Louvre Museum: Tickets and Tours

Sitting along the banks of the Seine River in Paris, the Louvre Museum is one of the most stunning art galleries in the world, and it’s not surprising that it’s also the most visited museum in the world.

Originally built as the Louvre Palace in the late 12th century, the Louvre Museum has become one of Paris's biggest tourist attractions. Home to thousands of masterpieces, the Louvre is the icing on the cake of French culture and a testament to art history.

Get your Louvre Museum tickets for a chance to immerse yourself among some of the world's most renowned artworks, from the Mona Lisa to the Venus de Milo.

This is your ultimate guide to the Louvre Museum, one of the most iconic museums in Paris.

How much do Louvre Museum tickets cost?

A Louvre Museum ticket will give you access to both the permanent and temporary exhibitions at the museum, as well as access to the Musée Eugène-Delacroix within 48 hours of use.

Purchasing a standard ticket for the Louvre Museum costs €22 per person for adults.

It should be noted that queues at the entrance are often incredibly long, and so it is advisable to book your ticket in advance.

If you’d like to use an audioguide during the tour, you can pay an extra €6. For an in-house guided tour, you can pay €12 individually or €31 for both the guided tour and your museum entry.

Who is eligible for discounted Louvre tickets?

Multiple people are eligible for discounted tickets to the Louvre Museum. In fact, many people qualify for free entrance to the Louvre.

This includes children and youth under the age of 18, residents between the ages of 18 and 25 who live in the EU, disabled individuals and their companion, French job seekers and people on income support, journalists, teachers of art and art-related subjects, teachers at French schools, artists affiliated with Maison des Artistes or International Association of Art and ICOM/ICOMOS card holders.

It’s important to note that while you may qualify for a discounted ticket, it is still advisable to book your ticket in advance to avoid any queues. It is also essential to ensure you have the relevant documentation to prove your eligibility for a discounted ticket.

Is it possible to visit the Louvre for free?

If you do not qualify for free entry, it is possible for anyone to visit the Louvre Museum for free on July 14th, which is Bastille Day. However, if this date falls on a Tuesday it will not be open, as the Louvre closes on Tuesdays.

If you are unable to visit the Louvre Museum at all, it is possible to visit the Tuileries Garden for free, where you can still admire the exterior of the museum and the sculptures that are located within the garden.

Should you purchase Louvre Museum tickets in advance?

It is highly advisable to book your Louvre Museum tickets in advance. As the most visited museum in the world, the Louvre sees millions of people entering its exhibitions every year.

Because tickets to the Louvre are in high demand, they sell out quickly. There are also often long queues at the ticket office as people try to buy their tickets for visiting.

On the official Louvre Museum website, you are able to book your tickets up to two months in advance of your visit. This not only saves you time spent queuing, but you will also have more time slots to choose from, enabling you to pick your ideal visit time and make the most of your time in Paris.

What are the best Louvre Museum tours?

While it’s perfectly possible to visit the Louvre Museum on your own, there are also benefits to going on a tour of the Louvre.

One of the main advantages of a guided tour is that your tickets will be booked and ready, so all you need to do is show up at the entrance, meaning you skip the queue and save valuable time.

With a tour guide, you have an expert to answer your questions and direct you to the most famous artworks and lesser-known gems of the museum.

Since there are thousands of artworks displayed within the Louvre Museum, it would be difficult to know which collections and pieces are the most important ones and how best to concentrate your time unless you’re an art buff.

These are some of the best Louvre Museum tours.

Louvre Museum audioguided tours

If you would prefer to tour the Louvre Museum on your own, you can still benefit from the insightful information of an audioguide. Available to purchase from the Louvre and the official website for an additional €6, these audioguided tours come on a Nintendo 3DS.

The audioguide is available in 9 languages, including English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, German, Japanese, Korean and Chinese. It is also available in French Sign Language and comes with French audio descriptors.

Not only will the audioguide provide you with valuable information about the artworks you see and the museum itself, but it will also help you navigate the Louvre using geotracking.

Small-group guided tours of the Louvre Museum

On a guided tour of the Louvre Museum, you’ll benefit from the knowledge and expertise of a local guide who can direct you to the Louvre’s best-known artworks and lesser-known masterpieces.

Guided tours of the Louvre typically last around 2 hours long, and during that time your guide will take you to the highlights of the Louvre, including the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory of Samothrace and Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss.

Not only will your guide share interesting information about these artworks with your small group, but they’ll also take you to see the French crown jewels and ancient Egyptian collection.

At the end of the tour, you’ll have the chance to continue exploring the Louvre on your own, and discover more of its fascinating artworks and artifacts.

