Visiting the Arc de Triomphe mostly means climbing to its panoramic terrace, up 284 steps, to see the twelve avenues radiating from Place Charles-de-Gaulle. A ticket costs €16 from October to March and €22 from April to September (€16 on Wednesdays), and the monument stays open until 10:30 pm or 11 pm. The elevator has been under maintenance since late July 2026; the official site announces it will return to service in 2027, on a date « to be announced later »: the terrace can only be reached on foot (checked on 18 October 2026 on paris-arc-de-triomphe.fr).
We have also calculated the sunset time for each month and the two periods of the year when the sun sets in line with the Champs-Élysées, seen from Place de la Concorde. To fit the Arc into a stay, see our guide to visiting Paris.
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Arc de Triomphe: key facts
- Hours: 1 April to 30 September, 10 am–11 pm (Tuesday 11 am–11 pm); 1 October to 31 March, 10 am–10:30 pm (Tuesday 11 am–10:30 pm); last access 45 minutes before closing — checked on 16 October 2026 on paris-arc-de-triomphe.fr
- Closures: 1 May, 8 May, 14 July, 11 November (morning); closing at 4 pm on 24 and 31 December 2026; exceptional closures possible (ceremonies, weather) — checked on 16 October 2026 on paris-arc-de-triomphe.fr
- Full price: €22 from April to September (€16 on Wednesdays), €16 from October to March; free for under-18s and for EU residents aged 18-25 (US and UK visitors do not qualify for the 18-25 free admission) — checked on 16 October 2026 on paris-arc-de-triomphe.fr
- Tickets: online ticket office of the Centre des monuments nationaux (CMN, the French national monuments agency) or ticket office on site; the official page does not require booking for individual visitors — checked on 16 October 2026 on paris-arc-de-triomphe.fr
- Free access: the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, under the arch, is freely accessible
- Length of visit: allow about 1 hour (climb, museum, terrace); duration not published by the official site
- Prices recorded on 16 October 2026 and subject to change: check before you go.
Tickets: official vs resellers
The official ticket gives access to the whole monument and its terrace. It is bought from the online ticket office of the Centre des monuments nationaux (link from the practical information page) or at the monument. A particularity of the Arc: the price changes with the season and the day.
| Period | Individual rate | Wednesday |
|---|---|---|
| 1 April – 30 September | €22 | €16 |
| 1 October – 31 March | €16 | €16 |
Destination de Voyage calculation: in high season, coming on a Wednesday saves €6 per adult, or 27% of the full price. For a family of two adults and two children under 18 (free), the visit costs €32 on a summer Wednesday against €44 on other days.
Main free admissions: under-18s; EU nationals or legal residents of France aged 18-25 (US and UK visitors are not covered); a person with a disability and one companion (individual visit); jobseekers; teachers holding the Pass Éducation; soldiers of the Sentinelle operation; ICOM and ICOMOS members; and for everyone, the first Sunday of January, February, March, November and December. Destination de Voyage calculation: the next ones are Sunday 1 November 2026, Sunday 6 December 2026, Sunday 3 January 2027, Sunday 7 February 2027 and Sunday 7 March 2027. The official site warns against fake « Pass Éducation » cards (including the « E-pass »): only the pass issued by the ministry is valid.
Resellers: many platforms offer the Arc as « skip-the-line » or in bundles. Compare with the day’s official price (€16 or €22) before buying: the free admission for under-18s does not always apply with a reseller, and only orders placed on the CMN ticket office are automatically refunded in the event of an exceptional closure.
Opening hours and closing days
| Period | Wednesday to Monday | Tuesday | Last access |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 April – 30 September | 10 am – 11 pm | 11 am – 11 pm | 10:15 pm |
| 1 October – 31 March | 10 am – 10:30 pm | 11 am – 10:30 pm | 9:45 pm |
Annual closures: 1 May, 8 May, 14 July and the morning of 11 November, days of national ceremonies. On 24 and 31 December 2026, early closing at 4 pm. The monument may also close partly or fully for an official ceremony or in bad weather; CMN e-tickets are then refunded automatically, with a delay.
