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Panoramic view of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

Eiffel Tower tickets: your 2024 visitor guide

Compare official price levels, learn how timed entry works, and pick a ticket that matches your budget—written for travellers, not for impersonating the official box office.

  • From €14.80 (stairs, 2nd floor)
  • Timed entry when you book ahead
  • Free cancellation on many partner offers
Check availability Compare prices ↓

Check dates & slots

Powered by GetYourGuide
📋 At a glance: Eiffel Tower tickets
💰 Adult, stairs (2nd floor) €14.80
💰 Adult, lift €23.50 — 2nd floor · €36.70 — summit
🕐 Typical hours 09:30–23:45 (later closing in summer, around 00:45)
📅 Book ahead? Yes—strongly recommended (often 2–3 weeks in peak season)
👶 Free entry Children under 4 (ticket still issued at €0 for headcount)
⏱️ Visit length About 1½–2½ hours depending on floors and lifts

📌 Figures from the official Eiffel Tower website (rates & hours)—always double-check before you travel.

Eiffel Tower ticket prices in 2024

What you pay depends on three things: how high you go (2nd floor or summit), stairs or lift, and age or eligibility for a reduced rate. The table below mirrors the official adult rates so you can budget before you land in Paris.

After eight years guiding visitors here, I still steer active travellers towards the stairs to the 2nd floor when they can manage it. You climb Gustave Eiffel’s iron lattice close-up—674 steps—and you typically save about €9 per person versus the lift to the same level.

2nd floor — stairs

674 steps · ~115 m

€14.80 adult
  • Ages 12–24: €7.40
  • Ages 4–11: €3.80
  • Under 4: free
  • Often shorter queues than the lifts
Book

Summit — lift

~276 m · Most requested

€36.70 adult
  • Ages 12–24: €18.40
  • Ages 4–11: €9.20
  • 360° views from the top
  • Champagne bar on the summit
Book

2nd floor — lift

Comfort · ~115 m

€23.50 adult
  • Ages 12–24: €11.80
  • Ages 4–11: €6.00
  • Step-free to 1st & 2nd floors
  • Easy option with young children
Book

Summit — stairs + lift

Lower price · More effort

€28.00 adult
  • Walk to 2nd floor, then lift to summit
  • Saves €8.70 vs all-lift summit (adult)
  • Ages 12–24: €14.00 · 4–11: €7.00
  • Summit not step-free (wheelchairs)
Book

📌 Adult rates shown match the official 2024 grid — source: toureiffel.paris

Best time to visit the Eiffel Tower

Queues move faster at some hours than others. The pattern below matches what SETE publishes about typical busy periods—your exact wait still depends on weather, school holidays, and events.

09:30–11:00
Lower crowds

Right after opening—good light for photos and calmer security lines.

11:00–17:00
Busiest

Midday peak; waits at lifts can be long in July and August.

17:00–20:00
Moderate

Crowds often ease before the sunset rush.

20:00–22:30
Lower crowds

Golden hour and illuminations—popular, but lines can still be shorter than lunchtime.

Photographer’s pick

Personal tip: In summer, a slot around 20:30 lets you watch the sun drop over Paris from the top, then catch the hourly sparkle (five minutes on the hour after dark). Friends who only have one night in town usually thank me for that timing.

How to buy Eiffel Tower tickets

You’ve basically got three routes—each suits a different trip style.

1. Book online (what we recommend)

Official timed tickets let you skip the ticket-office queue and go straight to security with a chosen slot. Sales usually open about 60 days ahead; in peak season the best sunset slots can vanish within days.

💡 Booking hack

New inventory for “today + 60 days” often appears early morning Paris time (around 08:30). If you need a specific sunset window, log in then rather than at midnight.

2. Buy on the day at the desks

Same official prices, but you join the line for the cash desks first—often 30 minutes to two hours in busy months. Fine if you’re flexible; painful if you’re on a tight schedule.

3. Guided tours with priority access

Many guided experiences bundle host meet-up + faster security routing. You pay more (often €20–€35 on top of the ticket concept), but on a one-day Paris blitz it can buy back serious time.

“After eight years on the ground in Paris, advance booking is the single change that turns a stressful tower visit into a relaxed one. Without a slot, some of my groups were losing 40% of their time to lines; with one, they actually enjoy the view.”

MP
Marie Petit Licensed Paris guide

Practical tips for your visit

Small habits that save time, money, or both.

