My review of the Napoleon walking tour
Verdict: this is not a tour of Les Invalides, and that is exactly its value. Three hours on foot through imperial Paris — Place Vendôme, Tuileries, Carrousel arch, Concorde, Pont Royal — ending under the Dôme, entry included. The rating is excellent, on a still-modest review count.
Why walk before the tomb
People usually reach the Dôme without having seen what Napoleon did to Paris. That is a shame, because the city is full of him: the Vendôme column, cast from the bronze of the guns taken at Austerlitz; the Carrousel arch, raised for the same victories; the rue de Rivoli; the Champs-Élysées as a triumphal way. Making that journey first puts the tomb back at its true scale: you stop seeing a sarcophagus and start seeing the end point of a programme.
Included
- The guided walk of Napoleonic sites in central Paris
- Skip-the-line access to the tomb and the Army Museum
- Free exploration of the museum rooms afterwards
- Guide assistance with your other Paris reservations
Not included
- Transport: it is all on foot
- Food and drink
- French: this format is in English
What recurs in the reviews
Pace first: three hours on your feet on Paris pavements is long for anyone who has not prepared for it. The reviews that lower the rating almost always mention tiredness, rarely the content. Proper shoes are not a detail.
Then the starting point: the Place Vendôme, on the corner, outside a specific shop, with a flag. It is not at Les Invalides, and you have to plan the journey there. And finally the end of the route: the group is dropped at the museum with a valid entry, and those who leave straight away miss half of what they paid for.
What works
- Gives the tomb a context the museum alone cannot
- Three well-filled hours in central Paris
- Entry included, skip-the-line
- Excellent rating across the published reviews
Worth knowing
- Three hours of walking: tiring
- English only
- Departure from the Place Vendôme, far from Les Invalides
- Not well suited to young children
Book this walk
Available departures are below.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the walk start?
At the corner of the Place Vendôme, outside the Boucheron shop; the guide carries a flag.
Is tomb entry included?
Yes, with skip-the-line access to the tomb and the Army Museum.
Is it suitable for children?
Three hours of walking suits younger children badly: see the family page.