Eiffel Tower tickets are the single biggest planning trap in Paris — not because the tower is hard to visit, but because a crowded field of resellers makes it easy to overpay, queue at the wrong pillar, or book the wrong access level entirely.
This guide walks you through the four things that actually matter: the ticket tiers (stairs, lift, summit), how the timed-slot system works, what you should realistically pay, and how to spot the scam sites that charge double for the same entry. Every price here is an approximation — confirm before you go.
Buy from the official toureiffel.paris site, arrive inside your slot, and the whole visit becomes straightforward — even on a sold-out summer day.
Key takeaways
- Only the official toureiffel.paris site sells face-price tickets; third-party sellers add a markup and nothing else.
- Every ticket locks you to a half-hour entry window — book early and show up inside your slot.
- Stairs beat lift on price, lift beats stairs on comfort, and the summit is weather-dependent luxury on top.
- No ticket type skips security; anyone selling 'skip-the-line' is selling you a story.
- Sold-out usually means summit sold out — the second floor is the smart fallback, not a reseller.
- Evening slots and the same-day ticket office are your best last-minute levers.
Eiffel Tower Tickets at a Glance: Stairs, Lift & Summit
Every Eiffel Tower ticket is really three separate decisions stacked into one booking: how you get up (stairs or lift), how high you go (second floor or summit), and which half-hour window you claim. Sort those three and the rest is routine.
| Ticket | What it gets you | Rough adult price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stairs to second floor | First and second floor via the staircase, lift back down | Around €14–€18 | Budget visitors, fit travelers, photographers |
| Lift to second floor | Direct lift to the second floor | Around €17–€21 | First-timers, families, anyone short on time |
| Summit (lift) | Second floor plus the summit via a second lift | Around €26–€32 | Once-in-a-lifetime visits on clear days |
| Under 4s | Free access with a paying adult | Free | Families with small children |
The pattern to remember: stairs beats lift on price, lift beats stairs on comfort, and the summit adds the highest tier on top of either. Ranges above are directional, not gospel — check the current figures on the official site before you book.
How Timed Entry Slots Work (And Why You Must Book One)
There is no general-admission ticket. Every Eiffel Tower entry is tied to a specific date and a half-hour arrival window, and the tower only admits as many people as each slot allows. Pick the slot at booking, then be at the gates inside that window.
How far ahead do slots open?
The official site releases tickets in batches roughly two months out, with new dates dropping on a set rhythm rather than all at once. On release mornings, summer dates and sunset slots tend to evaporate within hours — decide your date early and treat the drop like a small event.
Can you miss your window?
As a rule, the slot is the contract: arrive inside your half-hour window and you're in; wander in hours late and the ticket generally loses its value. Weather is the big exception — if the summit closes for wind, the official policy refunds the summit portion for that slot.
Smart move: Book the earliest slot you'll honestly make. A 9:30 slot you actually hit beats an 11:00 slot you end up rushing to.
- Lift tickets split the ground queues by pillar; stairs tickets enter at the staircase pillar.
- Summit tickets change to a second lift at the second floor — both queues count toward your time.
- Refunds and exchanges follow the official terms; resold tickets rarely come with the same flexibility.
Where to Buy: The Official Site vs the Reseller Landscape
Only one seller has the true face price: the official Eiffel Tower site, toureiffel.paris. Everything else sits somewhere between "harmless convenience fee" and "outright scam" — and none of it gets you a faster line, because there is no line to skip.
| Source | Price | The catch | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official site (toureiffel.paris) | Face price | Can sell out | Book here, first |
| Tower ticket office | Face price | Limited same-day quota | Fallback only |
| Third-party booking sites | Marked up, sometimes 2–3× | Nothing extra, messy refunds | Avoid |
| Street touts near Trocadéro | Inflated, cash only | Counterfeit or double-sold tickets | Never |
Scam alert: Anyone promising "skip-the-line" tickets is selling a fiction — every visitor passes the same security screening. Street touts asking for cash are handing you a ticket that may already be used. Walk away.
Legitimate resellers do exist: they pre-buy official tickets and resell them with a markup. You pay double for zero benefit — the security line, the lifts, and the view are identical either way. If you are covering several sights, our Paris Museum Pass vs Paris Pass comparison shows when a bundled pass earns its price.
What Eiffel Tower Tickets Cost (Approximate Ranges)
Official pricing is tiered and fairly stable within a season: stairs undercuts the lift, the summit sits on top, and children and young adults pay reduced rates. The ranges below are directional, not gospel — confirm current numbers on the official site before you book.
| Access level | Adult (rough) | Reduced (rough) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stairs to second floor | €14–€18 | Around half for children | The cheapest adult ticket |
| Lift to second floor | €17–€21 | Reduced for young adults | The middle ground |
| Summit | €26–€32 | Reduced for young adults | Weather dependent |
| Under 4s | Free | Free | With a paying adult |
- Resellers inflate. Official tiers stay stable; third-party prices follow demand, so a sold-out summit can cost triple face value.
- Stay in official channels. If a price looks too high — or impossibly low — you are looking at the wrong seller.
Stairs or Lift to the Second Floor? Pick Your Access
The staircase to the second floor is roughly 670 steps — a genuine climb that takes most people 20–30 minutes with photo stops. The lift does the same journey in under a minute and runs every few minutes. Both end at the same second floor.
Choose the stairs if…
- You want the cheapest adult ticket. It is consistently the low tier.
