Which floor of the Eiffel Tower is best?

We strongly recommend a visit to the 1st floor where there is a great visitor experience with cultural and entertaining displays to deepen and enhance your experience at the Eiffel Tower. There is also a children's play area, and a terrace where seasonal entertainment is proposed.



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The peak experience is halfway down. By all means, go to the top if you have the time (skip it if your schedule's tight). But I prefer to linger on the second floor: For me, the best views are from this middle level — high enough to see all of Paris, but low enough to pick out distinguishing landmarks.

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Climbing the Eiffel Tower steps should be your go-to option if you want to skip the line at the Eiffel Tower. Though it seems like a daunting task, you'll have complete freedom over your ascend, something that the lift does not offer.

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It is possible to go all the way to the top, but you must have purchased tickets with admission to the top of the Eiffel Tower. There are two elevators that go from the second floor to the top. These elevators take about 5 minutes to get to the top.

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By all means, go to the top if you have the time (skip it if your schedule's tight). But I prefer to linger on the second floor: For me, the best views are from this middle level — high enough to see all of Paris, but low enough to pick out distinguishing landmarks.

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If you have a fear of heights, we advise against attempting to reach the top of the Eiffel Tower, since you will not fully enjoy the experience. The climb from the second floor offers an extraordinary experience but can be unpleasant for those with a fear of heights.

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You can buy e-tickets up to 60 days in advance (for lift tickets) and 7 days in advance (for stairs tickets), and book a specific date and time for the lifts (to the second floor or the top of the tower) or the stairs (up until the second floor). This way, you can avoid queueing at the Eiffel Tower ticket offices.

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The Tower lights and beacon are lit up every evening from dusk until 11.45pm. As soon as it gets dark, the Eiffel Tower's golden lighting switches on automatically within less than 10 minutes, thanks to light-sensitive twilight sensors. Simply check an almanac to find out what time the monument will light up.

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The Eiffel Tower's online box office allows you to purchase your ticket online for the 2nd floor or the Summit at the official rate. You can purchase individual e-tickets for up to 9 people.

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The 2nd Floor You will enjoy clear views of all of the French capital's monuments: the Louvre, Grand Palais, the bends in the Seine, Montmartre, Invalides, Notre Dame, etc. But the 2nd floor is also a treat for your taste buds with our Michelin-starred restaurant, the Jules Verne.

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Visiting time to the Eiffel Tower is not limited. However we recommend that you plan sufficient visiting time at the end of the evening (i.e. around 1 1/2 hours for a visit to the 2nd floor and 1st floor and 2 1/2 hours for a full visit up to the top).

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While the Tower has a total of 1,665 steps from the ground to the top, you can only climb 674 of them, from the ground to the second floor (327, then 347 steps).

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Can you walk beneath the Eiffel Tower without paying for a ticket? Yes. The Eiffel Tower gardens and esplanade are fully accessible without a ticket, i.e. for free.

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The tower's summit can only be reached via elevator, but its first two levels are accessible through a series of winding staircases inside its pillars — 327 steps to the first level and then 347 to the second (that's 674 total if you're counting). It might sound hard, but climbing the tower is easier than you'd think.

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Unless weather conditions or special safety considerations prevent it, you can visit the tower up to midnight from mid-June to early September and up to 11:00 pm the rest of the year.

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Is it worth going up the Arc de Triomphe? It depends. If you want a bird's-eye view of one of the city's most celebrated streets, it's amazing for photos and a lovely panorama of Paris. But if you're short on time — say, you have less than hour in the area — even a short walk around the base is fun.

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When Gustave Eiffel designed his namesake tower, he included a private apartment for himself at the top, which is now available for the public to tour.

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Queue at Eiffel Entrances The wait times here can be anywhere from 30 minutes to 2.5 hours depending on the time of the year. South Entrance: This entrance, marked by the blue flag, is for visitors who are taking the stairs.

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For visitors looking to eat on the go, delicious buffets offer sweet and savory snacks and drinks on the esplanade and on the first and second floors. This mouth-watering offer is complemented by the Pierre Hermé macaron bar on the second floor and the champagne bar at the top.

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The second floor offers a comprehensive experience during which you can not only admire the view of the City of Light, but also buy refreshments, taste the exceptional Pierre Hermé Paris x Eiffel Tower macaroons and browse the shops.

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