Arc de Triomphe

History

Napoleon Bonaparte commissioned the arch in 1806 after his victory at the Battle of Austerlitz, intending it to honor the achievements of the French army. Construction dragged on far longer than planned, interrupted by political upheaval and several changes of government. When Napoleon died in exile in 1821, the arch was still nowhere near finished. It was finally completed in 1836 under King Louis-Philippe, thirty years after it was commissioned.

Napoleon never saw his monument completed, but his remains passed beneath it in 1840 on their way to the Invalides, where he's buried. Since 1921, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from the First World War has sat beneath the arch, marked by an eternal flame that's rekindled every evening in a short ceremony. The arch's surfaces carry reliefs, sculptures, and the names of hundreds of French generals and battles, all commemorating France's military history.

Today the Arc de Triomphe functions as both a national monument and one of the most visited sights in Paris. It's also the finish line for the Tour de France's final stage and the endpoint of the annual Bastille Day military parade down the Champs-Élysées.

Opening Hours & Wait Times

The Arc de Triomphe is open every day of the year except for a handful of dates. Hours run longer from April to September than the rest of the year, and Tuesdays open an hour later than other days.

1 April – 30 September:

1 October – 31 March:

Last admission is 45 minutes before closing. The monument closes on 1 May, 8 May (morning), 14 July (morning), and 11 November (morning), plus a handful of additional dates each year for official ceremonies or severe weather; e-tickets are automatically refunded if a closure falls on your visit.

Given how popular it is, waits to reach the top stay reasonable by Paris standards, rarely more than 45 minutes. A ticket bought online in advance skips the on-site ticket counter, though everyone still passes through the same access tunnel and security check. Waits run longest from mid-November through December, when visitors line up for the view over the Champs-Élysées Christmas lights, and on weekends and public holidays when the monument is open.

Tickets & Prices

The ticket covers the entire monument and its rooftop terrace. Prices are higher from April to September, except on Wednesdays, when the lower off-season rate applies.

Admission is free for: under-18s; 18- to 25-year-olds who are EU nationals or legal residents of France; a disabled visitor plus one companion; jobseekers with proof less than 6 months old; teachers holding a valid French Éducation Pass; ICOM and ICOMOS members; and Ministry of Culture cardholders plus one guest. The whole monument is also free for everyone on the first Sunday of January, February, March, November, and December.

Tickets can be bought on-site at the ticket office at the foot of the monument or online in advance. Buying online avoids the risk of a sold-out day and skips the ticket-purchase line, though the security check at the access tunnel applies to every visitor regardless of how the ticket was bought.

Guided Tours

The monument's own guided tours run on select dates and walk you through the history of the sculpted reliefs before taking you up to the terrace, with more context than the on-site information panels alone provide.

Third-party guided tours typically run around 90 minutes and combine priority access to the terrace with a guide explaining the monument's history and the axis it forms with the Louvre and La Défense. These are worth it mainly for the history rather than for speed, since the wait to get in is usually short regardless of ticket type.

Getting There

The Arc de Triomphe sits in the middle of a busy roundabout, and the only way in is through a pedestrian tunnel underneath the traffic. Do not attempt to cross the roundabout on the surface.

Address: Place Charles de Gaulle, 75008 Paris, France

Highlights of the Arc de Triomphe

Good to Know

Climbing to the terrace means 284 steps; there's no way around them on foot. An elevator exists but is reserved for visitors with reduced mobility, and there's no need to book it in advance.

Bags and luggage are limited to 40 x 40 x 20 cm at the security check, and there's no left-luggage office at the monument itself, so plan around that if you're arriving with bags. Dogs aren't allowed inside, aside from guide dogs for visually impaired visitors, and strollers have to be left with the access control staff at the entrance.

There's no limit on how long you can stay once you're up on the terrace, so you can wait for sunset or the evening lights without being rushed back down.

Photo Gallery

Frequently Asked Questions