Louvre Museum Ticket Information & Visiting Tips

If you have only time for one museum when in Paris, then make it to the Louvre. Lying on the Right Bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement, the Louvre is one of Paris's landmarks. It was home to the French monarchy until Louis XIV moved the royal household to the Palace of Versailles. A century later, the palace opened to the public as a museum. Today, it houses nearly 35,000 works of art in its galleries, sweeping you from the Egyptians to the Greeks and on to the Romans, Renaissance and beyond. As you browse this grandiose former royal palace, be sure to admire the world's most famous painting: Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa. Read on to discover everything you need to know about Louvre ticket options and some tips on planning an enjoyable visit.

Where to buy tickets for the Louvre Museum?

The Louvre is always busy. In fact, in 2018 a record-breaking 10.2 million people passed through its doors, making the Louvre one of the most visited attraction in the world! That's great for the museum, but not so great for culture vultures as queues at the ticket office can keep them waiting for two hours or more at peak periods. Definitely not our idea of fun, especially when it's hot outside. In high-season, like summer school holidays and Christmas, the museum becomes full to capacity, sometimes so full that the ticket office runs out of tickets for that day.
However, there is a way to avoid long queues or possible disappointment. Buying your Louvre ticket online in advance guarantees entry for a day and time that suits you. And, of course, with no waiting in a queue, you have more time to explore the museum.

Louvre Museum Ticket Options

Below we list the different ticket options available, what they include and how much they cost.

Louvre Museum Ticket - this is the standard entry ticket available at the ticket office located at the entrance of the Louvre. It gives you same-day entry to Louvre’s permanent and temporary collections and free admission to the Eugène Delacroix Museum within 48 hours. Is the cheapest ticket option available as it does not include the 3 euro booking fee which you need to pay when buying your ticket online. However, as already mentioned, lines at the ticket office are usually very long and tickets can sell out. So, you need to decide if saving a few euros is worth the time spent in line and the risk of possibly not being let in.

Louvre Museum Skip the Line Ticket - this ticket is identical to the standard ticket with the only difference that, as it’s bought online, it gives you skip the line entry into the museum. This ticket costs 20 euro - which includes the online booking fee of 3 euro. But the extra cost is absolutely worth it. You can forget the stress and boredom of standing in a queue and think how smug you'll feel as you're fast-tracked through a dedicated skip the line entrance in the pyramid. You'll have more time to see the museum's top treasures as you get all the benefits of a standard ticket entrance with full access to both permanent and temporary exhibitions (subject to availability) as well as entry to the Eugène Delacroix Museum.

Louvre Ticket with Audioguide - you can add an audio guide to both ticket options described above (the standard ticket and the skip the line ticket). The audio guide is a great addition to your ticket. It contains recorded commentaries about the museum's works as well as a route map including numerous itineraries to help you organize your tour better. You can download your self-guided tour on your smartphone device or pick up your multimedia guide at the Louvre. These informative audioguide cost 5 euros and are available in many languages including French, English, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Japanese, Mandarin, and Korean.

A few more notes about Louvre Museum Online Tickets

• You will have to go through security checks, including bag searches or scans. Please note that, with your online tickets you can skip the entrance lines but you cannot skip the lines at the security checks, which every visitor has to go through before entering.

• Be punctual! When you buy your ticket online you need to select a date and a time slot for your visit. If you are late you won't be allowed to enter through the dedicated priority entrance and will need to get in line with all other ticket holders without a time slot.
• Your Louvre Museum ticket is a single entry ticket. You can enter the museum only once. When you leave you won’t be allowed in again with the same ticket.
• You can spend as much time as you want inside the museum.
• Bring your ID - ticket holders, regardless of whether or not they bought a discounted ticket, could be asked to show their ID at the museum entrance. If you do not have your ID, you may not be allowed in.

Visiting the Louvre for Free

On the first Saturday of each month and on Bastille Day, the 14th of July, admission is free for everyone from 6pm to 9:45pm.

While, there are some visitors who can always enter the museums for free and don’t need a ticket to enter. They might, however, be asked to show their ID at the entrance in order to be allowed in. Visitors who can visit for free include:

• Children - all visitors younger than 18 years.
• Visitors under the age of 26 - all residents of the European Economic Area between the age of 18 and 25 can always visit the Louvre for free. While, all visitors younger than 26 years old regardless of their residency can visit the Louvre for free every Friday from 6:00pm to 9:45pm
• Visitors with disabilities and the person accompanying them
• Holders of a valid “Pass Education” Card
• Artists affiliated to the Maison des Artistes or the Association Internationale des Arts Plastiques (AIAP)
• Holders of a valid ICOM or ICOMOS card
• Job seekers and people on income support
• Holders of membership cards (permanent collections only)

Can you visit the Louvre with a Paris City Pass?

