Arc de Triomphe
#5of 9 places to visit in ParisParis, Île-de-France, France
Also known as Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile
Quick answer
Opening hours: 10:00–23:00 and 10:00–22:30. Entry: €22. Allow 1 hr. Best time: 10:00 opening or the final hour.
Updated · Compiled by Traveliac, AI-assisted · 4 min read
- Opening hours
- 10:00–22:30
- 10:00-23:00 April-September, 10:00-22:30 October-March; Tuesdays open at 11:00
- Entry fee
- €22
- Ticket from
- Time needed
- 1 hr
- Best time of day
- 10:00 opening or the final hour
- Best months
- Apr – Jun, Sep – Oct
- Address
- Place Charles de Gaulle, 75008 Paris
About Arc de Triomphe
The Arc de Triomphe stands 50 metres tall at the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle, where twelve avenues meet in a star pattern that gave the square its earlier name, l'Étoile. Napoleon Bonaparte commissioned the arch in 1806 to honour his army after the victory at Austerlitz, though construction stretched over three decades and Napoleon never saw it finished - he died in exile in 1821, 15 years before its completion in 1836. The monument's carved relief panels, including François Rude's La Marseillaise on the pillar facing the Champs-Élysées, depict episodes from the Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars in high-relief limestone. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, added beneath the arch in 1921 to honour France's First World War dead, burns an eternal flame that has been rekindled every evening at 18:30 without interruption since 1923, including during the German occupation of Paris.
Best time of day: 10:00 opening or the final hour. Before closing for sunset views over the twelve avenues radiating from Place Charles de Gaulle.
Arc de Triomphe timings
- Opening hours
- 10:00–22:30
Mon–Sun 10:00–23:00 and 10:00–22:30 - 10:00-23:00 April-September, 10:00-22:30 October-March; Tuesdays open at 11:00
- Closed on
- Open every day
Good to know: Ticket office and last access close 45 minutes before the monument's closing time; reduced hours can apply on heatwave-warning days.
Opening hours compiled from paris-arc-de-triomphe.fr and public records, last updated . They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides
Arc de Triomphe ticket price
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Standard ticket | €22 |
| Concession (student / senior) | €16 |
| Children | Free |
€22 April-September, €16 October-March, with a €16 rate on Wednesdays even in summer, as of 2026. Free for under-18s and EU/EEA residents aged 18-25 with valid ID. The ground-level monument and Tomb of the Unknown Soldier are free; the fee covers rooftop terrace access only. Verify current pricing at the official site, as heatwave-related early closures have occurred in past summers.
Prices compiled from paris-arc-de-triomphe.fr and public records, last updated . They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides
Best time to visit Arc de Triomphe
- Moderate
- Busy
- Very busy
10:00 - 11:30
Morning OpeningBest time to go
First terrace groups of the day; stair queue typically under 15 minutes.
Moderate11:30 - 16:00
Midday Peak
Heaviest combined foot traffic from Champs-Élysées shoppers and terrace visitors.
Very busy16:00 - 19:00
Late Afternoon
Sunset-seeking visitors build toward the final two hours before closing.
Busy18:30
Flame Ceremony
Daily rekindling of the eternal flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier draws a modest, respectful ground-level crowd.
Moderate
History of Arc de Triomphe
Napoleon ordered the arch's construction in 1806 after the victory at the Battle of Austerlitz, modelling it on the Arch of Titus in Rome but at a far larger scale, intended as the terminus of a triumphal route for returning armies. Architect Jean Chalgrin's design survived Napoleon's fall from power in 1814-15 and several changes of government, with construction continuing under the Bourbon Restoration and completing under King Louis-Philippe in 1836.
The arch has served as a staging ground for major national events since: Napoleon's own remains passed beneath it in 1840 when his body was repatriated from Saint Helena, French troops marched through it after the 1918 armistice and again after the 1944 liberation of Paris, and Charles de Gaulle led a commemorative march from the arch down the Champs-Élysées following that liberation. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, interred in 1921, added a permanent function beyond military parades - a solemn national memorial that continues to draw an evening flame-lighting ceremony.
Rules & etiquette at Arc de Triomphe
Reaching the arch requires the underground pedestrian tunnel from the Champs-Élysées or Avenue de la Grande Armée side; attempting to cross the traffic circle at street level is both illegal and genuinely dangerous given the volume and speed of merging traffic. Bag checks apply at the tunnel entrance before the ticketed staircase up to the terrace.
The rooftop terrace is reached by 284 spiral stone steps with no lift, opening onto an unenclosed viewing platform with a waist-height barrier - visitors with vertigo or mobility limitations should weigh this before purchasing a ticket. The 18:30 flame-rekindling ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is open to the public at ground level, free, and observed with quiet respect by convention rather than formal rule.
Tips for visiting Arc de Triomphe
- 1
The terrace view down the Champs-Élysées toward the Louvre and, in the opposite direction, toward the Grande Arche de la Défense, is the clearest way to understand Haussmann's axis-based redesign of 19th-century Paris - a perspective the Eiffel Tower's more central position doesn't offer. Wednesday's reduced-rate ticket, available even in peak summer months, is the best value slot if travel dates are flexible.
- 2
Combining the visit with a walk down the Champs-Élysées toward Place de la Concorde works well starting from the arch, since the avenue's gentle downhill slope in that direction is more comfortable than a long walk uphill toward it.
How to reach Arc de Triomphe
Place Charles de Gaulle, 75008 ParisDirections in Google Maps
From Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)
25 km · 45-60 min
€13.10
From Gare du Nord
6 km · 20 min
€2.15
From Gare Montparnasse
5 km · 20-25 min
€2.15
Nearest airport
From Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG)
25 km, approximately 45-60 minutes via RER B and RER A.
Nearest station
From Charles de Gaulle-Étoile (Métro Lines 1, 2, and 6, and RER A), accessed via an underground pedestrian tunnel rather than crossing the traffic circle at street level.
Arc de Triomphe FAQs
How do you get to the Arc de Triomphe safely - can you cross the traffic circle?
No, crossing Place Charles de Gaulle at street level is illegal and dangerous. Visitors must use the underground pedestrian tunnel accessed from the Champs-Élysées or Avenue de la Grande Armée side.
Is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier free to visit?
Yes. Ground-level access to the arch and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, including the daily 18:30 flame-rekindling ceremony, is free. Only rooftop terrace access requires a paid ticket.
How many steps to the top of the Arc de Triomphe?
284 spiral stone steps with no lift access, leading to an unenclosed rooftop terrace with a waist-height barrier.
Who commissioned the Arc de Triomphe and when was it finished?
Napoleon Bonaparte commissioned it in 1806 after the Battle of Austerlitz, but it was not completed until 1836, 15 years after his death, under King Louis-Philippe.
Compiled with AI assistance from official sources and public records, and published only after the checks in How we write these guides. Nobody from Traveliac has visited this place. Last updated . How we rank and check places
