Eiffel Tower Stairs Now Require Advance Booking

Yes. For visits from 29 September 2026, the Eiffel Tower's controlling rates page says advance reservations are required for stairs tickets. Do not plan to arrive and rely on older walk-up advice. Reserve the stairs product for your date and time through the official ticket office before building the rest of your Paris day around it.

What changed on 29 September 2026

The dated rule is the safer controlling instruction when older evergreen pages still mention buying a stairs ticket at the monument. If an undated page, old itinerary or saved screenshot says to walk up, do not treat that as availability for a post-change visit. Use the live official ticket office and reserve before you go.

Choose the ticket that matches the climb

The official page separates these products and warns that the stairways and summit are not suitable for people with limited mobility. Its live calendar also says summit access can be restricted in severe weather or at peak periods. A reservation therefore secures the booked product, not an unconditional promise that every level will operate regardless of conditions.

Conditions that can change your answer

• Age bands: the public table separates adults, ages 12–24, ages 4–11 and children under 4. Reduced rates require valid proof of entitlement.
• Children under 4: admission is priced at zero, but the child must still hold a free ticket. Accompanying adults pay their applicable rate.
• Disability rate: the page requires a nominative disability card and extends the rate to one accompanying person. That price category does not override the mobility warning for the stairways or summit.
• Groups: from 29 September 2026, groups of more than nine people, including the guide, must use the professional online ticket route rather than the individual booking path.
• Route: public stairs access reaches the second floor. The summit version continues by elevator; visitors do not climb public stairs from the second floor to the summit.
• Weather and operations: the summit may be restricted in severe weather or peak periods, and published opening times can change.
• Nationality and residence: the displayed public price bands are based on age and stated entitlement, not nationality or residence.
• Transport: the admission ticket covers the booked Tower route, not travel across Paris to the monument.

A dated purchase checklist

1. Open the official Eiffel Tower ticket office, which identifies stairs tickets to the second floor as an advance-sale product.
2. Select the visit date and decide whether the second floor is enough or whether you want the stairs-plus-elevator summit product.
3. Choose the correct age or entitlement category and have its proof available for the visit.
4. Make sure every child under 4 has a free ticket in the booking.
5. If the party has more than nine people including a guide, use the professional group route named on the official rates page.
6. Recheck the live calendar and any operational notices shortly before departure.

For a visit on or after 29 September 2026, do not make an on-site ticket queue your plan. The current dated rule requires an advance reservation for stairs tickets even though some older official copy still describes walk-up sales.

The practical answer

Reserve in advance. Pick second-floor stairs if the climb itself and the first two levels are your goal. Pick stairs plus elevator if the summit matters and you accept that the upper level remains subject to operating conditions. Pick an elevator product from the start if the stairs are unsuitable for anyone in your party.