Private Louvre Museum tours

If you’d like a more personalized experience of the Louvre while still benefiting from the knowledge of a guide, you can opt for a private tour of the museum.

With just your group, you’ll be able to ask as many questions as you like of your guide and take advantage of their added attention. Your guide will be able to share countless stories with you about the artworks of the Louvre, as well as historical facts.

During a private tour, you’ll also be able to customize the excursion to your own interests and go at your own desired pace, ensuring you can visit and appreciate the masterpieces you’d like to see.

Some private tours even give you the option of visiting at night, or joining an art historian as your guide for a fully-fledged historical tour.

Family-oriented Louvre Museum tours

If you’re visiting the Louvre with kids in tow, a guided tour designed for children and families may be for you.

These tours, which are typically private, help keep not just kids but adults engaged. While seeing major artworks like the Mona Lisa, your guide will ensure that the whole family has fun.

These tours also enable you to design your itinerary of the tour around your children, their ages and the family’s interests. Some tours even set up a treasure hunt and games, making the most out of an informative and entertaining tour of the Louvre.

Are there any combined tickets or tours including Louvre Museum and other attractions?

Are you looking to make the most of your time in Paris? There are combined tickets that include other Paris attractions besides the Louvre Museum, ensuring you can save time and money and see the best of what Paris has to offer in a day.

• Louvre Museum + Seine river cruise: The Louvre Museum is conveniently located on the banks of the river Seine. You can make the most of your visit to the Louvre by combining it with a Seine river cruise and seeing many of Paris’s most notable attractions from the water, such as Notre Dame.
• Louvre Museum + Eiffel Tower: See two of the city’s most famous attractions in a day with a combined ticket to the Louvre and Eiffel Tower. Enjoy a tour of the museum before climbing to the second floor or summit of the iconic Eiffel Tower. Some combinations also include a Seine river cruise!

What will you see at the Louvre?

Not only is the Louvre the most visited museum in the world, it’s also the largest museum in the world. The Louvre covers approximately 70,000 square meters of exhibition space, boasting more than 35,000 artworks on display at any given time.

It’s divided into three wings: the Denon, Sully and Richelieu. This is further divided across different departments, covering continents and epochs.

If this is your first time visiting the Louvre, focus on the most famous artworks, such as the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci, the Venus de Milo, or Eugène Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People painting.  

But with so much to see, here’s a glimpse of what you can expect inside the Louvre.

The Pyramid

An icon of the Louvre, the glass pyramid located at the center of the museum was inaugurated in 1989. It serves as the main entrance to the museum, creating a beautiful contrast with the classic architecture of the palace.

Underground moat

Before the Louvre was a museum, it was first a castle and then a palace. The remains of the original castle built in the 12th century can still be seen along the moat situated beneath the museum.

Paintings

Displaying works from the 13th century up to the 19th century, the Louvre offers a comprehensive exhibition on European art. Featuring renowned masters from Italy to France and Spain, the Louvre has some of the most famous artists and artworks on display.

The most famous, of course, is the Mona Lisa. While the masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci is the main attraction, there are many more artworks by Da Vinci and others to be seen.

In fact, on the wall opposite to the Mona Lisa you can see the largest artwork in the entire Louvre. The Wedding Feast at Cana by Paolo Veronese is over 6 meters high and 9 meters wide and depicts the wedding where Jesus turned water into wine.

Egyptian Antiquities

The Louvre Museum contains a massive collection of 6,000 Egyptian antiquities that takes up two floors. On visiting this section of the Louvre, you will encounter the Sphinx of Tanis, the remains of a tomb and hieroglyphs.

Take your time to get to know how the ancient Egyptians once lived, through this comprehensive exhibition spanning 5,000 years of history.

Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities

Containing everything from Greek pottery to marble thrones, the Greek, Etruscan and Roman antiquities collection of the Louvre dates back to Neolithic times. It also contains two of the most famous sculptures in the museum.

The Venus de Milo, one of the most famous sculptures in the world, dates back to around 150 B.C. and has been on display at the Louvre since 1821.

Another iconic sculpture is The Winged Victory of Samothrace. Located atop the Daru staircase, this sculpture also dates back to the 2nd century and was discovered in Greece in 1863.

Near Eastern Antiquities

Within the Near Eastern antiquities department is the oldest object in the museum’s collection. The ʿAin Ghazal statue from Jordan is 9,000 years old, and a stunning example of early artwork.

The Near Eastern antiquities section features objects from the Levant, Mesopotamia and ancient Iran. You can also see the remains of a former palace from Assyria built by King Sargon II in Cour Khorsabad.

Sculptures

See the majesty of sculpted art in the Michaelangelo Gallery, where you can see pieces by the Italian master himself. Here, you can also encounter the beautiful sculpture Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss by Antonio Canova.

