Les Invalides Tickets 2026
One €17 ticket covers Napoleon's tomb, the Army Museum, and the relief maps. It's a 2-3 hour complex, not a quick stop — here's the order that keeps you fresh.
Most visitors come for one thing: the tomb. They find it under the golden Dôme, a red quartzite sarcophagus the size of a small boat, sunk into a crypt you look down into from the gallery above. Then they turn around and realise there are 500,000 other objects behind them.
That is the trap at Les Invalides. It is a complex, not a museum, and people run out of energy in the wrong room.
How much are Les Invalides tickets in 2026?
Adult: €17, and it covers everything — Napoleon's tomb, the Army Museum, the relief-maps museum, the Order of the Liberation museum, and temporary shows. First-Friday evening: €10 (late opening to 22:00).
Free: under 18, EU residents 18 to 25. You still collect a pass at the desk.
Where to book
Our take: Same €17 either way — GetYourGuide adds free cancellation, official is the direct booking; neither skips the security check at the entrance.
The Les Invalides guide — the route that keeps you fresh
- The visit order that puts Napoleon's tomb first, before museum fatigue sets in
- Which entrance skips the worst of the ticket-desk queue on busy days
- The one wing to cut when you're running short on time
Is Les Invalides worth visiting?
Louis XIV built it in the 1670s as a home for wounded soldiers, and parts still serve veterans today. The Army Museum inside holds one of the largest arms and armour collections anywhere, spanning 2,000 years. The medieval and Renaissance halls — royal armour, gleaming and intact — draw the steadiest crowds. The two World Wars galleries are the other anchor, detailed and sober, with a section on Charles de Gaulle. You cannot do all of it well in one visit, and trying is how people end up tired in front of relief maps they stop seeing.
What to look for
Start under the Dôme, not in the galleries. See Napoleon's tomb while your attention is fresh.
Stand at the gallery rail before you descend. The crypt is designed to be seen from above first, then below.
Count the twelve Victory statues around the sarcophagus. Each marks a campaign.
In the arms and armour wing, find the royal armour. Made for kings, not for battle, and built to be looked at.
Pick one World Wars gallery, not both, if you're short on time. They reward attention you may not have left.
What do most visitors wish they knew about Les Invalides?
It's a half-day, not a quick stop. People budget an hour for "Napoleon's tomb" and find a museum of 500,000 objects attached. Give it 2 to 3 hours or accept you'll skip wings.
The ticket queue bites on weekends. It can run 20 to 40 minutes in summer. The Esplanade entrance opens at 10:00; the Place Vauban side, by the Dôme, opens at 14:00 — useful if you only want the tomb in the afternoon.
The first-Friday evening is the calm slot. Open until 22:00, fewer people, and €10 instead of €17.
- Address
- 129 rue de Grenelle, 75007 Paris
- Hours
- Apr–Oct: 10:00–18:00 · Nov–Mar: 10:00–17:00 · 1st Friday: late to 22:00
- Closed
- 1 January · 1 May · 25 December
- Ticket
- €17 adult (whole complex) · €10 first-Friday evening · under 18 & EU 18–25 free (collect a pass)
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours (3–4 for the World Wars wing in depth)
- Metro
- La Tour-Maubourg (8) · Varenne (13) · Invalides (8, 13, RER C)
- Book at
- GetYourGuide (free cancellation) · official site (€17)
Hours and prices can change — confirm on the official site before you go.
Last verified: June 2026
Frequently asked questions
How much are Les Invalides tickets in 2026?
€17 for an adult, covering the whole complex including Napoleon's tomb and the Army Museum. The first-Friday evening ticket is €10. Under-18s and EU residents 18 to 25 enter free but collect a pass.
How long do you need at Les Invalides?
Two to three hours for the tomb and main galleries; three to four if you want the World Wars wing in depth. It is a complex, not a single museum.
What is the best time to visit Les Invalides?
A weekday at the 10:00 opening, or the first-Friday late opening to 22:00. Weekend and summer ticket queues run 20 to 40 minutes.
Is Napoleon really buried at Les Invalides?
Yes — under the Dôme since 1861, in a red quartzite sarcophagus set in a sunken crypt ringed by twelve statues.
Go in the morning, start under the Dôme, and pick your wings before you're tired. Musée Rodin is a five-minute walk away and pairs well into the same morning. Building a full day? The one-day Paris itinerary slots both in.
Book Les Invalides entry on GetYourGuide (from €17, free cancellation)
Already subscribed? Open the room-by-room guide →