12 Best Sights in Champs-Élysees, Paris

Inspired by Rome's Arch of Titus, this colossal, 164-foot triumphal arch was ordered by Napoléon—who liked to consider himself the heir to Roman emperors—to celebrate his military successes. Unfortunately, Napoléon's strategic and architectural visions were not entirely on the same plane, and the Arc de Triomphe proved something of an embarrassment. Although the emperor wanted the monument completed in time for an 1810 parade in honor of his new bride, Marie-Louise, it was still only a few feet high, and a dummy arch of painted canvas was strung up to save face. Empires come and go, but Napoléon's had been gone for more than 20 years before the Arc was finally finished in 1836. A small museum halfway up recounts its history.

The Arc de Triomphe is notable for magnificent sculptures by François Rude, including the Departure of the Volunteers in 1792, better known as La Marseillaise, to the right of the arch when viewed from the Champs-Élysées. Names of Napoléon's generals are inscribed on the stone facades—the underlined names identify the hallowed figures who fell in battle.

The traffic circle around the Arc is named for Charles de Gaulle, but it's known to Parisians as L'Étoile, or "the Star"—a reference to the streets that fan out from it. Climb the stairs to the top of the arch and you can see the star effect of the 12 radiating avenues and the vista down the Champs-Élysées toward Place de la Concorde and the distant Musée du Louvre.

Ambitious plans to make visiting the Arc de Triomphe a safer and more pedestrian-friendly experience include limiting car traffic in favor of enlarged walkways and creating a wide expanse of trees extending all the way down the Champs-Élysées. It's still unclear exactly when this will happen. France's Unknown Soldier is buried beneath the arch, and a commemorative flame is rekindled every evening at 6:30. That's the most atmospheric time to visit, but, to beat the crowds, come early in the morning or buy your ticket online.  Do not attempt to cross the traffic circle surrounding the monument. It's infamous for accidents—including one some years ago that involved the French transport minister. Always use the underground passage from the northeast corner of Avenue des Champs-Élysées.

The outstanding Musée Guimet boasts the Western world's biggest collection of Asian art, thanks to the 19th-century wanderings of Lyonnaise industrialist Émile Guimet. Exhibits, enriched by the state's vast holdings, are laid out geographically in airy, light-filled rooms. Just past the entry is the largest assemblage of Khmer sculpture outside Cambodia. The second floor has statuary and masks from Nepal, ritual funerary art from Tibet, and jewelry and fabrics from India. Peek into the library rotunda, where Monsieur Guimet once entertained the city's notables; Mata Hari danced here in 1905, and the museum still hosts an impressive series of musical events. The much-heralded Chinese collection, made up of 20,000-odd objects, covers seven millennia. Recently restored and reopened, the Panthéon Bouddhique, in the Hôtel d'Heidelbach a few steps from the museum, houses Émile Guimet's collection of Japanese and Chinese works of art collected during his travels and arranged as they would appear in Buddhist temples. In the mansion's Japanese garden, authentic tea ceremonies are held in a pavilion built in the traditional Japanese style. Grab a free brochure at the museum entrance, and stop at the Salon des Porcelaines café on the lower level for a ginger milkshake or an Asian-influenced meal. The museum also has a charming bookstore. The Guimet's offshoot, the Musée d'Ennery, is housed in a Belle Époque mansion on Avenue Foch and is noted for its collection of Japanese netsuke, as well as 7,000 works of Chinese and Japanese art.

Following on the heels of the Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris (and helmed by its former director), this drop-dead gorgeous exhibition space, housed in the same building as the Dior flagship boutique store and restaurant, inaugurated a new direction for Dior, fusing fashion and culture, in 2022. The permanent exhibition showcases groundbreaking designs from all of the house's great designers—from Yves Saint Laurent and Gianfranco Ferré to John Galliano and Maria Grazia Chiuri—and of course iconic pieces from the master himself. This primer on the history of Paris fashion is an absolute must-see for fashion buffs, and afterward, you may be inspired to pop into the Avenue Montaigne boutique for some shopping or a quick pick-me-up at the superchic café.

