Find Arc de Triomphe tickets and tours for 2026. Check terrace access, guided or self-guided formats, prices and booking details before choosing.
A simple choice for visitors focused on the monument and its terrace. Check the booking details for available dates and ticket conditions.
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Compare three bookable options for rooftop entry, a guided tower visit, or Arc de Triomphe entry with a cruise. These three options appear in descending review order. Check access level, guide format, visit length, traveller feedback and current price.
1
Most reviewed
★★★★★ 4.64976 · 38,257 reviews
This is the most reviewed option of these three and has the lowest supplied starting price. Choose it for Arc de Triomphe rooftop tickets; the listing gives a one-hour duration, so check selected ticket details before booking.
2
Guided option
★★★★★ 4.5665936 · 1,458 reviews
This guided Eiffel Tower option has fewer reviews than the other choices and the highest supplied starting price. Its title offers summit or second-floor access, so compare the selected level and booking details before choosing.
3
Combined ticket
★★★★★ 4.544177 · 794 reviews
This combination pairs Arc de Triomphe entry with a Seine cruise and sits between the other supplied starting prices. It has fewer traveller reviews than the most-reviewed option, so check booking details if you want both experiences.
Compare starting prices, traveller feedback and visit format. One option is straightforward Arc de Triomphe rooftop entry, while the other adds a guided choice between Eiffel Tower access levels.
| Option | From | Rating | Reviews | Format | Includes | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paris: Arc de Triomphe Rooftop TicketsDirect rooftop entry without a guided visit or extra sightseeing. | €16 | 4.64976 | 38,257 | Rooftop entry | Arc de Triomphe rooftop access | Travellers wanting straightforward Arc de Triomphe entry at the lowest starting price. |
| Eiffel Tower Summit or 2nd Floor Guided TourGuided experience with a choice of summit or second-floor access. | €49 | 4.5665936 | 1,458 | Guided tour | Summit or second-floor access | Visitors who want a guide and can choose their preferred access level. |
These options differ by landmark, format, visit style and starting price. Answer four quick questions to narrow the choice between rooftop entry, a guided Eiffel Tower visit and a guided Paris ride.
Choose your preferred landmark, timing, format and priority to see the closest match.
The lowest starting price may not fit if you want a guided visit or a ride through Paris.
Tickets can look simple while access rules affect your visit. Check the route, terrace access and practical limits before you pay, so your chosen option fits your plans and everyone in your group can take part.
The memorial and terrace have different access rules
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is free to visit, but the interior and terrace normally need admission. You could arrive expecting rooftop access without holding a valid ticket for the monument.
Fix: Check that your chosen option clearly includes monument entry and terrace access. Free admission is available for some visitors, but eligibility rules apply. Bring any proof needed for a free ticket and select the correct ticket before travelling.
The terrace climb is currently steps only
The usual route to the terrace has 284 steps. The lift is under maintenance until further notice, so visitors who cannot manage stairs may not be able to reach the rooftop.
Fix: Check the current accessibility notice before booking a terrace visit. Choose another Paris activity if stairs will not work for someone in your group. Wheelchair users can use the designated vehicle drop-off on Avenue de la Grande Armée.
Large bags cannot be stored at the monument
Bags larger than 40 x 40 x 20 cm may be refused at entry. There are no lockers or cloakroom, and staff cannot hold oversized or prohibited belongings during your visit.
Fix: Check your bag size before leaving for the monument. Store suitcases elsewhere first, and leave tripods, selfie poles, glass bottles and sharp objects behind. Allow time for bag inspection at the entrance.
Closing time is not the final entry time
Last admission is 45 minutes before closing, and visitors are asked to head toward the exit 15 minutes before closing. Ceremonies, weather and special dates can also change access.
Fix: Check the opening details for your visit date before setting off. Avoid planning your arrival near last admission, especially if you want time for the interior, the staircase and terrace views. Check for date-specific closures when booking.
Plan your visit with clear information about opening hours, ticket prices, rooftop access, security, facilities and accessibility. Find out what to expect before booking.
Open daily with seasonal hours. Last entry is 45 minutes before closing.
April 1 to September 30: Open from 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM, Wednesday to Monday. On Tuesdays, opening begins at 11:00 AM.
October 1 to March 31: Open from 10:00 AM to 10:30 PM, Wednesday to Monday. On Tuesdays, opening begins at 11:00 AM.
Last admission is 45 minutes before the monument closes. However, arriving that late may leave you with too little time to explore the displays and panoramic terrace comfortably.
Important closures: The monument normally closes on May 1, May 8, July 14 and the morning of November 11. The official calendar also lists early closing at 4:00 PM on December 24 and 31, 2026.
