Wilfredor, CC0Arc de Triomphe: tickets, opening hours and what to see
One ticket opens the whole monument and its terrace, 284 steps up. Under-18s enter free but still need a ticket. The tomb under the arch is free to everyone.
In short
- The admission ticket covers the entire monument and its terrace, and children need one too.
- Under-18s enter free. Book their ticket online, while other free categories collect theirs at the ticket office on the day.
- Entry is through the Passage du Souvenir underpass: the square around the arch cannot be crossed on foot.
- The terrace is 284 steps up, and the official site reports the elevator under maintenance until further notice.
- The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier under the arch is free to reach, and its flame is rekindled every evening.
- Tickets bought online are final: no exchange, no refund, even after a loss.
- 284steps from the ground to the terrace
- 49.54 mheight of the arch
- 660military leaders named under the small arches
- 1923the Flame of Remembrance is first lit
Don't miss
Rude’s Departure of the Volunteers
Better known as La Marseillaise: the winged spirit of Liberty shouts and raises her sword over the volunteers of 1792.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Buried under the vault in 1921, beneath a flame that has not gone out since 1923.
The names under the small arches
660 officers of the Republic and the Empire. An underlined name marks one who died in battle.
The museum hall in the attic
Large models of the arch and interactive displays on how it was built, just below the terrace.
The rooftop terrace
A 360° view of Paris, with a ramp up to the orientation tables.
Arc de Triomphe tickets: how to get them
Sold by tickets.monuments-nationaux.fr, at the official price.
| Ticket | Adult | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Admission ticketStandard entry | €16 | Valid 1 October 2026 to 31 December 2026 |
| Guided Tour - Discover the MonumentGuided tour | €29Child €6 · Visitor with disability €6 | Timed slot · Booking required |
| Guided Tour - The Unknown Soldier and the Flame of RemembranceGuided tour | €29Child €6 · Visitor with disability €6 | Timed slot · Booking required |
Free entry (2026)
- Teachers
- On specific days
- Under 18s
- Under 26s from the EU
- Visitors with disability and one companion
- First Sunday of the month (November to March) (next: Sunday 1 November)
Which ticket is right for you?
You want the interior and the terrace
Admission ticket
It opens the whole monument and its terrace.
You want a guide who explains the sculptures
Guided tour of the monument
About an hour and a half, booked online only, from the sculpted groups to the terrace.
You are coming in November
Guided Tour: the Unknown Soldier and the Flame of Remembrance
A November-only tour that ends with the rekindling of the flame.
You only want to see the tomb
No ticket
Access to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is free.
Your visit, step by step
Passage du Souvenir
Walk under the square
The underpass is the only way in for visitors on foot.
Base of the arch
The sculpted groups and the tomb
Four groups on the pillars, and the flame under the vault.
Inside the arch
The stairs
284 steps in all from the ground to the terrace.
Attic
The museum hall
Large models of the arch and interactive exhibits on its history.
Top
The rooftop terrace
A 360° view over Paris, with a ramp to the orientation tables.
One ticket, the whole monument
The admission ticket gives you access to the entire monument and its terrace. Everyone must have a ticket, children included.
The official site also sells two guided tours, both lasting about an hour and a half:
| Tour | Booking | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Guided tour of the monument | Online only, on set dates | From the sculpted groups to the view from the terrace |
| The Unknown Soldier and the Flame of Remembrance | November only | The history of the tomb and of the flame |
Avoid this mistake
The Centre des monuments nationaux can refuse entry to anyone holding a ticket bought from a third party not authorized to resell it. Buy from the official ticketing site only.
Read moreShow less
The price depends on the season, and from April to September on the day of the week. Check the ticket table above. Book on the online ticketing site of the Centre des monuments nationaux, linked above: the e-ticket can be printed at home or shown on your phone.
The ticketing terms are strict. Online purchases are final, and tickets cannot be reissued, exchanged or refunded, even if lost or stolen. The Centre des monuments nationaux’s general terms of sale state that tickets do not give access on a specific visiting day. Under the same terms, visitors with a ticket enter in their order of arrival.