With its curved-glass roof and sinuous Belle Époque ornamentation, you can't miss the Grand Palais, whether you're approaching from the Seine or the Champs-Élysées. This larger structure forms an elegant duo with the Petit Palais across Avenue Winston Churchill. Both buildings, adorned with colorful mosaics and elegant sculpted friezes, were built for the 1900 World's Fair and, like the Eiffel Tower, were not intended to be permanent. After more than 120 years of wear-and-tear, the graceful stone, glass, and cast-iron structure finally closed for a four-year restoration. Though some Olympic events were held here in summer 2024, the structure fully reopened in spring 2025, gleaming and ready for an exciting schedule of art shows and annual events, including Saut Hermès international horse-jumping competition; the Art Paris contemporary art fair; Taste of Paris, featuring culinary creations from France's leading chefs; Grand Palais des Glaces, when the immense nave transforms into an ice skating rink with music and lights; and an exciting program of international art shows.

This museum—a branch of the Musée Guimet since 1943—is one of Paris’s best-kept secrets, a thrilling collection of Japanese and Chinese objects d’art. The stately rooms remain largely as they were when Clémence d’Ennery, a former actress and wife of an eminent Parisian playwright, amassed these treasures in her elegant Belle Époque mansion in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Though open to the public since 1908, it remains largely off the radar, since, until now, the museum has accepted extremely limited visitors by appointment only. Whether you’re a fan of Asian art or not, it’s well worth a trip to tony Avenue Foch to view the more than 7,000 objects on display, including hundreds of delightful netsuke figurines, sculptures, lacquerware, ceramics, inlaid furniture, and porcelains. Items are arranged in carved wooden cases among marble columns and gilded neoclassical woodwork. Purchase your ticket for the guided tour (in French and only on Fridays and Saturdays) in advance on the Musée Guimet website.

The city's Museum of Fashion occupies a suitably fashionable mansion—the 19th-century residence of Maria Brignole-Sale, Duchess of Galliera. Inside, exhibition spaces on two floors focus on costume and clothing design. Covering key moments in fashion history and showcasing legendary French designers, the museum's collection includes 200,000 articles of clothing and accessories that run the gamut from basic streetwear to haute couture. Galleries at the garden level focus on fashion history from the 18th century to the present via pieces from the permanent collection. Information about changing exhibitions is on the website. Don't miss the lovely 19th-century garden that encircles the palace, a favorite spot for neighborhood Parisians to take a coffee and a book.

Named after Russian Tsar Alexander III who negotiated the Franco-Prussian alliance of 1892, this ornately sculpted and gilded Beaux Arts–style bridge was inaugurated in 1900 for the Universal Exposition, like its cousins the Grand Palais and Petit Palais. At the time, it was considered a benchmark in engineering, built low to maximize the views between the Champs-Élysées on one side and Invalides on the other. To this day its elegant lines, sculpture-topped columns, and dramatic Art Nouveau lamps are catnip for Instagrammers, fashion shoots, and filmmakers, and it's the ideal spot for taking in views of the surrounding monuments. It’s wonderful to see on a nighttime boat ride on the Seine when it’s fully lit up.

Marcel Proust lovingly described the genteel elegance of the storied Champs-Élysées (pronounced chahnz-el-ee-zay, with an n sound instead of m, and no p) during its Belle Époque heyday, when its cobblestones resounded with the clatter of horses and carriages. Today, despite unrelenting traffic and the intrusion of chain stores and fast-food franchises, the avenue still sparkles. There's always something happening here: stores are open late (and many are open on Sunday, a rarity in Paris); nightclubs remain top destinations; and cafés offer prime people-watching, though you'll pay for the privilege. Ater all, this is Europe's most expensive piece of real estate. Along the 2-km (1¼-mile) stretch, you can find marquee names in French luxury, like Cartier, Guerlain, and Louis Vuitton. Car manufacturers lure international visitors with space-age showrooms. Old stalwarts, meanwhile, are still going strong—including the Lido cabaret and Fouquet's, whose celebrity clientele extends back to James Joyce. The avenue is also the setting for the last leg of the Tour de France bicycle race (the third or fourth Sunday in July), as well as Bastille Day (July 14) and Armistice Day (November 11) ceremonies. The Champs-Élysées, which translates to "Elysian Fields" (the resting place of the blessed in Greek mythology), began life as a cow pasture and in 1666 was transformed into a park by the royal landscape architect André Le Nôtre. Traces of its green origins are visible toward the Concorde, where elegant 19th-century park pavilions house the historic restaurants Ledoyen and Laurent. The celebrated avenue has undergone positive changes in recent years—including a widening of pedestrian walks and the addition of cycling lanes—with more improvements planned for the future.

