It arrived in France on May 8th, aboard the Belem, after a 12-day journey across the Mediterranean from Greece. Since then it has travelled to the Lascaux caves, the Alésia archaeological site, the medieval city of Carcassonne, the Palace of Versailles, Mont Saint-Michel, and the châteaux of the Loire Valley. 

To honour the history of France, the flame has also been to places of remembrance, such as the Verdun Memorial and the D-Day Landing Beaches.

It has crossed the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans to take in Guadeloupe, Guyana, Martinique, French Polynesia, New Caledonia and Reunion.

And now, with the Olympic Games themselves looming – the flame will be lit at the Stade de France on July 26th during the Opening Ceremony – the flame is set to arrive in Ile de France for the final days of its pre-Games tour. 

READ MORE: July 14th: What to expect from France’s Fête nationale this year

You can see the path below;

Sunday

The torch relay will follow the July 14th military parade along the Champs-Elysées, at around 12.50pm kicking off a two-day tour of the capital. 

From the Avenue des Champs-Elysées to the Hôtel de Ville, the torchbearers will arrive at the National Assembly at around 1.25pm – ahead of a busy week of politics in the building. The Senate buildings and the Pantheon will be taken in as the route crosses the capital’s sixth arrondissement between 1.40pm and 2.30pm. 

Around 3pm, the relay should arrive at Place de la Sorbonne, pass through the Île de la Cité (3.50pm), before arriving at the Place de la Bastille, at 5.10pm. 

Between 5.50pm and 7pm, relay followers can follow the route from Quai de Jemmapes, where Paris Plages takes place, to the Place du Colonel Fabien in the 10th arrondissement. 

One of the highlights will take place between 7.10pm and 8.20pm with the crossing of the Carrousel du Louvre and the Opéra (9th arrondissement). Finally, the route will end at 11pm on the forecourt of the Hôtel de Ville, after the procession along Rue de Rivoli. 

Monday

At 8am, on Monday, the torch will leave from Porte de la Chapelle, in the 18th arrondissement, taking in the Route du Sacré Cœur, around 9am. Two hours later, it will arrive at the Arc de Triomphe. At around 1.20pm, it will be in the elevated metro near the Eiffel Tower.

After passing through the 13th arrondissement, from 3.40pm to 4.30pm, the torch reach the 12th arrondissement, on the Passerelle Mornay, and the 11th arrondissement, until 6:15pm.

A detour to Belleville, in the 19th arrondissement, will precede the end of the relay, scheduled for 8.45pm. 

Back to Paris for the Opening Ceremony

While the exact pathway for the torch is still to be announced, we know it will visit the following sites on July 26th;

• Saint-Denis Basilica
• Quartier Pleyel – Along the Seine in Saint-Denis)
• Olympic village in Saint-Denis
• The Canals between Seine-Saint-Denis and Paris
• The Olympic aquatic centre in Saint-Denis
• Stade de France 
• The Parc de la Villette (in Paris’ 19th arrondissement)
• The Berges de Seine (park along between Pont de l’Alma et le Pont Royal)