# Champs-Élysées, Paris > The Champs-Élysées is Paris's grand avenue, 1.9 km long and 70 metres wide, running from Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe. Called the most beautiful avenue in the world, it has shady gardens with theatres and pavilions at its lower end and big-name boutiques, café terraces and cinemas above. The Tour de France finishes here, and in winter the trees glitter with lights. Walking it is free; allow 1.5–2 hours. Web page: https://yesgo.io/france/paris/champs-elysees - City: [Paris](https://yesgo.io/france/paris), France - YesGo score: 61/100 (Yes, go) - Time on site: 1 h 30 min - Opening hours: Avenue always open; shops by day - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free - Length: 1.9 km - Time needed: 1.5–2 hours - Highlights: Avenues, shops, the Arc view - When: Evenings and December, for the lights - Location: 8th arrondissement, Concorde to Étoile - Coordinates: 48.86967, 2.30786 - Facts checked: 12.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1.9 km** — length of the avenue (source: English Wikipedia) - **70 m** — width of the avenue (source: English Wikipedia) - **Tour de France** — the famous race finishes here (source: English Wikipedia) - **Elysium** — named after the mythical fields of the blessed (source: English Wikipedia) ## About the Champs-Élysées The Avenue des Champs-Élysées runs through the **8th arrondissement**, **1.9 kilometres** long and **70 metres** wide, from **Place de la Concorde** in the east to Place Charles de Gaulle, home of the [Arc de Triomphe](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/arc-de-triomphe). The name means Elysian Fields, the paradise of heroes in Greek mythology. It's known for its theatres, cafés and luxury shops, and as the finish of the **Tour de France** every year. Often called the most beautiful avenue in the world, it's an essential Paris walk. ## What to see on the Champs-Élysées - **The lower gardens** — walks, fountains and theatres by Concorde. - **The Grand and Petit Palais** — exhibition halls nearby. - **Boutiques and flagship stores** — on the upper stretch. - **Café terraces** — the classic Paris stroll. - **The Arc de Triomphe view** — from the middle of the avenue. - **Christmas lights** — illuminated trees in winter. ## The two halves of the avenue The Champs-Élysées has two very different halves. The **lower** stretch, from Place de la Concorde to the Rond-Point, is a garden of chestnut avenues, fountains, pavilions and theatres, quiet and shady, with the glass-roofed **Grand and Petit Palais** nearby, built for the 1900 World's Fair. The **upper** stretch, from the Rond-Point to the Arc de Triomphe, has wide pavements, big-name boutiques, flagship stores, cinemas, restaurants and café terraces. It's always busy, and in the evening shop windows and streetlights give it a festive feel. > **How to walk it** It's easiest to walk downhill: take the metro to Charles de Gaulle – Étoile, see the Arc de Triomphe, then stroll down to Place de la Concorde and the Tuileries, with the Louvre ahead of you all the way. Allow about an hour and a half. ## Place de la Concorde and the historic axis At the lower end spreads **Place de la Concorde**, the largest square in Paris, with an Egyptian obelisk from Luxor and two fountains. Beyond it begins the **Tuileries Garden**, leading to the Louvre. So the Champs-Élysées forms part of the historic axis, a straight line across central Paris from the Louvre to La Défense. From the traffic islands in the middle of the avenue comes the classic view: the Arc de Triomphe on its rise one way, the obelisk and gardens the other. It's one of the most photographed spots in Paris, especially at sunset. ## The avenue in winter and on special days From late November to early January the trees along the avenue are strung with thousands of lights, making the Champs-Élysées one of Europe's loveliest Christmas streets. A Christmas market sometimes opens in the lower gardens. On the first Sunday of the month part of the avenue is sometimes closed to traffic, letting you stroll down the roadway itself. In late July the Tour de France finishes here, with thousands of spectators lining the route for the final stage. ## How to get there 1. Metro lines 1, 2, 6 and RER A to **Charles de Gaulle – Étoile**, the top of the avenue. 2. Metro line 1 to **George V** or **Franklin D. Roosevelt**, the middle. 3. Metro lines 1, 8 and 12 to **Concorde**, the bottom. 4. On foot from the Louvre through the Tuileries, about 20 minutes to Concorde. ## Tips for your walk Café prices on the avenue itself are high, so eat on side streets. Shops on the upper stretch open on Sundays too, a rarity in Paris. Keep your belongings close in the crowds, as pickpockets work here like at other busy sights. The avenue is lively and safe in the evening and especially beautiful when lit up. With children, the lower gardens with their avenues and carousel are pleasant, followed by Place de la Concorde and the Tuileries with a Ferris wheel and playgrounds. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Start at the Arc de Triomphe - [ ] Photograph the Arc from mid-avenue - [ ] Walk through the lower gardens - [ ] See the obelisk on Place de la Concorde - [ ] Come back in the evening for the lights ## Places in Paris: compare and choose Places in Paris rated by YesGo. - [Champs-Élysées](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/champs-elysees) — YesGo score 61/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · Free - [Place de la Concorde](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/place-de-la-concorde) — YesGo score 60/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free - [Montmartre](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/montmartre) — YesGo score 56/100 (Yes, go) · 3 h · Free - [Place Vendôme](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/place-vendome) — YesGo score 54/100 (Yes, go) · 25 min · Free - [Palais-Royal](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/palais-royal) — YesGo score 53/100 (Yes, go) · 40 min · Garden and courtyard free - [Luxembourg Gardens](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/jardin-du-luxembourg) — YesGo score 52/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Free - [Pont Neuf](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/pont-neuf) — YesGo score 52/100 (Yes, go) · 25 min · Free - [Tuileries Garden](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/tuileries-garden) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Free - [Shakespeare and Company](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/shakespeare-and-company) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free - [Île de la Cité](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/ile-de-la-cite) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h 30 min · Free, it's a city island - [Saint-Germain-des-Prés](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/saint-germain-des-pres) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · Quarter and church free - [Place des Vosges](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/place-des-vosges) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · Free - [La Défense](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/la-defense) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 40 min · Esplanade free, arch rooftop ticketed - [Le Marais](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/le-marais) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Free, it's a city district - [Latin Quarter](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/latin-quarter) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · Free, it's a city district - [Canal Saint-Martin](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/canal-saint-martin) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · Free - [Parc Monceau](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/parc-monceau) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 50 min · Free ## Don't mix it up The Champs-Élysées is the avenue; the Élysée Palace nearby is the president's residence, closed to visitors. ## Tips - Walk it downhill. - Eat on side streets. - Lights in the trees in winter. - Pickpockets in crowds. ## Questions ### How long is the Champs-Élysées? 1.9 kilometres from Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe. ### How long does the walk take? About 1.5–2 hours. ### What is there to see on the Champs-Élysées? The Arc de Triomphe, the lower gardens, the Grand and Petit Palais and Place de la Concorde. ### When are the Champs-Élysées lights on? From late November to early January. ### Are shops open on Sundays? Many shops on the avenue open on Sundays. ## How we checked Facts from English Wikipedia. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Champs-Élysées - Paris tourism portal, parisjetaime.com --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.