With its gilding, grandeur, and lavish ornamentation, Palais Garnier is often compared to the Palace of Versailles. While you can admire the beaux-arts and neo-baroque structure, designed by architect Charles Garnier, from the outside on Paris sightseeing tours, it’s also possible to see the interior by attending a performance or taking a self-guided audio tour or a guided tour of the venue. Book an after-hours tour to explore the Palais Garnier without the crowds. You can also combine a tour of Palais Garnier with visits to other nearby architectural gems, such as the historic Galeries Lafayette department store and the passages couverts (covered shopping galleries).
The on-site restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; the bar inside the theater sells drinks before performances and during intermissions.
Operas are usually performed in their original language, with French (and sometimes English) supertitles.
While no official dress code is enforced for regular performances, most operagoers dress smartly. For special gala events, attendees wear more formal attire.
Palais Garnier is in the Opéra and Grands Boulevards area, one of Paris’ shopping hot spots. The Opéra station, just across the street from the venue, can be accessed by Metro lines 3, 7, and 8, while lines 7 and 9 serve the nearby Chaussée d’Antin–La Fayette station. Alternatively, take the RER A line to Auber station.
Palais Garnier tours are held daily throughout the year and are most popular during the summer. To escape the crowds, book an after-hours tour, which allows you to see the quiet corridors and hushed auditorium without the daytime crowds. Note that access to the auditorium is dependent on availability; for the best chance of seeing it, opt for a morning tour, as rehearsals typically take place in the afternoon.
The interior’s standout features are the fresco- and gold-adorned Grand Foyer, the bronze Pythonisse sculpture, and the imposing Grand Staircase (Grand Escalier). Auditorium highlights include the 2,600-square-foot (241-square-meter) ceiling painting by Marc Chagall, in the center of which hangs an enormous crystal and bronze chandelier that inspired the dramatic chandelier drop in Gaston Leroux’s Phantom of the Opera.
