Eiffel Tower Timings and Best Time to Visit

The Eiffel Tower opens at 9:30 AM every day and, in November 2026, closes at 11:00 PM with last ascents at 10:45 PM. The best time to go is the first slot of the morning or after 8:00 PM, on a weekday between April and June or in September and October. Book that slot the day your date opens, 90 days ahead for the elevator.

Hours checked November 7, 2026, on the official Eiffel Tower website.

Opening Hours

The tower is open every day of the year, holidays included. The official calendar for November 2026 shows 9:30 AM to 11:00 PM, and the official site lists last ascents at 10:45 PM. Staff clear the top about 45 minutes before closing and the second floor about 30 minutes before.

Paris is six hours ahead of New York for most of the year. When the tower opens at 9:30 AM it's 3:30 AM Eastern, and when it closes at 11:00 PM it's 5:00 PM Eastern.

*Hours checked November 7, 2026. They can change for weather, maintenance or events. The official calendar shows the exact hours for each date once they're announced, so check it a few days before you go.

**Summer season, late June to early September: the official visitor rules (May 2026) allow opening at 9:00 AM and closing as late as 12:45 AM. The official calendar fixes the exact dates each year. The top closed from January 5 to February 6, 2026, for elevator maintenance, and a similar closure is likely in early 2027.

Christmas and New Year Hours (2026-27)

The tower is open every day over the holidays, and it stays open later than usual for about two weeks. The exceptions are New Year's Eve, when it closes in the early evening, and the first week of January, when the top usually shuts for maintenance.

Holiday hours checked November 7, 2026, against the official site and last season's calendar. Paris is six hours ahead of New York, so a 6:30 PM close on New Year's Eve is 12:30 PM Eastern.

There are no fireworks from the Eiffel Tower on December 31. The city's show is at the Arc de Triomphe: a light show from 9:00 PM, then a countdown and fireworks at midnight on the Champs-Élysées. The tower sparkles on the hour as usual, in time with the avenue's lights, which run from November 22, 2026 to January 4, 2027.

Our pick: go up on a weekday afternoon between Christmas and New Year, when the late closing spreads the crowd, and watch the midnight fireworks from the Champs-Élysées or a bridge over the Seine. Don't plan on the tower for midnight. It will have been closed for hours.

Skip it if: your only free slot is December 31 after 6:00 PM. Book another day and keep New Year's Eve for the Champs-Élysées.

The Christmas market at the foot of the tower is due to run from December 5, 2026 to January 3, 2027, with the dates still provisional. In past years the first floor has had Santa visits and gospel sessions in the days before Christmas. The 2026 program isn't out yet. Elevator tickets for Christmas week and New Year's Eve are already on sale, and they go first. Book your slot.

Timings for Specific Locations

Each part of the tower runs to its own rules, and the top is the one most likely to change on the day.

Best Time to Visit

Best Time of Day

Our pick is the first entry at 9:30 AM. You get through security before the lines build, and the air is often clearer in the morning. Forum reports from June 2026 put the summer wait for the elevator at about 45 minutes even with a timed ticket, and an early slot saves you most of that.

The other good window is after 8:00 PM. You watch the city lights come on from above, and the tower sparkles for five minutes at the start of every hour after dark, with the last show at 11:00 PM. In late June the sun sets around 10:00 PM in Paris, so a summer evening visit runs late.

Skip it if: you're thinking of going between late morning and late afternoon in summer. That's when the wait is longest, and the midday sun flattens the view.

Best Months

April to June and September to October give you mild weather and smaller crowds than summer. November to March is the quietest, with shorter waits but colder, windier days at the top. Winter highs in Paris sit around 45°F (7°C), and it's always windier up there.

For a US family planning around school breaks, spring break in March or April is the best fit. Thanksgiving week is quiet in Paris, with the same hours. Christmas to New Year is busy again, and Memorial Day and July 4 both land in the summer peak.

Peak Season and Crowded Days of the Week

July and August are the busiest months, and the official site adds French school holidays and public holidays to that list. Elevator tickets for the top sell out fastest then.

Weekends are busier than weekdays all year. Tuesday to Thursday outside the holidays is usually the calmest time to go.

Our pick: if your dates are fixed in July or August, book the 9:30 AM slot the day your date opens. Paying a reseller to "skip the line" doesn't help at this tower. The official site says no ticket skips security, and the official ticket already has a set entry time.

How to Beat the Crowds

• Take the first slot. It skips the midday build-up, which forum posters in June 2026 put at about 45 minutes for the elevator.
• Book the second floor instead of the top. It skips the second elevator line, which posters have timed at 40 minutes to 90 minutes on busy days.
• Walk up. The official site says the stairs line is usually shorter, and the 674 steps take 30 to 45 minutes.
• Arrive 30 to 45 minutes before your slot. Security takes 15 to 20 minutes by the official estimate, and you can't enter before your time anyway.

Once you've picked your time, book it. The first slot and the evening slots are the ones everyone wants, and they go first in summer and on holiday weekends.

We may earn a commission if you book through the links on this page. It doesn't change the price you pay.

Buy Tickets Now

Frequently Asked Questions