Eiffel Tower Direct Elevator Access to 2nd Floor and Summit Paris
- DurationAbout 1.5 hours including the guided introduction; unlimited time inside the tower afterwards
- Open onDaily, rain or shine
- Meeting pointTour office at 41 Avenue de la Bourdonnais, 75007 Paris, where the guide meets the group and exchanges the voucher; do not go directly to the Eiffel Tower; arrive 15 minutes before your time, latecomers are not admitted
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Overview
These Eiffel Tower summit tickets give you reserved elevator access to the 2nd floor with an English-speaking guide, then elevator access to the summit at 276 metres, with unlimited time inside the tower afterwards. You meet the guide at the tour office at 41 Avenue de la Bourdonnais, a few minutes from the tower, and walk together to the reserved entrance, avoiding the ticket queue. On the 2nd floor the guide tells the story of the tower and points out the monuments below before leaving you to continue to the top on your own and to walk the glass floor of the 1st floor on the way down. It is a shared guided entry suited to first-time visitors, couples and families; there is no hotel pickup.
Highlights
- Reserved elevator access to the 2nd floor of the Eiffel Tower, skipping the ticket queue
- Elevator access to the summit at 276 metres, the highest public viewpoint in Paris
- English-speaking guide with an introduction and stories up to the 2nd floor
- Unlimited time inside the tower after the guided part
- The glass floor of the 1st floor at 57 metres on the way down
- Views of the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, Sacré-Cœur, the Seine and Les Invalides
- Five start times a day, including 20:45 for the lights and the sparkle after dark
- Runs rain or shine, every day of the year
Full Description
The Eiffel Tower: the iron lady of 1889
The Eiffel Tower was built in two years, two months and five days for the World's Fair of 1889 by the engineering company of Gustave Eiffel, whose name it carries. Its 18,000 iron parts, held by 2.5 million rivets, rise to 330 metres including the antennas, and for forty years it was the tallest structure in the world. Planned as a temporary exhibit to be dismantled after twenty years, it was saved by its usefulness as a radio mast, and it is now repainted every seven years in a bronze shade slightly darker at the base than at the top.
The ticket covers the three visitor levels: the 1st floor at 57 metres, the 2nd floor at 115 metres and the summit at 276 metres. Eiffel Tower skip-the-line tickets with reserved elevator access are the simplest way to see all three without spending an hour or more in the queue on the esplanade, which is why we recommend booking this entry well ahead in summer.
The 2nd floor with your guide
After the security check at the foot of the tower, the group takes the reserved elevator in one of the four pillars straight up to the 2nd floor at 115 metres, the level with the clearest views of the city's monuments. Your English-speaking guide spends about half an hour here, explaining how the tower was built and nearly demolished, how the elevators climb the curved legs, and what you are looking at: the Arc de Triomphe at the top of the Champs-Élysées, the glass roof of the Grand Palais, the Louvre along the Seine, the white domes of Sacré-Cœur on the hill of Montmartre and the golden dome of Les Invalides to the south-east.
The 2nd floor also has the widest outdoor galleries, protected by railings, a restaurant, shops and the queue for the summit elevator. When the guided introduction ends the guide leaves, and your Eiffel Tower ticket with guide becomes a standard summit ticket with no time limit: stay as long as you wish.
The summit at 276 metres
From the 2nd floor a separate elevator, one of the two that rise through the centre of the tower, carries you to the summit at 276 metres, the highest point open to visitors in Paris. There is an enclosed glass level and, above it, an open-air platform with a view that reaches about 70 kilometres on a clear day: the whole of Paris, the skyscrapers of La Défense to the west and the loops of the Seine. Panels around the platform show the direction and distance of other world landmarks, and a small room recreates the office that Gustave Eiffel kept at the top.
Expect a queue on the 2nd floor for the summit elevator, longest in summer afternoons; summit ticket holders wait in line here even with reserved access below. Best time to visit the Eiffel Tower summit: the 10:45 slot on a clear morning for visibility, or the 20:45 slot to see the city lights come on and the tower sparkle for five minutes on the hour.
The 1st floor glass floor, the Champ de Mars and the Trocadéro
On the way down, the elevator stops at the 1st floor at 57 metres, where a section of the floor is made of glass: standing on it, you look straight down at the esplanade between the four pillars. The 1st floor also has exhibits on the tower's history, a long outdoor gallery and the quietest viewpoints, since most visitors go straight past it. From there the elevator or the stairs take you back to the ground.
The tour office where you meet is at 41 Avenue de la Bourdonnais, between the tower and the École Militaire, a few minutes from the Champ de Mars, the long lawn that gives the classic ground-level photograph of the tower, and from the Pont d'Iéna leading to the Trocadéro terrace, the best viewpoint for the whole structure. Eiffel Tower opening hours are 9:30 to 23:45 in summer and 9:30 to 23:00 the rest of the year, with the last summit elevator about an hour before closing.
