Eiffel Tower Guided Tours
An Eiffel Tower guided tour pairs a knowledgeable guide with easy, pre-arranged access to the lifts and floors, turning the climb into the story behind Paris's most famous landmark. Whether the plan is the summit by lift or the South pillar stairs on foot, an Eiffel Tower tour package bundles entry, commentary and history into one booking.
Best guided tour to visit Eiffel Tower
Parts of the Eiffel Tower
The parts of the Eiffel Tower include four base pillars, three public platforms, and the summit area. These components distribute the structural weight and house the visitor areas. An Eiffel Tower guided tour leads visitors through these structural sections. The route details the construction history and engineering design of each level:
What can you see from the Eiffel Tower?
What can you see from the Eiffel Tower?
Every Eiffel Tower excursion comes down to the view:
- From the first floor, a glass section in the floor looks straight down over the Champ de Mars and the Trocadéro gardens.
- The second floor lines up the city's landmarks, with the Louvre, Sacré-Cœur, Notre-Dame and the Arc de Triomphe all in frame.
- The summit opens a panorama that can reach around 70 kilometres on a clear day, out past La Défense to the hills beyond Paris.
The clip shows what each level reveals.
Plan your visit in advance
Opening hours
The Eiffel Tower welcomes visitors every day of the year, with extended hours through the summer and a final ascent timed well before closing. The full Eiffel Tower opening hours page lists the seasonal times and the last entry up to the summit.
Closing days & special dates
Closures are rare, though a few dates each year shift around major events, the July 14th Bastille Day fireworks on the Champ de Mars being the main one. The same opening hours and closing dates page flags any exceptional closures before a guided slot is booked.
How to get there
The tower stands on the Champ de Mars in the 7th arrondissement, minutes from the Bir-Hakeim metro and the Champ de Mars-Tour Eiffel RER station. The how to get to the Eiffel Tower page maps the closest stations, bus lines and the nearest car park.
General information about these tours
A few practical points make a Eiffel Tower guided tour run more smoothly:
- Booking ahead pays off: demand peaks from June to September and around public holidays.
- Guided groups stay small, around a dozen people, and the guided portion lasts about 90 minutes before visitors continue at their own pace.
- The meeting point is on the esplanade beneath the tower; arriving about 15 minutes early matters, and security screening can add another 10 to 20 minutes.
- The stairs route climbs 674 steps up the South pillar to the second floor, a quieter option that passes close to the tower's ironwork, though not one for very young children or anyone with reduced mobility.
- The lift is the only way up to the summit, which can close in strong wind or at peak times, so a top-level plan is best kept flexible.
- Security is tight, with two screening points, no large luggage, no lockers, and only foldable pushchairs allowed inside.
- The top is open-air and exposed, so a layer against the wind is worth packing even in mild weather.
