted efforts to remedy the issue.

Photo by Skitterphoto from Pexels

In 2015, a section of the railing on Paris’s Pont des Arts, famous for its love locks, fell due to the weight of the locks tied to it. This incident caused authorities to intervene. Paris officials began removing love locks from the Pont des Arts in 2015, and efforts were established to prevent the practice at the Eiffel Tower. The locks were removed on a regular basis to maintain the structure and retain its historical integrity.

Pop Culture References: The romantic reputation of the Eiffel Tower is also impacted by its depiction in popular culture, including cinema, literature, and artwork. In our minds, we all have a mental image of the Eiffel Tower. We see it in movies, periodicals, and our minds when we read about romantic stories set in the City of Love. It has appeared in a number of romantic films, frequently as a backdrop for love stories, adding to its romantic attraction.

Read also; Things to do between Montmartre and the Eiffel Tower

Address: Quai Branly, Trocadéro/Tour Eiffel, Paris, 75007
Phone: 08-92-70-12-39 €0.34 per min
Cost: By elevator: 1st and 2nd levels €9; top €15.
By stairs: 1st and 2nd levels only, €5
Hours: Mid Jun – Sep, daily 9 am – 12:45 am (11 pm for summit); rest of year, daily 9:30 am – 11:45 pm (10:30 pm for summit); stairs close at 6 pm in winter
Website: www.toureiffel.paris
Metro: Bir-Hakeim, Trocadéro, École Militaire; RER: Champ de Mars.
Location: Around the Eiffel Tower