Visiting the Palais Garnier, 10 minutes’ walk from the Concortel

What is the Palais Garnier?

Built by the architect Charles Garnier during the Second Empire and opened in 1875, the Palais Garnier is one of the two venues of the Opéra national de Paris, alongside the Opéra Bastille. Today it mainly hosts ballet and operas, and its public areas can be visited by day, outside performances.

What can you see on a self-guided visit?

According to the Opéra national de Paris, the self-guided visit covers the building's public areas:

• the marble Grand Staircase, designed as a stage where the audience put itself on show;
• the Grand Foyer and Avant-Foyer, with their gilding, mirrors and mosaics;
• the salons and rotundas, and the Library-Museum;
• the auditorium, when no rehearsal is under way: admire the chandelier and the ceiling painted by Marc Chagall in 1964.

Allow an hour to an hour and a half.

When should you go and how do you book?

Self-guided visits run every day from 10 am to 5 pm (until 6 pm from mid-July to late August), except for exceptional closures linked to performances. Online booking is mandatory: no tickets are sold on site. Prices depend on age and country of residence; check them on the Opéra national de Paris website.

How do you get there from the Concortel?

On foot, head to boulevard Haussmann and the department stores: the Palais Garnier is about 10 minutes away (estimate). After your visit, carry on to the covered passages. More ideas in Discover Paris and, for dinner, our gourmet addresses.