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Hôtel des Invalides

4.4 (86 reviews)
Closed • 10:00 am - 7:00 pm

Hôtel des Invalides Photos

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Andrea U.

This is a military hospital, nursing home & chapel that are now the Military Museum. There was a lot to see and do here, we purchased timed tickets on line so we didn't have to get on the cue here. We spent half the day exploring.

Elgin M.

Such a great experience. My only regret is underestimating how much I would enjoy this place and not leaving myself more time. How many times do you get a chance to enter Napoleons tomb? To stand in front of swords held by actual knights? Weapons dating back to 1500 BC? Check Samurai armor dating back 400 years? YUP Suits of armor worn by kings? Check I don't know how necessary it is to revisit a lot of places in Paris once you've been there. But this will certainly be once that I do. If you're on the fence about going. Allow me to push you over........GO!!!!

Tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte under the Dome of Hôtel des Invalides
Michael S.

Hôtel des Invalides is a beautifully restored classical French architectural landmark and home to the tomb of Napoléon, tallest church in Paris, and Musée de l'Armée. It is not a hotel. It is also no longer a place for "Invalides." Ok, so, what are invalides? Well, they're military veterans no longer "valid" to serve. None other than the Sun King Louis XIV ordered the construction of this immense hospital in 1670 to receive and assist wounded warriors who were declared "invalid" to continue service in the army. It's officially known as "Hôtel National des Invalides" which Wikipedia translates to "The National Residence of the Invalids." Many just refer to it as "Les Invalides." I'll refer to it as another must-visit tourist destination in a city overflowing in monuments. The Dôme des Invalides is gilded in nearly 28 pounds of gold leaf and, at a height of 351 feet (107 meters), it stands as an eye-catching landmark visible from many parts of Paris. Under the dome, is the tomb of Napoleon. That's right this is the final resting place of the the one and only Napoléon Bonaparte ... aka Napoléon 1st ... aka The Little Corporal ... aka Nightmare of Europe ... aka The Heir of the Republic ... aka Le Général Entrepreneur ... aka The Emperor of the French, King of Italy, Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine, and Mediator of the Helvetic Confederation. Seriously, only Daenerys has more titles than this guy. Anyways, he's dead and you can look at the ornate box in an ornate room under an ornate dome that holds his remains. Also at Les Invalides is the the Cathedral Saint-Louis des Invalides and the Musée de l'Armée as well as a huge military parade ground ... from which we were shooed away from because President Macron was arriving soon for a ceremony. Other museums include Historial Charles de Gaulle, Musée de l'Ordre de la Libération, and Musée des plans-reliefs. * Admission: €12 for Adults * Under 18 is free * Closed: Jan 1, May 1, and Dec 25 * Museums are open 10:00am-5:00pm (later in summer) * The grounds are open 7:30am-7:00pm * On summer Tuesdays, Les Invalides is open to 9:00pm * 2 entrances: Place Vauban and the Esplanade * A-40 minute iPad Dôme guide is €5 * Check out the concerts & events schedule * Le carré des Invalides restaurant opens at 9:00am * The gift shop opens at 10:00am * Coat check is at the Place Vauban entrance Les Invalides (aka Hôtel des Invalides) is a huge complex featuring classic French architecture designed by Liberal Bruand and Jules Hardouin-Mansart. The architectural achievements alone make this a site awe-inspiring while the dome, tombs, and museums make it a must-visit tourist destination in the heart of Paris.

Edmund L.

This was one of my favorite museums in Paris! Being a big fan of military history, this was one of the places I looked forward to the most. It had everything a military history buff could want..Napoleon's Tomb, life sized models of soldiers, and diagrams of military battles. I could spend hours in that museum watching those digital reenactments of different battles like Austerlitz or Waterloo. A must visit for military history fans!

Sarah S.

