Les Invalides Dome + Napoleon’s Tomb - Semi-Private (Max 8)
About this activity
A two-hour semi-private guided tour of Les Invalides and Napoleon’s tomb, with skip-the-line museum entry included. Maximum eight guests per guide.
Highlights
- Napoleon Bonaparte’s monumental tomb
- Historic collection of 60 cannons
- Cathedral Saint-Louis-des-Invalides
- Gilded Dome of Les Invalides
- Musée de l’Armée permanent collection after the tour
Full description
Explore Les Invalides on a 2-hour semi-private guided museum tour with no more than eight guests and included skip-the-line entry. Visit the grand courtyard, Saint-Louis-des-Invalides cathedral, the gilded Dome, and Napoleon Bonaparte’s tomb with an expert guide. Trace French military history from Louis XIV to Napoleon Bonaparte inside the Hôtel des Invalides. Your guide introduces the building’s origins as a home for veterans, its grand courtyard and collection of historic cannons, and the cathedral Louis XIV built to honor his troops. Follow Napoleon’s campaigns and lasting reforms before entering the gilded Dome to see his monumental tomb.
Trace French military history from Louis XIV to Napoleon Bonaparte inside the Hôtel des Invalides. Your guide introduces the building’s origins as a home for veterans, its grand courtyard and collection of historic cannons, and the cathedral Louis XIV built to honor his troops. Follow Napoleon’s campaigns and lasting reforms before entering the gilded Dome to see his monumental tomb. Your included museum ticket also gives access to the permanent collection; the wider Musée de l’Armée galleries can be explored independently after the guided portion. Temporary exhibitions are not included.
Included / Excluded
- 2-hour semi-private guided museum tour (8 guests maximum)
- Skip-the-line ticket to the permanent collection
- Professional guide
- Guided visit to the Dome and Napoleon’s tomb
- Museum entrance fees for the permanent collection
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Optional gratuities
- Temporary exhibitions
- Wheelchair access (semi-private tour is not wheelchair accessible)
Itinerary
Meet at the north main gate
Meet outside the north gate on Place des Invalides facing Pont Alexandre III, at least 10 minutes before departure.
Guided Invalides Dome and Napoleon’s tomb visit
Explore the grand courtyard and historic cannons, Saint-Louis-des-Invalides cathedral, the gilded Dome, and Napoleon’s tomb with your guide. Skip-the-line permanent-collection admission is included.
Meeting point
Start Location
Les Invalides north main gate - exact FareHarbor pin
Place des Invalides
Meet outside the north main gate on Place des Invalides, facing Pont Alexandre III. Arrive at least 10 minutes early.
Get directions →Important information
Know before you book
- Semi-private guided tour, with no more than eight guests per guide.
- Provide a guest mobile number with country code so the guide can contact you.
- Cancel at least 24 hours before the tour for a full refund.
- This semi-private tour is not wheelchair accessible. Guests should be comfortable walking.
Know before you go
- Meet outside the north main gate of Les Invalides on Place des Invalides, facing Pont Alexandre III.
- Arrive at the meeting point at least 10 minutes before your reserved departure time.
- Wear comfortable walking shoes and weather-appropriate clothing.
- Your guide handles the included museum entry at the tour start.
- Bring photo ID; a clear photo or copy is acceptable.
Requirements
Items to bring
- Valid photo ID
Cancellation policy
Up to 24 hours before the beginning of the activity: full refund Less than 24 hours before the beginning of the activity or no-show: no refund
Reviews
We booked this tour to get as much as possible out of our time at The Met. What we didn’t know we were getting was a personalized experience full of captivating stories about the artists' lives and the people who brought the art to the museum. Robin was a wealth of knowledge and a highlight of our trip to New York!
Spent a great day with Charlie he was very engaging and shared lots of information and entertaining stories with us. He took great care of us and we would recommend him for any future tours.
Mark, tour guide for the Metropolitan Museum is an outstanding teacher: engaging; entertaining; professional; personable; experienced and deeply knowledgeable as a result of a lifelong passion and relationship with the Met. He loves what he does and cares deeply about sharing his knowledge and insight to spark curiosity and inspire his clients--his students--to understand context and meaning of each piece or work of art reviewed. My wife, a retired professor emeritas and myself both left thoroughly impressed and grateful to have been taught by best and most captivating guides we have had the privilege of meeting on one of our many travels and adventures. Hire the best. Hire Mark. Worth every penny and every minute of your time you can afford at the Met. Like us, you will look forward to coming back for another teaching session from Mark. In my case, hopefully we will be back on my birthday next year! (Thanks again Mark!)
Frequently asked questions
FAQs
Additional information
This two-hour semi-private tour is limited to eight guests and is not wheelchair accessible. Skip-the-line admission to the permanent collection is included; temporary exhibitions are excluded. Allow time for security screening. Only handbags or small, slim backpacks are permitted; some rooms restrict speaking and displays can change. If an unannounced museum closure delays opening by more than one hour after the scheduled start, an appropriate alternative will be offered with no refund or discount under this clause. Latecomers may miss the tour.