The pair were found on Monday morning to the embarrassment of Paris police. Photo / Thinkstock

Two US tourists were found sleeping off a drinking spree in the Eiffel Tower, claiming they had got lost in the Paris landmark while drunk.

Security guards discovered the two men early on Monday morning, according to prosecutors.

The tourists had paid for admission to the landmark, close to closing time, at 22:40 on Sunday. Instead of leaving, they sought to hide in an area of the tower normally off-limits to the public. Police say they must have hopped security barriers to get there

They were discovered between the second and third storeys, fast asleep.

Talking to French news agency AFP, prosecutors say the men “appear to have got stuck because of how drunk they were.”

Unable to descend the tower safely, a specialist fire and rescue team was dispatched to bring them down from the heights.

Police said they did not appear to pose any threat to themselves or the public.

The opening of the tourist attraction was delayed until 9am on Monday, as further searches and an investigation was conducted.

The pair are now subject to a criminal complaint.

The discovery is the source of embarrassment and concern for French police. The two drunk men were found after a series of bomb scares saw the tower evacuated twice on Saturday. Both were false alarms.

A report in Le Monde said that security were on high alert following a probe into possible “threats to lives” directed at the landmark.

There is an ongoing police investigation after bomb threats were left online via French gaming websites and the police’s messaging forum moncommissariat.fr.

The Eiffel Tower continues to be Paris’ main tourist attraction, visited by 5.8 million visitors in 2022.

In 1987 New Zealand businessman AJ Hackett hid overnight in the Eiffel Tower, in order to demonstrate the sport of bungy jumping. He was subsequently arrested by French police before being released without charge.