There’s much more to Paris’s iconic Eiffel Tower than meets the eye. This fascinating tour goes backstage to reveal the inner workings of one of the world’s greatest monuments.
Accompanied by an expert guide, you will visit the old military bunker under the Champ de Mars. You will also see the original engine room that still controls the lifts. As you look around these hidden places, your guide will tell you fascinating stories and facts about the Tower – the construction challenges, the criticisms and the controversies.
Then skip the lines to whizz up to the second floor for eye-popping 360° Paris panoramas. Make sure you have your camera to capture images from this tour-with-a-difference.
- Tour information
- Activity schedule
- Itinerary
When does it run?
Tour at 10:00am:
01 Apr - 31 May: Wednesday & Saturday
01 Jun - 31 Aug: Wednesday, Saturday & Sunday
Tour at 11:30am:
01 Jun - 31 Jul: Wednesday & Sunday
01 Aug - 31 Aug: Wednesday, Saturday & Sunday
Tour at 3:00pm:
01 Jun - 31 Aug: Friday & Saturday
Tour at 5:00pm:
01 Apr - 31 May: Wednesday & Saturday
01 Jun - 31 Aug: Wednesday, Friday & Saturday
Duration
1 hour and 30 minutes
Start time
10:00am, 11:30am, 3:00pm & 5:00pm
Please ensure you are at the meeting point in time for the tour departure as you risk missing the tour otherwise.
Meeting point
Meet the guide at the North Pillar of the Eiffel Tower next to the bust statue of Gustave Eiffel.
The Eiffel Tower's nearest metro/RER station is Champ de Mars / Tour Eiffel on the RER C train line (yellow line on maps)
See on map
Ending point
The tour ends on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower
- Tour information
- Activity schedule
- Itinerary
Get the inside story of Paris’s most famous monument on the Behind The Scenes At The Eiffel Tower tour. To join the group you should meet your guide at the North Pillar of the Eiffel Tower next to the bust of Gustave Eiffel. Make sure you arrive at the meeting point before the departure time.
The elegant iron-lattice Tower, standing 324 meters (1,063 ft) tall, was built for the World Fair of 1889, held to commemorate the centenary of the French Revolution. The visionary genius behind this ground-breaking structure was Gustave Eiffel, who won a competition challenging entrants to submit proposals to raise an iron tower on the Champ de Mars.
Gustave Eiffel’s bold design was chosen from 107 other projects and the work took 2 years, 2 months and 5 days to complete. The concept was a radical one for the 1880s and the Tower attracted much criticism and controversy. Among the revolutionary features for the time were the lifts allowing visitors to access the floors of the monument.
Accompanied by a guide, who will recount numerous anecdotes throughout the visit, go behind the scenes of this staggering monument. You will first visit the former bunker hidden under the Champ de Mars and hear about the history of the Tower and its importance as a communications tower.
After this the tour gives you ‘Skip The Line Access’ to enter the Eiffel Tower. There may however be a short wait for the lift. Before ascending to the second floor you will enjoy a true privilege. Slip backstage to see the original engine room which still controls the elevators!
Arriving at the second floor, you will be greeted by even more magnificent views. As a VIP, you ascend the roof of the prestigious restaurant ‘Le Jules Verne’ to discover a breath-taking 360° panorama of Paris.
The tour ends at the second level of the Eiffel Tower. You can stay here after the excursion ends. If you wish, you can take the elevator to the top floor. (The extra charge for this is approx 4 euro.)