Eiffel Tower ticket change affects guided group visits
Eiffel Tower rules now require larger guided groups to book online. Find out who is affected and what to check before visiting.
The Eiffel Tower has changed how larger guided groups buy tickets, ending their option to turn up and purchase admission at the ticket office. From 29 September 2026, professionally organised parties of more than nine people, including the guide, must book online before visiting.
The rule applies whether the group plans to use the lifts or climb the stairs. A party of nine visitors and one guide counts as ten people, bringing it within the advance-booking requirement.
For anyone paying for a Paris excursion, the question is whether the operator has secured admission. Check that the tour includes an actual entry ticket and a booked visit, rather than simply someone meeting you outside.
What changes for guided tours?
Operators must use the tower’s professional booking arrangements for qualifying group visits. Dividing a larger party into smaller groups to get around the rules is prohibited.
The guided or accompanied element must continue at least as far as the second floor. A service that only helps visitors purchase tickets at the counter does not meet the requirements.
Before booking, check the floor included in the price and how you will reach it. A second-floor tour and a summit visit offer different access, even when both are advertised as Eiffel Tower experiences.
Can individual visitors still buy tickets?
Individual visitors can still purchase tickets at the tower, subject to availability and operating conditions. The group rule does not introduce compulsory guided tours for couples, solo travellers or other individual visitors.
There are separate tickets for reaching the second floor by stairs or lift, and for continuing to the summit. The stairs-and-lift summit option involves climbing to the second floor before taking a lift for the final ascent.
Adult admission currently costs €14.80 for the second floor by stairs and €23.50 by lift. Summit access costs €28 using the stairs-and-lift combination or €36.70 using the lifts.
A tour company may charge more because its price includes a guide or other services. Compare the admission level and what is included before deciding which booking suits your visit.
Leave large suitcases at your accommodation before heading to the tower. Large luggage is not permitted, and there is no left-luggage facility on site.
