Get both skip-the-line and behind-the-scenes access to Paris’ iconic Eiffel Tower and learn about its history in an engaging and original way on this fascinating theatrical tour. A charismatic actor will portray a compelling love story as you explore the wartime bunker under the Champ de Mars and the engine room that keeps the landmark’s elevators running – locations most visitors never see! Then, bypass the lines and whiz up to the tower’s second floor for astounding panoramic views.

This small-group tour is limited to 20 people, ensuring you won’t miss a moment of your guide’s dramatic and informative performance.

Meet your guide and small group in front of the Eiffel Tower to begin your absorbing 1.5-hour morning or afternoon walking tour of one of the world’s most recognizable landmarks, originally built for the 1889 World’s Fair. Your actor guide will draw you into the romantic story of a young American woman named Lemony and a French aviator named Antonin who fall in love at the Eiffel Tower.

Learn about the history of Paris and the Eiffel Tower through the adventures of the characters your guide portrays as you view intriguing areas of the tower many visitors don’t even know about. Descend into the military bunker located beneath the Champ de Mars, the large open field adjacent to the tower. As you’ll learn, the tower once housed military communications equipment, and the bunker and its complex network of secret tunnels was created during World War I to serve as a vital evacuation route.

Continue your tour above ground at the Eiffel Tower’s engine room, viewing the impressive equipment that powers the tower’s hydraulic lifts. Next, skip the lines at those elevators and ascend to the 380-foot (116-meter) second floor of the tower with your guide. Head up to the rooftop of Michelin-starred Le Jules Verne restaurant and revel in the spectacular views of Paris as your guide concludes his story with heroine Lemony’s 100th birthday.

Your theatrical, behind-the-scenes tour of the Eiffel Tower ends on the second-floor observation deck, where you can linger as long as you wish or buy a ticket to the third level of the Eiffel Tower for even more dramatic panoramic views from 906 feet (276 meters) up.

Please note: Engineering work will be taking place on the roof of Le Jules Verne from January 15-29, 2015. Access will not be possible during that time.

Paris - Ile de France and Paris, France