See the Eiffel Tower Sparkle at Night in Paris
For most of the evening the Eiffel Tower holds a steady golden outline above Paris. Then thousands of white lights begin to flicker across the ironwork, and for a few minutes a monument you thought you knew becomes restless and almost weightless. Choose a lawful public viewpoint with a clear sightline, such as the Champ de Mars, the Seine banks or another open part of the city, and arrive before the expected display. The official schedule generally starts after nightfall for the first five minutes of each hour, but operating times and the final display change with the season and tower closing time. Check the Eiffel Tower's official lighting information on the day, allow for security closures and keep valuables secure in crowded viewing areas. Night routes, steps and surfaces vary between viewpoints, so select and confirm an accessible route in advance if required. You do not need a tower ticket simply to see the lights from outside. Count this complete when you have watched a full sparkle sequence rather than glimpsed it through a taxi window. It is brief enough to make the waiting part of the pleasure: the city continues around you, the hour turns, and the tower suddenly announces it.