Try the stairs once

The staircase to the 2nd floor shows you rivets, platforms, and engineering details you simply don’t see from a lift car. Allow 30–45 minutes at an easy pace.

Photo spots locals use

Trocadéro is the postcard shot. For fewer tripods in your frame, walk the Champ de Mars towards the École militaire end—more lawn, more depth, often calmer at sunrise.

Arrive 15 minutes early

Security doesn’t care that your train was late. A timed ticket is easier to honour if you’re at the entrance with a quarter-hour buffer.

Night vs day

Golden lighting after dusk and the hourly sparkle (five minutes) feel completely different from a daytime visit—worth doing both if you can.

Free official audio app

Download the official Eiffel Tower app before you go—commentary in multiple languages, no extra charge.

Check wind and weather

Summit access can pause in high winds or ice. Glance at the forecast and the official site on the morning of your visit.

A faster-entry detail most blogs skip

The tower has four legs (north, south, east, west). Tourist flows naturally pool at the south and east sides because they’re obvious from the Trocadéro approach and metro exits.

West pillar: often calmer

If your ticket includes the stairs, try the west pillar first—ticket checks and stair queues there are frequently shorter; I’ve seen 20–30 minutes saved on busy Saturdays.

Groups

Large groups have dedicated procedures; from September 2026, groups above nine people (guide included) must use the dedicated group channel announced on the official site—check current rules before you travel.

🚇 Nearby transport

Métro Bir-Hakeim (line 6) — ~5 min walk, east side.
RER C Champ de Mars–Tour Eiffel — very close to the south side.
Bus 82 — “Tour Eiffel” stop toward north/west.

Reduced fares and free tickets

Official categories (IDs may be checked at entry):

Standard reductions

  • Ages 12–24: roughly half the adult rate with proof of age.
  • Ages 4–11: child rate (about three-quarters below adult on most products).
  • Disabled visitors holding a valid French/EU disability card: child-rate ticket for the visitor and one companion (official rules apply—see SETE).
  • French RSA welfare recipients: free entry on presentation of a CAF certificate less than six months old—ticket office only, not online.

Under 4s

Free, but a €0 ticket is still issued for headcount and safety.

Paris Museum Pass does not cover the tower

The Eiffel Tower is operated separately (SETE). Your Museum Pass won’t get you in—budget a standalone tower ticket.

Budget-friendly choice

If money matters more than the summit, stairs to the 2nd floor (€14.80 adult) still delivers a huge view—and often a quicker experience than lift queues at noon.

FAQ: Eiffel Tower tickets

Straight answers to the questions we see every week.

It depends who sold the ticket. Official tickets are usually non-refundable but may be modifiable within the rules printed at purchase. Reseller platforms often sell flexible options (e.g. free cancellation 24–48h)—read the small print before paying.

No. You choose “2nd floor” or “summit” when you buy. There is no on-the-day “summit add-on” if you arrived on a 2nd-floor-only ticket—pick summit at checkout if you’re unsure.

Lifts serve the 1st and 2nd floors for wheelchair users. The summit and the stair option are not accessible to standard wheelchairs. Eligible visitors and one companion pay the reduced “child” rate on official tickets—confirm details on the official accessibility page.

Allow 1–1½ hours for the 2nd floor only, 2–2½ hours if you include the summit and photo stops. Add 30–45 minutes if you’re walking up to the 2nd floor. Internal lift queues are extra.

Yes, picnics are allowed within reason. Large bags, coolers, and glass bottles are restricted—see the official visitor rules PDF. Buffets and restaurants sit on every level if you prefer to buy on site.

Strictly speaking, timed tickets are for that window only. In practice, staff sometimes allow a short grace period, but don’t rely on it—plan to be at security 15 minutes before your slot.

More guides on this site

Deeper pages for each part of your trip

Summit tickets

Lift vs stairs + lift, champagne bar, planning

Full price list

All official products on one page

Lights & sparkle

When the tower lights up

Skip-the-line reality check

What actually saves time

Opening hours

Last lift times & seasonal changes

Restaurants

Madame Brasserie, Jules Verne, bars

Cheap tickets

Legal ways to pay less

Seine cruise combos

Boats + tower planning

Ready to see Paris from above?

Lock in a timed entry, then relax. Many reseller offers include free cancellation—check the terms on the checkout page.

Book tickets → Questions?