Opening arrangements can change because of official ceremonies, security measures or severe weather.
Visitor tip: Check the official opening calendar on your chosen date before booking a rooftop ticket.
Official adult admission varies by season, with published prices of €16 and €22.
An admission ticket includes access to the monument’s interior and panoramic rooftop terrace, subject to the areas being open.
October to March: The published standard individual admission price is €16.
April to September: The published standard individual price is €22, with a €16 price on Wednesdays.
Admission is free for visitors under 18. Eligible 18–25-year-old EU nationals and qualifying non-EU residents of France can also enter free with suitable proof.
Other free-admission categories include eligible visitors with disabilities and one accompanying person. Free admission is also offered on the first Sunday of January, February, March, November and December under the official conditions.
Before booking: Check whether you qualify for free admission. Third-party ticket sellers and guided-tour packages may charge different prices or include additional services.
Allow approximately 45–90 minutes for the monument, staircase, museum and rooftop views.
A shorter visit can work if you mainly want to climb to the terrace and enjoy the views. However, many visitors prefer to take their time exploring the monument.
The usual staircase route includes 284 steps to the panoramic terrace. Allow time for the climb, particularly if you prefer to stop and rest.
Inside, you can explore displays explaining the history and symbolism of the monument before continuing to the rooftop.
At the top, the terrace provides wide views over Paris, including the Champs-Élysées, Eiffel Tower, La Défense and surrounding avenues.
Suggested planning time: Around 45 minutes for a relatively quick visit, or 60–90 minutes if you want to explore the displays and take photographs. These are planning estimates, not fixed tour durations.
Allow additional time for security checks and queues during busy periods.
Use the Passage du Souvenir pedestrian underpass. Never cross the busy roundabout.
The Arc de Triomphe stands in the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle, where several major Paris avenues meet.
Visitors normally reach the monument through the underground Passage du Souvenir, accessible from the upper end of Avenue des Champs-Élysées or Avenue de la Grande-Armée.
The underpass leads toward the monument’s forecourt and visitor entry area.
Do not attempt to walk across the surrounding traffic circle. It is a busy road junction and is not a pedestrian crossing.
Accessibility exception: Visitors who cannot use the underpass stairs should review the dedicated drop-off arrangements on the Avenue de la Grande-Armée side.
Useful tip: Save the entrance location before travelling, especially if you are arriving by taxi or visiting for the first time.
Charles de Gaulle–Étoile is the closest main station, served by Metro lines 1, 2 and 6 and RER A.
By Metro: Take Line 1, 2 or 6 to Charles de Gaulle–Étoile. Follow station signs toward the Arc de Triomphe and its pedestrian access route.
By RER: RER A also serves Charles de Gaulle–Étoile, making it useful for travellers arriving from locations served by that line.
By bus: Official visitor information lists routes 22, 30, 31, 52, 73 and 92, along with Balabus. Check current service information because routes may change.
By taxi: Use Place Charles de Gaulle, 75008 Paris, as your destination, but remember that cars cannot provide ordinary doorstep access to the central monument entrance.
Planning tip: Allow additional time to navigate the station exits and reach the pedestrian tunnel, particularly during busy travel periods.
The terrace normally involves 284 steps. The official website currently reports lift maintenance.
The Arc de Triomphe has lift facilities intended to support visitors who need assistance accessing different levels of the monument.
However, the official accessibility page currently states that the lift is undergoing maintenance until further notice and that terrace access is via the stairs only.
This is particularly important for wheelchair users, visitors with reduced mobility, and families who cannot manage the staircase.
The pedestrian underpass is also not wheelchair accessible. A separate drop-off arrangement exists on the Avenue de la Grande-Armée side for eligible visitors arriving by taxi or private vehicle.
Before buying: Contact the monument and confirm whether suitable access to the terrace is available on your date.
Do not book a rooftop visit based only on general descriptions of the lift facilities.
The monument provides toilets, a drinking fountain and a book and gift shop.
Visitors can use the toilets during their visit. Baby-changing facilities are also available, making the monument more practical for families.
Adapted toilets are located in the museum hall for visitors with accessibility needs.
A drinking fountain is available inside the monument. You can refill water where permitted, but remember that eating is not allowed inside the monument or on the rooftop terrace.
The monument also has a book and gift shop where visitors can browse souvenirs related to Paris and French history.
Important: There is no public luggage-storage service at the monument. Arrange storage elsewhere before arriving with large bags.
Visitor tip: Plan meals before or after your visit. You cannot use the rooftop as a picnic area.
A free mobile Web App offers three self-guided routes in five languages.
The Arc de Triomphe provides an official web-based visitor experience that helps you understand the monument without joining a guided group.