My friends and I went here but it was quite confusing finding this spot, I must say. Our main goal was Tombeau de Napoleon and we couldn't find clear signs and then realized it's inside this Institution Nationale des Invalides. The monument houses the tomb of Napoleon...plus tons of his relatives and other military officials. This was super confusing to my friends and I trying to find THE Napoleon's tomb. If you're confused like we were, just know that tiny Napoleon Bonaparte takes center stage right in the middle of the monument with all attention on his huge tomb. His sarcophagus lies right in the center of the monument. Kind of freaky to think his body is inside of the casket. Apparently there are also some hearts of notable military men in the vaults, as well. It's all quite eerie. We went down below into where the actual vaults are there was a really creepy hallway roped off. Eek! This isn't a top priority for people while in Paris to visit but I'm so glad we checked it out.

Institution Nationale des Invalides (Winter 2010)
Ken G.

Wow - an awesome piece of architecture showcasing the splendor of Paris art and detail. This monument houses Napoleon's tomb and it really is a site to see how much work and money went into something so that people don't forget this famous leader. This is a must see in Paris!

Nicole P.

An excellent museum and monument - in fact, it's actually multiple museums in one, so much to take in that if you're a history buff you could easily spend an entire day here and not see it all. What's also nice is that it is relatively quiet and free from massive tour bus crowds, so after dealing with massive swarms of humanity at the Louvre and Musee d'Orsay it made for a refreshing break in the action. Napoleon's Tomb is not to be missed, of course. Even if you're not into visiting tombs and graves, the sheer massive size of it and over-the-top grandeur is a sight to behold. But then there is the excellent museum of the two World Wars, full of historical artifacts, uniforms, propaganda posters, and videos that bring history to life (from a very French point of view, of course). There's a massive collection of arms and armor, by which point I was a bit too exhausted to spend much time in, The Cathedral of Saint-Louis, and just the history of the buildings themselves. Definitely worth spending at least a few hours in if you have any interest in history.

Tina C.

Les Invalides is accessible via the Métro. This museum is most famous for residing Napoleon the First's tomb. He sits in the middle of the beautifully decorated former hospital, in a large stone coffin. His tomb is crafted in red porphyry from Russia, placed on a green granite base outlined in a circle of laurels and inscriptions, very elaborate indeed. Other dearly departed renown residents are: Victor Hugo, Madame Curie, Pierre Curie which are not as eleborate or immense a scale as Napoleon's tomb. France's history is alive!

Tom H.

Our tour bus drove by this building where Napoleon's tomb is displayed. Unfortunately we didn't have time to go inside, but I did get these great exterior pictures. The Hôtel des Invalides was commissioned in 1670 by Louis XIV in order to provide accommodation and hospital care for wounded soldiers. The chapel of the Invalides was built at the end of the 17th century by Jules-Hardouin Mansart and contains Napoleon's tomb. Next visit in Paris I will make this historic building my number one priority to see!

Will check it our next time
Adrienne K.

My 7-year old son and I jammed a lot into our 14-day adventure of Paris but unfortunately we did not have time for Les Invaldies. Just gives me 1 more excuse to get back to Paris. Since this trip a year ago now, I have adopted Paris as my second home and maybe someday my final home. I am giving it a 3 review since we did not visit the campus or Tomb of Napoleon.

Rude staff

After visiting the military museum on the 11th this month in November, I came to the gift shop. It was close to 5pm and I worried about not being able to see the emperor's tomb. So I asked a worker who happened to be at the entrance about the open time that day. The gentleman was skinny and comparably short. He seemed to be in his mid 40 to late 40's and have less hair in the middle of the head. He looked up and frowned, shook his head then continued minding his business while saying something I didn't understand, which I assumed it was French. I was confused because apparently he was annoy that somebody would DARE to ask him any questions. Not being able to get an answer, I had to ask him again. He used a tongue - so arrogant that make me feel like he took himself as a king, finally said 2 words in English while pointing at me "check there!" I looked at the direction of his finger and found out it was the brochure, which was in French. Please remember, at this moment he barely even lift his precious head. I knew he intended to offend and anger me. But I controlled myself and said "well you seem to be very polite." He said "OF COURSE!" Then use his left hand to drive me away. This tremendous rudeness almost shocked me - it has never happened while I was traveling in any other countries or regions. The fact that his rudeness was performed so naturally that it made think it actually happened a lot on this guy. I finally came back to the gift shop later. Unfortunately, the same guy was working as a cashier. The stripe reader on the other cashier's didn't work so I had to queue in line for him. I knew for sure he would humiliate me again, even though I still couldn't know why. So a female worker kindly helped me with checking out. During checkout, I tried to talk or at least to interact with him to figure out if he just had a bad day, but he just pretended like he couldn't hear me at all. The people standing in line heard it and all felt he was rude, he could still manage to ignore my existence. Anyway, as an English speaker from the US, I felt being shamed and humiliated on purpose on my first day in France. It was funny to realize that the world is more like a unit than before but there are still people who would act in this racist way - at least in my opinion, he seemed to be very upset about the presence of an English speaker that he had to hold grudge against me or whoever dared to interact with him in English. Les Invalides is an amazing historic site. There are people visiting from all over the world every day. A man like him is just ruining it.

