🏛️ Les Invalides: how to visit Napoleon's tomb and how much it costs

Les Invalides opened as a shelter for wounded soldiers. Today it is the Army Museum and Napoleon’s tomb, hidden beneath a golden dome. Behind a single facade are three centuries of history and one of the largest military museums in Europe.

The ticket covers the entire complex and costs €17 (as of 09/2026, L'Officiel des spectacles). A visit takes from two to four hours. Without a plan, you will tire out before you reach the tomb.

Below we break down what to see first, how much tickets cost, and how to get in without waiting in line.

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Tickets and opening hours (as of 09/2026)

💡 In short:

The museum is open daily from 10:00 to 18:00, ticket offices close half an hour before closing.
Full ticket €17, free entry for visitors under 18 and EU citizens under 26 (as of 09/2026, Tarifs et exonérations).
There are two entrances: the north one from the Seine side and the south one from Place Vauban near the dome.
Prices and opening hours: 09/2026, verified on the official website

The schedule is convenient: the complex welcomes visitors every day except January 1, May 1, and December 25. On the first Friday of the month, the museum is open late (as of 09/2026, opening hours page).

One ticket is valid across the entire site: the Army Museum, Napoleon’s tomb under the dome, the Museum of Relief Maps, and the Museum of the Order of the Liberation. For free entry, you need to have your document with you (as of 09/2026, city listings).

Get a timed ticket in advance, especially on weekends and in July and August. It saves you the ticket office line and guarantees entry in your chosen slot.

How Les Invalides came to be

The idea belongs to Louis XIV. In 1670, the king saw former soldiers begging on the streets of Paris and signed a decree to build a shelter for wounded and aging warriors (according to the museum’s background notes).

The project was prepared by the court architect Libéral Bruant. The site was found beyond the city limits of that time, in the Grenelle suburb. The first veterans moved in as early as 1674 (according to the museum's official website).

Construction continued for decades. By 1710, the Home had turned into a small town with four thousand residents: residential buildings, a hospital, five courtyards, its own workshops, and a strict charter. Admission followed regulations, and priority was given to veterans with at least 10 years of service (according to the Army Museum). An exception was made for the severely wounded and seriously ill who needed constant care.

Architecture and the golden dome

The complex stretches 400 by 450 meters, and the main facade facing the Seine extends for almost 200 meters (according to the complex plan). You will see all of this anew the moment the gold-covered dome appears before you.

The 107-meter-high dome crowns the Dôme des Invalides (Église du Dôme). It took almost 30 years to build, and inside it is essentially two churches: soldiers prayed in the nave, while the royal section stood behind a glass partition. The double dome structure was created by the architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart.

In 1989, the dome section was re-gilded, using about 12 kilograms of gold (according to the restoration history). Trophy flags and standards from various countries hang at the entrance.

In front of the complex lies the Esplanade des Invalides, measuring 500 by 250 meters. It runs from the Seine embankment to the central facade, and the lawns and walkways were designed by the landscape architect Robert de Cotte.

The army museum and Napoleon's tomb

Starting in 1777, the complex began to lose its status as an almshouse and gradually became a museum. First, military exhibits were moved here from the Louvre, and later the Artillery Museum opened. In 1905, it was merged with the Historical Army Museum, creating the modern Army Museum (according to the museum catalog).

Napoleon's sarcophagus in the crypt of Les Invalides

Today it is a single Army Museum that occupies most of the complex. The Museum of the Order of the Liberation and the Museum of Relief Maps operate nearby. Artillery pieces, both French and captured, are lined up right at the entrance.

Napoleon's sarcophagus in the circular crypt of Les Invalides

The main stop on the route awaits you under the dome. Napoleon's ashes were brought from the island of Saint Helena and placed in a sarcophagus on a green granite pedestal. The names of his victories are carved into the marble, and nearby lie marshals and generals of France.

Turenne, Vauban, Foch, Lyautey, and Bertrand rest in the Dôme des Invalides (Église du Dôme). Part of the complex still lives its military life: a hospital for veterans of past and present wars operates here. On days of state ceremonies, volleys from historical cannons thunder at the northern entrance.

If you plan to visit Paris museums over several days, check out the Paris museum pass on GetYourGuide. It includes admission here as part of the combined ticket.

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How to get there and where the entrance is

The complex is in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, at 129 Rue de Grenelle, 75007 Paris. From the La Tour-Maubourg metro station on line 8, it is about 250 meters, roughly a three-minute walk (on the map).

The Invalides station is closer to the north entrance. Lines 8 and 13 stop there, as does the RER C train. If you are coming from the Seine side, it is easier to exit toward the Esplanade and the main gates into the Cour d'Honneur.

From the south, from Place Vauban, the entrance leads straight to the dome and the tomb, and the line there is shorter. This route is shorter if your only goal is to see Napoleon's sarcophagus.

What to see near Les Invalides

From here you can easily put together a full day of walking. Pont Alexandre III is 300 meters from the facade, the Musée Rodin with its garden is nearby, and the Eiffel Tower is about 1.5 kilometers along the embankment (on the map).

Pont Alexandre III over the Seine in Paris

Further along the embankment you will reach the Grand Palais and the Champs-Élysées. It takes half a day to walk this route at a leisurely pace.

The Eiffel Tower is best viewed from here in the evening. Priority-access tickets to the second floor are sold on GetYourGuide in advance.

Les Invalides on the map

⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions

Where is Napoleon's tomb?

The sarcophagus stands under the golden dome, in the former royal section of the Cathedral of Saint Louis. A separate corridor leads to it from the museum, and from the south entrance on the Place Vauban side you reach the dome almost immediately.

How much time do you need for a visit?

Allow two to four hours. The Army Museum is huge, and the weapons and armor collections alone take an hour. If you want to see both the tomb and the main halls, arrive at opening time.

In short: what is worth booking

If your only goal is Napoleon's tomb, enter from the south and allow an hour. If you want to see the entire complex, get a morning ticket and plan for half a day.

Les Invalides works well as an afternoon stop. If you have only one day in Paris, get skip-the-line Louvre tickets for the morning. If you are traveling with family, keep a comparison of insurance options handy. The e-ticket for Les Invalides is easy to show on your phone, so set up an eSIM in advance.

Check the opening hours on the official website before your visit. The schedule changes on days of state ceremonies.

Les Invalides in Paris: tickets, Napoleon's tomb and the golden dome