It features three routes: Essentials, introducing the monument’s main stories; Façades, focusing on its sculptural decoration; and Timeline, explaining its historical development.
The Web App is available in five languages and works through a smartphone browser without requiring a separate app installation.
The monument also provides free visitor documents in several languages, helping visitors learn more about the architecture and history.
Best for: Independent travellers who want useful historical information while exploring at their own pace.
Do not confuse the free Web App with a paid, live-guided tour. They offer different experiences.
Personal photography is generally possible, but tripods and selfie sticks are prohibited.
The rooftop terrace is one of the best places in Paris for panoramic photographs of the city’s broad avenues and famous landmarks.
Popular views include the Champs-Élysées, Eiffel Tower, La Défense and the streets radiating from Place Charles de Gaulle.
You can normally take personal photographs with a handheld camera or smartphone, provided you follow staff instructions and any temporary restrictions.
Prohibited equipment: The official visitor rules list tripods and selfie sticks among items that cannot be brought into the monument.
Professional photography, commercial filming and special equipment may require permission from the monument.
Photography tip: Late-afternoon light can be attractive, but check the seasonal closing time and weather forecast before planning a sunset visit.
Children under 18 receive free admission, and family visitor resources are available.
The Arc de Triomphe can be an enjoyable family attraction, especially for children interested in panoramic views, architecture and history.
Admission is free for visitors under 18, subject to the official conditions. The monument recommends obtaining eligible children’s tickets online to reduce waiting time.
Pushchairs: Strollers are not permitted inside. They may be left with access-control staff and collected after the visit.
The normal rooftop route includes 284 steps. Families should consider whether young children can comfortably manage the climb.
The monument offers family-friendly visitor materials, including an activity booklet that helps children learn about its history.
Important: The published lift-maintenance notice may affect families needing step-free access. Confirm the current situation before visiting.
Family tip: Allow time for breaks, bring suitable clothing and keep young children supervised on the terrace.
Yes. Access to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier beneath the arch is free.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is located beneath the Arc de Triomphe and commemorates French soldiers who died in the First World War.
Visitors can see the memorial without purchasing a ticket for the monument’s interior and rooftop terrace.
The Flame of Remembrance is rekindled every evening at approximately 6:30 PM as part of an established memorial tradition.
The ceremony has a solemn purpose and should be approached respectfully.
Important distinction: Free access to the memorial does not include admission to the rooftop viewing terrace or the paid interior route.
Access conditions may change during official ceremonies, national commemorations or security operations.
Visitor tip: If you only want to see the memorial and exterior architecture, you do not need to purchase a rooftop ticket.
The maximum permitted baggage size is 40 × 40 × 20 cm. Large luggage cannot be stored at the monument.
The official visitor rules limit the size of bags brought into the monument. The published maximum is 40 × 40 × 20 cm.
There is no left-luggage office, so visitors travelling with suitcases or oversized bags should arrange external storage before arrival.
Prohibited items include: Selfie sticks, tripods, sharp objects, glass bottles, weapons, scooters, rollerblades, flags and banners.
Visitors must follow the security measures and checks in place at the monument.
Dogs are generally not admitted, except permitted guide or assistance dogs under the applicable visitor rules.
Before arriving: Travel with a small bag, keep your ticket accessible and avoid bringing equipment that may be refused at security.
Having a prepaid ticket does not exempt visitors from security requirements.
The Arc de Triomphe is not simply a high viewpoint over Paris. It is a monument built to turn military memory, national ceremony and city planning into one public setting. Read its sculpture, memorial and radiating avenues together, and the building becomes easier to understand.
The arch is both a monument to past armies and a fixed point in Paris life.
Napoleon ordered an arch honouring the Grande Armée in 1806. Jean-François Thérèse Chalgrin prepared the initial plans, and the foundation stone was laid on 15 August that year.
The project outlasted Napoleon and took 30 years to complete. Its inauguration on 29 July 1836 explains its layered character: it began as an imperial statement, then became a national monument with a wider public meaning.
The four large sculptural groups turn the stone façade into a sequence of political ideas. François Rude’s The Departure of the Volunteers of 1792, often called La Marseillaise, presents a winged figure urging citizens into defence.
Jean-Pierre Cortot’s The Triumph of Napoleon faces Antoine Étex’s paired works, The Resistance and Peace. Together, they move from conflict and sacrifice toward a return to civilian life rather than presenting war as one simple story.
Place Charles de Gaulle is where twelve avenues meet. From above, this layout explains why the Arc feels less like an isolated building and more like the centre of a map drawn across western Paris.