Rhonda W.

Our guide told us this fancy building was built for Soldiers . so many were left homeless and wounded .. having to place to go and it looked bad on the King .. so he had this built to care for the Veterans. we went past this as a part of our Globus tour .. on a our bus ... and stopped to take a few pics. In fact this is were we had our one and only group photo.

Famous tomb
Patty R.

Any history buff would be thrilled to visit this location. There is such a sense of grandeur and history - so much to see. The admission of 12 Euros was very reasonable in our opinion, as we spent a good part of the day there. The museum, the cathedral, and Napoleon's Tomb all offer very much to see. We strolled, stopped for a quick coffee and snack at the café located on site. The exterior grounds and gardens were also just lovely.

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3 years ago

An amazing piece of history with remarkable architecture. Napoleon the First's tomb is here. Well worth a visit!

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16 years ago

Such a grand building. In the middle of it is the grand tomb of Napoleon. It's size of my house...okay, maybe more like a bus.

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Hôtel des Invalides Reviews in Other Languages

Review Highlights - Hôtel des Invalides

“Also, houses Napoleon's tomb under a beautiful and opulent chapel and a wonderful tribute to Charles deGaulle.”

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Musée d’Orsay - Starry Night Over the Rhône, 1888, Vincent van Gogh (October 2019)

Musée d’Orsay

4.6(1k reviews)
1.1 km•Musée d'Orsay, 7ème

Spectacular museum! Amazing art and beautiful setting. I loved the impressionist art…read more Definitely worth visiting.

I've been to Musée d'Orsay twice over the years and have left both times feeling awed by what I saw…read moreand rueful of all I'd so obviously missed. You can't even speed run the place in two or three hours, and you probably need days or a lifetime to appreciate it in full. My more recent visit was earlier this month, with my husband and kids and other sundry family members, who spread out and explored the museum on their own. The d'Orsay opens at 9:30 in the morning and we booked tickets in advance for 10:00 entry. Getting in was quick and easy, and the crowd was pretty reasonable for the first hour or so, which we spent on the fifth floor. By the time we got to the special exhibit on the ground level, around noon, every room was thronged. We didn't make it to the second floor at all. The museum is a global treasure, a beautiful place with a staggering collection of French art, including the world's largest trove of Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings. The d'Orsay was once the Gare d'Orsay, a Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900. It would be worth visiting for the architecture and use of space and light alone. The art, of course, is genuinely amazing. If you have even a passing familiarity with paintings as a genre, you will walk around the d'Orsay going, "Oh, THAT's here?" I saw multiple paintings I'd encountered in jigsaw puzzles, or on the covers of Debussy piano books. Manet, Cezánne, Gauguin, Degas; a whole room of Van Gogh, including one of his most recognizable self-portraits and his "Bedroom in Arles" (a very enjoyable 2,000-piece puzzle). Monet everywhere--I guess the d'Orsay owns 86 of his paintings. I loved the mini-exhibit of five paintings of the Rouen Cathedral, and even my six-year-old appreciated, if purely for subject matter, "The Saint-Lazare Station." Our kids, it turns out, do not yet appreciate art, and were in ragged form for much of our visit. Our three-year-old demanded to be carried at all times and kept insisting he didn't like "these pictures." (He also objected to his first nude, "The Bathers" by Renoir: "Why aren't they wearing any clothes, even? They can wear pants. They can cover themselves.") We had to take a breather in the underground cafe, with water and snacks, and this gave us enough steam to make it back out to the main floor. We managed to zip through a few of the many rooms lining the main corridor on our way up to the Renoir exhibit at the front of the museum. This part of our visit could not have been more cursory, and yet we stumbled upon Courbet's self-portrait, "The Desperate Man"--a cool painting I'd never seen before--and Millet's "The Angelus," a painting I'd learned about at the d'Orsay many years earlier. The Renoir exhibit (Renoir and Love: A Joyful Modernity, apparently just ended) was spectacular, an expansive collection of iconic paintings displayed for maximum impact. It was also jam packed and slightly unpleasant to navigate with two children on the verge of meltdown. I'd love to go back to Paris and explore the d'Orsay at my leisure. I'm sure it'd also be worthwhile to go with a guide, and perhaps two older, well-behaved children who might get something out of the experience. In the meantime, I'm grateful I've been able to see the place at all. It's a marvelous museum, one of the greatest in the world.

