Which Louvre ticket should you buy?
For most people, the right Louvre ticket is a timed ticket from the museum’s official site. The current price is €22 for residents or citizens of the European Economic Area and €32 for other visitors. If you qualify for free admission, reserve a free time slot anyway. If you already have a Paris Museum Pass, reserve your Louvre time separately.
The ticket gets you into the collection and temporary exhibitions. It does not create a sensible route through a palace with thousands of works. Decide whether you want a focused two-hour visit or a longer museum morning before choosing the entry time.
Start at the official Louvre ticket office. The Louvre warns about mirror sites, street sellers and tickets claiming to let you jump the queue. Timed entry gives you the ticket-holder line, but every visitor still passes through security.
Who gets free admission?
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.
Which Louvre ticket should you choose?
Choose the ticket around how you want to visit, not around a promise to skip every line.
| Option | Best for | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Official timed admission | Most independent visitors | €22 for eligible EEA residents or citizens and €32 for other visitors. Pick a date and time on the official ticket site. |
| Free timed reservation | Under-18s, eligible EEA visitors under 26 and other listed categories | Bring the exact ID or residency proof required. Free entry still benefits from a reservation. |
| Paris Museum Pass | Travelers visiting enough included museums to justify the pass | The pass includes admission, but the Louvre requires its own time reservation. It does not remove security screening. |
| Official guided visit | Anyone who wants help choosing from the collection | Check the language, route and whether general admission is included. Visitors who are not eligible for free entry also need admission. |
| Official audio guide | Independent visitors who want interpretation without a group | The museum currently lists the audio guide at €6. Reserve it with the ticket if you know you want one. |
I would buy standard timed admission for a first visit, then use the museum map to choose one wing and a short list of works. Buy a tour when the collection itself feels overwhelming. Buy the Museum Pass only after adding up the other museums you will actually visit.
How far in advance should you book the Louvre?
Book the Louvre as soon as your Paris dates and museum day are fixed, because a Louvre ticket cannot be moved once it is booked. The museum does not publish how far ahead its calendar opens. Its visitor FAQ, checked October 23, 2026, says dates and time slots cannot be changed after booking and that tickets on site are sold on the day only when there is availability.
Weekends, school holidays and the Wednesday and Friday evenings are the slots I would not leave late. The museum can also make reservations compulsory for every visitor in busy periods, as it did from October 17 to November 1, 2026, so a walk-up plan can fail even on an ordinary weekday.
If your preferred time is gone, compare another morning, a late opening, or a different museum day before paying an unofficial reseller. Keep the confirmation and the ID used for any free or reduced eligibility together on your phone.
Before the visit, check the official hours and admission page and the live entrance map. Room closures and entrance access can change even when the museum itself is open.
When should you visit?
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.
What if official tickets are sold out?
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. The 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.
Which entrance should you use?
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.
What should you do after the Louvre?
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. The 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 the 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.