Before You Book the Arc de Triomphe: Every Cost, and What's Worth It
By the BeatTheCrowd team · Prices last checked 2 November · 3 min read
The Arc de Triomphe has one of the best views in Paris, straight down the Champs-Élysées to the Louvre and across to the Eiffel Tower, and the price depends on the season, the day and who you are. There's a summer and winter rate, a cheaper Wednesday, free entry for under-18s and young EU residents, free first Sundays in winter and the Paris Museum Pass. Most of them sound worth knowing. You don't need the most expensive one to have a great visit. In this guide we walk through what each option costs, what you really get, and how to choose the right one, whether that's a quiet morning or a busy evening at sunset.
At a glance
October to March
€16
April to September
€22, or €16 on Wednesdays
Free
Under 18; EU residents under 26
Free first Sundays
January, February, March, November and December
Paris Museum Pass
Included
Climb
284 steps; the lift is out of service
Quietest
Mornings, and late evening
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The real total: cheapest ticket vs what most visitors pay
One ticket covers the rooftop terrace and the museum hall inside the arch. It costs €16 from October to March, and €22 from April to September, except Wednesdays at €16. Under-18s and EU residents under 26 are free, and in winter there's a free first Sunday each month. There's no separate terrace ticket and no EU/non-EU split for adults.
Visitor
What they buy
Price
Winter visitor (Oct-Mar)
Standard ticket
€16
Summer visitor (Apr-Sep)
Standard ticket
€22
Summer Wednesday
Standard ticket
€16
Under 18, or EU resident under 26
Free
€0
First Sunday, Nov to Mar
Free for everyone
€0
🎟️ Book skip-the-line tickets
Check the crowds, find the best time slot, and book through our authorised partner.
Prices last checked: 2 November. Prices vary with the season, peak and off-peak dates and promotions, and we recheck them every month. Visitor-reported costs are marked as estimates, and US$ figures are rough conversions.
Ticket options: what each one gets you
Cost
Price (€)
Type
How to cut it
Standard, October to March
€16
≈ US$18
Unavoidable
Free on the first Sunday of the month.
Standard, April to September
€22
≈ US$25
Unavoidable
Go on a Wednesday for €16.
Paris Museum Pass
Varies
Optional
Includes the Arc, with no timed booking needed.
Prices from the official site and Art Visit Guide. Also free for disabled visitors and one companion, and for jobseekers with recent proof. SNCF Grand Voyageur and Thalys card holders get a small discount.
The free first Sunday
On the first Sunday of January, February, March, November and December, entry is . worth it if your dates line up, but expect a longer queue.
The crowd tax: why the afternoon and sunset cost more
Our crowd data shows the Arc de Triomphe moderate in the morning, then busy from about 1-2 pm until about 9 pm on most days. On Saturdays, it's busy from about 11 am, and on Sundays from about noon. Late evenings are moderate again. In summer, the price also changes by day: Wednesday is €6 cheaper.
When
Crowds (our data)
What to do
Morning
Moderate
The calmest climb
About 1 pm to 9 pm
Busy
Expect queues, especially at sunset
After about 9 pm
Moderate
Paris lit up, with fewer people
Crowds by day and time
From the typical weekly visitor pattern for the Arc de Triomphe, based on Google’s popular-times data.
Least busy time
Which ticket is worth it?
Under 18, or an EU resident under 26: free.
Summer visitors: go on a Wednesday, €16.
Museum Pass holders: included.
Winter, on a budget: the free first Sunday.
Short on time? What you'd regret missing
The view down the Champs-Élysées to the Louvre.
The Eiffel Tower to the south-west.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, free at ground level.
The flame ceremony at 6:30 pm, also free.
Getting there
The Arc stands in the middle of Place Charles-de-Gaulle. Use the underground passage from the Champs-Élysées; don't cross the roundabout. Charles de Gaulle-Étoile station (Metro lines 1, 2, 6 and RER A) is next to it.
Weather and visibility
The terrace is open-air. Rain makes the spiral stairs slower; clear evenings give the best views of the Eiffel Tower sparkling on the hour.
What can go wrong
You expect the lift: it's out of service; 284 steps only.
You go on 11 November or another ceremony day: closed in the morning.
How we research: every guide is written by the BeatTheCrowd team from official sources and recent traveller reports, cross-checked against each other. Crowd figures come from our own crowd data. Prices last checked 2 November. Prices and rules change, so always confirm on the official site before you book.
free for everyone
Our verdict:
The Paris Museum Pass
The Arc is included in the Paris Museum Pass, with no timed booking needed. Our verdict: worth it if you're already visiting the Louvre, Orsay and other pass museums. Don't buy it for the Arc alone.
The climb
The lift is out of service for maintenance, with no return date yet, so the only way up is 284 steps: a long spiral, then the museum hall, then about 40 more steps to the terrace. Take that into account if you have mobility concerns.
What visitors say
Visitors love the view down the twelve avenues from the top, especially at sunset with the Eiffel Tower in view, and the flame ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The most common complaints are the narrow spiral stairs and queues at sunset, so the advice is to go in the morning or late evening.
