Sight 8th arrondissement, Paris
Champs-Élysées
A sight in 8th arrondissement, Paris, free to visit and worth about an hour. Best time to go: After dark.
Why go
The avenue's plane trees are wrapped in lights from late November into January, running up to the Arc de Triomphe.
It is one of 16 curated places we feature in Paris, alongside 6 sights, 3 places to eat and 2 bars & cafés. The closest of our other picks is Hôtel Plaza Athénée, 0.5 km away as the crow flies.
- Type
- Sight · Cities
- Neighborhood
- 8th arrondissement
- Price
- Free
- Time needed
- 1 hr
- Best time
- After dark
Nearby
The 6 closest curated picks in Paris, measured as straight-line distance.
- 1Hôtel Plaza Athénée
Palace hotel on Avenue Montaigne with red awnings, a short walk from the Champs-Élysées lights.
Stay · 0.5 km straight-line - 2Jardins du Trocadéro
Terraced gardens and fountains facing the Eiffel Tower across the Seine, the classic place to watch it sparkle.
Outdoors · 1.6 km straight-line - 3Eiffel Tower
Iron landmark with views from the second floor and summit.
Sight · 1.6 km straight-line - 4Printemps Haussmann
Belle Époque department store next door, known for its animated Christmas windows and lit domes on Boulevard Haussmann.
Shopping · 1.8 km straight-line - 5Angelina
Tearoom on Rue de Rivoli since 1903, known for thick hot chocolate and Mont-Blanc pastries.
Food · 1.8 km straight-line - 6Musée d'Orsay
Impressionist and post-Impressionist masterpieces in a former Beaux-Arts train station.
Sight · 2.0 km straight-line
On these curated routes
Champs-Élysées is a stop on our Paris & Reims route. Open it to see the full day-by-day plan.
More sights to see in Paris
4 more curated sights in Paris. See the full Paris guide.
-
Sainte-Chapelle
13th-century royal chapel with 15 soaring stained-glass windows.
-
Notre-Dame de Paris
Gothic cathedral reopened in December 2024 after the 2019 fire restoration.
-
Musée du Louvre
The world's largest art museum, from the Mona Lisa to Egyptian antiquities.
-
Basilique du Sacré-Cœur
White-domed basilica at the top of Montmartre with a panorama over Paris.
When to go
Average daily highs in Paris run from 6°C in January to 25°C in July; December is usually the wettest month. For Champs-Élysées itself, we suggest: After dark.
Modelled monthly averages for Paris from NASA POWER, not a forecast. Full Paris weather by month.
Getting there
Map links open a live search for Champs-Élysées, so hours and directions come straight from the map app.
- Coordinates
- 48.87076, 2.30533
- Destination
- Paris, France
Champs-Élysées: quick answers
How much time do you need at Champs-Élysées?
Plan on about an hour at Champs-Élysées. That is our curated estimate for a typical visit; groups that linger will want more.
When is the best time to visit Champs-Élysées?
Our pick: After dark. Insider tip: On 31 December the avenue closes to traffic for the midnight show projected on the Arc.
Is Champs-Élysées free?
Yes, we list Champs-Élysées as free to visit. Check locally before you go, since special exhibits, parking or tours can carry a fee.
Which TripsCircle routes include Champs-Élysées?
Champs-Élysées appears on Paris & Reims, a curated route you can open on TripsCircle and plan with your group.
Add Champs-Élysées to your crew's plan
Save it to a shared TripsCircle itinerary, settle the timing with a quick poll, and split the costs with everyone going to Paris.
Plan Paris
- Paris travel guide 16 places
- Best time to visit Paris weather by month
- Paris to Reims 131 km straight-line
- Paris to Avignon 577 km straight-line
Lists & regions
Also in Paris
- Café de Flore Drinks
- Bouillon Chartier Food
- Galeries Lafayette Haussmann Shopping
Curated recommendation, not live listing data. Confirm hours, prices, bookings and access before you go.