- You like the view through the lattice on the way up — a proper photographer's angle.
- You want to dodge the ground lift wait on busy mornings.
Choose the lift if…
- You're on limited time or limited energy — small kids, hot weather, or a packed itinerary.
- Mobility is a factor. The stairs are honest exercise; the lift is door to door.
- You're headed to the summit anyway — that requires lifts regardless.
What each level actually holds
The first floor has the glass floor and a couple of dining spots; the second floor is where the postcard view of Paris lives, plus the champagne and macaron stands. The summit adds the top viewing deck and Gustave Eiffel's recreated office.
Free trick: Coming down, you can usually take the stairs from the second floor on a lift ticket — a quiet, free way to skip the descending lift queue when it's packed.
Arriving at the Tower: Security, Pillars, and the Gate Flow
Getting inside is a small process, not a single door — plan 30–45 minutes from arrival to lift. The tower sits inside a security perimeter at the base, and the queues are organized by entrance and ticket type.
- Find your pillar. The base has several entrances; your ticket and the on-site signage direct you to the right one — stairs users and lift users do not queue together.
- Pass security screening. Everyone, on every tier, goes through bag checks before the gates. No purchase skips this; factor the wait into your slot.
- Scan your timed ticket. The QR code is validated against your half-hour window, so have it ready on your phone or printed out.
- Board the lift or start climbing. Lift tickets funnel into the lift queue; stairs tickets head for the staircase door.
- For the summit, change lifts at the second floor. There is a second queue at the top transfer point.
Queues at the base are prime pickpocket territory — keep phones and wallets zipped, and keep your ticket QR somewhere you can reach it without emptying your bag. Dropping the booking PDF into an offline trip file (the kind AnchorTrip builds) means no fumbling through email at the gate.
Best Times of Day to Visit the Eiffel Tower
Timing does more for your visit than any ticket type. The tower opens early and runs late, but the crowd curve is sharp: thin at first entry, brutal midday, lovely late afternoon, and busiest at sunset.
| Time slot | Crowds | What you get | Book ahead |
|---|---|---|---|
| First slot of the day (around 9:30) | Lightest | Clear morning light, short queues | A few days out |
| Midday | Heavy | Harsh light, long lift lines | Avoid |
| Late afternoon (16:00–17:30) | Moderate | Golden light, calmer rhythm | 1–2 weeks out |
| Sunset / evening | Busiest | City lights, tower sparkling hourly | Weeks out |
| Late evening | Moderate | Night skyline, shorter queues | Last-minute possible |
Book the slot that ends after dark if you want the view that pays you back: from the second floor at night the skyline does the work, and the tower itself sparkles for five minutes at the top of every hour — prime time for a sunset Seine cruise from the water.
Eiffel Tower Tickets Sold Out? The Last-Minute Playbook
Sold-out happens most days in summer, and it usually means "summit sold out" rather than "tower full." That distinction is your whole strategy.
Shift your goal, not your budget
If the summit is gone, book the second floor — it is the same tower, the famous view, and usually still available. Paying a reseller triple for the summit you wanted is the one move that guarantees regret.
Work the release rhythm
Official slots drop in batches on toureiffel.paris, roughly two months ahead and in regular windows. Check the site on release mornings, and check back close to your date — cancelled bookings occasionally free up real slots.
Try the quiet hours
Evening and late slots are consistently the least fought-over. On many days, night slots appear when midday ones never do.
The ticket office fallback
The on-site ticket office sells whatever same-day quota remains — but in peak season that can be gone by mid-morning. Queue early, or treat it as a lottery rather than a plan.
Worth knowing: Restaurant reservations at the tower get you past the base queues — but they are expensive and book out months ahead. Treat them as a splurge, not a hack.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy Eiffel Tower tickets on the day at the tower?
Yes — the on-site ticket office sells whatever same-day quota remains. But in summer that quota can be gone by mid-morning, so treat it as a fallback. Booking online on the official site, roughly two months ahead, is the reliable route.
How far in advance do Eiffel Tower tickets go on sale?
The official site opens tickets in batches about two months before the visit date, with new dates released on a set rhythm. Popular slots — summer dates and sunset windows — can sell out within hours of a release, so pick your date early.
Is the summit worth the extra cost?
If it's a once-in-a-lifetime visit and the forecast is clear, yes — it is the full panorama. But the summit closes in strong wind, and the second floor already delivers the classic view. On a tight budget or a doubtful forecast, skip it without guilt.
Are stairs tickets cheaper than lift tickets?
Generally, yes — the stairs are the lowest-priced adult ticket on the official site. You climb roughly 670 steps to the second floor and ride the lift back down. Lift tickets cost more and skip the climb entirely.
How do I spot a fake Eiffel Tower ticket site?
The only official seller is toureiffel.paris. Red flags: prices well above face value, cash-only 'fast-track' offers, touts near Trocadéro, and sites that cannot show you a specific date and half-hour slot. Since no ticket bypasses security, a premium price buys nothing.
What happens if I miss my timed entry window?
Tickets are validated against your half-hour slot, and as a rule late arrivals cannot enter on that ticket. The main exception is weather closures, where the summit portion is generally refunded. Check the official terms before you book.
Can I change or cancel my Eiffel Tower ticket?
The official site allows changes and cancellations under its current terms, sometimes with a fee. Resold tickets are a different story — third-party sellers make changes difficult or impossible, another reason to book direct.