Things to Do at the Eiffel Tower
The tower is three separate experiences stacked on top of each other, and most visitors rush past the first one. Here is what is on each level, in the order you meet it.
{'label': 'View Eiffel Tower tickets'}What Is on Each Level
Each level has its own character. Knowing what is where lets you budget your time instead of discovering the glass floor on the way down.
Esplanade
Free to walk under. The ironwork directly overhead is more impressive from here than from anywhere above.
First floor, 57 m
Glass floor, exhibition space and the best café stop. Most people skip it — a mistake.
Second floor, 116 m
The main viewing level and the best photographs of Paris.
Summit, 276 m
Enclosed viewing deck and the champagne bar. Higher, colder, smaller.
The Things Actually Worth Stopping For
Not everything on the tower deserves your limited time. These do.
The glass floor
On the first floor. Unnerving, genuinely fun, and included in every ticket.
Second-floor orientation boards
They name what you are looking at, which turns a nice view into a useful one.
Gustave Eiffel's office
A small reconstruction at the summit. Easy to miss and worth the two minutes.
The ironwork from below
Free, and the detail is better here than from any viewing platform.
Most overlooked: The first floor. People take the lift straight past it to the second, then never come back down to see it.
How to Work Through the Tower
Going straight to the top and working down wastes the least time and avoids the worst of the lift queues.
- Start at the summit: Go straight up if your ticket includes it. The summit lift queue grows through the day.
- Come down to the second floor: Spend the most time here. It is the best view and the orientation boards are useful.
- Stop at the first floor: Glass floor, exhibition, and a café that is calmer than the ones at ground level.
- Finish underneath: Walk out onto the Champ de Mars and look back. This is where the photographs happen.
Timing tip: Budget 45 minutes for the second floor alone. Most people allow far less and end up rushing the part they came for.
Food, Drink and Places to Sit
There are options on the tower itself and better ones a short walk away.
First-floor café
Simple, quick and calmer than the ground-level kiosks.
Summit champagne bar
A glass at 276 m. Pre-booked bundles cost noticeably more than buying on the day.
Champ de Mars
Bring something and sit on the grass. Free, and the view is the one people fly in for.
Rue Cler nearby
A ten-minute walk and considerably better value than anything in sight of the tower.
Tickets for Each Level
Which level you can reach depends entirely on the ticket. Check before booking.
Summit access by lift, reserved entry
Timed slot straight to the second floor, then the summit lift. The one most people mean by "Eiffel Tower ticket".
Second floor, skip-the-line entry
116 m up, and honestly the better view — Paris still reads as a city from here. Cheapest way past the queue.
Small-group guided tour to the summit
Maximum 15 people, all three levels, and the engineering story told properly.
Summit ticket with Seine river cruise
The cruise dock is a seven-minute walk from the north pillar, so this pairing is genuinely convenient.
Make the Most of Your Eiffel Tower Visit
Allow two to three hours, start at the top, and leave time for the first floor on the way down. It is the level almost everyone skips and the one most people say they wish they had seen.
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