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Musée d’Orsay - Inside

Inside

Musée d’Orsay - The cafe. Nice cookies!

The cafe. Nice cookies!

Musée d’Orsay - Entrance level

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Entrance level

Centre Pompidou

Centre Pompidou

4.3(319 reviews)
3.0 km•Beaubourg, 4ème

This museum has all of the modern mischief makers and envelope pushers that you learn about in art…read morehistory classes--Miro, Duchamp, Kadinsky, Klein, Klee, etc--plus their lesser known peers and contemporary artists. It's exciting to be around so much creativity and spark. The building itself is a draw, and you can enjoy the nearby fountain filled with moving statues and take the famous elevator all the way to the top for free--the view is the best, and I prefer it more than the view from the Eiffel Tower! There is also a notable bookstore filled with art folios and a wall of postcards, accessible without tickets. If you enter the paid floors, expect to be wowed for at least 2-3 hours.

Centre Pompidou was due to close its doors for a years-long renovation when I went. Thought not…read morecompletely shut down (Wolfgang Tillmans was showing his photographs), the lack of exhibits make this arts center a shell of its former self; even the long escalator, a prominent feature, wasn't in operation. Also, there was no access to the rooftop viewing platform. The building is very cool with its "inside out" design as giant pipes decorate the exterior. I remember Centre Pompidou as full of life, I hope when it returns to be able to experience its full art programming once again. Two stars because it's depressing to see the building half done & half alive.

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Centre Pompidou - Display of Space Invaders street art decals

Display of Space Invaders street art decals

Centre Pompidou
Centre Pompidou

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Musée de l’Orangerie

Musée de l’Orangerie

4.6(259 reviews)
1.2 km•Concorde/Madeleine, 1er

Orangerie Museum, Paris, France -- April 12…read more Our family of four with kids ages 9 and 10 visited after a morning at the Louvre, looking for a more relaxed museum experience. It ended up being one of the most enjoyable stops of the trip. Arrival and First Impressions The museum is smaller and much calmer than the Louvre, which made it an easy transition after a busy morning. The space is bright with beautiful natural light and a peaceful atmosphere. We arrived without reservations, and it took about 45 minutes to enter the museum. The Highlights Monet's water lilies are the centerpiece and absolutely worth the visit. The scale, color, and immersive layout of the rooms make it a unique experience. We also enjoyed seeing works by artists like Matisse and Renoir. The park outside was a great bonus and gave the kids space to run around afterward. The Challenges We waited about 45 minutes to get in without reservations, which could have been avoided with advance tickets. Final Thoughts This museum was my personal favorite and a place we would absolutely visit again. It is a great option for families or anyone looking for a more manageable and peaceful museum experience. It is definitely worth it, especially if you plan ahead

The Louvre Museum was a horrible but the IOrangerie was/is the best museum in Paris. Customer…read moreservice was good. The staff would look us in the eye and guided us to a beautiful experience. The Impressionist Artist are my favorite and sitting in the space, enjoying and learning from the work has inspired me to keep painting. Pls visit this museum it honors the artist while allowing us to set, view and breath the air these works sit and n.

