The rooftop view
From 50 metres up, the twelve avenues fan out like a star, with the Eiffel Tower, Champs-Élysées and La Défense in a single panorama.
Jiuguang Wang — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Jack Downey, U.S. Office of War Information — Public domain · Alvesgaspar — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wilfredor — CC0
Only via the pedestrian underpass, entered from the Champs-Élysées pavement near the Charles de Gaulle–Étoile station exit (lines 1, 2, 6 and RER A). Crossing the roundabout on foot is dangerous and illegal.
If you have time for only one, many prefer the arch: shorter queue, lower price, and — crucially — the Eiffel Tower is part of the view. The ideal answer, of course: both.
No; the space beneath the arch and the underpass are free — a ticket is only needed for the rooftop. Seeing the arch lit at night from the Champs-Élysées costs nothing at all.
About an hour: fifteen minutes to climb, half an hour for the roof and the small museum inside the arch, and fifteen minutes to descend and wander beneath it.
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At the centre of Europe's most formidable traffic circle, the Arc de Triomphe has stood for two centuries in tribute to Napoleon's armies. The emperor ordered it in 1806; it was finished years after his fall, and has since been the anchor point where twelve Parisian avenues meet — the Champs-Élysées most famous among them. Beneath the arch lies the Unknown Soldier of the First World War, his memorial flame rekindled at 6:30 every evening since 1923 — a moving ceremony if your visit happens to coincide. The real secret, though, is up top: 284 steps climb to the roof terrace and a view many rate above the Eiffel Tower's own — for the simple reason that from here you see Paris *with* the Eiffel Tower in the same picture, and the twelve avenues fanning out beneath you like a giant star.
From 50 metres up, the twelve avenues fan out like a star, with the Eiffel Tower, Champs-Élysées and La Défense in a single panorama.
A flame burning since 1923 directly beneath the arch, honouring France's unnamed soldiers of the First World War.
The arch's walls carry the names of 660 commanders and 158 battles, framed by monumental sculptures — most famously the "Departure of the Volunteers", a Marseillaise in stone.
Pair your visit with the world's most famous avenue: two kilometres from the arch down to Place de la Concorde, past cafés and flagship stores.
Place Charles de Gaulle, 75008 Paris