Updated in November 2026, this Palais Garnier guide covers ticket prices, opening hours, parking, accessibility and what to see.
The Palais Garnier is Paris’s 19th-century opera house, in the 9th arrondissement, and home to the Paris Opera Ballet. A self-guided visit takes you through its Grand Staircase, foyers and library-museum, and sometimes the auditorium with its Chagall ceiling. You can book through GetYourGuide before you travel. As of November 2026, an adult self-guided ticket costs €25. Residents or citizens of France and the European Economic Area pay €15, not the single €14 or €15 price shown by older guides. Online booking is mandatory, because no visit tickets are sold on site.
Quick facts for the Palais Garnier
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Address | Corner of rues Scribe and Auber, 75009 Paris. Place de l’Opéra |
| Opening hours | Usually 10:00 to 17:00, with later closing in summer. Last access one hour before closing |
| Adult, outside France and the EEA | €25 |
| Adult, France and EEA | €15 |
| Ages 13 to 25, outside France and the EEA | €20 |
| Ages 13 to 25, France and EEA | €10 |
| Children up to 12 | Free |
| Visit length | About 1 hour 30 minutes |
| Nearest transit | Metro Opéra (lines 3, 7, 8), RER Auber (line A) |
| Phone | +33 8 92 89 90 90 |
Why book tickets for the Palais Garnier?
- 🪜 The Grand Staircase: One of the most famous staircases in the world rises beneath a gilded ceiling.
- 🎨 The Chagall ceiling: The auditorium, when open, shows Marc Chagall’s painted ceiling above the red-and-gold hall.
- 📱 A multimedia tablet: Augmented reality shows areas closed to visitors, such as the Dance Foyer and the costume store.
- 🏛️ The 150th anniversary model: An exceptional model of the building shows the stage, the auditorium and the backstage areas.
- 🎭 Temporary exhibitions included: Your ticket covers the current exhibitions when they are open.
Ticket prices for the Palais Garnier – and how to book
All prices are in euros. Prices depend on where you live. Residents or citizens of France and the European Economic Area (EEA) pay the lower rate and show ID.
| Self-guided visit | Outside France and EEA | France and EEA |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | €25 | €15 |
| Ages 13 to 25 | €20 | €10 |
| Children up to 12 | Free | Free |
| Opéra national de Paris subscribers | €10 |
| Guided tours and extras | Price |
|---|---|
| Guided tour (1 hour 30 minutes) | €11 to €35 |
| Flash guided tour (45 minutes) | €15 or €25 |
| After-hours guided tour | €32 or €42 |
| Multimedia tablet, adults | €8, or €7 when pre-booked online |
| Multimedia tablet, children (6 to 13) | €6.50 |
| Accessibility tour (audio description or sign language) | €6.50 |
| Immersive virtual reality experience (age 10 and over, sold on site) | €12 |
Free entry applies to children up to 12, disabled visitors and one companion, job seekers and several other groups with proof. Free tickets must be booked online and collected at the ticket desk at your visit time. Tickets are not refunded or exchanged, and entry is possible up to 30 minutes after your booked time.
Visit tickets are not sold at the door. You can book through GetYourGuide before you travel.
Why book the Paris Museum Pass?
- 🏛️ 60+ Top Museums & Monuments: Enjoy admission to the region’s most iconic cultural sites, including the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, the Centre Pompidou, and the Panthéon.
- 🏰 Versailles & Beyond: Your pass extends past the city limits to include historic castles like the Palace of Versailles, the Château de Fontainebleau, and the Basilica of Saint-Denis.
- ⚡ Priority Entry: Maximize your sightseeing time with priority access to permanent collections, allowing you to bypass general admission ticket lines at many popular locations.
- 📅 Flexible Duration Options: Choose between a 2, 4, or 6-day pass to perfectly match your travel schedule and explore the city’s artistic heritage at your own pace.
- 💸 Incredible Value: Save significantly on combined entry fees compared to purchasing individual tickets at each site, especially if you plan to visit multiple landmarks per day.
Opening hours for the Palais Garnier
The Palais Garnier opens for visits every day, usually from 10:00 to 17:00, and later in summer. The last access is one hour before closing. Rehearsals cause frequent and unpredictable closures of the auditorium, and no ticket guarantees access to it. Weekday and weekend hours are the same, except on performance days.
| Item | Hours |
|---|---|
| Self-guided visit | Usually 10:00 to 17:00. Last access one hour before closing |
| Bookstore | Daily 10:00 to 18:30, and until the end of performances |
| BeauCoCo restaurant | Daily 12:00 to 02:00 |
Booking opens for the next 30 days, and the calendar shows each date’s hours and availability. On matinee days, the visit can close earlier.
How to get to the Palais Garnier
The visitor entrance is at the corner of rue Scribe and rue Auber. By metro, take Opéra (lines 3, 7 and 8) or Chaussée d’Antin – La Fayette (lines 7 and 9). By RER, take line A to Auber. By bus, lines 20, 21, 27, 29, 32, 45, 52, 66, 68 and 95 stop nearby, as do the night buses N15 and N16.
