The Champs-Élysées is first of all a perspective: laid out from 1667 by André Le Nôtre as an extension of the Tuileries Garden, the avenue climbs gently for 1,910 meters from Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe. But the 8th arrondissement neighborhood around it is worth more than a stroll past shops: gardens to the east, two palaces built for the 1900 World's Fair, a monumental bridge, mansions and haute couture streets close by. Hours, prices and key figures for the avenue are gathered in our page on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées; this guide explains the neighborhood and how to explore it in order.
Before you book Arc de Triomphe: which rooftop ticket to buy?
Place de la Concorde
The natural starting point, the largest square in Paris is dominated by the Luxor obelisk and its two monumental fountains. From here you take in at a glance the avenue rising toward the Étoile, the Tuileries Garden behind you and the Madeleine to the north. The neighboring palace, the Hôtel de la Marine, has been open to visitors since 2021.
The Grand Palais
This huge steel and glass structure was built for the 1900 World's Fair, like the Petit Palais and the Pont Alexandre III. The Grand Palais reopened in June 2025 after major works; it is closed on Mondays and the ticket depends on each exhibition.
The Petit Palais
Just opposite, the Petit Palais houses the City of Paris Fine Arts Museum. Entry to the permanent collections is free, and its arcaded inner garden is one of the quietest spots in the neighborhood for a break.
The Arc de Triomphe
Commissioned by Napoleon I in 1806 and completed in 1836, it stands at the center of Place Charles-de-Gaulle and shelters the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. A staircase of 284 steps leads to the terrace overlooking the twelve avenues of the Étoile: all the details are in the page on the Arc de Triomphe.
The Pont Alexandre III
Between the Champs-Élysées and Les Invalides, this single-arch bridge carries Art Nouveau lamps and gilded statues. You can cross it freely at any hour, with a fine view toward the dome of Les Invalides: see the page on the Pont Alexandre III.
Mansions and the Madeleine church
Several mansions on the avenue, such as the Hôtel de la Païva, have become company headquarters and can only be seen on guided tours. North of the Concorde, the Église de la Madeleine and its Greek-temple columns close off Rue Royale.
Fashion beyond the avenue
Louis Vuitton at no. 101 and the big brands open on Sundays, since the avenue is an international tourist zone. In the nearby streets, Avenue Montaigne is home to haute couture houses, and the Palais Galliera, the City of Paris fashion museum, is a ten-minute walk toward the 16th.
Tips
- Allow two to three hours with visits: get off at Concorde, cross the square, then follow the Champs-Élysées gardens to the roundabout where the shops begin.
- Take a detour via the Grand Palais, the Petit Palais and the Pont Alexandre-III, then head up toward the Étoile and finish on the Arc de Triomphe terrace, ideal at sunset.
- The restaurants are expensive and very touristy: Fouquet's (no. 99, since 1899) and Ladurée (founded on rue Royale in 1862) are worth it mainly for the setting; to eat cheaper, walk a street or two away or picnic in the gardens.
- The avenue is open at all hours, but mornings are calmest; on July 14 the military parade runs down it from the Étoile to the Concorde (our July 14 guide).
- From mid-November to early January, its trees are lit up (see our Christmas lights in Paris).
- Five metro stations serve the avenue (Concorde, Champs-Élysées-Clemenceau, Franklin D. Roosevelt, George V and Charles de Gaulle-Étoile, with RER A) and line 1 runs along its whole length.
- Watch your belongings in the crowd and keep the useful numbers in Paris at hand; line 1 westward leads to La Défense, the same perspective extended to the Grande Arche.
See in this guide
See these 4 places on the map
