Le sommet · 276 meters up
The summit is the first thing to sell out at the Eiffel Tower. Here is what is up there, the official tickets that reach it, and the tours that guarantee it when the official slots are gone.
Updated October 19, 2026 · Prices checked October 19, 2026 · Tour prices refresh daily
Photo: Aanya Chakravarti / Unsplash
Only one part of the Eiffel Tower regularly sells out weeks ahead, and it is the top. The summit platform sits 276 meters up, more than twice the height of the second floor, and you can only reach it by lift from the second floor. When it is full, the ticket office simply stops selling summit tickets until space frees up. A pre-booked summit ticket is the only thing that guarantees you a ride.
The official summit lift ticket costs €36.70 for an adult. Below is what you get for that, how to make sure you are not turned away, and every guided tour we could verify, split into the ones that include the summit and the ones that sell it as an add-on. For second-floor and stairs tickets, see our full Eiffel Tower tickets and prices page.
N° 01Short on time
1erSmall groupSummit guaranteed
Paris Diva Tours
The summit is built into the only option, with pre-reserved lift tickets and a live guide on the first and second floors, then time on your own. The listing offers a partial refund if weather or strikes close a level.
Free cancellation
From$101.85
per person
2eSmall groupBest value with a summit option
Crown Tours
A short guided introduction and the lift to the second floor, with the summit as an option at checkout. The guiding is brief, about 25 to 30 minutes, and you ride to the top on your own, which is what keeps it cheap.
Free cancellation
From$56.07
per person; summit costs extra
3eSmall groupBest with a cruise
City Wonders
A small-group elevator tour with a reserved entrance to the second floor, plus options to add the summit and a Seine cruise with a live guide. Pick the summit option when you book; the lowest listed price may not include it.
Free cancellation
From$70.95
per person; summit costs extra
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N° 02Tarifs 2026
Adult means 25 and over. Youth is 12–24, child 4–11. Every route to the summit ends with the lift from the second floor.
| Ticket | Adult | Youth 12–24 | Child 4–11 | Disabled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lift to the summit | €36.70 | €18.40 | €9.20 | €9.20 |
| Stairs to the 2nd floor, then lift to the summit | €28.00 | €14.00 | €7.00 | €7.00 |
| Lift to the summit + a glass of Champagne | €60.70 | — | — | €33.20 |
| Lift to the summit + Sunday brunch at Madame Brasserie | €121.70 | — | — | — |
Checked October 19, 2026, for visits until January 10, 2027; the tower has announced new rates from January 11, 2027. Under-4s go free but still need a ticket. The disabled rate covers one companion, but the stairs and the summit are not accessible to visitors with reduced mobility. The brunch ticket goes on sale 60 days ahead. Source: toureiffel.paris, summit lift ticket.
N° 03Le sommet
The trip up is in two stages. You reach the second floor, at roughly 115 meters, by lift or by the 674 stairs, then change to a second lift for the final climb. The staircase above the second floor is closed to the public, so there is no walking to the top, whatever a listing implies.
The summit itself is the platform at 276 meters, and the view is the reason to go. Paris stops looking like a collection of streets and becomes a map: the Seine bending through the city, the Trocadéro straight across the river, and on a clear day the towers of La Défense on the horizon. Expect to look out through the safety mesh rather than over an open rail.
There is a Champagne bar at the summit. Its current menu lists a 12 cl glass of Moët & Chandon Impérial at €24, and Impérial rosé at €27. The bar does not necessarily keep the same hours as the tower, so if a glass at the top is the point, go up in the afternoon or early evening, or buy the summit-plus-Champagne ticket (€60.70 adult), which bundles the glass with the lift.
Below the summit, the first floor has Madame Brasserie, Thierry Marx’s restaurant, and the glass floor at 57 meters. The second floor has Le Jules Verne, Frédéric Anton’s restaurant, which opens bookings 90 days ahead.
N° 04Booking strategy
The tower says lift tickets, including the summit, go on sale online about 90 days ahead. An older official FAQ gives 60 days, so start checking early either way. Summit slots are often gone on the day they are released, especially for evenings and school holidays.
The stairs-plus-summit ticket (€28.00 adult) is the cheapest way to the top, but it has been reported as sold at the ticket office rather than online. Check the official site before you plan a day around it.
