Visiting the Louvre Museum is on most tourists’ must-do lists, as it’s one of the world’s most important historical landmarks. Here’s why you should visit and how best to secure your Louvre tickets.
The Louvre is celebrated not only for its stunning architecture but also for its rich history. This palace reflects various aspects of French culture developed over centuries. If you’re passionate about art and history, we highly recommend a visit.
The essence of a nation shines through its most important landmarks, and the Louvre Palace is no exception. Its proximity to other major tourist sites in Paris makes it a central part of any sightseeing plan.
Louvre Museum in Paris
Located near the Seine, in one of Paris’s most central areas, the Louvre is an ideal starting point for a tour that includes several of the city’s top monuments.
Inside, you’ll find some of the world’s most famous artworks, including the Mona Lisa, the Code of Hammurabi, The Wedding at Cana, and the Venus de Milo. Altogether, there are over 35,000 paintings, sculptures, and artifacts of significant historical and artistic value.
A full day is ideal to see everything in-depth, but if you want to focus on the highlights, three hours should be enough.
If it’s your first visit, check out our article on tips for visiting the Louvre Museum. It’ll help you organize your visit and plan a route to see the top works of art efficiently.
Louvre Museum Ticket Prices
Tickets can be printed or shown on your phone, making it easy to bring them along and avoid losing them. Here are the types of tickets available for accessing the museum:
1. General Admission
This ticket can be purchased at the Louvre ticket booths. Wait times are short in the low season, but during spring or summer, the lines can be very long.
2. Skip-the-Line Ticket
This option lets you enter the Louvre directly without waiting in line, the most convenient way to make the most of your day. You can buy this ticket online and simply show it at the entry gates.
3. Paris Pass / Museum Pass Entry
With a Paris Pass or Museum Pass, you get free, no-wait entry to the Louvre. These passes offer substantial savings if you plan to visit several monuments or museums:
- Paris Pass: Includes options for the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, hop-on-hop-off bus, guided tours, a cruise, and more.
- Museum Pass: Grants access to up to 60 museums in Paris.
4. Guided Tour
A guided tour is an excellent way to explore the palace and its treasures. An art expert will lead you through the Louvre, sharing the history and interesting details of its most famous works. The top-rated option is this guided tour in Spanish, which provides an in-depth experience.
5. Free Admission
Admission is free for all minors under 18, as well as for European students between 18 and 25 years old. There’s no need to go to the ticket booths—just present a valid ID. Additionally, unemployed individuals can enter without purchasing Louvre tickets.
If you’re in Paris on the first Sunday of each month (from October to March), entry to the permanent collection is also free for all visitors.
💡 Our Recommendation:
We recommend purchasing an advance ticket for the Louvre. The benefits are well worth it, allowing you to focus on enjoying the museum inside and out.
- Access to masterpieces from Ancient Egypt and the Renaissance
- You can stay as long as you like until closing time
- Tour the Louvre at your own pace without feeling rushed
- If you buy your Louvre tickets in advance, the welcome team will offer tips and maps of the museum
As you can see, buying Louvre tickets online offers many advantages. You skip the lines, you can do it comfortably from home, and with the discounts we’ve mentioned, it’s a much better value.
Louvre Museum Hours
When can you access the Louvre Museum?
- Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday: Open from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
- Tuesday: Closed
- Friday: Open from 9:00 AM to 9:45 PM
- Closed on holidays: January 1, May 1, and December 25
On other holidays, the museum operates like a regular weekday. Note that if you buy a timed entry ticket online, you’ll need to select a specific entry time: between 9:00-11:30 AM, 12:00-2:30 PM, or 3:00-4:30 PM.
Where Is the Louvre, and How to Get There?
The Louvre is located at Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris, France, near the Seine and in the heart of the city.
Getting to the Louvre Museum:
- Metro: Take lines 1 or 7 to Palais Royal–Musée du Louvre
- Bus: The following lines serve the area: 21, 24, 27, 39, 48, 68, 69, 72, 81, 95
For more details, visit the museum’s official site.
What to See in the Louvre?
Visiting the Louvre lets you experience some of humanity’s most significant artworks. Here are the must-sees if you’re planning a visit:
- The Mona Lisa: This portrait by Leonardo da Vinci is famous worldwide, particularly for its mysterious smile. Despite its smaller-than-expected size, it draws large crowds.