How free entry works depends on who you are:
- Under-18s: free, and the monument advises getting their tickets online to avoid waiting on arrival.
- Every other free category (18 to 25-year-olds who are EU nationals or legal residents in France, jobseekers, teachers with a French Education Pass, and others): collect your ticket at the on-site ticket office on the day of your visit, with your proof.
- Visitors with disabilities and one companion: free on showing valid proof, with priority access and no need to book.
- First Sunday of January, February, March, November and December: free for everyone.
If you qualify for free entry, do not buy a full-price ticket online: the terms say this purchase means you give up the free ticket.
The monument’s staff also give one-off tours, included in the entrance fee.
The underpass to Place Charles de Gaulle
The arch stands at the center of a roundabout with heavy traffic, and you cannot cross the Place Charles de Gaulle on foot.
Read moreShow less
Access to the monument is via the Passage du Souvenir, an underpass at the top of the Avenue des Champs-Élysées or of the Avenue de la Grande-Armée. The nearest station is Charles-de-Gaulle-Étoile, on metro lines 1, 2 and 6 and the RER A.
Visitors in wheelchairs reach the arch only from the drop-off point on the Grande-Armée side, by taxi or private vehicle, with no booking needed. The guided tours start in the tunnel: meet 10 minutes before the start by the stone benches near the ticket office, and look for a guide wearing a pink armband.
The checks at the entrance follow the government’s Vigipirate security measures. Bags must fit within 40 x 40 x 20 cm, and there is no left-luggage office at the monument. Strollers are not allowed inside, but the access control officers keep them until the end of your visit.
284 steps up to the terrace
There are 284 steps up to the terrace. Below the terrace, in the attic, the museum hall displays large models of the arch and interactive exhibits on its history and construction. At the top, the rooftop terrace gives a 360° view over Paris.
On the terrace, a ramp gives access to the orientation tables and the panoramic view. There is always some wind blowing over the arch: wrap up warm in winter, and bring sunglasses in summer. Eating is not allowed in the monument or on the terrace.
For the summer months, the monument recommends coming at lunchtime or during the evening opening hours. Last admission is 45 minutes before closing time. Official ceremonies or bad weather can close the arch in part or in full. In that case, e-tickets bought on the official site are refunded automatically.
Good to know
The official site states that the elevator is undergoing maintenance until further notice, so the terrace is reached by the stairs only. It advises taking your time on the stairs and staying hydrated. A drinking fountain is available inside.
Four sculpted groups on the pillars
The four groups on the pedestals were created between 1833 and 1836, and each evokes a specific event:
- The Departure of the Volunteers, by François Rude, often called La Marseillaise. A winged woman, the spirit of Liberty, cries out and brandishes her sword above the volunteers of 1792.
- The Triumph of 1810, by Jean-Pierre Cortot, faces the Champs-Élysées: Napoleon in antique dress, crowned by a Victory.
- The Resistance of 1814, by Antoine Étex: a naked warrior leaves to defend his country while an old man and his wife try to hold him back.
- The Peace of 1815, also by Étex, is the logical continuation of The Resistance, which faces the Avenue de la Grande-Armée. A soldier sheathes his sword, beside a plow, a bull and a plowman.
Under the arches, look at the walls. The names of 660 military leaders of the First Republic and the First Empire are engraved on the inner faces of the small arches, and the underlined names are those who died on the battlefield. Thirty battles are engraved on the attic.
The Unknown Soldier under the vault
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier lies beneath the arch, and access to it is free. On November 8, 1920, the Chamber of Deputies voted unanimously to bury him here rather than at the Panthéon.
At the citadel of Verdun, a young corporal, Auguste Thin, chose the sixth of eight coffins. The soldier was finally buried on January 28, 1921.
The Flame of Remembrance was lit for the first time on November 11, 1923, and has never been extinguished since. Every evening, the flame is rekindled by an association that represents hundreds of veterans’ associations in France.
