Les Invalides War Museum Guided Tour - Semi-Private 8ppl Max
About this activity
Two-hour semi-private World Wars museum tour at Les Invalides for up to eight guests, with reserved skip-the-line entry and an expert guide.
Highlights
- Hôtel des Invalides, founded as a veterans’ hospital
- The courtyard’s collection of 60 historic cannons
- Renault FT tank and French 75 field gun
- Battle of the Marne taxi and World War I galleries
- France’s role in World Wars I and II
Full description
Explore World War I and II on a two-hour semi-private guided tour of the Musée de l’Armée at Les Invalides, with no more than eight guests. Reserved skip-the-line museum entry is included. See the Renault FT tank, French 75 field gun, and Battle of the Marne taxi.
Follow a guide through the World War galleries of the Musée de l’Armée on this two-hour semi-private tour. Begin at the Hôtel des Invalides, founded under Louis XIV, and see its historic courtyard cannons before tracing the events that led to World War I. Explore the French 75 field gun, Renault FT tank, uniforms, weapons, and battlefield artifacts. Learn about the Battle of the Marne and the Treaty of Versailles, then move into World War II. Your guide explains the evacuation of Dunkirk, the Occupation of Paris, and the roles of Charles de Gaulle and Pétain while you examine wartime equipment and relics. The guided route focuses on the World Wars galleries; Napoleon’s tomb and the Dome are not guided stops on this tour. Reserved skip-the-line admission to the museum’s permanent collection is included, while temporary exhibitions are excluded.
Included / Excluded
- Two-hour semi-private guided museum tour
- No more than eight guests per guide
- Professional English-speaking tour guide
- Reserved skip-the-line permanent-collection admission
- World War I and II gallery access
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Optional gratuities
- Temporary exhibitions
- Tour is not wheelchair accessible
Itinerary
Meet at the north main gate of Les Invalides
Meet your guide outside the north main gate on Place des Invalides, facing Pont Alexandre III.
Army Museum World War galleries
Explore the First and Second World War galleries with your guide, including stories of the Battle of the Marne and French wartime history. Displays can change.
Meeting point
Start Location
Place des Invalides — north main gate meeting point
Place des Invalides
Meet your Babylon Tours guide outside the north main gate of Les Invalides on Place des Invalides.
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 museum tour is not wheelchair accessible.
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 reserved 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. Reserved skip-the-line admission to the permanent collection is included; temporary exhibitions are excluded. The guided portion focuses on the World War I and II galleries, not Napoleon’s tomb. 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.