Eiffel Tower

Best light

The golden lighting switches on automatically at nightfall, and the tower then sparkles for five minutes at the start of every hour until it closes, so the last sparkle is at midnight, or at 1 a.m. during the summer late-closing period. By day, pick your side by the sun: from the Trocadéro you look southeast at the tower, so mornings are backlit (from October to mid-March the morning sun passes behind it) and late-afternoon light falls on the side facing you, while from the Champ de Mars you look northwest and have the morning sun behind you.

Crowds

For the tower itself, the operator reports peak attendance from late June to early September, with weekends busiest and Tuesday to Thursday usually quietest outside holidays and school breaks. During the day, it rates attendance as high from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., medium from 5 to 8 p.m., and low after 8 p.m. except in peak season.

Entry

The gardens and esplanade beneath the tower are free but sit behind security checkpoints at the south and east entrances; going up needs a ticket, and the operator sells time-stamped e-tickets online and advises booking early for June to September and holidays. Check current hours at toureiffel.paris.

Where to stand

1. Trocadéro esplanade (Parvis des Libertés et des Droits de l'Homme)

   The raised esplanade looks southeast across the Seine at the whole tower, about 600 m away, so it fits a normal wide lens with room for the river and gardens below. The tower's operator names it, with the Champ de Mars, as one of the best places to watch the evening lights.

2. Champ de Mars

   The long park runs southeast from the tower's base, so you can keep backing away until the full height fits your frame. Morning sun is behind you here; on summer evenings the sun sets ahead of you, a little to the left of the tower.

3. Pont de Bir-Hakeim

   From the central walkway under the metro viaduct, about 600 m from the tower, you look east-northeast across the river with the viaduct's columns as a frame. From mid-May to late July the sun rises behind or just left of the tower as seen from here.

4. Rue de l'Université (western end)

   Near the tower the street bends toward it, so the tower rises above the apartment buildings at the end of the street, a closer street-level frame than the open esplanades. Morning light falls on the tower from behind you; this is a working street, so stay on the sidewalk.

Photo rules

• Daytime photos of the tower are public domain, but its lighting (golden illumination, sparkles, beacon, event lighting) is protected: professional use of any image showing the illuminated tower needs prior authorization from the operator, SETE, and may involve fees. Private use needs no approval.
• Professional filming and photo sessions inside the monument go through SETE's Film and Image Unit.
• Drone filming and photography are banned in Paris unless the Préfecture de police grants an exemption, and only professional companies authorized by France's civil aviation authority (DGAC) can apply.

Sources

• The Eiffel Tower in lights (official site)
• Attendance and waiting times at the Eiffel Tower (official site)
• Tips and preparation of your visit (official site)
• The Eiffel Tower image: filming and image rights (official site)
• Tourner avec un drone : quelles démarches ? (Ville de Paris)