Les Invalides

Paris's Army Museum (Musée de l'Armée) is one of the three largest arms museums in the world, and home to one of the biggest military history and art collections on the planet. None other than Napoleon Bonaparte has been resting here since 1861, in his tomb. Get priority entrance into this military-minded collection of arms, armor, and art.

Paris's Army Museum (Musée de l'Armée) is one of the three largest arms museums in the world, and home to one of the biggest military history and art collections on the planet. None other than Napoleon Bonaparte has been resting here since 1861, in his tomb. Get priority entrance into this military-minded collection of arms, armor, and art.

During this 1.5-2 hour guided tour, you’ll explore a dazzling collection of artifacts, videos and displays and learn about how both World Wars shaped France and French identity. Your expert guide will outline the people and events that helped launch World War I, including Bismarck and the Franco-Prussian War, and the assassination of Franz Ferdinand. Along the way, see equipment, uniforms, weapons and other artifacts that were used on the battlefield, original footage of the atrocities that took place before the Treaty of Versailles and even the train car where the armistice was signed. Explore Hitler’s ascent to power in Germany and the lead-up to World War II. Uncover the evacuation of Dunkirk and the Occupation of Paris, and witness eye-opening relics of the war. Ultimately, this tour is a deep dive into the individual and collective acts of courage that enabled an Allied victory. Great for history-buffs everywhere.

Join your experienced guide for an introduction to the Musée de l’Armée, housed inside the golden-domed Hotel des Invalides. This is a great chance to learn about France’s tumultuous military history and important figures like Sun King, Louis XIV and Napoleon Bonaparte from the experts! Your private tour begins in the courtyard of the Invalides. Here, you’ll learn about the building’s 17th century roots as a veteran’s hospital under Louis XIV, and take a walk through the cathedral, dedicated to his troops. Explore the dynamic history of Napoleon Bonaparte, widely acknowledged to have been France’s most brilliant military general, but whose blinding ambition eventually led to his death in exile - gulp! Say what you need to at his tomb, which lies beneath the Invalides’ golden dome.

Discover the story of Napoleon Bonaparte on this guided tour of the Invalides. Your guide will take you through museum galleries that follow his life, from his early career and military victories to the reforms that shaped modern France. You’ll learn how he rose to power and why his name is still well known today. The tour continues inside the Dome Church, where Napoleon is buried. Your guide will explain his final years, his exile, and how his remains were later brought back to Paris.