Why You Have to Walk Up the Eiffel Tower at Least Once

Climbing 674 Steps for One of the Best Views in Paris

The Eiffel Tower is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world. Long before visiting Paris, most travelers have already seen it countless times in movies, photographs, books, and advertisements. However, nothing fully prepares you for standing underneath it.

From the ground, the tower feels much larger and more detailed than it appears in pictures. You can see thousands of iron pieces crossing above you, forming a structure that somehow looks both industrial and elegant. While simply seeing the Eiffel Tower is memorable, we believe the best way to experience it is by walking up it.

Katie and I climbed the stairs to the second floor during our trip to Paris. It was one of the most breathtaking things we did in the city – literally. We were out of breath for most of the climb.

Although the stairs were challenging at times, that effort became an important part of the experience. Instead of simply entering an elevator and appearing at an observation deck, we watched Paris slowly open around us as we climbed higher.

The History Behind the Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower was constructed between 1887 and 1889 for the Exposition Universelle, a world’s fair held in Paris to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. Gustave Eiffel’s company completed the structure in only two years, two months, and five days, which was considered a major engineering achievement for the late 19th century.

The tower is made from more than 18,000 individual iron parts connected with approximately 2.5 million rivets. When it was completed, it became the tallest structure in the world and an immediate symbol of France’s engineering and industrial abilities.

Visitors to the 1889 World’s Fair were fascinated by the opportunity to climb so high above Paris. During the tower’s first week, its elevators were not yet operating. Nearly 30,000 people climbed approximately 1,710 steps to reach the top, experiencing a view that was unlike anything generally available to the public at the time.

The Eiffel Tower was originally intended to remain standing for only 20 years. Its usefulness for scientific experiments and radio communication helped prevent its planned removal. Radiotelegraphy equipment was installed on the tower in the early 20th century, giving it an important practical purpose in addition to its value as a landmark.

A structure designed as a temporary attraction eventually became the defining symbol of Paris.

The Staircase Is Part of the Attraction

Today, visitors taking the public staircase climb 674 steps to reach the second floor. The official Eiffel Tower website recommends allowing approximately 15 minutes to climb to each floor, although your actual time will depend on your pace and how often you stop.

When you first hear the number 674, it may not sound unreasonable. It feels different once you enter the tower, begin climbing, and look up through the enormous iron structure.

The stairs are not simply a cheaper or more active way to reach the observation decks. They allow you to experience the Eiffel Tower from the inside.

As we climbed, we could see how the beams crossed, where different pieces connected, and how the tower’s four enormous legs gradually narrowed above us. From a distance, the Eiffel Tower can almost look decorative. From its staircase, you begin to understand that you are moving through an enormous piece of engineering.

Walking also creates a natural progression that you do not experience in an elevator. The view does not appear all at once when a door opens. Paris slowly reveals itself with every section of the climb.

At first, you can still clearly see the people, pathways, and activity around the base. As you move higher, the buildings begin to blend into the city’s pale skyline. Streets that felt confusing at ground level start forming recognizable patterns, and landmarks that seemed far apart suddenly appear connected.

There are opportunities to pause, catch your breath, and look through the iron framework. We definitely took advantage of them.

You do not need to treat the climb like a race. Stopping allows you to appreciate how the view changes and gives you a closer look at the tower itself. Those breaks became part of our experience, especially because we had already spent so much time walking around Paris.

The View From the First Floor

The first floor sits approximately 187 feet above the ground. From here, you are high enough to enjoy an impressive view while remaining close enough to distinguish people, cars, pathways, and individual buildings.

You can look down toward the Champ de Mars, follow the Seine through the city, and begin identifying the surrounding neighborhoods.

The first floor is also a good place to rest before continuing. Rather than rushing directly to the second floor, take some time to walk around and enjoy the view from different sides of the tower.

The open ironwork gives you constant reminders of where you are. You are not simply standing inside a modern building with windows. You are standing within the structure of the Eiffel Tower itself.

Reaching the Second Floor

The second floor sits approximately 377 feet above Paris and offers a complete 360-degree panorama of the city.

From this level, Paris begins to look like a complete city instead of a collection of separate attractions. You can follow the Seine, study the arrangement of the streets, and identify major landmarks across the skyline.

Depending on the weather and visibility, you may be able to spot the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Sacré-Cœur Basilica, Les Invalides, and many of the bridges crossing the Seine – we were lucky enough to see.

The second floor offers an excellent balance between height and detail. You are high enough to see across Paris, but you are still close enough to recognize specific buildings and understand the layout below.

After climbing hundreds of steps, reaching that view feels like an accomplishment. Katie and I were tired, but as soon as we stepped onto the observation area and looked across the city, the climb felt completely worthwhile.

The view would have been beautiful regardless of how we reached it. Walking, however, made it feel earned.

Can You Walk to the Top of the Eiffel Tower?

Visitors cannot use the public staircase all the way to the summit. The first and second floors can be reached by stairs, but the journey from the second floor to the top is completed by elevator. The public summit viewing area is approximately 276 meters, or about 906 feet, above the ground.

Travelers who want to combine both experiences can choose a ticket that includes the stair climb to the second floor, followed by an elevator ride to the summit. Availability can vary, so it is important to review the current ticket options before visiting.

We decided not to continue to the summit during our trip. At the time, we were satisfied with completing the climb and enjoying the views from the second floor.

Looking back, however, visiting the top is one of the main reasons we want to return to Paris.

The summit provides a much wider view that extends beyond central Paris and into the surrounding region. Visitors can also see a reconstruction of Gustave Eiffel’s office and experience both enclosed and open-air viewing areas.

On our next visit, we would still walk to the second floor. We would simply add the elevator ride to the summit so we could experience both perspectives.

Is Walking Up the Eiffel Tower Worth It?

For visitors who are physically comfortable climbing stairs, walking up the Eiffel Tower is absolutely worth considering.

It is more tiring than taking the elevator, but it transforms a standard observation-deck visit into an experience. You see more of the structure, watch the view develop, and gain a better appreciation for the tower’s enormous scale.

You also follow in the footsteps of the tower’s earliest visitors, thousands of whom climbed it before the original elevators were ready.

Wear comfortable shoes, carry water, and allow yourself enough time to stop. Do not schedule the climb as something you need to rush through between other Paris attractions.

The stairs are part of the attraction.

The Eiffel Tower is impressive from the ground and beautiful when viewed from across the Seine. Climbing it, however, gives you a completely different relationship with the landmark.

By the time Katie and I reached the second floor, we were tired, out of breath, and laughing about how much harder the climb felt than we expected. We were also looking at one of the most remarkable views we had ever seen.

That combination of effort, history, engineering, and scenery is why we believe everyone should walk up the Eiffel Tower at least once.