The skip-the-line guided tour
What sets it apart from the small-group tour
Three differences, and they matter. First language: this one also runs in French, which makes it the obvious choice for a French-speaking visitor. Then duration: a quarter of an hour more, which sounds small but lets the guide stop in the great courtyard instead of crossing it. Finally format: a private option exists, useful if you are travelling as a family and want to set the pace.
What it does not change: you see the same places. The Dôme, the tomb, the great Napoleonic rooms. No guided tour of Les Invalides covers four museums in two hours, and any that claimed to would only be marching you past them.
Included
- A qualified guide, in French or English
- Museum entry with skip-the-line access
- Access to Napoleon’s tomb
- All entrance fees
Not included
- The relief maps and the two World Wars, to see on your own afterwards
- Meals
- The Rodin Museum, a separate institution
What works
- Available in French
- Entry already reserved: no ticket-desk queue
- A quarter of an hour more than the small group
- A private option is possible
Worth knowing
- The group may be larger than eight people
- Does not cover the whole museum
- The meeting point is La Tour-Maubourg, not the Dôme
- Skip-the-line adds little in low season
If you are torn between this tour and the small group, decide on language before anything else. Understanding a guide in your own language changes a visit far more than fifteen minutes of duration or two fewer people in the group.
Book this tour
Available departures are below. Our detailed review is on the review page, and the six-format comparison on the comparison page.
Frequently asked questions
Is French offered?
Yes, this tour runs in French and English, which is what distinguishes it from the small-group tour.
Does skip-the-line really help?
It saves the ticket-desk queue, which is real in summer and during holidays. There is no security queue here comparable to other Paris monuments: see the booking page.
Do you see the whole museum?
No, and no guided tour does. Rely on the guide for the Dôme and the Napoleonic story, then carry on alone: what to see next.