The Louvre is essential for art, archaeology and palace-history lovers, but it works best as a focused 3–4-hour visit rather than an attempt to see everything. Reserve an official timed slot as soon as your dates are set and arrive early or on a Wednesday/Friday evening.
#3 in the Paris guide · Louvre, Palais Royal & Les Halles
Book an official timed slot
Buy through the Louvre’s official ticketing system immediately after fixing your Paris dates; standard admission is €22 for EEA citizens/residents and €32 for non-EEA visitors, and free-entry visitors also need a timed reservation.
MoreArrive 20–30 minutes early
Timed entry does not bypass airport-style bag screening, so arrive before your slot—especially in summer, school holidays and free Friday-evening periods.
MoreUse Pyramid or Carrousel entrance
Use the Pyramid for the simplest first visit and services, or the indoor Carrousel entrance at 99 Rue de Rivoli if you already have a ticket and are arriving from Palais-Royal or the car park.
MoreChoose a route, not the whole museum
Give the museum 3–4 hours and follow a highlights route; prioritize 9am entry or Wednesday/Friday late opening, and go straight to the Mona Lisa only if it is non-negotiable.
MoreLouvre Museum permanent collections and temporary exhibitions
~240 min · Timed museum admission; ticket is valid only for the selected date and time.
Musée National Eugène-Delacroix
Included with Louvre admission on the same day or the following day it is open.
| Monday | 9 AM – 6 PM |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | Closed |
| Wednesday | 9 AM – 9 PM |
| Thursday | 9 AM – 6 PM |
| Friday | 9 AM – 9 PM |
| Saturday | 9 AM – 6 PM |
| Sunday | 9 AM – 6 PM |
Hours from Google; check before you go.
The Musée du Louvre is France’s national museum of art and archaeology, housed in the former Louvre Palace in Paris’s 1st arrondissement. A medieval fortress turned royal palace, it opened as a public museum in 1793 and now displays more than 35,000 works across its vast Denon, Sully and Richelieu wings, spanning Egyptian, Near Eastern, Greek and Roman antiquities; Islamic art; sculpture; decorative arts; and European painting to 1848. Its appeal is as much the historic palace, medieval foundations and monumental rooms as headline works such as the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory of Samothrace and Venus de Milo.
This is one of the world’s most consequential museum visits: a single place for ancient civilizations, European art history and French royal architecture at extraordinary scale. It especially rewards travelers who can give it a focused three to four hours and look beyond its celebrity works; those who dislike huge museums, dense crowds and long indoor walking, or chiefly want Impressionism, should choose another museum or keep the visit very short.
Before you go
Yes. Book a timed ticket as soon as your Paris dates are firm at https://www.louvre.fr/en/visit/hours-admission/tickets-and-prices/. The Louvre recommends online reservations for everyone, including free-entry visitors and Paris Museum Pass holders. Do not rely on buying at the door: on-site sales occur only when capacity allows.
Timed admission costs €22 for EEA citizens/residents and €32 for non-EEA citizens/non-residents. It includes permanent collections, temporary exhibitions, and the Musée National Eugène-Delacroix on the same day or following open day. The ticket is valid only for its selected date and time, is non-transferable, and cannot be changed or refunded. Buy at https://www.louvre.fr/en/visit/hours-admission/tickets-and-prices/.
Free timed tickets are available for visitors under 18; EEA citizens/residents aged 18–25; disabled visitors plus one companion; and several qualifying professional or benefit-holder categories. All visitors enter free on 14 July and on the first Friday of each month from 6pm, except in July and August. Reservations remain compulsory; free-evening slots are posted only a few days beforehand. Bring original ID and any eligibility documents.
The museum is open 9am–6pm Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, and 9am–9pm Wednesday and Friday. It is closed every Tuesday, plus 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. Last entry is one hour before closing; galleries start clearing 30 minutes before closing.
Reserve the 9am opening slot or a Wednesday/Friday evening slot. Weekends, school holidays, Easter, May holiday weekends, and July–August are generally busiest. Even at quiet times, expect crowds around the Mona Lisa; move into Egyptian Antiquities, the Richelieu wing, or palace rooms for calmer galleries.
Use the Pyramid entrance in Cour Napoléon for the simplest first visit, information desks, audio-guide collection, and equipment loans. Ticket holders arriving from Palais-Royal–Musée du Louvre can use the indoor Carrousel entrance at 99 Rue de Rivoli. Do not plan on Passage Richelieu unless you qualify for its restricted group/member/professional access. Porte des Lions is ticket-holder-only and has variable restrictions, so check the live entrance map on the day: https://www.louvre.fr/en/visit/map-entrances-directions.