Opera Garnier Tour with Expert Guides in Paris

Boasting an eclectic and ostentatious Baroque design, the Opera Garnier is one of the most extravagant representations of Second Empire architecture in France. Take this 90-minute guided tour of its public areas and you will discover flamboyant art works as you follow in the footsteps of fashionable 19th-century French society.

Inaugurated in 1875 and named after its exciting young architect, Charles Garnier, it is the largest opera house in Europe. Once you have met your guide at the museum entrance, you will be taken to the “Rotonde des Abonnes” (Members’ Rotunda), once used as the formal welcome area for opera guests. Garnier’s unique signature will be pointed out among the magnificent arabesques, before you move on to explore the building's galaxy of riches.

You will set eyes on the writhing snakes of the bronze “Pythonisse” sculpture, before climbing the double stairway of the “Grand Escalier” (Main Staircase). Imagine the swish of crinolines as you admire the breathtaking décor and stroll through vast foyers, filled with sparkling mosaics, colorful marble columns and gold-leaf flourishes. Everywhere you look will be a feast for the eyes.

Throughout the tour, expert and enthusiastic guides from the Opera de Paris point out the splendid paintings and sculptures that help to make the Opera Garnier one of the most rewarding museums in Paris, as well as one of its most impressive working theaters.