Parking at the Palais Garnier
Two Q-Park car parks are close to the building. They are Q-Park Édouard VII at 16 rue Bruno Coquatrix and Q-Park Meyerbeer at 4 rue de la Chaussée d’Antin. Reserve ahead for a reduced rate.
How long to spend at the Palais Garnier
Allow about one and a half hours for the self-guided visit. The multimedia tablet tour also takes 1 hour 30 minutes. Add time for the library-museum, the exhibitions and the bookstore.
Accessibility at the Palais Garnier
The visit is accessible to visitors with a visual impairment, reduced mobility or a wheelchair. A lift for visitors with reduced mobility reaches the visit areas. The temporary exhibitions of the Library-Museum and the shop are not accessible to visitors with reduced mobility.
An accessibility tour offers audio description in French for visitors who are blind or have low vision. A tablet in French Sign Language serves visitors who are deaf. Contact +33 1 40 01 18 50 on weekdays from 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 17:00. Cloakrooms are not open during visiting hours, and suitcases and travel bags are not accepted.
What to see at the Palais Garnier
The Grand Staircase. The ceremonial staircase leads up to the foyers. The mosaic vault of the avant-foyer is covered in gold and shimmering colour.
The Grand Foyer. Mirrors and windows add to the vast dimensions of the hall. A ceiling by Paul Baudry shows themes from the history of music.
The Rotonde du Glacier and the Rotonde des Abonnés. At the end of a long gallery, a bright rotunda has a ceiling by Clairin. The subscribers’ rotunda is another grand reception space.
The auditorium. The horseshoe-shaped hall was designed to see and be seen. Marc Chagall’s ceiling is a highlight, but rehearsals regularly close the hall to visitors.
The Library-Museum. Collections from the Library-Museum of the Opéra, part of the Bibliothèque nationale de France, preserve three centuries of theatre memory. Temporary exhibitions are held here.
The Grand Vestibule. Statues of the composers Rameau, Lully, Gluck and Handel stand in the vestibule that leads to the exit.
Practical visitor tips for the Palais Garnier
| Tip | Detail |
|---|---|
| Book ahead | Visit tickets are not sold on site. Book tickets in advance and choose your time slot. |
| Bring proof for EEA rates | EEA residents and citizens need photo ID, and young visitors need proof of age. |
| Do not bring luggage | Suitcases and travel bags are not accepted, and the cloakrooms are closed during visiting hours. |
| Arrive on time | Entry is possible up to 30 minutes after your booked time, and tickets are not refunded. |
| Do not rely on the auditorium | Rehearsals often close it, and no ticket guarantees access. |
Frequently asked questions about the Palais Garnier
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Can I buy tickets at the Palais Garnier? | No. Visit tickets are sold online only, and you must book in advance. |
| How much does a visit cost? | An adult ticket costs €25, or €15 for residents and citizens of France and the EEA. Children up to 12 are free. |
| Can I always see the auditorium? | No. Rehearsals cause frequent and unpredictable closures, and no ticket guarantees access. |
| How long does the visit take? | About one and a half hours for the self-guided visit. |
| Do I need to book in advance? | Yes. Advance booking is required, and you choose your date and time slot. |
Things to do near the Palais Garnier
Galeries Lafayette Haussmann: A grand department store with a stained-glass dome on Boulevard Haussmann in Paris.
Printemps Haussmann: A department store with a rooftop terrace on Boulevard Haussmann in Paris.
Place Vendôme: A formal square with a central column and luxury jewellers in central Paris.
Église de la Madeleine: A neoclassical church with a colonnade at the top of rue Royale in Paris.
Musée Grévin: A wax museum on Boulevard Montmartre in the 9th arrondissement.
Alternatives to the Palais Garnier
Opéra Bastille: Paris’s modern opera house, designed by Carlos Ott, at Place de la Bastille.
Musée d’Orsay: A museum of 19th-century art in a former railway station on the Left Bank of the Seine.
Louvre Museum: The world’s largest art museum, on the Right Bank of the Seine in central Paris.
Palace of Versailles: A royal palace with gardens in Versailles, west of Paris.
Sainte-Chapelle: A Gothic royal chapel with stained glass on the Île de la Cité in Paris.
More Paris travel
Other Paris region travel guides on Planet Whitley include:
- What to know before visiting the Musée Rodin in Paris.
- Practical visitor guide to the Musee de Fromage in Paris.
- Important visitor information for Chateau de Compiegne and Chateau de Pierrefonds in Hauts-de-France.
- Visitor guides for National Monuments around Paris: The Chateau de Vincennes, the Chateau de Maisons and Villa Savoye.
- What to expect at the Chateau de Malmaison, Chateau de Saint-Germain-en-Laye and Chateau de Chantilly near Paris.
