Champs-Élysées & Arc de Triomphe
The ceremonial avenue and the arch at the top of it — flagship stores, cinemas, car showrooms and traffic, with two Belle Époque exhibition palaces at the lower end that are far better than anything on the avenue itself. Go for the arch, the view and the Petit Palais; do not linger on the pavement.
Who it's for: First-time visitors, for the Arc and the rooftop view. Anyone who wants the Grand Axe perspective from the top. Art travelers, for the Petit Palais, which is free and consistently underrated.
Things to know
- Never cross the roundabout at street level to reach the Arc de Triomphe. Twelve avenues feed it, there are no crossings, and it is genuinely dangerous. Use the pedestrian underpass from the top of the Champs-Élysées, on the north side.
- Arc de Triomphe admission is around €22 from April to September (€16 on Wednesdays), and €16 from October to March. Booking online gets you the shorter 'Entrée Réservée' line.
- It is 284 steps to the roof and there is no lift for general visitors. Allow 45–60 minutes for the visit itself.
- Go up at dusk. The Arc stays open to 11pm in summer and 10:30pm in winter, and the twelve avenues lit up below you is a far better sight than the same view at noon.
- The flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is rekindled every evening at 6:30pm, a ceremony that has run daily since 1923. It is free to watch from the base.
- The Petit Palais's permanent collection is free, and it is a much better museum than its neighbours' fame suggests. The Grand Palais reopened fully in 2025 after a €486m restoration and keeps parts of the nave freely accessible in summer.
- Eat before you come or after you leave. The avenue itself is chain restaurants and tourist pricing; the good tables in the 8th are on the side streets and cost accordingly.