Arc de Triomphe
Napoleon's triumphal arch above the Champs-Élysées, with a rooftop view down twelve avenues.
The call
Worth it if you are watching the budget and you only have one day.
Why
- 01
From below it's a monument; the real payoff is the rooftop, where Paris radiates out along twelve avenues and the Eiffel sits perfectly in frame.
Our read - 02
The 284-step climb is the friction.
Our read - 03
Time Out calls the rooftop 'one of the finest views in the city' — and from here you actually see the Eiffel Tower in your photo rather than standing on it.
timeout.com - 04
You look straight down the radiating star of twelve avenues, including the full sweep of the Champs-Élysées — a view no other Paris terrace gives.
paris-arc-de-triomphe.fr
Is it a fit?
Go if
This is your first trip to Paris
A renovated interior museum with interactive screens precedes the roof, so it's more than just a viewpoint.
You are watching the budget
On a budget, Arc de Triomphe still earns its price.
You only have one day
Even on a tight schedule, Arc de Triomphe earns the hours.
You are traveling as a couple
As a couple, Arc de Triomphe works.
Think twice if
You are traveling with kids
With kids, it depends on the day.
You want context, not just the photograph
For depth & learning, Arc de Triomphe is hit or miss.
Plan it well
- Cost
- €16 rooftop (free under 18 / EU under 26)
- Timing
- Sunset for the avenues lighting up; the nightly flame ceremony is around 6:30pm.
- Booking
- Rooftop ticket includes the interior museum.
- Allow
- 1–1.5 hrs
- Accessibility
- 284 steps to the roof; stair climb is the principal route up.
- Getting there
- Métro Charles de Gaulle–Étoile; reach the arch only via the pedestrian underpass, never across the traffic.
Consider instead
Sources and method (6)
- Rooftop admission is €16 (Oct 1–Mar 31) rising to about €22 in high season; 284 steps to the terrace (lift for reduced mobility) paris-arc-de-triomphe.fr ↗
- The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and its Flame of Remembrance (lit since 1923) sit beneath the arch; the flame is rekindled nightly at 6:30pm arcdetriompherooftop.org ↗
- timeout.com ↗
- paris-arc-de-triomphe.fr ↗
- arcdetriompherooftop.org ↗
- lesfrenchiestravel.com ↗