The Eiffel Tower, or la Tour Eiffel, as the French call their iconic structure, is the most visited paid landmark in the world having surpassed 250,000,000 visitors in 2010.
Built of iron and completed in 1889, the 1050-feet tall latticed tower weighs 7300 metric tonnes and took two years, two months and five days to complete. It was named after Gustave Eiffel, a engineer and the owner of the company that designed and built the tower. Today, it has become one of the most photographed structures in the world.
If you would like to visit the summit of the Eiffel Tower on your next trip to Paris, you can now buy tickets ahead of time.
We asked the manager at
the lovely hotel where we stayed to print our tickets for us. But you may want to book your tickets well in advance, especially during the high tourist seasons, and print them out at home.
You may also have a code sent to your cell phone if you set up an account connected to your phone on the ticketing website.
It’s likely that you will have to wait in line even with your reserved tickets, but the wait time will be much shorter. It took us approximately 25 minutes to get to the summit once we got into the queue.
Quickly, you ascend to the second level. Some people will get off at that level while the rest get on the final elevator to the summit. This elevator is even smaller and even more crowded than the first.
Once you arrive at the top, be prepared for windy conditions. However, there is no need to worry about being blown off the top. It’s securely fenced in all the way up. Thankfully, the fence is wide enough to fit your camera lens through to take some spectacular photos.
We found ourselves walking around the summit several times, getting different shots of the Seine, Sacre Coeur, the financial district and Arc du Triomphe.
My favorite view from the summit is of the Jardins du Trocadero.
Once you’ve taken your photos, enjoy your time at the summit with a glass of champagne.It’s a small glass (maybe 4 ounces), served in a plastic flute, and, at 11 euros, it’s not a bargain but who cares?
Drinking French champagne on top of the world’s most famous tower, overlooking one of the planet’s most beautiful cities while toasting to your loved one is living life to the fullest – the Skimbaco Lifestyle philosophy – and something you probably only do once in your life.
So I say, live it up!
At some point, when the champagne is gone and the battery on your camera has been exhausted, it’s time to descend. While you have no choice in how you get from the summit to floor two – the elevator is your only option – you do have a choice once you’re off that elevator. You may get on the next elevator or you may take the stairs. We opted for stairs. It’s so interesting to see the intricacies of the Eiffel Tower up close.
After we descended, we took a few more dozen photos before we agreed it was time to get something to eat. We had a late lunch at Café Gustave, close to the Eiffel Tower, and enjoyed some traditional French cuisine of Croque Madame and French Onion Soup.
It was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon experiencing the highlights of Paris!
I highly recommend visiting the summit of the Eiffel Tower while in Paris. The views from the top are well worth the time and effort it takes to get there. Having been to the summit at night as well as during the day, I suggest a daytime visit for better views and photo opportunities.
Thank you for traveling with me to the summit of the Eiffel Tower!
