Every city in the world has at least one famous landmark that is known worldwide. London has the London Eye, New York has the Empire State Building and Paris has the Eiffel Tower.

Originally completed on 15 March 1889, the Eiffel Tower stands at 324 m (1,063 ft) tall and since it’s opening, 250 million people from around the world have enjoyed the attraction.

I have been to Paris many times but never actually been up the tower myself so it was lovely to be invited by the press team to experience this amazing piece of architecture and history.

Before we went up the tower, Gary and I stood just opposite, across the river at the Palais de Chaillot. Hitler once stood there looking across at the Eiffel Tower when the Nazi’s first stormed into Paris. It felt weird standing in the same spot but it just highlighted to me how vast the Eiffel Tower’s history really is.

We walked from Palais de Chaillot across Pont d’léna and walked to one of the entrances to the South of the tower. There are a few entrances that you can go through so when you are planning your visit, make sure you know which entrance is best for you to access.

Once you go through security, you will walk along the path and suddenly find yourself underneath the Eiffel’s beautiful structure. It’s pretty impressive once you get there so make sure you take plenty of pictures!

Once we collected our tickets, we went into the fast track queue that led to the lifts. We actually went into a lift that took us straight to the 2nd floor which was fine for us as we wanted to do some pictures from the midway point.

I wasn’t ready for such a beautiful view but it was lovely seeing Paris on this gorgeous sunny day.

Once we were finished with the 2nd floor we then queued again to get into the lifts to go up to the top. If you are scared of heights, maybe the 1st or 2nd floors are best as even I (who isn’t scared of heights) felt a little uneasy when we were going up in the lift to the top. It was just my anxiety that was having a moment but was totally worth it though! The view was so amazing and all around the top level, there is information about the tower and how it had come to me.

I would say we spent about 2 hours doing the whole Eiffel Tower, taking snaps and reading information about the site. We weren’t exactly in a rush but you need to give yourself time to go up and down in the lifts which can take time with the queues etc.

Now a little word of advise. If you want to avoid the crowds, make sure you go early. We went mid-day, at the end of the week and it was packed. It was about 32 degrees too which probably didn’t help as everyone was out in Paris taking in the sights.  Also to avoid queuing you can buy your tickets online 2 months ahead and up to 3 hours before your visit (if there are tickets available). If you do this, you will have faster access to the monument by cutting your waiting time at the ticket office thanks to having time-stamped tickets – So well worth getting in advance!

Overall it was an amazing experience! I normally don’t go to any tourist attractions in Paris so it was nice to enjoy the city from a different point of view and also take in those breathtaking views of Paris and beyond.

For more information on the Eiffel Tower or to purchase tickets, visit their website here.

DISCLAIMER: I was given two tickets for an honest review.