Visiting the Opera House in Paris: Palais Garnier

I took a tour inside the sunning opera house in Paris and it was a truly unique experience.

It is one of the most beautiful buildings in a city that’s full of beautiful buildings.

There are two opera houses in Paris: the older one is Palais Garnier and the newer one is the Bastille Opera.

This is a guide for visiting the gorgeous Palais Garnier opera house.

Inside the Palais Garnier opera house in Paris

The interior of the Palais Garnier is outstanding in every way.

I took a self-guided tour, which let me wander around freely and take my time visiting each room.

Read on for my impressions of the tour and what to expect when you visit Palais Garnier.

The grand staircase

The Grand Escalier was designed to astonish, and it does.

It is a massive construction made of marble and decorated in gold.

Charles Garnier, the architect who designed the building and gave it its name, said that “The opera is the staircase”.

Back in the 19th century, it was the place to “make an entrance” in your most elegant attire; these days it’s the place to take endless selfies.

The grand foyer

The most luxurious room in this superbly lavish building, the Grand Foyer, has the richest and most flamboyant decorations

I loved the ceiling fresco depicting the history of music, the gold decorations, the chandeliers and just the sense of how unashamedly opulent and hedonistic this place is.

It felt a lot like visiting a Royal palace and some consider this room comparable to the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles.

Similarly to the Grand Staircase, it was the place to see and be seen, used mostly during intermissions and at the end of performances.

If you like, you can step outside from this room directly onto the balcony for some views of the city, though you just might find that everything is a bit underwhelming after spending time in the Grand Foyer…

The salons

Palais Garnier Paris Opera House - Salons

The Salon du Soleil (Sun Salon) and the Salon de la Lune (Moon Salon) are the two rooms at each end of the Grand Foyer.

Their decor may be slightly more modest, compared to other parts of the building, but they are still very impressive.

The Sun Salon has warm colours and was intended to serve as a smoking room; the Moon Salon is designed in darker tones and was meant to be the room where visitors would have their sorbet.

However, the decorator confused the two themes and so the rooms’ intended uses were reversed.

Luckily for us, we can still enjoy the elegant beauty of these rooms today regardless of that historic mix-up.

The auditorium

The auditorium has all the red velvet and gold leaf you might expect to see at an opera house, but its ceiling holds a unique surprise.

I took a self-guided tour, which didn’t include access to the auditorium itself, but we could see all of it through the boxes on the second level.

When you look up you’ll see the massive chandelier and the painted ceiling.

The style of this painted ceiling may look a bit out of place, a little too modern for this kind of building.

It is indeed a controversial ceiling, created by Marc Chagall in his signature, dreamy style.

The main themes of this mural are music, dancing and love, and it also includes some well-known Parisian landmarks.

Tickets for the opera house in Paris

To visit the opera and see its interior, you’ll need a ticket, even if you’re visiting without a guide. Here are your options:

1. The easiest way to visit the opera house is by getting a ticket for a self-guided tour. You’ll be free to explore at your own pace, which is what I did. You can either get an audio guide at the entrance at a small extra cost or just use this blog post as your guide.

2. If you prefer a tour that you can customise to fit your own interests, take a private guided tour of the opera house with a professional guide.

3. You can also take a public guided tour of the opera house. These tours are available in different languages and take place several times a day. You can buy your ticket at the opera house itself.

4. Another great way to see the opera house interior is by seeing a performance. Check the programme of events on the official site.

Tickets for the opera house in Paris + other Paris attractions

You can also book an entrance ticket to the opera house in combination with other attractions in Paris. These packages can save you money, compared to booking each attraction separately.

Louvre Museum + Opéra Garnier
Opéra Garnier + Centre Pompidou
Musée d’Orsay + Opéra Garnier
An opera house private tour that also includes a visit to the stunning Galeries Lafayette department store across the street. That’s another Parisian gem that I highly recommend you visit.

The Paris opera house exterior

Viewing the Palais Garnier from the outside, you’ll appreciate the artistry, creativity and careful design of this imposing building.

Architect Charles Garnier won a competition to design this building and it was built between 1861 and 1875.

The style is eclectic, with arches supported by columns. These are decorated with statues. Some represent various arts, such as music, dance, theatre, architecture, painting and sculpture. Others are statues of great composers, including Mozart, Beethoven and Rossini.

The two golden statues at the top of the facade are Harmony and Poetry and in the centre, you’ll see a statue of Apollo with a lyre.

How to get to the opera house in Paris

The Palais Garnier is located on the Place de l’Opéra, at the intersection of the rue de la Paix and the rue Auber.

To get there by public transport, use the metro, buses or the RER train:

Metro: Lines 3, 7 and 8 to Opéra station.
RER train: Line A to Auber station.
Bus lines: 20, 21, 27, 29, 32, 45, 52, 66, 68, 95.

You can also walk to the opera house from the Louvre along the Avenue de l’Opéra.

If you prefer to stay close to the opera house, the hotel is just across the street.

Other beautiful music halls

Tour the stunning Budapest opera
See the interior of this unmissable Barcelona concert hall
Fund out all about Vienna classical music

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