Louvre Tickets: What to Buy, When to Book and Which Entrance to Use

Buy a timed ticket from the Louvre's official ticket site. In 2026, general admission is €22 for residents or citizens of the European Economic Area and €32 for other visitors. The museum recommends reserving a time even when you qualify for free admission.

A standard ticket includes the permanent collection and temporary exhibitions, plus the Musée National Eugène-Delacroix on the same day or the following day. It does not buy a particular route through the Louvre. Decide what you want to see separately.

Start at the official Louvre ticket office. The Louvre warns about mirror sites, street sellers and tickets claiming to let you jump the queue. A timed ticket gives you the ticket-holder line, but everyone still goes through security.

Admission is free for everyone under 18. It is also free for citizens of the European Economic Area under 26 and EEA residents under 26 who can show the required identity and residency documents. Disabled visitors and one accompanying person are among the other free-admission categories.

Bring the exact proof listed by the museum. For an under-18 visitor, that means photo identification. An eligible EEA citizen needs valid photo ID. An eligible EEA resident needs photographic proof of residency valid for more than 90 days.

The Louvre is free to everyone on the first Friday of the month after 6pm, except in July and August, and on July 14. These are not walk-in guarantees. The museum still recommends a time-slot booking for free visitors. Use the full eligibility list on the official admission page rather than assuming an age or profession qualifies.

Timed admission

This is the default choice for an independent visit. Pick the date and entry time, then use the museum map or an official visitor trail to plan what you will see. I would choose the earliest slot you can comfortably make if the Louvre is the main event that day.

Paris Museum Pass

The pass includes the Louvre, but you still need to reserve a Louvre time. Use the pass because the total cost of your chosen museums works, not because it promises a line-free visit. At the Pyramid, ticket and Museum Pass holders share the green priority queue.

A guided tour

The Louvre lists museum tours and workshops separately from admission. Visitors who do not qualify for free entry also need general admission. A tour is useful when you want someone else to make the collection choices, but check exactly what the activity covers and whether admission is included before paying.

The Louvre is closed Tuesday. It normally opens from 9am to 6pm on Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, and from 9am to 9pm on Wednesday and Friday. Last entry is one hour before closing, and the rooms begin clearing 30 minutes before closing.

A 5pm arrival on a regular day does not create a full evening in the galleries. If you want a later visit, choose Wednesday or Friday and reserve early enough to get through the rooms you care about before they clear.

Morning is the easiest fit for a first visit because lunch and the neighborhood can follow without another deadline. An evening makes sense if you prefer outdoor Paris during the day. Check the museum's dated alerts and room-closure schedule before relying on its normal weekly pattern.

Do not replace a sold-out official time with a suspicious skip-the-line ticket. The Louvre says tickets can sometimes be purchased on site when attendance is low, subject to availability. That gives you an option, not a dependable reservation.

First check another date or a Wednesday or Friday evening. If the trip is short, consider Orsay instead and keep the Louvre for another visit. Our Louvre or Orsay guide explains what each collection is best for.

If you decide to try on-site admission, leave the rest of the morning flexible. Do not put a lunch reservation immediately behind a ticket you do not yet have. The orange Pyramid queue is for visitors without tickets.

The Pyramid is the main entrance for individual visitors. It has separate lines for ticket or Museum Pass holders, visitors without tickets, and priority access. The glass lift there is reserved for disabled visitors, wheelchair users and visitors with prams.

The Carrousel entrance at 99 rue de Rivoli can be used by ticket holders and may suit you better when approaching through the underground shopping area. Porte des Lions is only for visitors who already have tickets, closes at 6pm, and has limited cloakroom access. Richelieu is reserved for specified groups, members and activities, so it is not a general shortcut.

Entrances and access conditions can change. Use the Louvre's live entrance map on the day rather than treating an old social post as a permanent trick.

Finish the museum before leaving for lunch. The Louvre says every exit is final. You cannot leave for a restaurant and return to the collection on the same admission.

After a morning visit, walk through Palais-Royal and have lunch nearby. Juveniles is the small bistro and wine-bar choice on a weekday. Maslow 1er works for vegetarian plates near the Seine. Our Louvre food guide adds breakfast, coffee, quick sandwiches and longer lunches with the reason to choose each place.

For a complete route, use the Louvre morning in our two-day Paris itinerary. The Paris museum itinerary gives the Louvre and Orsay separate days. If you are still booking the trip, begin with what to reserve before a first Paris visit.