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Behind the Front Line: A Fascinating Tour of Les Invalides

E-Voucher

Activity Schedule

  • When does it run?

    Selected Saturdays:


  • Duration

    1 hour & 30 minutes

  • Start time

    3:00pm

  • Meeting Point

    Make your way to Hotel des Invalides - Musée de l'Armée (129 rue de Grenelle 75007 Paris). Your tour group will be waiting at the entrance on the south side (the Place Vauban entrance), just to the right of the Dome Church.

Key Highlights

  • Brush up on your military history: Guides here walk you through the Army Museum, sharing stories and artefacts from France’s major conflicts – from kings’ jousts to WWII.
  • Rub shoulders with an emperor: The magisterial dome at Les Invalides is the final resting place of legendary Napoleon I.
  • See (and snap): Stunning Baroque architecture, famed centuries-old artworks and the golden dome that rivals the Eiffel Tower are all big drawcards for Les Invalides.

Overview

Yeah sure, the Eiffel Tower is nice and all, but for a skyline view you haven’t seen, Les Invalides (a centuries-old hospital and home for war veterans) is a gem. Covered with 26 lbs of real gold, the dome at Les Invalides is fit for a king, and it turns out, an emperor too. The dome is known for being the final resting place of Napoleon Bonaparte, but the site has a bevy of other fascinating buildings under its belt also. Run by Cultival Tours, this expert-guided tour walks you through the best of them.

On the agenda is an explore through the Army Museum, which traces the history of the French military, from the jousts of kings, through invasion and resistance, to the Normandy landings of WWII. The museum holds one of Europe's largest collections of weaponry (there’s over 500,000 materials for you to eyeball here). You’ll also visit the Cathedral of Saint-Louis (the ‘soldiers church’) and of course, Napoleon I’s tomb too. History buffs, this tour is your jam.  

About your guide

Culture experienced differently: this is Cultival Tours’ thing, and boy do they do it well. Over the past 14 years, Cultival guides have got behind-the-scenes tours down to a fine art, telling the stories you don’t hear about Paris’ iconic sites.

Here’s the plan…  

Meet your guide outside the Hotel des Invalides ten minutes before the tour’s scheduled start time. For the next hour and a half, you’ll explore one of Paris’ most prestigious monuments, with an expert guide leading the charge.

First up is the Army Museum, a compelling military museum dedicated to France’s conflicts (turns out there’s been quite a few). The permanent collections, covering Antiquity all the way to the end of World War II, aim to paint a picture of the country’s most prominent clashes. Here, your guide will discuss where the French went right and where they went wrong, the key players on both sides, and the inevitable social fallouts. You’ll wonder how Francois I could be bothered to wear his hefty (30 kilo) armour and check out the impressive Ingres painting of Napoleon on the throne.    

Then, you’ll visit the grandiose Cathedral of Saint-Louis. Originally known as the soldiers church, the beautifully preserved cathedral houses more than a hundred French battle trophies. The soldiers church leads directly to the Dôme des Invalides, where the colossal tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte looms large. Your guide will reveal tidbits about the emperor’s life and discuss how he met his end in 1821. It’s time to wrap things up. From here, you’re free to go and spread your newfound knowledge, just try not to be too smug about it.

Inclusions

  • Professional guide
  • Walking Tour 
  • Guided tour in French
  • Access to Les Invalides and the Army Museum

Exclusions

  • Personal expenses
  • Transfers (we’ll meet you there)  
  • Tips (should you feel so inclined) 
  • Free visit of the Army Museum after the guided visit (sorry folks, this ticket is for one-time entry)

Please note

No need to print! You can show your voucher on your smartphone or other devices.

The confirmation voucher includes the local activity operator’s contact details. They’re a nice bunch, and will happily answer any logistical questions you may have. Please give them a call at least 24 hours before your organized activity to reconfirm.

Arrive ten minutes early - every second of the tour time is dedicated to seeing the sights.

Religious ceremonies can be organized at the Cathedral of Saint-Louis, which could cause disruptions to the occasional tour here and there (it’s unlikely, but it can happen). The team at Cultival will answer any questions you have on this.

The rates and other information indicated here may change at any given time according to the access conditions of the sites and their rate policy.

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