Les Invalides Dome & Napoleon’s Tomb Tour - Private
About this activity
Two-hour private guided tour of Les Invalides, the Musée de l’Armée, and Napoleon’s tomb with skip-the-line permanent-collection admission.
Highlights
- Napoleon Bonaparte’s monumental tomb
- The courtyard’s 60 cannons
- Saint-Louis-des-Invalides cathedral
- The gilded Dome of Les Invalides
- Explore the Musée de l’Armée independently after the tour
Full description
Enjoy a two-hour private guided tour of Les Invalides and Napoleon’s tomb, with skip-the-line admission to the permanent collection. See the courtyard cannons, Saint-Louis-des-Invalides cathedral, and the gilded Dome. Explore France’s military history with your own guide on this two-hour private visit to the Hôtel des Invalides. Begin in the grand courtyard, where an array of 60 cannons traces the period from Louis XIV to the Second Empire. Learn why the Sun King founded the Invalides, then visit Saint-Louis-des-Invalides cathedral, built for his troops.
Explore France’s military history with your own guide on this two-hour private visit to the Hôtel des Invalides. Begin in the grand courtyard, where an array of 60 cannons traces the period from Louis XIV to the Second Empire. Learn why the Sun King founded the Invalides, then visit Saint-Louis-des-Invalides cathedral, built for his troops. Continue through the Musée de l’Armée to hear the story of Napoleon’s campaigns, reforms, and fall. The tour culminates beneath the gilded Dome at his monumental tomb. Your guide manages the included skip-the-line admission to the museum’s permanent collection; temporary exhibitions are excluded. After the guided portion, you may continue exploring the museum collection at your own pace.
Included / Excluded
- Private two-hour guided museum tour
- Professional guide exclusively for your party
- Skip-the-line admission to the permanent collection
- Access to Napoleon’s tomb and the gilded Dome
- Museum collection access after the guided portion
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Optional gratuities
- Temporary exhibitions
- Wheelchair access (FareHarbor marks this private route as not wheelchair accessible)
Itinerary
Meet at the north gate of Les Invalides
Meet your private guide outside the north main gate on Place des Invalides, facing Pont Alexandre III, ten minutes before departure.
Private guided tour of the Musée de l’Armée and Napoleon’s tomb
Explore the courtyard’s cannons, Saint-Louis-des-Invalides cathedral, the gilded Dome, and Napoleon’s tomb with your guide. Skip-the-line permanent-collection admission is included; temporary exhibitions are excluded.
Meeting point
Start Location
Les Invalides north main gate - exact FareHarbor pin
Place des Invalides
Meeting point for the private guided tour. Outside the north main gate of Les Invalides on Place des Invalides, facing Pont Alexandre III.
Get directions →Important information
Know before you book
- Provide a guest mobile number with country code so your guide can contact you.
- Cancel at least 24 hours before the tour for a full refund.
- This private route is not wheelchair accessible, as stated in FareHarbor.
Know before you go
- Meet outside the north main gate of Les Invalides on Place des Invalides, facing Pont Alexandre III.
- Arrive 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 private guided tour includes skip-the-line admission to the permanent collection; temporary exhibitions are excluded. FareHarbor states this route is not wheelchair accessible. Children under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. 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.