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Musée de l’Orangerie - Claude Monet's Water Lilies (Nymphéas) (October 2019)

Claude Monet's Water Lilies (Nymphéas) (October 2019)

Musée de l’Orangerie - Photo 3: "Les Trois Sœurs" by Henri Matisse (1916-17)

Photo 3: "Les Trois Sœurs" by Henri Matisse (1916-17)

Musée de l’Orangerie

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Musée du Louvre - Joan of Arc listening to her voices, 1852, François Rude (October 2019)

Musée du Louvre

4.5(2.3k reviews)
1.8 km•1er, Palais Royal/Musée du Louvre

April 23, 2026 we visited the Louvre. Tried buying tickets online, but could not get any morning…read moretickets one week in advance. They do not take American Express credit cards. Finally signed up with Tiquets for a tour for two with accompanied guide for $164.73 double the normal entrance fee. Unlike Versailles Palace, the Louvre is right in the center of Paris, and easy to get to by metro subway. The Louvre is 22 euros for EEC country residents, and 32 euros for everyone else. Children under 12 are free. If you buy a discounted ticket or are a child, you must show your passport at the entrance to prove eligibility. Although the Louvre is a huge museum, the portion we were interested in was quite small, 18th and 19th century impressionist and historic paintings. We accompanied our tour guide at 10am, and were finished by 2pm, including having lunch. We saw The Winged Victory statue, and the Mona Lisa by Leonardo Devinci, surrounded by rope barriers and guards, keeping people 15 feet away. Only thing missing was bullet proof glass barriers. Loved the paintings of the French revolution, and paintings of Napoleon and his foes, including British sailing warships, in addition to the impressionist paintings. If you are into impressionist paintings the Museum Orsay might be a better choice. Crowds not too bad on a weekday morning, but forget about coming here on an afternoon, unless it is just before closing time.

If you visit this massive museum, bring a teen with you and let them help you navigate it! I would…read morehave never found the Mona Lisa without my teen daughter lol. Allow yourself time to visit here. Wear comfy shoes because it's super huge. Lots of tourists everywhere. I would recommend a tour guide to help get around if you don't have a teenager. Great souvenir shops. Outside they line you up by ticket start time and you will not get in any earlier than what you were slotted for. If it's summer, bring a hat or umbrella to shield you from the sun. Perfect morning well spent.

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Musée du Louvre - Haute Couture at the Louvre

Haute Couture at the Louvre

Musée du Louvre - Michaelango

Michaelango

Musée du Louvre - It's smaller than you think

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It's smaller than you think

Musée d’Art Moderne

Musée d’Art Moderne

4.3(60 reviews)
1.5 km•Trocadéro/Iéna, 16ème

Features contemporary art and permanent collection is free to the public. There are also paid…read moreexhibits but you'll just appreciate what they have downstairs. Their outside space has skateboarders and overlooks the Seine. Nice bookstore too.

"It was okay" is how I would reply, if asked about my visit (09/27/2023) to the Musee d' Art…read moreModerne while in Paris for the 1st time. I have to say, having a lukewarm experience was disappointing & so unexpected. I must have hyped up the Musee d' Art Moderne in my head before visiting because I was so sure that because it was a PARIS museum that it was going to "wow" me from beginning to end because surely, all Paris museums were supposed to have that wow factor. On a positive note, at least I can now share a few helpful tidbits w/ others so hopefully, you'll have a wow experience! :) Helpful tidbits: - - - research exhibits beforehand: During my visit the majority of the exhibits on display didn't "wow" me so I would recommend doing a little research beforehand to see if the exhibits being shown when you go are something that would peak your interest (I didn't do this & wish I would have) - - - budget friendly thing to do! It is free to visit this Paris museum so a great location to use the restroom and/or take a break from all your Paris sightseeing - - - security screening & free coat/bag check Hope, this info helps! Rebecca visiting from Austin, Texas (United States)

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Musée d’Art Moderne - Pic taken on 09/27/2023

