Skip the line Eiffel Tower Tours – Don’t waste time on line

3 min read

We don’t like to spend our valuable time standing in line in Paris. That’s why we book skip-the-line tours every time we can. The Eiffel Tower is the world’s most visited monument with some of the longest lineups— something more than 9 million people go up the tower a year. It’s better to sign up for a skip-the-line trip rather than spending hours in a queue.

Eiffel Tower Skip-the-Lines Tours

See what we mean by looong lines? Instead of standing in it, imagine meeting your guide at the base of the tower, walking right past the long line, and catching the elevator up the Eiffel Tower. There you have plenty of time to take great photos of the breathtaking cityscapes from this vantage point.

At the end of the guided part of the tour you’ll be on Level Two. On tours that include summit access your guide will hand you a ticket to the other elevator that takes you to the top of the tower, Level Three, although for many people getting to Level Two is all they want.

Once at the summit you can spend as much time on Level Three as you like. Take in the view and admire your new favorite city while sipping on a glass of champagne. That’s right, there’s a champagne bar at the top of the Eiffel Tower! Is it any wonder we love Paris?

With the Eiffel Tower being so popular, skip-the-line tours tend to sell out and the availability varies. The best way to make your skip-the-line plans is to peruse the two lists of Eiffel Tower tours (links below) to find one that available for your dates. Another thing to keep in mind is that the Eiffel Tower only makes tickets and passes available three months in advance. So you many have to wait until March 1 (for instance) to book a skip-the-line tour for June 1.

Even Better! VIP Tour + Champagne Cruise

Out of all the activities we’ve done that include the Eiffel Tower, this is one of our favorites. Imagine yourself at sunset, on a Seine River cruise, sitting in reserved seats at the front of the bateaux, sipping champagne, watching the magical lights of Paris glide by.

Then you disembark near the foot of the Eiffel Tower for a guided, skip-the-line VIP tour of the first two levels. Your guide leads you directly to the priority access and up the elevator. Finish the evening viewing the lights of Paris for as long as you like. Man, it was worth it!

Eiffel Tower Illuminations Tour

You may like this nighttime illuminations tour even better. Here’s how it goes —

• Step 1: meet your guide at the base of the Eiffel Tower at dusk, as the sun is setting.
• Step 2: with your priority tickets you skip the line as your guide takes you to the first level while telling you Insider stories about the 130-year-old tower.
• Step 3: take in the magnificent view of the lights of Paris from the second level.

This tour is only available one or twice a week, so you really need to plan ahead to book it.

Eiffel Tower – How to get in there

Boat, bus, bike or Metro — there are many ways to get to the Eiffel Tower. Here are a few Metro tips:

• Metro: Bir-Hakeim. This line runs above ground so you get another view of the tower as you cross the Seine.
• Metro: Alma-Marceau. You arrive on the Right Bank next to Princess Diana’s de facto memorial flame and cross the Seine on the Pont d’Alma. It’s a short but breathtaking stroll along the Seine to the Tour Eiffel — especially at night when the tower is lit up.
• Metro: Trocadero. Arrive across the river at the Trocadero plaza where you get the best view of the Eiffel Tower. Then cross the bridge and you’re there.

from Paris is Paris