Itinerary
- Meet at the tour office near the towerArrive at 41 Avenue de la Bourdonnais 15 minutes before your chosen time with all participants; exchange your voucher and meet your English-speaking guide. Do not go to the tower directly.
- Walk to the tower and security checkA short walk to the esplanade and the security screening at the foot of the tower; small bags only.
- Reserved elevator to the 2nd floorRide up one of the pillars to the 2nd floor at 115 metres with the group, avoiding the ticket queue.
- Guided introduction on the 2nd floor (about 30 minutes)Stories of the tower's construction and the monuments in view, from the Arc de Triomphe to Sacré-Cœur; the guide then leaves you to continue on your own.
- Elevator to the summitJoin the summit elevator queue on the 2nd floor and ride to the top at 276 metres: the glass level, the open-air platform and the recreated office.
- The 1st floor and the glass floorOn the way down, stop at the 1st floor at 57 metres to stand on the glass floor and see the exhibits, then return to ground level whenever you like.
What's included
- Reserved elevator access to the 1st and 2nd floors of the Eiffel Tower
- Elevator access to the summit
- Elevator access to the 1st floor on the way down
- Unlimited time inside the tower
- English-speaking guide with an introduction and commentary (the guide leaves after the 2nd floor)
Not included
- Transfers
- Food and drinks
- Tips
Is this right for you?
Great for
- Travellers who want a proven choice — rated 4.6/5 by past travellers
Not suitable for
- Wheelchair users
- People with mobility impairments
- People with a fear of heights
Meeting point
There is no hotel pickup. Meet at the tour office at 41 Avenue de la Bourdonnais, 75007 Paris, not at the Eiffel Tower itself; nearest stations are École Militaire (metro line 8), Champ de Mars–Tour Eiffel (RER C) and Bir-Hakeim (line 6). Arrive 15 minutes before your chosen time (10:45, 13:15, 14:15, 14:45 or 20:45) with all participants present, as the guide exchanges the vouchers and walks the group to the tower together. Latecomers cannot enter, and there is no alternative meeting point.
Important information
- Arrive 15 minutes early at the office, not at the tower; latecomers cannot be admitted and tickets cannot be changed.
- Bring your passport or ID card and the voucher on your phone.
- No left-luggage facility and no large bags: everything passes security screening at the foot of the tower.
- Expect some waiting for security and for the summit elevator on the 2nd floor, up to about 25 minutes in high season.
- The summit platform is open-air and windy: bring a warm layer even in summer, and a hat that will not blow away.
- Visits run rain or shine; in strong wind the summit may close and the visit continues on the 1st and 2nd floors.
- The guide accompanies you only to the 2nd floor; after the introduction you continue to the summit and back down on your own.
- Children must be able to stand and move between levels; the glass floor can be skipped by anyone who prefers not to walk on it.
Good to know
Frequently Asked Questions
Straight answers to what travellers ask us most, before they book.
Is this a shared or a private visit?
The guided introduction up to the 2nd floor is shared with a small group; from the summit elevator onwards you are on your own with unlimited time. Contact us on WhatsApp for a private guide.
How long does the visit take?
About an hour and a half for the meeting, the ascent and the guided introduction, then as long as you like at the summit and on the 1st floor; most visitors spend two to three hours in total.
Is hotel pickup included?
No. You meet at the tour office at 41 Avenue de la Bourdonnais, a few minutes from the tower and from the École Militaire and Bir-Hakeim metro stations.
What is included?
Reserved elevator access to the 1st and 2nd floors, elevator access to the summit, elevator access to the 1st floor on the way down, an English-speaking guide up to the 2nd floor and unlimited time inside the tower. Food, drinks and transfers are not included.
Is the price per person or per group?
Per person. The booking panel on this page shows the current price; every participant, including children, needs a ticket.
Do we really skip the line?
You skip the ticket queue thanks to reserved elevator access to the 2nd floor. A security screening at the base and the summit elevator queue on the 2nd floor still apply, as for every visitor.
Is the summit always open?
Almost always, but it can close in strong wind, during technical work or when very crowded. If the summit is closed, the visit continues on the 1st and 2nd floors.
Is the visit suitable for children and for reduced mobility?
Children who can manage lifts and short flights of steps enjoy it, especially the glass floor. It is not suitable for wheelchair users or people with mobility impairments, because of the walk, the queues and the stairs between levels.
What should I bring?
Passport or ID card, your voucher, a small bag only, a warm layer for the summit and a camera. Leave suitcases and large bags at your hotel.
Which time slot is best?
10:45 gives the clearest air for photographs; 20:45 lets you watch Paris light up and the tower sparkle for five minutes on the hour; the midday slots suit a full day of sightseeing.
What happens in bad weather?
The visit runs rain or shine; the 1st and 2nd floors have covered areas. Only strong wind closes the summit, in which case the rest of the tower stays open.
How do I book and confirm?
Choose your date and time slot in the booking panel on this page. Our team confirms on WhatsApp within minutes and sends the voucher and the office address to meet your guide.
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