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Paris: Eiffel Tower Stair Climb to 2nd Floor & Optional Summit

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/6

Duration2h

GroupUp to 25

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

700 Stairs, a Guide, and the City Spread Below You

You climb 700 stairs with a guide to the Eiffel Tower's 2nd floor, walk the glass section, and see Paris from a height most visitors miss. Upgrade to the summit by elevator for even higher views. A Seine River cruise ticket is included on select options—valid for a year, so you choose when to use it. Small groups mean you're not crushed in a crowd.

Step-by-step itinerary

Meet guide at Eiffel Tower
Climb stairs to first level
Walk on glass floor
Climb stairs to second level
Enjoy views of Paris
Optionally take elevator to summit
Admire panoramic city views

The Experience

"How many flights is that, exactly?" someone always asks on the landing between the first and second level. Your guide will have already told you—roughly 700 stairs from ground to the 2nd floor—but hearing it again while your legs remember the count makes it real. The stair climb itself is the point. You're moving through the tower's iron lattice with a small group, not shuffled through a queue with thousands, and the guide is talking about Gustave Eiffel's engineering choices, the original 1889 construction, the way the tower sways in wind. You notice details: the rivets, the angle of the beams, how the light changes as you spiral up.

The first level comes with a glass floor section—that moment when you look straight down and Paris drops away beneath your feet. It's disorienting in the best way. Then you keep climbing. By the time you reach the 2nd floor, you're breathing harder but the views have opened up completely. The Seine winds through the city like a ribbon, the neighborhoods fan out in every direction, and you can actually see how Paris is organized instead of just walking through it. If you've added the summit upgrade, an elevator takes you the rest of the way—no more stairs—and the perspective shifts again. Higher, wider, the city becomes almost abstract from up there.

The Seine River cruise ticket comes depending on which tour option you book, and it's valid for a full year, so you can use it whenever you want during your stay in Paris. Boats run every 30 minutes from 9am to 9pm, which means you have flexibility to do it the same day or save it for another afternoon. The guide will explain the timing and how to use your ticket before you leave the tower.

One thing to know: the summit can close without warning if weather turns or the tower authorities decide it's unsafe. If that happens on your day, you get a refund for the summit portion. It's not something you can control, but the 2nd floor climb itself is solid—that part doesn't depend on conditions. You'll need moderate fitness to handle the stairs; the climb is steady and takes time, but it's not a sprint. Pregnant travelers and anyone with cardiovascular concerns should skip this one.

What’s included

Professional guide leading the stair climb, entrance tickets to the 1st and 2nd floors, access to the glass floor on the first level, and optional summit access by elevator if you upgrade. Depending on your tour option, you also receive a Seine River cruise ticket valid for one year, with boats running every 30 minutes between 9am and 9pm.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditions

Operated by Uncle Sam Tours

Is this one for you?Right for travelers who want to actually experience the Eiffel Tower's structure instead of just passing through it, and who can handle a sustained stair climb. The small group format keeps you from being lost in the crowds, and the guide's stories make the climb itself the attraction, not just the view at the top.