Although the city's modern art museum hasn't generated a buzz comparable to that of the Centre Georges Pompidou, visiting can be a more pleasant experience because it draws fewer crowds. The Art Deco building's vast, white-walled galleries make an ideal backdrop for temporary exhibitions of 20th-century art and postmodern installation projects. The permanent collection on the lower floor takes over where the Musée d'Orsay leaves off, chronologically speaking: among the earliest works are Fauve paintings by Maurice de Vlaminck and André Derain, followed by Pablo Picasso's early experiments in Cubism. Other highlights include works by Robert and Sonia Delaunay, Chagall, Matisse, Rothko, and Modigliani. The museum also organizes excellent temporary exhibitions that rarely come with crowds. Forest, the museum's restaurant, is a lovely choice for lunch or dinner, and in warm weather, it's a prime spot for Eiffel Tower views on the Palais de Tokyo's sprawling terrace.

As elegant and stylish as the master couturier's groundbreaking designs, this museum is housed in the very mansion where Yves Saint Laurent did his work and entertained celebrity clients. More than 50 prototypes—including such landmarks as the Mondrian dress, the original pantsuit, and the woman's tuxedo—are on display at any one time, as are dozens of design drawings and a glittering array of jewelry. Thanks to its huge windows, the light-bathed upstairs atelier, stuffed with books and fabrics, offers an intimate glimpse into YSL's world. Be sure not to miss the touching short film detailing the relationship between Saint Laurent and his longtime partner Pierre Bergé. All of the exhibits have detailed English labeling, and a free English guide is available at reception.

The go-to address for some of the city's liveliest exhibitions, the Palais de Tokyo is a stripped-down venue that spotlights provocative, ambitious contemporary art. There is no permanent collection: instead, cutting-edge temporary shows are staged in a cavernous space reminiscent of a light-filled industrial loft. The programming extends to performance art, concerts, readings, and fashion shows. Night owls will appreciate the 10 pm (midnight on Thursday) closing. The museum's chic Bambini trattoria and cocktail bar—serving delicious authentic Italian cuisine and Neapolitan-style pizzas—is a regular haunt for locals, especially for cocktails, dinner, and late-night cravings, thanks to its wraparound terrace and Eiffel Tower views. But there's also a small café area at the restaurant entrance for a quick bite and glass of wine or cup of coffee. Visit the offbeat bookshop for colorful souvenirs that are as edgy and subversive as the exhibits.

The "little" palace has a superb, sometimes overlooked, collection of excellent paintings, sculpture, and objets d'art, with works by Monet, Gauguin, and Courbet, among others, and entrance is free. The Palais also hosts a revolving series of excellent temporary exhibitions (€15). The building, like the Grand Palais across the street, is an architectural marvel of marble, glass, mosaics, and gilt built for the 1900 World's Fair, with impressive entry doors and gilded gates and huge windows overlooking the river. Search directly above the main galleries for the 16 plaster busts set into the wall, representing famous artists. Outside, note two eye-catching sculptures: French World War I hero Georges Clemenceau faces the Champs-Élysées while a resolute Winston Churchill faces the Seine. In warmer weather, head to the charming garden café with terrace seating. The museum is open until 8 pm on Friday and Saturday.