One line follows the Champs-Élysées toward Place de la Concorde and the Louvre. In the opposite direction, Avenue de la Grande Armée points toward La Défense, linking the older ceremonial axis with modern Paris.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier sits beneath a monument first conceived to honour military victories. The Unknown Soldier was buried here on 28 January 1921, after the Chamber of Deputies voted for the burial in November 1920.
The Flame of Remembrance was first lit on 11 November 1923 and is rekindled each evening. That continuing ceremony keeps the arch connected to remembrance, not only to nineteenth-century architecture.
Start with the carvings at street level, then follow the avenues outward and return to the memorial beneath the vault. The Arc de Triomphe makes most sense as a meeting point between triumph, loss and the planned geometry of Paris.
You need an admission ticket to visit the interior museum and rooftop terrace, unless you qualify for free entry.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier beneath the arch is free to visit. If you want panoramic views of Paris, choose a ticket that includes rooftop access.
Official adult admission costs €16 from October to March and €22 from April to September. On Wednesdays between April and September, the standard price is €16.
Guided tours and third-party experiences may cost more. Check the total price and what’s included before booking.
A standard admission ticket includes access to the monument’s interior exhibition spaces and panoramic rooftop terrace.
You can explore the architecture, learn about the monument’s history and enjoy views of the Eiffel Tower, Champs-Élysées and surrounding Paris landmarks.
Booking in advance can help you plan your visit, especially during weekends, holidays and popular sunset hours.
Tickets may also be available at the monument. If booking through a tour provider, check the entry conditions, meeting point and cancellation policy before paying.
Yes. The rooftop is a popular place to watch the changing colors of the Paris skyline and see the Eiffel Tower in the distance.
Try to arrive 30–45 minutes before sunset, allowing extra time for security and climbing the stairs. Rooftop access depends on opening hours and weather conditions.
The terrace offers panoramic views of Paris, including the Eiffel Tower, Champs-Élysées, Sacré-Cœur and La Défense business district.
You can also look down on the twelve avenues meeting at Place Charles de Gaulle. Clear weather provides the best visibility for distant landmarks.
There are 284 steps to reach the panoramic terrace. The climb involves a substantial staircase, so allow enough time and take breaks if needed.
The lift is currently under maintenance until further notice, meaning terrace access is by stairs only. Check the latest accessibility information before visiting.
Most visitors should allow around 45–90 minutes to explore the interior and enjoy the rooftop views.
If you enjoy photography or want to study the sculptures and historical displays, allow more time. Security queues and the staircase may also extend your visit.
From April to September, the monument normally opens from 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM. From October to March, it normally opens from 10:00 AM to 10:30 PM.
On Tuesdays, opening begins at 11:00 AM throughout the year. Last admission is 45 minutes before closing. Special ceremonies and weather can affect these hours.
Take Paris Metro line 1, 2 or 6, or RER A, to Charles de Gaulle–Étoile station.
Use the Passage du Souvenir underground pedestrian passage to reach the monument safely. Never attempt to cross the busy Place Charles de Gaulle roundabout.
Admission is free for visitors under 18 and eligible 18–25-year-old EU nationals or non-EU nationals legally resident in France. Visitors with qualifying disabilities and one companion may also enter free.
Free admission is also available on the first Sunday of January, February, March, November and December. Bring valid proof if claiming an eligibility-based exemption.
Accessible arrangements normally include lifts and a designated vehicle drop-off point on the Avenue de la Grande Armée side.
However, the terrace lift is currently under maintenance, so rooftop access requires climbing 284 steps. Visitors who cannot use stairs should check the latest official accessibility notice before booking.
Small bags are allowed within the monument’s maximum luggage size of 40 × 40 × 20 cm. Large suitcases are not permitted, and there are no luggage lockers.
Strollers cannot be taken inside but may be left with access-control staff during your visit. Travel light, especially if arriving directly from a train station or airport.
Yes. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is located beneath the Arc de Triomphe and can be visited free of charge.
The Flame of Remembrance is traditionally rekindled every evening at 6:30 PM. Special ceremonies may change access arrangements, so check before visiting.
The rooftop or entire monument may close temporarily because of strong winds, severe weather, security measures or official ceremonies.
For exceptional closures, tickets purchased through the official Centre des monuments nationaux ticketing service are automatically refunded according to its policy. For third-party bookings, check your provider’s refund and rescheduling terms.
Each attraction has its own visitor guide, covering opening hours, ticket options and practical route advice. Twelve avenues meet at this roundabout, and the terrace is the best place in Paris to work out how the city is arranged — the Louvre straight down the Champs-Élysées, the Eiffel Tower south-west, the Montmartre hill to the north-east. The list below runs roughly in those directions.
Each guide is maintained by our Independent guides, with factual details checked against official sources where available. We do not sell tickets directly. Bookings are handled by third-party booking partners, and we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.