Destinations / France / Eiffel Tower
Destinations / France / Eiffel Tower
Gustave Eiffel built the tower for the 1889 World's Fair. Its permit only allowed it to stand for 20 years, and it was kept mainly because it turned out to be useful for radio.
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Many Parisians disliked the tower when it went up, and its permit gave it twenty years before it was due to come down. Eiffel spent those years finding practical uses for it, and that is largely why it is still standing.
Each of the 18,038 iron parts had its own drawing. They were made in Eiffel's workshop and arrived at the Champ de Mars already numbered, ready to be put together. Around 2.5 million rivets hold the tower together.
As the 1909 deadline got closer, Eiffel paid for experiments in wireless telegraphy from the top of the tower. The French army found it useful for radio, and the tower was kept.
Video via YouTube — Paris je t'aime, Paris's official tourism board
What has changed at the tower this year
The Eiffel Tower unveiled proposals to inscribe 72 women scientists' names on the monument (announced January 2026). Starting September 29, 2026, professionally-guided groups will no longer be able to buy tickets at the ticket office, so book ahead online if you are visiting with a tour group. The tower also closed briefly on September 7–8 after staff walked out in protest over the treatment of female employees during a private group visit; it reopened the next day once the operating company acknowledged the issue. That situation has since reached its conclusion: Patrick Branco Ruivo, director general of the tower's operating company (SETE), resigned at the end of September following the controversy. Day-to-day visits are unaffected throughout.
Tickets for popular times sell out days ahead in summer, and the queues without a ticket can be long.
Climbing to the second floor by stairs is cheaper and often faster than the lift queue, and gives you the ironwork up close.
After dark, 20,000 bulbs make the tower sparkle for five minutes at the start of every hour, on top of its usual golden lighting.
Three ways to plan a visit around the tower and its neighborhood.
The Trocadéro gardens across the Seine give the classic photo of the whole tower. Early morning is the quietest time.
The lawns of the Champ de Mars, right below the tower, are a popular place for a picnic.
RER trains run from both Paris airports to the city centre in 35 to 50 minutes. From there, take the Metro or a taxi to the tower.
Early morning and evening are the best times to visit, and it is cooler then than at midday.
Search options →You will spend a lot of time walking and standing in queues.
Search options →Paris showers are common enough to plan around, whatever the season.
Search options →Photos and maps drain a phone quickly, especially on an evening visit.
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Combine the tower with the Louvre, Versailles and the rest of France, and check 2026 ticket prices and Europe's new entry rules before you book.
Plan the rest of France