Eiffel Tower, Paris

Built for the 1889 World's Fair, the 330 m tower has three levels open to visitors. You can take the lift all the way to the top, or climb the 674 steps to the second floor and take a lift from there. The views over Paris are best around sunset, and after dark the tower sparkles with thousands of lights for five minutes at the start of every hour.

Book timed tickets online on the official site well ahead, especially in summer, as the queues for tickets on the day can be very long. There are bag checks at the entrance. Food and souvenirs get more expensive the higher you go. There's a brasserie on the first floor and the Michelin-starred Le Jules Verne on the second.

Ignore anyone selling souvenirs or running petitions and street games around the base. For the classic photo, go to the Trocadéro across the river. For a view of Paris that includes the tower, climb the Arc de Triomphe, or go up to Sacré-Cœur in Montmartre, which is free.