Visiting the Louvre with a Paris city pass is possible and also recommended, especially if you are planning on seeing numerous top museums and sights in Paris. The most popular pass is the Paris Museum Pass.
The Paris Museum Pass gives you free skip the line access to over 60 top museums and monuments in and around Paris, including, of course, the Louvre Museum. Visiting the Louvre with the Museum Pass is easy but a reservation for your visit is required. To reserve your visit, go on the official website of the Louvre Museum, click on buy your ticket, then select Paris Museum Pass holders. Here you can choose the date and time slot of your visit.
If you are also interested in free public transportation buy the Paris Passlib. The Paris Passlib combines the Paris Museum Pass with the Paris transportation pass.

Louvre Museum Guided Tours

While exploring the Louvre on your own or with an audio guide is great, nothing quite beats a guided tour. Your guide's expertise and passion for art will shine through as they point out the most famous exhibits, reveal hidden highlights and tell in-depth stories about the Louvre's (often scandalous) history. There is a range of different tours available - private tours, tours focusing on a thematic gallery, an artist, an artistic movement, collection highlights to name a few. There are also children and family tours available to make it fun learning experience for the entire family.
In addition, Louvre museum tours always guarantee skip the line access as well as last minute entry. This is particularly useful when Louvre tickets are sold out.

Louvre Museum: Visiting Tips

Below we list a few essential tips to make the most of your Louvre visit and make it a very enjoyable one as well.

• Best time to visit - the Louvre attracts thousands of visitors every day. So avoiding the peak times is an absolute must if you want to make your visit more enjoyable and peaceful. The best time to go is early in the morning, as soon as the museum opens, or in the late afternoon, after 3pm. Alternatively, visit on a Wednesday or Friday night, when the museum stays open until 9:45pm. Try to avoid weekends, especially the first Saturday of the month when admission is free for all visitors.
• Plan your visit in advance - the Louvre is the largest museum in the world and it would take you several days if not weeks to see the entire museum. To get the most out of your visit plan an itinerary in advance. Decide in advance what sections of the museum most interest you and familiarize yourself with the layout of the museum. Make sure to download the map of the Louvre from the official website.

Absolute must see - especially during your first visit:


• Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci
• Venus de Milo
• Winged Victory of Samothrace
• Liberty Leading the People
• The Coronation of Napoleon by Jacques-Louis David
• The Raft of the Medusa by Theodore Gericault

Please note that some galleries may close at short notice for maintenance. Check the official website for further details.

• Wear comfortable shoes - you will spend a long time standing and exploring the museum, so this is essential.
• The Louvre is easily accessible with a wheelchair. You can also borrow wheelchairs, walking sticks and foldable chairs free of charge.
• Don’t bring big items - items, such as bags and umbrellas, bigger than 55 cm x 35 cm x 20 cm are not permitted inside. You can, however, check your oversized items in the free self-service lockers at the museum entrance.
• Beware of pickpocket activity - Petty theft is an ongoing problem both inside and outside the museum. Keep a close eye on your belongings and be alert when you are in crowded areas.

Skip the Pyramid entrance - The Pyramid entrance is the most famous, and also the busiest. Use the Passage Richelieu and Galerie du Carrousel entrances to enter the museum, especially if you haven’t bought your ticket online as these are less crowded.

How to get to the Louvre Museum?

By Metro: Palais-Royal Musée du Louvre, is the closest metro stop. Lines 1 and 7 both stop there.

By Bus: There are many busses stopping at the Pyramid. These include: 21, 24, 27, 39, 48, 68, 69, 72, 81, 95 & Paris Open Tour Bus.

By Batobus: Louvre stop - quai François Mitterrand.

By Car: there is a private underground parking close to the Louvre, on avenue du Général Lemonnier. It is open daily from 7.00am - 11.00pm.

By Foot The Louvre is located in the center of Paris, thus very easy to reach on foot

Louvre Museum Opening Hours

• Monday: 9:00am – 6:00pm
• Tuesday: Closed
• Wednesday: 9:00am – 9:45pm
• Thursday: 9:00am – 6:00pm
• Friday: 9:00am – 9:45pm
• Saturday: 9:00am – 6:00pm
• Sunday: 9:00am – 6:00pm

On the first Saturday of each month the Louvre stays open until 9.45pm and admission is free from 6pm to 9.45pm,
The Louvre is closed every Tuesday as well as on the 1st of January, 1st of May and 25th of December.

Musée Eugène-Delacroix Opening Hours:

Monday: 9:30am – 5:30pm
Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday: 9:30am – 5:30pm
Thursday: 9:30am – 5:30pm (until 9 pm on the first Thursday of each month)
Friday: 9:30am – 5:30pm
Saturday: 9:30am – 5:30pm
Sunday: 9:30am – 5:30pm

Last admission is at 5 pm.

Tuileries Garden Opening Hours:

From 27/09/2020 - 28/03/2021 open every day from 
7:30am – 7:30pm
From 29/03/2021 - 30/05/2021:
 open every day from 7am – 9pm
From 01/06/2021 - 31/08/2021: open every day from 7am – 11pm
From 01/09/2021 - 27/09/2021:
 open every day from 7am – 9pm