Musée national des Arts asiatiques - Guimet
National Museum of Asian Arts at the Place d’Iéna: one of the richest collections of Asian art in Europe, from Afghanistan to Japan.
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About the museum
The museum owes its origins to Lyon industrialist Émile Guimet, a passionate student of the world’s religions, who gathered a collection of objects brought back from his travels. He first founded a museum in Lyon, then had a new building constructed on the Chaillot hill in Paris, which opened in 1889. Guimet donated it to the State and directed it himself.
In the 20th century, expeditions and the work of archaeologists such as Joseph Hackin and Philippe Stern enriched the holdings. In 1945, the museum received part of the Louvre’s Asian collections, including the Grandidier collection, and has since been devoted exclusively to the arts of Asia. The Musée d’Ennery, an annex on the avenue Foch, had been attached to it since 1908, and the Hôtel d’Heidelbach on the avenue d’Iéna was added in 1991.
A major renovation, led by architects Henri and Bruno Gaudin, began in 1996 and was inaugurated in 2001. The route now presents works from India, Southeast Asia, China, Japan, Korea, Central Asia, Tibet and Nepal, around the Khmer courtyard (cour khmère) and the rotunda.
Highlights
- Khmer sculptures from Cambodia
- Art from India and the Himalayas
- Ceramics and bronzes from China
- Art from Japan and Korea
- Library rotunda and dome on the fifth floor
- Maison Guimet (Hôtel d’Heidelbach), visitable on a guided tour
Permanent exhibition
- Collections permanentes – Art from India, Southeast Asia, China, Japan, Korea, the Himalayas and Central Asia, spread over several floors around the Khmer courtyard.
- Founded
- 1889
- Operated by
- État – ministère de la Culture (musée national)
- Visitors per year
- approx. 253,223
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €15 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €12Members of friends’ associations of national museums, visitors paying with holiday vouchers, holders of the large-family card and members of the AFAO; the museum does not offer age-based reduced rates. |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Free admission for visitors under 18. |
| Seniors | –No reduced rate for seniors. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Free and priority admission for the person with a disability and one companion, upon proof. |
| Students & apprentices | –Visitors aged 18 to 25 who are EU nationals, job seekers and recipients of social minimum benefits receive free or reduced admission upon proof, available only at the ticket desk. |
| Groups | –Booking is required for groups with a talk; up to 25 people per group in the permanent collections. Lecture-tours cost €160 (adults) or €100 (students) for 1 or 1.5 hours; workshops cost €350; school visits cost €80. |
Free admission: First Sunday of the month, for the permanent collections and temporary exhibitions at the Iéna site, without online booking; some events, such as the Nuit des musées, are also free.
The ticket gives access to the permanent collections and the temporary exhibitions. The Paris Museum Pass is accepted for the permanent collections (one entry per site). The Société des amis du musée Guimet offers a membership card with free access.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
An external ramp to the left of the entrance steps, two lifts serving the garden level and the three collection floors, and a separate lift to the rotunda on the fifth floor. Accessible toilets are at garden level and on the fourth floor. Three wheelchairs are lent at reception against ID (no booking needed); folding seats are at the entrance to the collections. Induction loops at reception, at the shop checkouts and in the auditorium. Reserved parking spaces on the service lane of the avenue d’Iéna. The third-floor terrace is not accessible to visitors with reduced mobility. The Maison Guimet is not wheelchair-accessible.
Kids & families
| Time needed | approx. 1.5 hrs |
|---|---|
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Baby changing facilities
The museum offers online content for children: youth podcasts (a mystery and storytelling Asian recipes), articles and audio series. Baby-changing table on the fourth floor.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Iéna
Metro: Iéna (line 9) and Boissière (line 6); RER C: Pont de l’Alma. Bus: Iéna (lines 63, 82, 32), Kléber-Boissière (lines 22, 30), Albert de Mun (line 32). Vélib’ stations: Longchamp – place d’Iéna and Galilée – Kléber.
By car
Paid parking
Covered paid car park Kléber-Longchamp, 65 avenue Kléber, 75016 Paris.
- Accessible parking
The metro stations listed have no lifts; all Paris bus lines are accessible.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Restaurant
- Museum shop
- Coat check
- Lockers
Hanok restaurant, open all year from Wednesday to Monday, 10:00 to 17:30. The Han Rooftop terrace is open from June to September and is currently closed until spring 2027. Bookshop of the Réunion des musées nationaux, accessible without a ticket. Free self-service cloakroom for small bags; wheeled suitcases and cabin bags are not allowed. The museum asks visitors not to eat or drink in the galleries.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
- Private parties
- Corporate events
Up to 450 guests.
Spaces of the museum and the Maison Guimet for cocktails and breakfasts (up to 450 guests), seated lunches and dinners (up to 100 guests), seminars and conferences (up to 276 people). Catering, guided visits and entertainment are not included. Requests by email to privatisations@guimet.fr.
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | no |
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Photos and films are allowed for private use unless otherwise indicated; flash and additional lighting are prohibited. Drawing is permitted in pencil and coloured pencil only. |
| Good to know | Suggested visit length: about 1.5 hours for the permanent collections, plus about 45 minutes for a temporary exhibition. The museum does not offer an audio guide; maps in French and English are available at reception. Free presentations take place in the collections on the first Sunday of each month, without booking. A ticket is valid all day, but leaving the museum ends the visit. |
