The Eiffel Tower is the one thing your child already knows they're going to see. It's also where a lot of family days quietly fall apart: the queues are long, the security is slow, the wind at the top is cold, and a toddler's awe lasts about four minutes. The tower is worth it — but only if you decide how you're doing it before you arrive, not in a two-hour line with a hungry five-year-old.
Here's the part most guides bury: you do not have to go up to have a wonderful Eiffel Tower day. For many families, the best version never buys a ticket at all.
First, decide: up, or not up?
Both are legitimate. Be honest about your child.
- Not up (often the better day with young kids): see it, picnic under it, run on the Champ de Mars, ride the old carousel by the Trocadéro, watch it sparkle on the hour after dark. All the magic, none of the queue..
- Up: genuinely thrilling for kids who are into it (roughly 5+). Commit to it — book ahead, pick your level, and treat it as the one big thing that day.
If you go up — the facts to plan around
- Book online in advance — and know the windows. The official site (toureiffel.paris) opens elevator tickets up to 60 days ahead. If you want the summit by elevator, book right at the 60-day mark — it sells out first, especially the sunset slots. The second floor has far more availability, so you can usually still get those tickets a week or so out. Cheaper stairs tickets to the second floor (fun for energetic 5+ kids) release closer in, roughly two weeks ahead.
- Hours. Open daily from ~9:30am to ~11pm, with later hours in peak summer (mid-June to late August, to ~12:45am).
- Tickets & kids. Under-4s are free (they still need a free ticket); reduced rates for children and youths; stairs-to-2nd-floor is cheaper than the lift, and a fun option for energetic kids.
- Security & strollers. There's an airport-style security perimeter; expect bag checks and some stroller restrictions. Travel light and check the current stroller policy before you go.
Treat the visit as your one still beat of the day (queue + security + lift = a lot of "behave"), and wrap it in release: run on the Champ de Mars before, ice cream after.
The "not up" day, scene by scene
This is the version we'd build for most families with little ones:
- Arrive at Trocadéro (métro Trocadéro, M6/M9) for the classic head-on view and the old carousel.
- Walk down and across the bridge toward the tower — the view grows as you go (great for the walk-like game: "march like a giant toward the giant tower").
- Picnic on the Champ de Mars with bakery supplies and let the kids run.
- Stay for one sparkle if your timing and bedtime allow — the tower glitters for five minutes on the hour after dark, and it's the bit children actually remember.
The reset games here
The Eiffel area is big, hot, and crowd-heavy — prime meltdown territory in the transitions (the queue, the security line, leaving). Keep the three reset games close: silly shakes before the security wait, the walk-like game across the long esplanade, and the five-senses pause to settle a child dazzled by the scale ("how high can you crane your neck? what can you hear up here?").
Food
Don't hunt for a restaurant near the tower — it's tourist-priced and slow. Bring a picnic from a boulangerie and eat on the grass, and plan a hot chocolate or ice cream as the afternoon reward. The famous "Eiffel Tower at golden hour" memory is mostly bread, grass, and a warm drink.
Eating in the tower (if you want the view)
There are two restaurants inside the Eiffel Tower, and they make for very different days out:
- Madame Brasserie (first floor) — the family-friendly choice. There's a kids' menu, the view is lovely, and the staff are used to children, so there's real tolerance for a wriggly table. A good pick if you want to eat with the view without it becoming a performance. Book ahead.
- Le Jules Verne (second floor) — Michelin-starred, amazing food, and a genuinely special occasion — but it's formal, with a stricter dress code and a hushed grown-up atmosphere. Not a good fit for children under about 10. Save it for a date, not a family lunch.
Practical tips
- Timing. First thing in the morning or in the evening for the sparkle; midday is hottest and most crowded.
- Shade & water. The Champ de Mars has little shade — hats, water, sunscreen in summer.
- Bathrooms. Limited and busy at the tower; go before you arrive.
- Pickpockets. The esplanade is a known spot — keep bags zipped and close.
- Manage expectations out loud: tell kids it's big, there's a wait, and the running-around is part of the plan.
The Eiffel Tower is the perfect example of a "famous" thing that's easy to do badly: the magic is real, but it's surrounded by queues, heat, security, and crowds — all the invisible logistics that decide whether the day is joyful or a slog. Choosing up-or-not, the right hour, and where to eat before you go is the whole difference.
Keep exploring
Pair it with the 3-day itinerary, the getting-around guide for the journey there, and the introduction to easy days in Paris with kids.
Want your Eiffel day decided in advance?
Up or not, the right hour, where to picnic, with a backup for the queue — mapped around your family by someone who knows the city. That's what we do. Start with our free sample: download The Sailboat & Left Bank Day and follow one Paris morning start to finish.
See the free Sample Edit