In November
The themed guided tour on the Unknown Soldier runs in November only, with a recommended age of 6 and over. At the end, you can watch the flame being rekindled, with free access on the forecourt.
Thirty years to finish an arch
Begun under Napoleon and finished under Louis Philippe, the arch went through these stages:
- 1806 Napoleon I commissioned the arch after his victory at Austerlitz, to a design by Jean-François Chalgrin. Laying the foundations alone took two years.
- 1810 For Napoleon’s entry into Paris with Marie-Louise of Austria, a wooden mock-up of the completed arch was built.
- 1836 Halted during the Bourbon Restoration until 1823, the work was completed under Louis Philippe I, and the arch was inaugurated on July 28.
- 1919 On August 7, Charles Godefroy flew his biplane under the main vault.
- 2021 In September, the arch was wrapped in silvery blue fabric and red rope, a posthumous project of Christo and Jeanne-Claude.
Inspired by the Arch of Titus in Rome, the arch is 49.54 meters high, 44.82 meters wide and 22.21 meters deep. Its large vault alone rises 29.19 meters.
To prepare the visit, the official web app offers three routes in five languages: the essentials, the façades and the timeline. It opens directly on your smartphone, with no download. Free visit documents in 11 languages are available in the museum room.
Opening hours
| Period | Days | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 1 October to 31 December | Monday and Wednesday to Sunday | 10 am to 10:30 pm |
| 1 October to 31 December | Tuesday | 11 am to 10:30 pm |
| ||
Before you go
- Keep bags within 40 x 40 x 20 cm: there is no left-luggage office.
- Leave behind flags, banners, selfie poles, tripods, scooters, rollerblades, sharp objects, glass bottles and weapons.
- Dogs are not allowed, except guide dogs.
- Bring water: the climb is on foot while the elevator is under maintenance.
- If you qualify for free entry, bring your proof and do not buy a full-price ticket online.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair loan
- Yes, on site
Map and nearby sights
Frequently asked questions
Is the Arc de Triomphe free for children?
Yes, under-18s enter free. They still need a ticket, and the monument suggests getting it online so you do not wait on arrival.
Is there an elevator to the top of the Arc de Triomphe?
The official site says the elevator is undergoing maintenance until further notice, so the terrace is reached by the 284 steps only.
How do you get to the Arc de Triomphe without crossing the roundabout?
Take the Passage du Souvenir, the underpass from the top of the Champs-Élysées or the Avenue de la Grande-Armée. Wheelchair users arrive at a drop-off point on the Grande-Armée side.
Can I visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier without a ticket?
Yes. Access to the tomb is free. The ticket is for the interior and the terrace.
Can I bring a large bag or a stroller?
Bags are limited to 40 x 40 x 20 cm and there is no left-luggage office. Strollers stay with the access control officers during your visit.
Nearby
Shadowgate, CC BYMuseum2.6 km awayMusée Rodin
The Age of Bronze rotunda. A room with eighteenth-century wood trim, antique mirrors and pale parquet, among the museum’s finest.Paris, Francefrom €14
Cheng-en Cheng, CC BY-SALandmark4 km awayMontparnasse Tower
The Arc de Triomphe terrace. The ticket includes the terrace, 284 steps up, with a 360° view over Paris.Paris, FranceTemporarily closed
Pedro Szekely from Los Angeles, USA, CC BY-SAChapel4.2 km awaySainte-Chapelle
The windows of the upper chapel. Fifteen windows, up to 15 meters tall, tell the Bible story in 1,113 scenes, ending with the relics arriving in Paris.Paris, Francefrom €22
Cristian Bortes, CC BYMuseum4.4 km awayCentre Pompidou
Centre Pompidou-Metz. The partner the Centre names first, with free and unlimited access for POP’ members.Paris, FranceTemporarily closedSources
- paris-arc-de-triomphe.fr official 7 pages
- tickets.monuments-nationaux.fr official 3 pages
- Wikimedia Commons
- Wikipedia
- wikidata.org
Facts last checked on 26 October 2026. Prices and opening hours change, often in January: confirm on the official website before you go.