Île-de-France
Arc de Triomphe
How to visit the Arc de Triomphe in Paris: which underground passage to use, the 284-step climb, what the rooftop view actually gives you, and whether the €22 ticket is worth it.
Where
Paris, France
Opening hours
10:00–23:00 from 1 April to 30 September, and 10:00–22:30 from 1 October to 31 March (opens 11:00 on Tuesdays). Last admission is 45 minutes before closing. Always confirm your date on paris-arc-de-triomphe.fr.
Tickets
€22 adult in summer (about £19), dropping to €16 on summer Wednesdays and across the whole winter season (about £14). Free for under-18s, for 18–25s resident in the EU, and on the first Sunday of each month from November to March.
Time needed
About 1 hour: 10–15 minutes up the 284 steps, time on the terrace, and a look at the small museum in the attic room on the way.
In short
Visiting Arc de Triomphe
The Arc de Triomphe is free to see from the pavement, but the ticket buys the rooftop terrace — and that view straight down the Champs-Élysées and out to twelve radiating avenues is the best reason to pay. Reach the base only via the underground Passage du Souvenir at the top of the Champs-Élysées; never try to cross the twelve-lane roundabout on foot. It is 284 steps up a spiral staircase (a lift exists but is reserved for those who genuinely need it), so factor in the climb before you buy.
How to reach it without dodging traffic
The Arc de Triomphe stands on its own island in the middle of Place Charles-de-Gaulle, a twelve-lane roundabout with no pedestrian crossing across it. People still try to cut across — don’t. The only way to the base is the Passage du Souvenir, an underground pedestrian tunnel signed from the top of the Champs-Élysées (and from Avenue de la Grande-Armée on the far side). Take the Métro to Charles-de-Gaulle–Étoile (lines 1, 2 and 6, plus RER A) and follow the tunnel signs.
You can stand under the arch, see the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and its eternal flame, and look up at the reliefs for free — no ticket needed for the ground level. The ticket buys one thing: the rooftop terrace.
The climb, and whether the rooftop earns it
It is 284 steps up a tight spiral staircase to the top, taking most people ten to fifteen minutes with a couple of rest landings on the way. There is a lift, but it is reserved for visitors who genuinely need it — reduced mobility, pushchairs, the very elderly — and even then it only reaches the attic room, leaving 46 more steps to the open terrace. If stairs are a real problem and you only want to see the monument, skip the ticket and enjoy it from the pavement.
The 2026 adult ticket is €22 in summer (about £19), dropping to €16 on summer Wednesdays and right through the winter season. Under-18s go free, as do 18–25s resident in the EU, and entry is free for everyone on the first Sunday of each month from November to March. Hours run 10:00–23:00 from April to September and to 22:30 in winter, with last admission 45 minutes before closing — check your exact date on the official site.
If you’re going to pay for one rooftop view in Paris, this is a strong choice. From up here the Champs-Élysées runs dead straight to the Louvre one way and to La Défense the other, with twelve avenues fanning out below you. It’s arguably a better skyline than the Eiffel Tower’s, for the simple reason that the Eiffel Tower is in this view and not the other. Go up about an hour before sunset to catch the city in warm light and then the avenues lighting up. And if you can, time the base visit for 18:30, when veterans rekindle the flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier — a short, free daily ceremony that’s been held every evening since 1923.
Planning the rest of your trip? See the Paris city guide.
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