Eiffel Tower Stairs vs Elevator Tickets
The stairs climb to the second floor is 674 steps through the ironwork most visitors only see from a distance - a guided climb runs from $39 (EUR 36) with hosted entry included. Stairs inventory also sells out last, which makes it the practical fallback on days the elevator is gone.
Stairs vs elevator: the trade-offs
| Stairs to 2nd floor | Elevator to 2nd floor | |
| Effort | 674 steps, ~30-45 min up | Elevator, minutes |
| Summit access | Yes - via combo tickets | Yes - via summit tickets |
| Availability | Slower to sell out | First to sell out |
| Guided option | Guided climb from $39 | 2nd-floor tour from $42 |
| The experience | Inside the ironwork, bragging rights | Fast, easy, the classic ride |
The ride down is flexible: the descent elevator is open to everyone, so the climb is one-way effort. On the way up you cross the first floor anyway - the glass floor and exhibitions are included either way.
Who the Eiffel Tower stairs are for - and who should skip them
- Take the stairs if you are reasonably fit, want the inside-the-ironwork experience, or the elevator slots are gone - the guided climb still reaches the 2nd floor with commentary on top.
- Take the elevator with small kids, strollers (folding required anyway), anyone with knee or heart concerns, in summer heat, or when your itinerary is tight.
Reality check: 674 steps is a real climb - comparable to 40-plus flights with stops. It is doable for most healthy adults in under an hour with breaks on the landings, but it is not a stroll. The monument itself flags the stairs as unsuitable for visitors with limited mobility.
The Eiffel Tower sold-out-day strategy
Stairs and guided products live in a separate allocation from plain e-tickets, so on peak dates they are often the only bookable route left. If the summit matters, look at reserved summit access - it is frequently still on sale when the standard slots are gone. More tactics on the sold-out page.
What the climb looks like, level by level
The stairs route runs inside the south pillar and up the legs - you are inside the iron lattice the whole way, not in a concrete shaft. Ground to 1st floor is about 330 steps with landings that double as rest stops and photo angles nobody on the elevator gets. The 1st floor itself is included in the climb ticket - the glass floor, the exhibitions, the brasserie level all open to you.
The second stretch, 1st to 2nd floor, adds another 340 steps and the real altitude feeling - the ground drops away through the lattice under your feet. Total climbing time at a normal pace with pauses: 30-45 minutes. Then the descent elevator carries you back down regardless of how you came up - the effort is one-directional.
The unglamorous practicalities: bring water in summer, wear shoes you trust on metal steps, and book the morning or evening slots when the stairwell does not turn into a convection oven. In July and August the midday climb is the one version of this that is genuinely unpleasant.
Stairs vs elevator ticket prices and availability
Stairs tickets are the cheapest way up the tower by a clear margin and the last inventory to sell out - a combination that makes them the quiet secret of the whole ticketing system. They release on a shorter window too (about 14 days out instead of 60), so a date that shows nothing for elevators can still have stairs slots sitting there.
The guided version is the version we would actually recommend. For a few dollars over the bare stairs price you get hosted entry through the pillar confusion plus a guide narrating the climb - the guided stairs climb runs from $39 (EUR 36) and turns the exertion into the story. If your goal is the summit, check the combo options at checkout rather than assuming the stairs cap you at the 2nd floor.
Stairs tickets and the summit - the catch
The stairs only reach the 2nd floor - that is the hard limit, and no ticket combination changes it. If you climb the stairs and want the summit, the only path is the summit lift from the 2nd floor, which needs its own access. Partner summit products bundle this: the climb happens first, then the reserved summit lift from the 2nd floor takes you the rest of the way.
One more honest note for the undecided: descending by stairs is free and uncrowded. So a common move is elevator up, stairs down - all the ironwork intimacy of the climb, none of the cardio, and the walk down through the structure on the way out is genuinely one of the best parts of the visit.