Les Invalides is not one museum room but a large historic complex combining the Musée de l’Armée, the Dôme church and Napoleon I’s tomb, permanent military-history galleries, temporary exhibitions and associated museums. It rewards planning because the site is bigger than it looks from the lawn: a full sweep can take more than four hours, while a well-chosen two-part visit can be powerful in about two hours. Decide before arrival whether your priority is Napoleon and the Dôme, arms and armour, the world wars, or the architecture of the Hôtel national des Invalides.
- The Musée de l'Armée inside covers French military history from medieval armor to World War II
- Napoleon's tomb sits under the dome in a sunken circular crypt — walk the balcony above to see it from every angle
- The building is still a working military hospital in part, alongside the museum galleries
- Hours
- Open daily 10am–6pm, with annual closures on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. The first Friday of each month has a late opening to 10pm. Some seasonal or event hours differ, so check the official site for your date.
- Price
- The standard full-price museum ticket is currently €17 and includes the Dôme/Napoleon’s tomb, permanent Musée de l’Armée collections, the current temporary exhibition, Musée de l’Ordre de la Libération and Musée des Plans-Reliefs. Reduced and free admission conditions apply.
- Tip
- Choose two major areas before you arrive. Trying to cover every collection plus the Dôme in one visit is a four-hour-plus project and can turn a memorable site into museum fatigue.
Think of Invalides as a complex, not a single museum
The golden Dôme is the landmark, but your ticket covers much more: Napoleon I’s tomb, permanent military collections, temporary exhibitions and associated museums. The courtyards and Saint-Louis church also give the site an architectural scale that is easy to underestimate from outside.
Plan around interests rather than a compulsory sequence.
Napoleon’s tomb and the Dôme
The Dôme houses Napoleon I’s tomb and is the emotional centre of many first visits. Even travellers with limited interest in military collections often come for the architecture, monumental setting and the way the tomb stages imperial memory.
If this is your must-see, do it before museum fatigue sets in.
Military collections: choose your era
The Musée de l’Armée covers arms and armour as well as modern military history. Trying to read every display is unrealistic. Pick the period that matters most to you — early weapons and armour, Napoleon, or the world wars — and let the rest be optional.
How long to allow
The museum advises that a complete tour of all collections plus the Dôme requires more than four hours and recommends limiting a visit to two spaces. That is excellent advice for travellers.
Allow roughly two hours for a focused first visit, three if military history is a major interest, and four-plus only if you genuinely want the comprehensive experience.
Tickets and late opening
The museum is currently open every day from 10am to 6pm. The standard adult ticket is €17 and covers the main permanent areas, Dôme and current temporary exhibition. On the first Friday of each month the museum opens until 10pm, with a dedicated evening programme and ticket conditions.
Check the official ticket page because exhibitions or exceptional conditions can affect access.
Accessibility: the Dôme is the key limitation
Most museum spaces are accessible and equipped with lifts, and wheelchairs can be borrowed subject to availability. The major exception is the Dôme and Napoleon I’s tomb, which are not accessible to people with reduced mobility because of interior and exterior steps.
Visitors with mobility needs should use the current official accessibility guidance for the recommended entrance and route.
Getting there and what to pair nearby
Useful stations include La Tour-Maubourg and Invalides on Line 8, Varenne on Line 13 and Invalides on RER C. The Rodin Museum is the most natural nearby pairing; the Seine, Pont Alexandre III and Champs de Mars are also easy additions depending on your route.
Avoid pairing Invalides with another huge museum unless you know you enjoy long museum days.
Frequently asked questions
How long do you need at Les Invalides?
About two hours works for a focused first visit. The museum says a complete tour of all collections and the Dôme takes more than four hours.
Is Napoleon’s tomb included in the ticket?
Yes. The standard museum ticket currently includes the Dôme and Napoleon I’s tomb along with the permanent collections and current temporary exhibition.
Is Les Invalides open every day?
The current schedule is daily 10am–6pm, except annual closures on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December.
Is Napoleon’s tomb wheelchair accessible?
No. The Dôme housing Napoleon I’s tomb has steps inside and outside and is not accessible to visitors with reduced mobility; most other museum spaces have accessible routes and lifts.
Nearby
- M Musée Rodin · museum
- E Eiffel Tower · landmark
- C Champ de Mars · park