Arc De Triomphe
Napoleon Didn’t Live to See It Finished
The Arc de Triomphe was commissioned by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1806, after his victory at Austerlitz. It was completed in 1836 – eleven years after his death. Napoleon’s body passed under the arch in 1840 when his remains were repatriated from St. Helena for burial at Les Invalides, a funeral procession through a monument he never saw standing. That specific irony – the man who ordered it never experiencing it – is one of the more historically resonant details in Paris.
The arch stands at the center of Place Charles de Gaulle, at the apex of 12 avenues converging in a star pattern including the Champs-Elysees. It is 50 metres tall. The sculptural reliefs on the faces include Francois Rude’s “La Marseillaise” on the right-facing facade – a dynamic composition of figures rallying under a personification of Liberty – which is the best single piece of sculpture on the monument and worth stopping for specifically.
Beneath the central arch, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier has burned an Eternal Flame since 1923. The flame is rekindled every evening at 18:30 in a brief ceremony that is free to watch.
The Terrace View
Climbing to the terrace – 284 steps by staircase or elevator for those with mobility needs – gives the best street-level view in Paris of the city’s 19th-century Haussmann grid. You look down the Champs-Elysees toward the Tuileries and the Louvre in one direction; across to the Grande Arche at La Defense in the other. The Eiffel Tower is visible to the southwest. The view is best about two hours before sunset when the light is warm and directional.
Tickets and Visiting (2026)
Adult admission is EUR 22 from April 1 through September 30 (EUR 16 on Wednesdays), and EUR 16 from October through March. EU residents under 26 and under-18s from anywhere enter free. The first Sunday of each month from November through March is free for everyone.
Book online to skip the ticket queue, which runs 30-45 minutes at the gate in peak summer. The monument opens until 23:00 from April through September, which makes an evening visit entirely practical – the city lights from the terrace at dusk are among the better Paris views at any price.
Annual closures: May 1, May 8, the morning of July 14 (Bastille Day), and the morning of November 11. Check before planning a visit on any of these dates.
The Surrounding Area
The pedestrian tunnel from Charles de Gaulle-Etoile metro station brings you to the arch’s base without crossing the roundabout, which is prudent given the traffic speed. The Champs-Elysees running southeast is the famous shopping avenue – correct for a walk, expensive for everything purchased on it. The side streets off the avenue (particularly toward the 8th arrondissement north and south) have better restaurants at better prices than anything on the main boulevard itself.
The Musee de l’Armee at Les Invalides, 15 minutes south by metro or on foot, is the counterpart visit: Napoleon’s tomb plus comprehensive French military history. Parc Monceau, 10 minutes north, is the less-visited and less-crowded alternative to the Tuileries for an hour in a garden.