Make sure to stop by Cour Marly and Cour Puget, where sunlight shines through the glass ceilings. The sculptures here were designed to be displayed outdoors, and some even originate from Versailles.

Islamic Art

The Louvre houses a collection of over 3,000 Islamic artworks in Cour Visconti. Discover some of the most intricate and striking pieces in this collection, including a bejeweled dagger from the Mughal Empire and Iznik tiles from Istanbul.

Decorative Arts

The Louvre’s collection of decorative arts gives an intimate view into the lives of the royals. Discover period rooms that recreate the residences of monarchs.

You can also visit the plush Napolean III Apartments, which were used for official business during the 19th century. See where the Minister of State entertained guests and the unique three-seater armchairs they sat on.

Prints and Drawings

The most fragile works of the Louvre Museum are in fact the prints and drawings. With original sketches and manuscripts by the likes of Da Vinci and Rembrandt, you can see the original work of some of the most famous artists.

The works here can only be displayed for up to four months at a time. After that, they need to be returned to darkened storage for at least five years.

French Crown Jewels

As a former palace, it’s only apt that the Louvre also exhibits the French crown jewels. At the Galerie d’Apollon you can admire jewelry and tiaras, and some notable gems.

Discover the Côte-de-Bretagne red spinel, the oldest gem in the collection carved into the shape of a dragon. Here, you can also see the Regent diamond, one of the most famous in the world. This diamond adorned the sword of Napolean I and the crowns of monarchs.

In this section of the Louvre you can also discover the ornamental hardstone vessels kept by French royalty.

Tuileries Garden

The Tuileries Garden has flourished for 500 years, and is a significant part of the Louvre. Here, you can roam among ponds and flower beds and discover even more sculptures for free, including classic and modern pieces.

For a relaxing time in the sun, head to the Grand Bassin where you can set sail to small boats, or take the kids to the carousel or trampolines.

Musée National Eugène-Delacroix

While not part of the Louvre itself, your ticket to the Louvre will grant you access to the Musée National Eugène-Delacroix within 48 hours of purchasing.

This museum is located in the former home of famed French artist Eugène Delacroix, whose works, such as Liberty Leading the People, are featured prominently in the Louvre. Here you can discover more of his art and the story of his life.

How do you get to the Louvre?

Situated next to the Seine river in Paris, the Louvre Museum is centrally located and easy to reach. There are multiple transport options from which to choose.

By metro

You can take the metro on line 1 or line 7 to the Palais Royal / Musée du Louvre station. Alternatively, you can take line 14 to the Pyramides station.

By bus

You can also reach the Louvre Museum by bus. Lines 21, 27, 39, 67, 68, 69, 72, 74, 85 and 95 stop near the Louvre.

By car

If you come by car, you will find an underground parking lot located on Avenue du Général Lemonnier. This is open from 7 AM to 11 PM, and discounts are available for people with disabilities.

By boat

It’s also possible to reach the Louvre Museum by taking the Batobus on the Seine river. Make sure you hop off at the Louvre stop, located on Quai François-Mitterrand.

By bike

If you’re traveling by bicycle, you can park your bike by the École du Louvre. If you’re using the Vélib' system, there are also multiple stations located near the Louvre where you can drop off your bike.

When is the Louvre Museum open?

The Louvre Museum is open at the following times:

• Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday: 9 AM to 6 PM.
• Fridays: 9 AM to 9:45 PM.
• Tuesdays: Closed

The Louvre is also closed on Jan. 1, May 1, and Dec. 25. It’s important to note that the last entry to the Louvre Museum is one hour before closing time. The rooms will also be cleared 30 minutes before closing time.

When is the best time to visit the Louvre Museum?

The best time to visit the Louvre Museum is in the early morning or evening when the crowds are at their fewest.

If you’re short on time, the Louvre advises that you visit the Denon wing to see the most prominent artworks, such as the Mona Lisa.

When planning your visit, try to give yourself enough time to see the artworks you want to visit the most, as you will not be able to see the entire Louvre within a day!

Top Louvre Museum tips

• As the largest museum in the world, the Louvre will require you to walk some distance and be on your feet. Make sure you wear comfortable shoes and clothing to enjoy your time exploring its many exhibitions.
• To make the most of your time at the Louvre, plan your itinerary beforehand. You can use maps and proposed routes from the official website to help plan your visit and ensure you see the artworks you want to visit most.
• There are numerous restaurants and cafes within the Louvre that you can visit for a relaxing break from your art scouring.

Which other museums can you visit in Paris?

• Musée d'Orsay
• Orangerie Museum
• Centre Pompidou
• Picasso Museum
• Grévin Wax Museum