In the evening, everything is within walking distance of the square: sunset from the esplanade, the Tower lighting up and then sparkling, a drink on a rooftop or a riverboat, a cruise on the Seine. Here is the evening in order, the late-night places no more than a 20-minute walk away, and how to get back.
Get to the esplanade just before sunset (from 4:54 pm in late December to 9:56 pm in late June). Once it is dark, the Tower lights up, then sparkles for 5 minutes at the top of every hour until midnight (1 am in high season). To get back: the metro runs until about 1:15 am on weekdays and 2:15 am on Fridays, Saturdays and the night before public holidays, then take the Noctilien N53 night bus.
6:00 pmnext sparkle
The Eiffel Tower sparkles in .
5 minutes, then every hour until midnight.
Best spot: the esplanade, between the two wings of the palace.
Estimate: the Tower lights up at nightfall.
Times change with the seasons. Here is the order of the evening, with the landmarks that stay the same.
The nearest piers are at the foot of the Tower (Port de Suffren and Port de la Bourdonnais) and at the Pont de l'Alma: a 10 to 15-minute walk from the square.
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Listed from nearest to the square to furthest, in no order of preference. Opening hours checked in September 2026 on the official websites: check before you go.
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The neighbourhood is quiet at night. To go dancing, head up to the Étoile, about 1.3 km from the square along Avenue Kléber.
The big cabarets are outside our 20-minute radius. The nearest is the Crazy Horse, on Avenue George-V; the Moulin Rouge is in Pigalle, by metro.
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The sparkling lights, dinner on the Seine, a drink up high, the fireworks: our evening pages.
Five minutes of sparkle, every hour, after dark.
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7 boats compared: departure, length, menu, price.
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A drink facing the Eiffel Tower, a short walk from the Trocadéro.
Explore →A drink up high at sunset.
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Where to see the Tower on Bastille Day and New Year's Eve.
Explore →Watch the sunset from the esplanade, wait for the Tower to light up and sparkle at the top of each hour, have a drink in a bar or on a riverboat, or take a one-hour cruise on the Seine. Everything is less than a 20-minute walk away.
The esplanade stays busy in the evening, especially when the Tower sparkles. The main risks are pickpockets and street scams (the shell game, street sellers). Keep your belongings in front of you and stay away from street gambling.
The metro runs until about 1:15 am on weekdays, and until about 2:15 am on Fridays, Saturdays and the night before public holidays, on lines 6 and 9. After that, the Noctilien N53 night bus stops at Trocadéro.
Girafe, on the square, serves until 2 am. Le Bar Botaniste at the Shangri-La and 10e Ciel close at 1 am. Bigoudi Rooftop serves until midnight. To dance, Le Duplex near the Étoile is open from 11 pm to 6 am.
The nearest leave from the foot of the Tower (Vedettes de Paris, Bateaux Parisiens) and from the Pont de l'Alma (Bateaux-Mouches, every 30 minutes until 10 pm from April to October). To eat on board, see the dinner cruises.
On the hour, 5 minutes: times and viewpoints.
Discover →2026 times month by month and where to stand.
Discover →Seven boats compared: pier, length and price.
Discover →Fourteen bars facing the Tower, ten on foot.
Discover →Rooftop terraces around the Trocadéro.
Discover →Every viewpoint, from dawn to night.
Discover →The easiest way to watch Paris light up: a one-hour cruise from the foot of the Tower just before dark, then a drink on the square afterwards.