Les Invalides: Napoleon & French Military History Semi-Private Tour

Overview

Available languages

English

2 hours 30 minutes

Mobile ticket

Enjoy a 2.5-hour semi-private guided visit to perhaps the most spectacular building on the Paris skyline, the incredible gold-domed Invalides. Covered with 26lbs of real gold, the Invalides is home to the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte and the fascinating museum of the army, tracing the history of the French armies and their allies from the jousts of kings, through invasion and resistance to the Normandy landings of WWII.

Additional Info

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Public transportation options are available nearby

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your departure time

Infants aged 0-3 years are free of charge and do not require a booking

You can cancel your tour up to 24 hours prior to departure and receive a full refund. Please note that refunds are not possible for missed tours.

If you plan to arrive at the meeting point by taxi, please ensure you leave yourselves plenty of time, it can often take a considerable amount of time to find a taxi in Paris!

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What‘s Included

Visit the final resting place of Napoleon Bonaparte and learn about his extraordinary life.

All tickets and entrance fees are included.

Enjoy a more personal experience with small groups of no more than 8 guests.

Experience a 2.5 hour guided tour of Les Invalides led by an accredited guide

Explore the museum’s extensive collection detailing his military campaigns and strategic genius

Hotel pickup and drop-off

Gratuities (optional)

What To Expect

Musee de l’Armee des Invalides

Commissioned by King Louis XIV and designed in the 17th century by Jules Hardouin Mansart (the same architect who designed the incredible Hall of Mirrors in Versailles) the Invalides was originally built as a hospital and home for wounded and retired soldiers returning from the king’s wars. The king knew that he owed his glories to his troops, so he ordered a most magnificent building for them. The Invalides is also home to the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte and the fascinating museum of the army, tracing the history of the French armies and their allies from the jousts of kings, through invasion and resistance to the Normandy landings of WWII. Nowadays you will still find veterans living there, and the gold-domed Cathedral of St. Louis is the seat of the Bishop of the Armies. Your expert guide will take you on a historical journey. Hear of the exploits of General Bonaparte and learn how he became Emperor Napoleon, and hear how two British pilots were hidden in this very structure during La Resistance under German occupation in the 1940s.

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Included

The St. Louis Cathedral

Then visit the breathtaking tomb of the most famous general in European history. After crowning himself Emperor in 1804, Napoleon went on to conquer huge swathes of Europe, until his final defeat at Waterloo. Exiled until his death in 1821, his body was returned to France and placed here in the enormous sarcophagus built specially for him. His son is also buried next to him, his body brought to Paris by Hitler in 1940. Join your guide on this compelling visit to the Invalides, and journey through war, defeat, resistance, and glory.

1 hour • Admission Included

Options

Napoleon and Invalides Tour

Reviews

4.67

30 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

The Invalids - Pablo Daniel Moyano Ilundain
pablodanielm2024,
Sep 27, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
During my visit I toured the church of Saint-Louis des Invalides, a place full of French military history. Behind me is the funeral monument of Vauban, Louis XIV’s celebrated military engineer, whose work marked the defensive architecture of Europe. This site, which also houses Napoleon's tomb, is one of the great symbols of France's historical memory
Enjoyed it very much exciting to see what the ancient catacombs looked like in Paris. Our tour guide Remi was very knowl
Wendy p,
Sep 19, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Remi was very knowledgeable tour guide. It was a pleasure to listen to him explain about the catacombs. Wouldn’t hesitate to have him as your guide on a tour.
Your company was a failure but on our own we had fun
jimsW7348LN,
Jul 12, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
2.00
Due to poor instructions on where the meeting place was we were late but spoke to a worker at your company who tried to help. Sadly she seemed unable to direct us to the group. She sad the guide would make arrangements for us to get in But that didn’t happen and had to buy our own tickets and we toured on our own so basically for our money we got nothing. On the other hand we enjoyed touring on our own and would never bother hiring your company again
Knowledgeable & Great Pace
brileneg2025,
Jul 11, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Great knowledge of French military history and a great pace for this photographer. I would recommend this to anyone wanting a good tour!
Great overview of history focused on the Napoleonic age
michaelkS7359JE,
Jun 30, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Our guide was very knowledgeable and had an obvious passion for the subject. He was adept at taking many questions from the enthusiastic 5th graders in attendance. The tour was lengthy but felt very informative and interesting.
Fascinating place to visit
dgetreuer,
Jun 1, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00
Knowledgable guide and a greatmuseum. It enough time - could have stayed there all day. Small group worked out to our advantage. It was the end of the day and museum was closing. If you have the chance, do the tour in the morning and stay afterwards
Great
LAMBERT K,
May 21, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Very interesting and lots to see. The tour allowed us to get an understanding of the large site quickly.
Wonderful!!!
Lori A,
May 15, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Roman was knowledgeable and professional. Enjoyed all the history and details that he gave our tour!!!
Beautiful monument.
153martiald,
Apr 29, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Simple visit to the dome of the Invalides and the tomb of Napoleon, for lack of time, but the interior of this dome is beautiful, and the crossing of the inner courtyard of the Invalides is moving so that what it represents during the funeral tributes.
Wonderful Tour!
Larissa L,
Apr 28, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Marouane was our tour guide! You'll be lucky to have him! It's obvious he loves his job and is incredibly knowledgeable about war history and Napoleon. My husband and I enjoyed this tour and we learned so much. Marouane is a gem!