Best time to visit: sunset and the Champs-Élysées alignment
The Arc opens every evening until 10:30 pm or 11 pm: whatever the month, the terrace is open at sunset. The table gives the time and direction of sunset on the 15th of each month.
| Month (15th) | Sunset | Sunset direction | Max in Paris | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 17:21 | southwest (237°) | 7.6 °C (46 °F) | 9.9 |
| February | 18:11 | west (251°) | 8.8 °C (48 °F) | 9.1 |
| March | 18:55 | west (267°) | 12.8 °C (55 °F) | 9.5 |
| April | 20:42 | west (285°) | 16.6 °C (62 °F) | 8.6 |
| May | 21:25 | northwest (300°) | 20.2 °C (68 °F) | 9.2 |
| June | 21:56 | northwest (307°) | 23.4 °C (74 °F) | 8.3 |
| July | 21:49 | northwest (304°) | 25.7 °C (78 °F) | 7.4 |
| August | 21:06 | west (291°) | 25.6 °C (78 °F) | 8.1 |
| September | 20:04 | west (274°) | 21.5 °C (71 °F) | 7.5 |
| October | 19:01 | west (257°) | 16.5 °C (62 °F) | 9.5 |
| November | 17:10 | southwest (241°) | 11.1 °C (52 °F) | 10.4 |
| December | 16:54 | southwest (233°) | 8.0 °C (46 °F) | 11.4 |
The sun in the Arc. Seen from the Concorde obelisk, the Arc de Triomphe lies in the direction 295.8° (west-northwest), at the top of the Champs-Élysées. The sun sets in that direction twice a year: around 7 May (sunset about 9:14 pm) and 6 August (sunset about 9:22 pm) in 2027. On those days, the sun goes down along the axis of the avenue. Destination de Voyage calculation: sunset azimuth (NOAA algorithm) compared with the Concorde → Arc azimuth calculated between the Wikidata coordinates of the two monuments; as the sun passes through the arch a little above the horizon, the best day may shift by a few days, and the weather decides everything.
For the view from the terrace itself, the hour after sunset is the most spectacular: the Champs-Élysées lights up toward the Concorde and the Louvre, and the Eiffel Tower appears to the southwest. In winter (sunset around 5 pm to 6 pm), you have more than four hours of night before closing; in June, sunset falls after 9:50 pm, shortly before the last access at 10:15 pm. Another classic panorama, the observation deck of the Montparnasse Tower, has been closed since March 2026: our page says what to do instead.
The Centre des monuments nationaux publishes no daily attendance figures. The only objective rule: on ceremony days (8 May, 14 July, 11 November), the monument is closed for all or part of the day.
What to see and suggested route
- The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the flame of remembrance, under the vault, freely accessible.
- The sculptures on the piers, visible from the traffic island.
- The museum room, under the terrace, which traces the history of the monument.
- The panoramic terrace, reached by 284 steps while the elevator is under maintenance.
- The Champs-Élysées, to walk down to the Concorde: Destination de Voyage calculation, 2.1 km (1.3 mi) as the crow flies, about 28 minutes on foot.
The official site offers guided lecture tours (€23.50 adult, €6 for under-18s, from the « practical information » page) and a family trail; see the « tours and activities » page.
Getting there
- Address: Place Charles-de-Gaulle, 75008 Paris. You enter through the Souvenir underpass, which starts at the top of the Champs-Élysées or from Avenue de la Grande-Armée — checked on 16 October 2026 on paris-arc-de-triomphe.fr
- Metro and RER: lines 1, 2, 6 and RER A, Charles-de-Gaulle-Étoile station.
- Bus: lines 22, 30, 31, 52, 73, 92 and Balabus.
- Vélib’ bikes: stations on rue Arsène-Houssaye, avenue Hoche, rue Beaujon, rue Balzac and rue de Traktir.
- Do not cross the square on foot: Place Charles-de-Gaulle has no pedestrian crossing to the Arc, hence the underpass.
Accessibility
According to the official accessibility page, the Arc received the Tourisme & Handicap label in spring 2025 for the four types of disability. The underpass is not wheelchair accessible: visitors with reduced mobility reach the traffic island only through a drop-off point on the Avenue de la Grande-Armée side, by taxi or private vehicle, with no reservation needed. Entry is free and priority for the person with a disability and one companion on presentation of the French Mobility Inclusion card (« invalidité » or « priorité »). Note: with the elevator under maintenance, the terrace can only be reached by the steps. Wheelchairs, magnifiers and noise-canceling headphones are lent against ID; booklets in easy-read (FALC), large print and Braille.
