About this attraction
Everything you need to know
about Les Invalides
Les Invalides — the Hôtel des Invalides — is one of the most impressive complexes in Paris: a golden dome that dominates the Left Bank skyline, built by Louis XIV in 1670 as a hospital and home for wounded soldiers. Today it houses Napoleon's tomb (one of the most visited sites in Paris), one of the world's greatest military museums, and the Musée des Plans-Reliefs, containing extraordinary scale models of fortified French towns.
Napoleon's tomb alone is worth the visit: a massive red porphyry sarcophagus surrounded by twelve statues representing his military victories, in a circular crypt beneath the golden dome. The army museum covers French military history from medieval knights to the Second World War, with exhibits of extraordinary quality and depth.
What's included
Highlights & inclusions
👑
Napoleon's tomb
The emperor's massive porphyry sarcophagus — deeply impressive
🏛
Golden dome
One of the most beautiful Baroque domes in Europe
⚔️
Army Museum
500,000 objects — one of the world's great military museums
🗺
Plans-Reliefs Museum
Scale models of fortified French towns — extraordinary
🌟
Louis XIV's hospital
Built 1670 — still houses military pensioners today
🌳
Seine gardens
The formal gardens facing the Seine are among Paris's best
Floors & levels
What you'll find inside
Cour d'Honneur
Exterior
The great courtyard — cannons, military statues, Napoleon on horseback
Dôme des Invalides
Ground
Napoleon's tomb and the circular crypt of military heroes
Army Museum
Multiple floors
French military history — medieval to WWII
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Practical information
Getting there & what to know
| Address | 129 Rue de Grenelle, 75007 Paris |
| Opening | Daily 10am – 6pm (until 9pm Tue in summer). Closed 1st Monday of the month. |
| Transport | Métro: La Tour-Maubourg (L8) or Varenne (L13) |
| Duration | 2–3 hours for the main sites |
| Note | Free for EU residents under 26 — bring ID |
| Photography | Permitted in most areas |
💡Tip : Les Invalides is massively underrated. Most visitors rush to the tomb and leave. But the medieval armour, the First World War rooms, and the Plans-Reliefs scale models are some of the best museum experiences in Paris. Give it at least two hours.
Before you go
Tips & recommendations
- →Napoleon's tomb is most dramatic when the sun enters the dome and illuminates the porphyry sarcophagus — mornings are best.
- →The medieval armour collection on the first floor of the Army Museum is extraordinary.
- →The garden facing the Seine (Esplanade des Invalides) is one of the best open spaces in Paris for a walk.
- →Combine with a visit to the Musée Rodin (10-minute walk) for a perfect Left Bank afternoon.
