Arc de Triomphe

Best light

The arch's two broad faces look down the Champs-Élysées (east-southeast) and Avenue de la Grande-Armée (west-northwest), so the Champs-Élysées face has direct sun from sunrise until mid-afternoon (about 2:15 to 3 p.m.) and the Grande-Armée face from then until sunset. On a few evenings in May and again in late July or early August, the sun sets in line with the Champs-Élysées, and from the Rond-Point des Champs-Élysées or Place de la Concorde you can watch it go down through the arch at about 9 p.m., weather permitting.

Crowds

The monument's official pages don't publish busy or quiet times. Plan around what they do list: the daily 6:30 p.m. flame ceremony under the arch, and annual closures on 1 May, 8 May, 14 July and the morning of 11 November.

Entry

One ticket covers the monument and its terrace, while the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier under the arch is free; you reach the arch only through the Passage du Souvenir underpass, never across the traffic circle. Check current hours and closures at paris-arc-de-triomphe.fr.

Where to stand

1. Rooftop terrace

   Ticketed, and reached by 284 steps. From the top you look straight down the avenues that radiate from the Étoile, with the Eiffel Tower, La Défense, Sacré-Cœur and the gold dome of Les Invalides in view; the terrace currently stays open well after sunset all year, so you can stay for dusk and the city lights.

2. Under the arch, at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

   Free to reach through the Passage du Souvenir underpass from the top of the Champs-Élysées or Avenue de la Grande-Armée, and the closest view of the vault and sculpted groups. The flame is rekindled every evening at 6:30 p.m., so be discreet with the camera during the ceremony.

3. Rond-Point des Champs-Élysées and Place de la Concorde

   About 1.2 km and 2 km down the avenue, these give a long-lens view of the arch at the head of the Champs-Élysées; the French Astronomical Society recommends them, with a 150 to 300 mm lens, for the May and August sunset alignment. Shoot from the sidewalk or a marked pedestrian island, never the roadway.

Photo rules

• Tripods, selfie poles, flags and banners are not allowed in the monument, including on the terrace.
• The arch may be partly or fully closed without notice for official ceremonies or bad weather.
• Drone filming and photography are banned in Paris unless the Préfecture de police grants an exemption, and only professional companies authorized by France's civil aviation authority (DGAC) can apply.

Sources

• Practical information (Arc de Triomphe, Centre des monuments nationaux)
• The panorama (Arc de Triomphe, Centre des monuments nationaux)
• The Unknown Soldier (Arc de Triomphe, Centre des monuments nationaux)
• Quand le Soleil couchant fait le spectacle à Paris (Société astronomique de France)
• Tourner avec un drone : quelles démarches ? (Ville de Paris)