Naturally our first stop in Paris was the iconic Eiffel Tower. We had pre-booked tickets so got through the queue and bag checks quite quickly. 

We decided to climb to the second level, the highest level accessible via stairs, as we wanted the experience of climbing rather than using the lift.

We took our time to climb all 674 steps, stopping to walk a lap of the first level, then a lap of the second level, then up to a slightly higher platform to maximise our view. 

Below is a favourite photo from a cute little side street near the tower. 

The tower was built by Gustave Eiffel and completed in 1889 using 7,300 tonnes of iron and 2.5 million rivets. It is an incredible 330 metres tall to its tallest point.

As you can see in the last three photos above, it was interesting to watch how the colour of the tower changed with the light. We went past on a Seine River cruise late in the afternoon and from the north-east it was a dark bronze colour - almost black, and from the south-west it looked gold.