- Venus de Milo: A classic Greek sculpture of the goddess Aphrodite, it’s known for its missing arms and fascinating backstory.
- Code of Hammurabi: A nearly two-meter-tall basalt stele inscribed with ancient laws, it’s one of humanity’s oldest legal documents.
- The Wedding at Cana: This large painting by Paolo Veronese depicts a pivotal biblical moment, rich in detail and color.
- Winged Victory of Samothrace: This iconic statue represents the goddess Nike, or Victory, and stands majestically atop a staircase.
- The Coronation of Napoleon: Painted by Jacques-Louis David, this artwork captures the dramatic scene of Napoleon crowning his wife Josephine.
- The Seated Scribe: An Egyptian statue of a scribe in a working pose, known for its remarkable realism and intricate details.
💡 Our Recommendation:
Plan your Louvre visit around lunchtime or in the afternoon. This way, you can avoid the dedicated art lovers who spend all morning at the museum and the school groups that typically arrive early in the day.
Virtual Tour of the Louvre Museum
We’ve included a fantastic video that summarizes a full visit to the Louvre. It’s a great way to get a sense of the palace’s size, the vast number of works on display, and even the crowd levels you might encounter. Take a look:
As you can see, the route is quite extensive, and even the video can’t cover all the artworks, so plan on spending at least two hours to see the highlights. If you’d like to explore everything, expect to need around 4 to 5 hours inside.
History of the Louvre Palace
To truly understand the Louvre Museum, it’s essential to know a bit of its history. With the Paris Pass, you can skip the line at the Louvre, making it an efficient choice for your visit.
Much of France’s history is reflected here through the various changes in its construction and redesign over the centuries.
Originally built as a fortress in 1190 by King Philippe Auguste near the city’s protective walls on the banks of the Seine River, the Louvre Palace was intended to defend the capital from invasions.
At first, the palace wasn’t a royal residence but rather a military fortress with towers, bastions, and a fortified square. It wasn’t until around 1250 that Louis IX renovated it to house the Royal Treasury, transforming it into one of the king’s residences.
In the mid-14th century, under Charles V, the Louvre was remodeled into one of the finest royal residences in Europe. However, in the 1500s, during the Hundred Years’ War, Francis I ordered its destruction to rebuild it in line with Renaissance tastes.
The Renaissance Period
In 1546, the Renaissance style began to shape the Louvre as Francis I hired architect Pierre Lescot and sculptor Jean Goujon to redesign the palace according to contemporary artistic preferences.
Yet, Francis I didn’t intend for the Louvre to be his royal residence. It wasn’t until after his death and with the arrival of Catherine de’ Medici that the palace was reimagined as a grand royal residence.
In 1564, Catherine de’ Medici focused on constructing the Tuileries Palace near what is now the Louvre pyramid and the surrounding gardens to make the entire complex more majestic.
After the Wars of Religion ended in 1589, Henry IV continued Catherine’s renovations, expanding the palace’s Cour Carrée and eliminating the medieval fortifications.
Changes After the French Revolution
During the French Revolution, the monarchy lost its power, and in May 1791, the Louvre Palace was transformed for scientific and artistic studies.
In 1806, Napoleon I added the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel near one of the Louvre’s wings to celebrate his military victories.
Between 1852 and 1857, Napoleon III made further changes, adding new sculptures in keeping with the times.
Until 1871, the Louvre and Tuileries palaces were connected, but during the Paris Commune, the Tuileries was burned, destroying many of its artistic monuments. Despite this, the Louvre continued to expand until 1876.
The Louvre Pyramids
The Louvre Pyramids are located in the heart of the palace, now serving as the main museum entrance. In 1983, a series of renovations included the construction of the iconic Glass Pyramid, which was inaugurated on October 15, 1988, by architect Ieoh Ming Pei.
Today, the Louvre’s history and modern-day transformation make it a symbol of France’s heritage and evolution—a true masterpiece in its own right.
Another well-known pyramid at the Louvre is the Inverted Pyramid (Pyramide Inversée), constructed in 1993. This unique structure significantly boosted tourist visits starting in 2004. It’s fair to say that the Louvre Palace pyramids themselves are a major attraction; they draw considerable attention and, quite honestly, some are absolutely spectacular.
The Inverted Pyramid is a fascinating contrast to the main glass pyramid and can be viewed from the underground shopping area at the Louvre. It has become one of the museum’s highlights, blending art and architecture in a unique and photogenic way that has captivated countless visitors.