The Louvre is the world’s most visited museum, set in the former royal palace on the Right Bank of the Seine, home to the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory of Samothrace. Since 14 January 2026 a ticket costs €22 for residents and citizens of the European Economic Area (EEA) and €32 for everyone else; under-18s, and EEA residents and citizens under 26, go free. It opens 9:00–18:00 (Wednesday and Friday to 21:00) and is closed on Tuesdays. Book a time slot online, even if you go free, and allow at least three hours.
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Tickets and tours for Louvre Museum
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Why the Louvre matters
For centuries the Louvre was a fortress and then a palace of the kings of France, until Louis XIV moved the court to Versailles. The Revolution opened it as a public museum in 1793, and the royal collections, Napoleon’s conquests and two centuries of acquisitions have made it one of the largest art museums anywhere, from Egyptian antiquities to 19th-century French painting. I. M. Pei’s glass Pyramid, opened in 1989, became the main entrance. The palace and its riverbank are part of the “Paris, Banks of the Seine” UNESCO World Heritage site.
The museum is going through a turbulent time. On 19 October 2025 thieves stole jewels from the Galerie d’Apollon, and staff have held recurring strikes since December 2025, which sometimes delay opening or close rooms. A long-term plan, “Louvre Nouvelle Renaissance”, is to give the Mona Lisa her own room and add a second main entrance over the coming decade; for now, nothing has changed for visitors.
What you’ll see
- The three stars: the Mona Lisa in the Salle des États, the Winged Victory at the top of the Daru staircase and the Venus de Milo in Greek sculpture. Expect crowds at all three.
- The Galerie d’Apollon: Louis XIV’s gilded gallery, the model for the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles. It reopened on 22 July 2026 without its display cases, so the painted and sculpted decoration, with Delacroix’s ceiling, now has the room to itself.
- Big French paintings: David’s Coronation of Napoleon, Géricault’s Raft of the Medusa and Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People.
- Quieter treasures: the Egyptian antiquities, the medieval moat of the old fortress under the Sully wing, and the Napoleon III apartments.
Tickets and how to visit
Prices and hours from the Louvre’s official website, as of October 2026:
- Ticket: €22 for EEA residents and citizens (bring ID), €32 for everyone else. It covers the permanent collections and temporary exhibitions, plus the Musée national Eugène-Delacroix the same or the next day. There are no reduced rates, only free entry.
- Free: under-18s; EEA citizens and residents under 26; visitors with a disability and one companion; and everyone on the first Friday of the month after 18:00 (except July and August) and on 14 July.
- Hours: Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday 9:00–18:00; Wednesday and Friday 9:00–21:00; closed Tuesday and on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. Last entry is one hour before closing, and rooms start to clear 30 minutes before.
- How to book: buy a dated time slot at ticket.louvre.fr; free visitors book a free slot the same way. Tickets are sold on site only when the museum is quiet. Tickets can’t be changed or refunded, and exhibitions in the Hall Napoléon need their own slot. Avoid resellers and street sellers offering to “skip the line”: the museum may refuse those tickets.
- Entrances: the Pyramid is the main entrance, with a green queue for booked tickets and the Paris Museum Pass. With a ticket you can also use the Carrousel entrance (99 rue de Rivoli, through the shopping mall) or the Porte des Lions by the river, which closes at 18:00.
- Security and bags: all visitors pass a security check, and items larger than 55 × 35 × 20 cm are not allowed inside. Lockers under the Pyramid take smaller bags. Leaving the museum is final.
How long to allow and when to go
Three hours covers the three stars and one or two wings; a full day barely scratches the surface. Pick a department or two rather than chasing everything. Wednesday and Friday evenings are the calmest time, and early slots get you to the Mona Lisa before the tour groups. Because of the strikes, check the museum’s website on the morning of your visit for late openings or closed rooms.
Accessibility
Visitors with a disability and their companion get in free and skip the queues at the entrances and ticket checks. Under the Pyramid, the central lift (the “tube”) is reserved for wheelchair users, visitors with disabilities and prams. Wheelchairs, folding stools, canes and rolling chairs are lent free in exchange for ID at the Assistance desk, and there are lifts throughout the museum.
Getting there
Metro lines 1 and 7 stop at Palais-Royal–Musée du Louvre, and line 14 at Pyramides. Buses 21, 27, 39, 67, 68, 69, 72, 74, 85 and 95 pass nearby, and the Batobus river shuttle stops at the Louvre on Quai François-Mitterrand. From Châtelet it is a 10-minute walk along the river.
Combine it with
Walk through the Tuileries Garden, then cross the footbridge to the Musée d’Orsay, about 700 metres away, for the Impressionists. Heading east, the Sainte-Chapelle and Notre-Dame are both under 1.5 km away on the Île de la Cité. If you plan several museums, read about the Paris Museum Pass in our Paris travel guide, and see our city sightseeing guide.
Louvre FAQ
How much is a Louvre ticket in 2026?
Since 14 January 2026, €22 for EEA residents and citizens and €32 for other visitors. Under-18s, and EEA residents and citizens under 26, go free.
Is the Louvre closed on Tuesdays?
Yes, every Tuesday, plus 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. It stays open until 21:00 on Wednesdays and Fridays.
Do I need to book the Louvre in advance?
It is strongly recommended for everyone, including free visitors and Paris Museum Pass holders. Tickets are sold at the door only when the museum is not busy.
When is the Louvre free?
For everyone on the first Friday of the month after 18:00 (not in July or August) and on 14 July. Under-18s and young EEA visitors under 26 go free every day.
Can I take a backpack into the Louvre?
A small one, yes. Anything bigger than 55 × 35 × 20 cm is not allowed, and lockers under the Pyramid take smaller bags.
Can I see the crown jewels in the Galerie d’Apollon?
Not for now. The gallery reopened on 22 July 2026 with its display cases removed, so the jewels are no longer shown there. Press reports say the pieces that escaped the 2025 theft will later go on show in a secure room.