Paris: Napoleon’s Tomb and the Invalides Small-Group Guided Tour
Description
Uncover the rise, fall, and legend of Napoleon on a guided visit through the Invalides—home to the glittering Dome Church and the Emperor’s monumental tomb. In just 1.5 hours, dive into the life of the man who shaped modern France.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Step inside one of Paris’s most iconic landmarks and discover the extraordinary story of Napoleon Bonaparte—from ambitious young officer to Emperor of the French. Your expert local guide brings his world to life as you explore the Musée de l’Armée’s galleries dedicated to his campaigns, reforms, victories, and defeats. Learn how this small-statured Corsican became one of history’s most influential figures, and why his legacy still resonates today—from laws and education to urban planning and national identity.
After the museum, follow your guide beneath the shimmering golden dome to the breathtaking tomb of Napoleon I. Surrounded by marbled walls and symbolic sculptures, you’ll hear the fascinating story of his final years in exile, the dramatic return of his remains to Paris, and how he became a near-mythical figure for generations of French people. Designed for curious travellers—not just military history buffs—this small-group tour offers an engaging, accessible introduction to the man behind the legend, all inside one of Paris’s most awe-inspiring monuments.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your departure time
- Infants aged 0-3 years are free of charge and do not require a booking
- You can cancel your tour up to 24 hours prior to departure and receive a full refund. Please note that refunds are not possible for missed tours.
- If you plan to arrive at the meeting point by taxi, please ensure you leave yourselves plenty of time, it can often take a considerable amount of time to find a taxi in Paris!
Reviews(32)
This was a great historical tour. I learned so much about Napolean and the battles fought in the area. Our guide was great.
Thank you Miriam! Napoleon's story is one of the most extraordinary in all of French history and the Invalides is such a powerful place to discover it — from the battles that shaped Europe to the magnificent tomb itself. We're so glad Perrine brought it all to life for you. It's a visit that stays with you long after! She'll be delighted to hear this. Hope you had a wonderful time here in Paris.
This is a wonderful excursion into French history and our guide Julie was confirmed and passionate in sharing her information. If you want to see other museum artefacts other than those of Napoleon, you will need extra time.
Thank you David! Julie's passion for Napoleon and French history really does shine through and we're so glad it made for such a memorable visit. And a great point — the Musée de l'Armée is vast and extraordinary, and there is so much more to discover beyond Napoleon if you have extra time to explore. We'll make sure Julie sees your kind words. Hope you had a wonderful time here in Paris!
During my visit I toured the church of Saint-Louis des Invalides, a place full of French military history. Behind me is the funeral monument of Vauban, Louis XIV’s celebrated military engineer, whose work marked the defensive architecture of Europe. This site, which also houses Napoleon's tomb, is one of the great symbols of France's historical memory
Buenos dias, Pablo y Gracias - we think this is not for us as we do English language touring but we are so glad to know that you loved your time at the extremely moving military museum and Invalides church. We share your passion for it and agree that it is one of France's national treasures!
Remi was very knowledgeable tour guide. It was a pleasure to listen to him explain about the catacombs. Wouldn’t hesitate to have him as your guide on a tour.
Hello Wendy - we're conveying your high praise to Remi right now! Thanks so much for choosing Memories to explore this ancient and often forgotten part of Paris - seeing the capital from below changes your perspective on it forever. Cheers to you!
Due to poor instructions on where the meeting place was we were late but spoke to a worker at your company who tried to help. Sadly she seemed unable to direct us to the group. She sad the guide would make arrangements for us to get in But that didn’t happen and had to buy our own tickets and we toured on our own so basically for our money we got nothing. On the other hand we enjoyed touring on our own and would never bother hiring your company again
We are so sorry to have missed you! We looked high and low, to no avail, with the description of what you were wearing, a flowered shirt, grey pants and glasses. Ultimately the guide had to start without your or lose the slot we reserved months in advance, which would not have been fair to the other visitors who had come on time. We make sure to give explicit instructions on every voucher along with a detailed map and recommend aiming to arrive 15 minutes early for precisely this reason. We much regret your absence but we are at least delighted to know that you nonetheless had a wonderful time. We equally hope the rest of your stay in our magnificent city went according to plan and fulfilled all your dreams of a Paris vacation!
Great knowledge of French military history and a great pace for this photographer. I would recommend this to anyone wanting a good tour!
It's an honor to show you around the great institutions of France's military history, and relive those heartstopping moments with you. It's a serious deep dive that we love sharing. Thanks so much for choosing to book with Memories and we'll hope our paths cross again.
Our guide was very knowledgeable and had an obvious passion for the subject. He was adept at taking many questions from the enthusiastic 5th graders in attendance. The tour was lengthy but felt very informative and interesting.
The whole Napoleonic odyssey is so fascinating and to be able to convey that to all audiences is a treat! We hope the littles rememeber that a Maréchal's staff is in the knapsack of every footsoldier! We were glad to have you along, thanks so much from the Memories Family!
Knowledgable guide and a greatmuseum. It enough time - could have stayed there all day. Small group worked out to our advantage. It was the end of the day and museum was closing. If you have the chance, do the tour in the morning and stay afterwards
The Military history museum -along with Napoleon's tomb in the Invalides church -- is so fascinating, and moving too, in equal parts. We are so glad to have enhanced your time there. We agree that morning tours are the way to go, if possible, so that you can indeed spend the rest of your day exploring and finding your own treasures. Thank you so much for the warm review!
Very interesting and lots to see. The tour allowed us to get an understanding of the large site quickly.
We are so pleased to have been able to share our knowledge of France's military history and tales of Napoleonic triumph and defeat - it is a joy to know that you got so much out of it, thank you!
Roman was knowledgeable and professional. Enjoyed all the history and details that he gave our tour!!!
The whole history surrounding the Invalides, Napoleon first and foremost, is just a such a fascinating deep dive - Romain was delighted to share his knowledge and understanding with you and we're all so grateful for your fabulous review - thank you so much for choosing to explore all that fascinating past (and present) with us!
