The Arc de Triomphe Offers the Best Views of Paris

The Arc de Triomphe is one of the most iconic monuments in Paris – probably second only to the Eiffel Tower. Although it doesn’t stand as tall as the famous tower, it’s the perfect spot to see some of the best views of the city. I’ve been to the top of this historic monument twice, and loved it each time.

If Paris is on your itinerary, here’s what you can expect and how you can prepare for your visit to the Arc de Triomphe.

COVID-19 UPDATE: In order to visit the monument you must show your Health Pass, which indicates your vaccination status. We showed our CDC vaccination cards and that was sufficient. You are required to wear a mask during your visit. (noted as of Jan 30, 2022)

The History of the Arc de Triomphe

The magnificent Arc de Triomphe took 30 years to build. Construction began on Napoleon’s 37th birthday – August 15, 1806. The monument was built to celebrate the victories of the French army. Construction was slow, and came to a crawl between 1814 and 1823, when King Louis XVIII ordered construction to resume in honor of another French army victory in Spain.

The monument was completed and opened on July 29, 1836 under the reign of King Louis-Philippe.

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Over the years, victory marches from a variety of armies have taken place around the Arc de Triomphe. For example, when Germany invaded Paris and took control in 1940, they held a victory parade. Another parade was held in 1944 when the Allies regained the city and in 1945 when WWII ended.

Today, the Arc de Triomphe is the starting point of the annual Bastille Day (July 14) parade and the famous Tour de France bike race finished near the monument.

Ticket Options and Getting to the Monument

The first time I summited the Arc de Triomphe was during a trip to Paris with my wife. We spent a week exploring museums and monuments across Paris. We purchased the Paris Museum Pass, which provided access to pretty much every museum we had on our list. For six days of touring pretty much any museum in Paris it was $85 per person (78 Euros).

During our recent visit with our two teens, we didn’t go with the Paris Museum Pass. We were a lot more selective in the museums we were planning to visit. In France, most of the museums are free to kids under 18. That means we only had to purchase tickets for my wife and I. We bought two passes to summit the monument at the ticket window and made our way to the top. Even though there is no fee for children under 18, you must grab a ticket for them when you purchase your tickets.

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The ticket window is located in the underground tunnel below the monument. To access the monument, DO NOT RUN ACROSS THE BUSY ROUNDABOUT! Look for the signs directing you to the underground tunnels. Don’t confuse them with the entrances to the Metro or you’ll never make it to the monument.

Regardless of whether you purchase your ticket online or in person, there is no need to make a reservation for entry.

What to See at the Arc de Triomphe

There are multiple levels you can explore while visiting the Arc de Triomphe. Let’s start with the ground level.

GROUND LEVEL

The monument’s exterior is a work of art unto itself. Jean-François-Thérèse Chalgrin is the architect behind the design of the Arc de Triomphe. It includes decorative high-relief sculptures celebrating military victories of the Revolution and the First Empire. The sculptures are found on the facades of the arch’s four pedestals.

Read the names of French victories and their corresponding generals, which are listed on the exterior walls of the monument.

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Beyond the sculptures, there’s also France’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which was added to the monument in 1921. A flame of remembrance was first lit in 1923. You do NOT need a ticket to see these parts of the monument.

INSIDE THE MONUMENT

A ticket is required to go inside the monument. Once inside, there are nearly 200 stairs to climb to get to the museum exhibits and a gift shop. We took the stairs, but I’m told there is also an elevator to bring you to this level. NOTE: The elevator does not take you to the very top platform of the monument.

My son wanted a chess set from Paris as his souvenir. We found one in the gift shop at the Arc de Triomphe. It was the only place we saw one during our entire visit. He chose the set of Napoleon and Wellington and treasures this useable souvenir.

Take a moment to explore the exhibits and sculptures on this level of the monument. Then make your way up the stairs to the top exterior platform.

The View from the Top

The Arc de Triomphe stands 164 feet above the streets below. To reach the top, you’ll need to climb 284 steps, circling up inside the monument. But when you make it to the top, you can see why so many people love making the trek to the top.

While many people think there’s something special about climbing the Eiffel Tower, my personal opinion is to not spend your money on it. Because when you’re atop the Eiffel Tower, you can’t see the iconic landmark because you’re standing on it. And everything else seems so far below you and flat.

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From the top of the Arc de Triomphe, you can see the Eiffel Tower stretching far above the city. You can see the rooftops of the city, along with the steeples of various Paris landmarks – Notre Dame, St. Chappelle, etc.

Look to the streets below and see why the Arc de Triomphe is also known as the Arc de Triomphe de L’Etoile. The monument marks the center of 12 streets that span out in evenly measured directions – like a star (or etoile). As you can see from the photo above, two streets span out to either side of the Eiffel Tower. Although these streets don’t continue through the city of Paris, they’re still a fun design to see.

We ended up timing our visit just right to catch the setting sun lighting up the Paris sky. This impromptu visit to the Arc de Triomphe ended up being one of our most talked about memories from our time in Paris. As a result, I recommend summiting the Arc de Triomphe instead of the Eiffel Tower. But that’s just me.

The Details

Address: Pl. Charles de Gaulle, 75008 Paris, France (West end of the famous Champs-Élysées)

Cost: Full price for adults is about $15 (13 Euros). Free admission for visitors under 18 years old. European Union nationals between the ages of 18 to 25 years old. The Arc de Triomphe is included in the Paris Museum Pass.

Hours: Open daily from from 10 am to 11 pm, April 1 through Sept. 31. Open daily from 10 am to 10:30 p.m., Oct. 1 through March 31. The last admission is at 45 minutes before closing time. The monument is closed on January 1, May 1, May 8 (in the morning), July 14 (in the morning), November 11 (in the morning) and on December 25.

Website: http://www.paris-arc-de-triomphe.fr/

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