N° 05Avec un guide
Use the “Summit access” filter to see the two tours that include the summit in every option. On the others the summit is optional, and the from-price shown may be the cheaper second-floor option, so pick the summit option at checkout and expect to pay more.
| Tour | Format | Length | Reviews | From | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eiffel Tower Guided Tour with Summit by ElevatorParis Diva ToursTravelers who want the summit guaranteed in the base price Free cancellation | Walking · small group | 1–2 hours | 4.581,150 reviews | $101.85 | Check |
| Eiffel Tower Summit Access with HostQualiumTravelers who want summit tickets secured with a host, not a long tour | Walking · group | 2 hours | 4.25628 reviews | $124.73 | Check |
| Eiffel Tower Guided Tour, 2nd Floor or SummitCrown ToursBudget-conscious visitors wanting the cheapest summit-capable option Free cancellation | Walking · small group | 1–2 hr 30 min | 4.88278 reviews | $56.07per person; summit costs extra | Check |
| Eiffel Tower Elevator Tour (summit & cruise optional)City WondersTravelers who want a big-brand small-group tour with summit add-on Free cancellation | Walking · small group | 1–2 hr 30 min | 4.571,422 reviews | $70.95per person; summit costs extra | Check |
| Eiffel Tower Reserved-Access Guided Tour (summit optional)Uncle Sam ToursFlexible budgets: choose 2nd floor only or upgrade to the summit Free cancellation | Walking · small group | 1 hr 30 min | 4.643,678 reviews | $57.10per person; summit costs extra | Check |
| Eiffel Tower Guided Tour, 2nd Floor & Summit OptionsJourney ToursTravelers who may want a private guide option Free cancellation | Walking · small group | 1–2 hours | 4.42104 reviews | $98.30per person; summit costs extra | Check |
| Eiffel Tower Stairs Climb (summit upgrade optional)City WondersFit travelers on a budget; Spanish-language option available Free cancellation | Walking · small group | 1 hr 30 min | 4.533,218 reviews | $35.47per person; summit costs extra | Check |
| Eiffel Tower 2nd Floor by Lift (summit option)Europe TourismeTravelers who want a quick guided visit at a specific time, including after dark Free cancellation | Walking · small group | 1 hour | 3.882,953 reviews | $49.21per person; summit costs extra | Check |
N° 06Read the listing
Summit tours differ in ways the titles hide. These are the details that change the experience:
N° 07Bon à savoir
01
You get the city in daylight, then the lights coming on. Paris sunsets fall around 7pm in mid-October, then jump about an hour earlier when the clocks change on October 25, 2026: around 5:12pm in mid-November and 4:56pm in mid-December.
02
Official pages give the last summit ascent as 10:30pm in one place and 10:45pm in another, and visitors have been asked to leave the summit 45 minutes before the tower closes. Book a slot well before either.
03
When wind exceeds set limits the summit, or the whole tower, closes, and access can also be restricted in severe weather or at peak times. Choose a tour with a clear summit refund policy.
04
The summit usually closes for annual work in early winter. In 2026 it was shut from January 5 to February 6. The 2027 dates have not been announced; check before booking January summit tickets.
05
The tower lists October 17 to November 2, 2026 and December 19, 2026 to January 4, 2027 as peak periods. Summit tickets for those dates go fastest.
06
After dark the tower sparkles for about five minutes at the start of each hour, with the last sparkle around 11pm (later in summer). You see it best from the ground or the river, not from the summit itself.
N° 08Our verdict
For a first visit, yes, if the weather is clear and you can get a slot. The summit lift costs €13.20 more than the second-floor lift for an adult (€36.70 against €23.50), and standing at 276 meters is the experience people actually remember. Pair it with the stairs on the way up if you are fit: the stairs-plus-summit ticket is cheaper than the lift-only summit ticket.
Skip it on a hazy or windy day, with very young children, or if you are tight on time. The wait for the second lift adds up, and on a low-visibility day the summit view is mostly sky. The second floor still gives you the best view of Paris as a city, and our main Eiffel Tower tickets guide covers it.
And if the sparkle is what you are really after, watch it from the water: our evening and night cruise guide lists the boats that pass the tower after dark.
N° 09Good to know
The official adult price is €36.70 by lift all the way to the summit, or €28.00 if you take the stairs to the second floor and the lift from there. Youth (12–24) pay €18.40 or €14.00, and children 4–11 pay €9.20 or €7.00. These rates apply to visits until January 10, 2027.
No. The public stairs end at the second floor, 674 steps up. The final stretch to the summit is always by lift.
Summit slots are often gone on the day they go on sale, which the tower says is about 90 days ahead for lift tickets. Evenings and French school holidays sell fastest. If you miss them, a guided tour with the summit included is the reliable fallback.
High winds, snow, or ice can close the summit or the whole tower. If you booked a guided tour, read its policy: several listings refund the summit portion if the tower closes it, while some summit tickets sold as tours are non-refundable.
Official pages give 10:30pm in one place and 10:45pm in another, and opening hours vary by day and season. Plan to be on the second floor well before 10pm, and check the time printed on your ticket.
Yes, a Champagne bar at the summit. Its current menu lists a 12 cl glass of Moët & Chandon Impérial at €24. You can also buy an official summit ticket with a glass of Champagne included, at €60.70 for an adult.
Often not for the whole month. The summit usually closes for annual maintenance in early winter; in 2026 it was closed from January 5 to February 6. The 2027 dates have not been announced yet.
N° 10Booking.com
Search live prices for the areas that make this trip easiest.
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