7 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.