Common mistakes (official rules)
- Crossing the roundabout on foot: take the Souvenir underpass.
- Counting on the elevator: under maintenance since late July 2026, return to service announced for 2027 with no date (checked on 18 October 2026 on paris-arc-de-triomphe.fr).
- Coming on 8 May, 14 July or the morning of 11 November: monument closed.
- Arriving at the last minute: last access is 45 minutes before closing.
- Coming with a stroller: not allowed in the monument, to be left with the access control staff.
- Bringing a large bag: maximum luggage size 40 × 40 × 20 cm (16 × 16 × 8 in) and no cloakroom at the monument.
- Bringing a selfie stick, tripod, flag, scooter, roller skates, glass bottle or sharp object: prohibited. Dogs not allowed except guide dogs.
What to see nearby
From the terrace, the Eiffel Tower is about 1.7 km (1.1 mi) to the south (as the crow flies), across the Seine. Walking down the Champs-Élysées, you reach the Concorde, the Tuileries and then the Louvre; the Musée d’Orsay is on the other bank. Our guide to things to do in Paris offers 1- to 4-day itineraries.
The history of the Arc de Triomphe in a few dates
- 1806-1836: thirty years of construction, launched under Napoleon I at Place de l’Étoile, to plans by Jean-François Thérèse Chalgrin inspired by ancient Roman arches.
- 1810: for the entry of Napoleon and Marie-Louise of Austria into Paris, a full-size mock-up in timber and painted canvas is erected, the real monument barely above the ground.
- 1814-1823: work suspended under Louis XVIII, then resumed in 1823.
- 29 July 1836: inauguration under Louis-Philippe, with a dedication to the armies of the Revolution and the Empire; the piers bear the names of battles and generals.
- 28 January 1921: burial of the Unknown Soldier under the vault, where he had been placed on 11 November 1920.
- 11 November 1923: first flame of remembrance, lit by André Maginot; it has never been extinguished since.
Every evening at 6:30 pm, the flame is rekindled in a short ceremony under the arch, according to the official site: a moment to plan for if you go up to the terrace late in the day.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to go up the Arc de Triomphe?
€16 from October to March, €22 from April to September except on Wednesdays (€16), according to the official site on 16 October 2026. Free for under-18s and for EU residents aged 18-25.
Do you need to book to go up the Arc de Triomphe?
The official page does not require it for individual visitors: tickets are bought on the online ticket office of the Centre des monuments nationaux or on site. Groups of 7 to 35 people must book at least 4 weeks ahead.
How many steps are there to the top of the Arc de Triomphe?
284 steps. The elevator has been under maintenance since late July 2026; its return to service is announced for 2027, with no precise date (checked on 18 October 2026 on paris-arc-de-triomphe.fr).
How late can you visit the Arc de Triomphe?
Until 11 pm from April to September and 10:30 pm from October to March, last access 45 minutes before.
When does the sun set in line with the Arc de Triomphe?
According to our calculation, seen from the Concorde, around 7 May and 6 August, give or take a few days.
Why was the Arc de Triomphe built?
It was commissioned under Napoleon I to celebrate his armies. Completed in 1836 under Louis-Philippe, it is dedicated to the armies of the Revolution and the Empire and has housed the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier since 1921.
Our sources
- Centre des monuments nationaux, Arc de Triomphe website (paris-arc-de-triomphe.fr): practical information, page for visitors with disabilities, consulted on 16 October 2026
- Centre des monuments nationaux, articles « Histoire de l’Arc de triomphe » and « Le Soldat inconnu » (paris-arc-de-triomphe.fr), consulted on 16 October 2026
- Météo-France: 1991-2020 normals, Paris-Montsouris station, taken from our Paris page
- Astronomical calculations: NOAA solar algorithm, IANA Europe/Paris time zone, applied by Destination de Voyage to the Wikidata coordinates of the Arc de Triomphe (Q64436) and the Luxor obelisk (Q1503331)
- Our methodology
Updated November 2026. Prices and hours may change: check the official website before you go.