Pic taken on 09/27/2023

Musée d’Art Moderne
Musée d’Art Moderne

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Les Catacombes de Paris - Interior

Les Catacombes de Paris

4.2(476 reviews)
2.8 km•Denfert-Rochereau, 14ème

A must visit when you're coming to Paris! A huge insight to the history of the city and the…read moreunfortunate happenings that were part of it. I definitely walked out of this feeling a bit of dread and uneasiness, but was also enlightened after learning more. We bought our tickets ahead of time and came to the Catacombs about 10 minutes before our entry slot. There were several other people waiting in line with us and once you get in, you're able to walk as slow or as fast as you please. We bought the additional audio guide and I'm glad we did, as it gave us a lot more detail and background than what we would've gotten from just reading the placards. There are a good amount of steps here so wear comfortable shoes! It also gets colder as you get deeper into the catacombs so wear a layer just in case.

The major thing we wanted to do in Paris was visit the catacombs, an underground ossuary containing…read morethe bones of more than six million people. The catacombs are part of Paris' abandoned mine and quarry network, and bones were moved to the catacombs because the cemeteries were running out of space. The first bones were transferred from the Cimetière des Saints-Innocents after the cemetery was closed in 1780 due to overuse. The catacombs are an extremely popular attraction, and purchasing tickets in advance is highly recommended as a limited number of people are admitted each hour, and with good reason -- the experience would be extremely unpleasant if overly crowded. However, you can only purchase tickets one week in advance, and the catacombs are not open on Mondays. The two full days we were in Paris were Sunday and Monday, so I had to ensure that we were able to get tickets for Sunday April 7. Fortunately I was successful! Tickets were €29 each, although per the website, they are now €31. Unfortunately, the catacombs are not accessible for people in wheelchairs or who have mobility issues -- the 1.5km long route has 243 stairs -- 131 to descend and 112 to ascend. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit, and if you want to see bones and skulls (no full skeletons, though), the Paris catacombs won't disappoint! [Yelp collections: Europe 2024; Paris, France; Beware of stairs!]

Photos
Les Catacombes de Paris - Catacombs

Catacombs

Les Catacombes de Paris
Les Catacombes de Paris

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La Tour Eiffel - 7am view from our hotel

La Tour Eiffel

4.6(2.2k reviews)
1.4 km•Tour Eiffel/Champ de Mars, 7ème

This is the prime Paris destination…read more I loved walking around le tour Eiffel and the champs de Mars. There are hire a few gimmicky souvenir shops and snack stops in this location. I went around 8 PM in September, which at this point, was still bright and sunny. I was quite bummed out by the fact that I wasn't able to see the tower light up, but it was still a great experience.

If I could sum up my experience in one word it would be WOW!…read more We came to the Eiffel Tower on a Friday evening and were blown away. To get into the Eiffel Tower and to access the tower itself (on top/under) you will need to go through security screening. Security screening included an x ray of bags and walking through a metal detector. To go under the Eiffel Tower, there was no cost. Once you were under the Eiffel Tower there were stands to purchase treats which included croissants, coffee, and snacks. To go on top of the Eiffel Tower, you had to pay money. We purchased tickets to use the lift to very top which included the second floor and top floor for approximately €37. On the second floor, there was a panoramic view of the city along with gift shops, restaurants, and tapas options. We personally selected Madame Brasserie (one of two high end restaurants). On the top floor, you got a 360 view of the city along with Eiffel's apartment. The top had options to purchase champagne, macarons, or other treats. It was crowded, however, everyone wanted to notice and embrace the beauty of the city. There was also an announcement sharing to be aware of pick pockets, but if you were aware of your surroundings, it was not an issue (just like everywhere, remain diligent and aware). Our experience was beautiful and I can't wait to return.

Photos
La Tour Eiffel - A friend just sent this Eiffel tower photo

A friend just sent this Eiffel tower photo

La Tour Eiffel - Eiffel Tower, Paris December 1,2024.

Eiffel Tower, Paris December 1,2024.

La Tour Eiffel - Tour Eiffel

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Tour Eiffel

Hôtel des Invalides - landmarks - Updated October 2026

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