Eiffel Tower Pre-Booked Access with Guide to 2nd Floor or Summit Paris

Eiffel Tower timed entry and the walk from the office

The visit starts at an office at 41 Avenue de la Bourdonnais, on the east side of the Champ de Mars in the 7th district, where you exchange your voucher and meet the guide. From there it is a five-minute walk along the park to the foot of the tower, and the guide uses it to explain the lay of the land: the four pillars named after the compass points, the entrances and where the security screening happens. Because your Eiffel Tower tickets are pre-booked for a fixed time, you go straight to the security line rather than queuing to buy tickets, which in summer can save an hour.

How to get to the Eiffel Tower meeting point: École Militaire metro on line 8 is about seven minutes away on foot, and the Champ de Mars-Tour Eiffel RER C station about ten. Arriving early matters, as late arrivals cannot be admitted and the tickets cannot be reissued.

The Eiffel Tower and its story

Built for the World's Fair of 1889 to mark one hundred years since the French Revolution, the Eiffel Tower rose in twenty-six months from four stone foundations on the bank of the Seine. Its 7,300 tonnes of wrought iron are held together by two and a half million rivets, and the 300-metre tower was the tallest structure on earth until 1930. Artists of the day protested against it, Parisians grew to love it, and the radio antennas that saved it from demolition still crown it today, bringing its height to 330 metres.

Your guide tells this story on the way up and points out details most visitors miss: the names of seventy-two scientists engraved under the 1st floor balcony, the hydraulic lift machinery and the painting campaigns that keep the iron from rusting. An Eiffel Tower tour with a guide turns a view into an understanding of the structure beneath your feet.

The 2nd floor, 115 metres above Paris

The elevator from the pillar carries the group to the 2nd floor, 115 metres up, where the guided part of the visit ends and the explanations are at their most rewarding. From here the guide shows you the layout of the city: the Trocadéro gardens straight across the river, the golden dome of Les Invalides to the east, the Arc de Triomphe at the top of the Champs-Élysées, the white domes of Sacré-Cœur on Montmartre and the glass roof of the Grand Palais beside the Seine.

The 2nd floor has open galleries on all four sides, telescopes, information panels and souvenir counters, and it is the departure point for the separate summit elevators. Is the Eiffel Tower 2nd floor worth visiting on its own? Many people think it offers the best balance of height and detail; with the default option you also go higher, so take your photos here first and then join the summit line.

The summit at 276 metres

The default option includes reserved summit access, so after the guided part you take the second elevator from the 2nd floor to the top platform at 276 metres. Up here the whole Île-de-France opens up: the Seine winding past the Louvre and the islands to the east, the towers of La Défense to the west, Montparnasse to the south and, on clear days, the forests and new towns beyond the city. A glazed level with viewing panels names the landmarks, and an open terrace above lets you feel the breeze at the highest point of Paris.

Expect a wait on the 2nd floor for the summit elevators, especially in the afternoon. The late-evening departure is a favourite for this reason: the lines are shorter and the city is lit below you. In strong wind the summit can close without notice; in that case the visit continues on the lower floors.

The 1st floor and its glass floor

On the way down you stop at the 1st floor, 57 metres above the Champ de Mars, which was rebuilt with a transparent walkway that lets you look straight down at the esplanade. Children love it and many adults need a moment before stepping on. Around it are exhibits about the construction, the lighting and the tower's role in science and broadcasting, as well as shaded seating and large windows framing the river and the Trocadéro.

Because this option gives you unlimited time inside the tower, you can linger here as long as you like and go back up to the 2nd floor if you wish. If your departure is after dark, stay for the sparkle: 20,000 bulbs flash across the structure for five minutes at the start of every hour until late. When you are done, the elevator takes you to the ground and you are free on the Champ de Mars.