Palais Garnier
Place de l’Opéra, 75009 Paris
Website – Tel: 01 40 01 18 50.
Metro: Opéra. Lines nº 3, 7, 8.
Open daily: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Except occasional closures. Due to theatre activities, the auditorium is often inaccessible to visitors, and some areas may be closed (verify on the website).
Self-guided visit, full/reduced rate: €15 / €10. Free for children under 12.
Guided tour, full/reduced rate: €23 / €16.50 / Under 10: €10 / Free under 4.
Guided tour after closing hours, single rate: €26.
Entrance for visits is located at the corner of Rue Scribe and Rue Auber. Audio headsets are provided during guided tours. Advance booking is strongly recommended.
On-site services: restaurant and bookshop-boutique.
The four guided tours available:
Intermezzo at the Palais Garnier
Discover the public areas of the Palais Garnier with passionate guide-lecturers who will share explanations and anecdotes to help you understand the history, architecture, and décor of this masterpiece of 19th-century theatre architecture, in the heart of Haussmann’s Paris.
Anniversary Tour: 150 Years of the Palais Garnier
In 2025, the Paris Opera celebrates the 150th anniversary of the Palais Garnier with a special tour highlighting its fascinating history and ongoing artistic vitality.
Family Tour: Cat’s Leap at the Opera
This tour is designed especially for families and children aged 6 to 12, encouraging their curiosity. With a cat’s leap, they will discover history and mythology, architecture and the arts, music and ballet, as they explore the public spaces of the theatre.
After-Hours Tour: The Mysteries of the Palais Garnier
At 5 pm, as the theatre doors close and preparations for the evening performance begin, enjoy a timeless moment exploring the Palais Garnier in a hushed, exclusive atmosphere, outside public opening hours.
Mystery Tours take place from September 1 to July 15; they are not accessible to visitors with reduced mobility.
Presentation
A dazzling symbol of 19th-century Paris, the Palais Garnier is one of the capital’s most prestigious monuments. Commissioned by Napoleon III and inaugurated in 1875, it was designed by architect Charles Garnier, who envisioned a palace dedicated to opera and ballet.
Its eclectic architecture, blending baroque and classical influences, impresses from the façade alone. Columns, statues, gilding, and marble combine in lavish harmony, announcing the grandeur within. Visitors are immediately struck by the famous grand marble staircase, a masterpiece of theatrical design, leading to richly decorated salons and radiant galleries.
The auditorium, in red and gold, is crowned by a monumental seven-ton chandelier and a ceiling painted by Marc Chagall, added in the 20th century. This dialogue between classical heritage and modern creativity perfectly illustrates the vitality of the building.
Over time, the Opéra Garnier has inspired imagination worldwide: it notably gave rise to Gaston Leroux’s famous novel The Phantom of the Opera, forever linking legend to this iconic landmark.
Today, the Opera continues to host performances of opera and ballet, while offering tours that allow visitors to freely admire its architectural marvels. Both a monument of art and of history, it embodies Parisian refinement and France’s enduring passion for culture.
To discover the Palais Garnier is to step into a world of splendour and elegance, and to understand why, more than a century after its inauguration, it remains one of the shining jewels of the City of Light.
