Where is Napoleon's tomb
Under the Invalides Dome, in the Dome church, inside the Army Museum site. It’s the golden‑dome building you see from afar as you walk up to Place Vauban. Napoleon I does not lie there alone: the Dome also houses the Vauban mausoleum and other burials.
We are on Avenue Duquesne in the 7th, and it’s the question we hear most often at the desk, often phrased backwards: “where is Napoleon buried?”. The answer fits in one sentence, but the rest of the visit deserves two minutes of explanation, because a poorly chosen ticket can waste an hour.
Hours
The site is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm. Ticket windows close 30 minutes before the spaces, so at 5:30 pm. Three annual closures: Jan 1, May 1 and Dec 25.
Night openings occur the first Friday of each month, until 10 pm, with ticket windows closing at 9 pm. This slot is what we recommend if you’ve already visited during the day: the Dome lit in the evening, with far fewer people, is nothing like the same hall at 2 pm on a Saturday.
Prices and what the ticket includes
One ticket, €17 full price and €12 reduced price under conditions. The night rate is €10. This ticket gives access to the Dome church and Napoleon I’s tomb, the Army Museum permanent collections, the current temporary exhibition, the Liberation Order museum and the Relief Maps museum.
Two things to know before paying:
- The Cour d’Honneur and the Saint‑Louis Cathedral of the Invalides are free, no ticket required. If you have only half an hour, you can walk through the Cour d’Honneur at no cost.
- The combined Army Museum and Rodin Museum ticket is €26, with skip‑the‑line access to both sides. The two sites are neighbors, and it’s the best time‑for‑money deal in the area if you have a morning free.
Visitors who qualify for free entry must still obtain a ticket, online or at the windows. Bring a valid proof of eligibility; it is checked at entry.
Which entrance to use
Museum access is via 129 rue de Grenelle or Place Vauban. There is a ticket office on each side: Vauban side, near the Dome, and Grenelle side.
Our advice is simple: if the tomb is your priority, enter on the Place Vauban side. You buy your ticket a few meters from the Dome and start with it, while most visitors enter on the Grenelle side and reach the Dome later in the route, i.e., when the hall is most crowded. If you’re mainly after the weapons and armor collections, do the opposite.
By booking online through the museum’s official ticketing, you choose your time slot and enter without stopping at a window.
The audio guide is free, but bring your own headphones
An audio guide is included with the ticket, no app download needed. Connect to the "Musee_Armee" Wi‑Fi, available along the routes, then scan a QR code in the hall. Tours are offered around the permanent collections and the Dome.
Two practical details no one reads before leaving: you need your own headphones to enjoy it properly, and you can borrow a free listening device at the information desks from 10 am to 4:45 pm, subject to stock and ID presentation. We remind guests who leave without a bag of this every time.
How much time to allow
For the Dome and tomb alone, allow about an hour, enough to walk the balustrade, descend to the crypt and view the bas‑reliefs. With the permanent collections, you’re looking at a half‑day, and it’s a dense half‑day: the Army Museum is large, and trying to see everything in one go is the fastest way to retain nothing.
If you stay with us, the itinerary we most often suggest is: Dome opening at 10 am, then the collections, a lunch break, and the Rodin Museum in the afternoon with the combined ticket. It’s the kind of day that can be done entirely on foot, without the metro.
When to come
Opening at 10 am remains the quietest time, ahead of the first‑Friday night opening. Late afternoons should be avoided if you care about the dome: ticket windows close at 5:30 pm and the last third of the visit is always rushed. And remember the three annual closure days before planning your program on Jan 1.