Paris heatwave shuts Eiffel Tower early and shortens Louvre hours

Paris travelers are facing short-notice disruption as extreme heat forces two of the city’s biggest landmarks to change their schedules.

The Eiffel Tower closed early on June 23, and the Louvre said it would shorten its opening hours from June 24 through June 27 as France moved deeper into a severe early-summer heatwave.

Eiffel Tower closes early

AP reported that France recorded its hottest day on record on June 23, with a national thermal indicator of 29.8C, and said the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre were restricting visiting hours.

The Guardian later reported that the Eiffel Tower operator said the monument would exceptionally close at 4 p.m. local time because of the heat. It also reported that the operator said it was very likely to do the same again on June 24.

For visitors, that meant normal plans for late-afternoon and evening access were disrupted with little warning. The change is especially significant at a landmark that draws heavy tourist traffic throughout the day.

Louvre cuts hours through June 27

The Louvre said it would close two hours earlier than usual from June 24 through June 27, according to AP and The Guardian.

The museum said the decision was driven by difficult visiting and working conditions during the heat. The Guardian reported that the Louvre also said the building is not sufficiently adapted to climate change and that heat buildup becomes worse later in the day, especially when visitor numbers are high.

That combination of temperature, crowding and building conditions creates a direct travel disruption for anyone booking timed museum visits in Paris this week.

Heatwave spreads beyond Paris

The Paris closures are part of a broader national emergency. AP and The Guardian reported that France recorded its hottest day on record, and Météo-France said temperatures included a reading of 44.3C in Pissos, in the Landes region.

The Guardian said 54 departments were under red heatwave alert. Reporting from AP and The Guardian also described disruption to schools and transport across France, showing the heatwave is affecting more than tourism.

Le Monde said the heatwave began on June 17 and could last through the weekend, underscoring that the pressure on public-facing institutions may continue for several more days.

What travelers should watch

Travelers in Paris should check official schedules before heading to major attractions and be prepared for further changes if temperatures remain high.

The immediate questions are whether the Eiffel Tower closes early again on June 24, whether the Louvre extends its shortened-hours schedule beyond June 27, and whether French authorities expand or extend heat alerts later in the week.

For now, the message from Paris’s best-known landmarks is clear: extreme heat is already changing how the city works, and visitors need to plan around that reality.

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