As we waited for the guide to arrive, we heard the noise of a shouting crowd, saw the smoke being thrown down the street and flags waving. And just like in the movies, the next frame had the police sirens and minivans arrive a block away from the commotion but right in front of our little tour group of ten waiting for our Eiffel Tower visit.

Eiffel Tower Protest

In a blink, the van doors opened and out poured the Paris police dressed in their riot gear running in teams down the street toward the protest march.  Looking at the cafe we were standing in front of, no one stopped eating or drinking as this apparently was normal.  Me, on the other hand, traveling with my eleven year old niece didn’t know what to make of it. I found a local who explained that the transit workers were angry over a new labor contract changing benefits, pensions and retirement age and they were protesting it. He said that they were peaceful and that this was a bit of a show, not to worry. They were marching against the government, not tourists.

I did worry as they were marching in the park and toward the Eiffel Tower where we were set to tour.  Our tour guide arrived late due to the commotion and street closures.  He was unsure what was going to happen so we waited until the group passed the Eiffel Tower and were positioned closer to the street and away from the entry lines.  Despite the group being away from the Tower but still on the grounds, the Eiffel Tower folks cleared the lines by closing the entrance.  The people in the Eiffel Tower were evacuated due to the uncertainty.  We just waited as no one had clear communication as to what would happen – when the tower would re-open (if at all), how the lines would be sorted, when the crowd would disperse.

They continued to shout and set off smoke bombs and noise.  The Eiffel tower is highly visible to attract attention but there were no television cameras or other that I could see, I would think that they would protest at a government office instead. Not sure why interfering with the tourists and commerce seemed a better idea as we are unable to help their mission?

First Inside the Eiffel Tower Tour

So we waited, and waited, heard rumors that it would be hours before they reopened.  Our guide said he would wait with us hoping it would open in an hour or so.  Our tickets were good for that day so we either waited or came back later with the crowds.  Aubrey and I decided to stick it out with the others – an Australian couple, a family from Germany and another family. I started taking many photos during our downtime.

Our patience paid off as we were first in line when they re-opened a bit over a hour later.  We were first to quickly run through the chutes and inside the building to the first elevator going up after the evacuation.  Each elevator holds about 100 people on two levels and we were quickly taken to the second floor where we were to wait on the guide. Knowing the lines to get to the top would quickly be insane, we ran to the line to buy tickets to the top (additional 6 euro per person) and boarded the smaller elevator up with the German family.

Eiffel Tower Summit – 3rd Floor

Arriving at the summit, we had the whole thing to ourselves for about 10 minutes before the crowds swarmed and we were four deep fighting for fence space.  For those few minutes we had all the views available which was really nice.

Eiffel Tower 2nd Floor

After the photos were taken, we pushed our way to the stairs to go back to the elevator.  Arriving back on the 2nd floor, we saw the guide who had just finished the history and the “tour” part of our ticket.  Apologizing, I told him we went to the top seizing the opportunity for the private views.  He understood but had to go back for the next group.  Aubrey and I wandered around a bit more looking at the vast expanse of  the city. She loved my camera lens that brought so many far away locations up close and personal.

The Eiffel Tower Visit – Little Details

The Eiffel Tower is gorgeous architecture and the history explained inside is fascinating to me (not so much to my niece yet) so the visit was pretty quick.  Up to the top, ride the two elevators, see the views as we walked around and then check it off her list.

Eiffel Tower Visit

The Eiffel Tower is a must do for all visitors.  It helped me show Aubrey how massive the city really is and why we were changing metros so much to get around. I could have spent a lot more time reading all about the history of the tower and seeing all the buildings that have since eclipsed the Eiffel Tower in height as the highest building in the world.

It was disappointing that the tickets online (15 Euro adult, 10.50 Euro for my niece) sold out months ahead so we were forced into a tour group/pass option at a much higher cost (40 Euro adult).  So if you know you are going to visit Paris and the Eiffel Tower buy your ticket as soon as you can.  I’m happy we were able to visit the Eiffel Tower and despite the wait, have a pretty awesome opportunity for spectacular, unobstructed views due to the protest – so Thank you for Protesting during our Eiffel Tower visit.