Head to Les Invalides in central Paris to meet your guide, an art historian, before setting off on this 3.5-hour walking tour. With a fascinating history going back to the 17th century, Les Invalides is the perfect place to begin to explore the city.

Explore the complex of beautiful buildings and marvel at the many magnificent monuments and museums along the way, including Musée de l'Armée (Army Museum) and Musée d'Histoire Contemporaine (Modern History Museum). Listen as your guide details the cultural, political and social struggles that have played out at Les Invalides over the years, including how it was stormed in 1789 and the weapons seized were used in the infamous Bastille riots in July that year. Visit the Cathédrale St Louis and ogle its many banners won by French armies on battlefields. Delve into more military history while exploring some of the armories. Visit the tomb of Napoléon Bonaparte, the military and political leader famous for guiding the nation through the end of the French Revolution, and gain insight into one of the world’s most powerful and successful rulers.

For the next part of your tour, head along the Boulevard des Invalides to the Rodin Museum, where famous French sculptor Auguste Rodin lived and worked in the early 20th century. The museum and its beautiful gardens are today home to many of Rodin’s most famous works, including The Thinker, The Kiss and The Gates of Hell. Explore the galleries with your guide and gain an appreciation of the life and works of this most original and creative French artist. The tour concludes at the Rodin Museum.