Eiffel Tower, Paris

The Eiffel Tower is the most visited paid monument in the world, welcoming 7 million guests each year. Gustave Eiffel's 330-meter wrought-iron lattice tower, built for the 1889 World's Fair, was initially criticized but now defines Paris. It receives 1.5 million more annual visitors than the Burj Khalifa (rank 1), and its repainting cycle uses 60 tonnes of paint every seven years—a maintenance cost about 0.4% of the tower's €50 million annual revenue. This iconic structure remains cheaper to visit than the average observation deck, with tickets starting at €10.60 for stairs access.