Visiting the second floor of the Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower's second floor is the monument's main panoramic level, sitting 115 m (377 ft) above Paris and reachable by lift or by 674 steps up the South pillar. From here the summit continues by lift only. Most visitors rate it the floor that shows Paris in the sharpest detail, and it is the highest level wheelchair users can reach.
A 115-metre panoramic level
The second floor sits 115 m (377 ft) above the ground, high enough for a wide sweep of the city.
Reached by lift or by 674 steps
Visitors arrive by elevator or climb 674 steps up the South pillar, from this level the summit continues by lift only.
Available to all visitors
The second floor is the highest point wheelchair users and visitors with reduced mobility can reach.
Tickets to climb to the second floor of the Eiffel Tower
Visitors can make the most of their visit with an expert guide leading the way. Check out the 2nd-floor guided tour options and book the perfect experience now.
Is the second floor of the Eiffel Tower accessible?
The second floor is fully accessible and is the highest level wheelchair users and visitors with reduced mobility can reach, by elevator. Its lower platform has step-free access throughout, while the summit and the staircases remain off-limits to anyone who cannot use the stairs in an evacuation.
Three of the tower's four pillars carry visitors up by lift. The West and North pillars on the Seine side give level access straight to the ticket desks and the cabins, and the East pillar runs a dedicated elevator for people with reduced mobility. Once on the second floor, the lower platform is step-free inside and out, so the buffet, the shops and the open viewing terrace all sit on one reachable level. Viewing windows along the edge are lowered to wheelchair height, which keeps the panorama in view without standing.
On-floor provisions for accessibility on the second floor are:
- Step-free access across the whole lower platform, indoors and outdoors.
- Wheelchair-accessible toilets.
- Viewing windows lowered and adjusted for seated sightlines.
- Buffet and souvenir shops reachable on a single level.
What about the summit?
It is important to note that the summit cannot be reached by wheelchair, because the small lift that runs from the second floor up to the top is too narrow for one and the stairs double as the emergency evacuation route. On the way down, floor staff can arrange a facilitated lift descent for anyone who needs it.
View from the second floor of the Eiffel Tower
The second floor provides a 360-degree panorama of Paris at 115 meters (377 feet). This elevation highlights Trocadero, Pont d'Iéna, and Passerelle Debilly as the primary sights in the immediate foreground, as seen in the video.
Further in the distance, the view includes the bends of the Seine and several landmarks across the city skyline. Visitors can identify the Louvre and its glass pyramid, the Arc de Triomphe, the dome of Les Invalides, and the domes of Sacré-Cœur on Montmartre.
After dark, the platform overlooks the city lights and the tower's sparkle, which runs for five minutes at the top of every hour.
What's on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower?
The second floor packs the tower's main visitor draw into two levels: a wraparound 360-degree observation deck, a Michelin-starred restaurant and a quicker buffet, a macaron bar and a champagne kiosk, the tower's principal souvenir shop, and an interactive Gustave Eiffel exhibit. Everything sits across a lower and an upper level, with the iron spire rising overhead toward the summit.
Shops and exhibits
The second floor features the tower's main boutique and headline exhibit. On the upper level, the principal souvenir shop, La Verrière, offers exclusive keepsakes. Meanwhile, the lower level (facing the Champ-de-Mars) features an interactive smartphone experience, a digital “journey through time” that overlays historical scenes onto the modern landscape.
One trace of the tower's own past sits on this level too. The original spiral staircase that once linked the second floor to the summit, Gustave Eiffel's personal route up to his office, came down in 1983, and a surviving 4.30 m section is now displayed on the first floor.
First floor, second floor or the summit, how the levels compare
The Eiffel Tower has three visitor levels, and each suits a different visit.
- The first floor is the experiential and architectural stop, built around its glass floor and a walk through the tower's history.
- The second floor is the sweet spot for a legible, photographable view of Paris and is the highest level everyone can reach.
- The summit wins on sheer height, the "above Paris" feeling and its champagne bar, though the city flattens into a map from 276 m. A summit ticket passes through the second floor on the way up, so summit visitors see this level too. The staircase, by contrast, climbs only as far as the second floor, and from there the lift is the sole way to continue to the top.
The three levels compare as follows:
| Feature | Height |
|---|---|
| First floor | 57 m (187 ft) |
| Second floor | 115 m (377 ft) |
| Summit | 276 m (906 ft) |
| Feature | How to reach it |
|---|---|
| First floor | Lift, or 327 steps from the esplanade |
| Second floor | Lift, or 674 steps via the South pillar |
| Summit | Lift only, from the second floor |
| Feature | Wheelchair access |
|---|---|
| First floor | Yes, by lift |
| Second floor | Yes, by lift, the highest accessible level |
| Summit | No, for safety and evacuation |
| Feature | Signature features |
|---|---|
| First floor | Glass floor, history and cultural path, Madame Brasserie |
| Second floor | 360-degree panorama with the best landmark detail, Le Jules Verne, macaron bar, shops and exhibits |
| Summit | Highest 360-degree view, champagne bar, Gustave Eiffel's reconstructed office |
| Feature | Best for |
|---|---|
| First floor | Glass-floor thrill, history, a relaxed stop |
| Second floor | The best balance of view and detail, photography, dining |
| Summit | The highest panorama and prestige |
| Feature | View character |
|---|---|
| First floor | Close-up of the structure and immediate surroundings |
| Second floor | Detailed, legible cityscape with identifiable landmarks |
| Summit | Far-reaching but flattened, map-like |
