The Louvre is essential for a first Paris visit if you can give it 2½–4 hours and accept crowds; it works best as a focused route, not an attempt to see everything.
Reserve an official timed slot
Buy or reserve your date and entry time through the Louvre’s official ticketing system before planning the day, since only an advance time-slot guarantees admission.
MoreChoose first slot or late opening
Book the first weekday entry where possible, or visit after 6 p.m. on Wednesday or Friday; avoid relying on the free first-Friday evening for a quiet visit.
MoreArrive 20–30 minutes early
Allow time for security and navigation before your timed entry, especially at the Pyramid on busy days; use Carrousel at 99 rue de Rivoli for a sheltered alternative.
MorePlan a focused four-hour route
Start with Denon’s Winged Victory and Mona Lisa, then continue through Sully and finish in the quieter Richelieu wing rather than trying to cover all 400-plus rooms.
More| 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 Louvre Museum is a former royal palace and France’s national universal museum, founded as a public museum during the French Revolution and opened in 1793. Its collections span about 10,000 years across nine departments—from Egyptian and Near Eastern antiquities to European painting, sculpture, decorative arts and Islamic art—within a palace of 403 rooms, 70,000 m² of exhibition space and roughly 30,000 displayed objects. The glass Pyramid is the principal visitor entrance and hub, not the museum’s main attraction itself.
This is one of the world’s great art museums and an essential Paris historic building: see icons such as the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory, Venus de Milo, Delacroix and Géricault alongside the palace interiors. It rewards visitors who choose a few priorities and allow at least 2½–4 hours rather than trying to see everything. Skip or defer it if you have under 90 minutes, need a quiet contemplative experience, cannot comfortably handle substantial walking and crowds, or only want to see the Mona Lisa.
Before you go
Yes. Book a timed entry on the official Louvre ticket page before you go; only an advance time-slot reservation guarantees entry. Same-day sales may occur only when capacity allows and should not be your plan. If your preferred slot is sold out, first search other official times or dates; if you already need a Paris Museum Pass for several monuments, reserve the Louvre slot required for pass holders; otherwise use a reputable guided tour only if it explicitly includes timed museum entry. Do not buy from street sellers or purported queue-jump sites.
Most visitors should buy the official timed museum admission: €22 for EEA citizens/residents and €32 for non-EEA citizens/non-residents. It includes permanent collections and ordinary temporary exhibitions. Under-18s, EEA citizens/residents under 26, disabled visitors with one companion, and some other eligible groups enter free but should reserve a free timed slot and bring supporting ID. The museum is free for everyone on 14 July and on the first Friday of each month after 6 p.m., except July and August; reserve a slot and expect crowds. Official tickets: https://www.louvre.fr/en/visit/hours-admission/tickets-and-prices/
It is open Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. It is closed every Tuesday, plus 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. Last entry is one hour before closing, and galleries begin clearing 30 minutes before closing. Confirm date-specific gallery availability before buying because individual rooms can close.
Book the first entry slot on a weekday, or visit after 6 p.m. on Wednesday or Friday when the museum stays open until 9 p.m. The first-Friday free evening is good value, not a quiet alternative. The Denon wing—especially the Mona Lisa room and Daru staircase—is typically the most congested; see those works early, then move to Sully or Richelieu for a calmer finish.
Allow 2–3 hours for a focused highlights visit, 4–5 hours for a satisfying first visit, and a full day only if you are comfortable with extensive walking and still not seeing everything. Skip or postpone it if you have under 90 minutes or want a quiet, contemplative museum experience. The palace has more than 400 rooms, so choose a few departments or works rather than trying to complete it.
Use the Pyramid entrance in Cour Napoléon for the classic main entrance and separate timed-ticket queues. Use the Carrousel entrance at 99 rue de Rivoli if arriving from Palais-Royal–Musée du Louvre, during rain or winter, or from the underground car park; it is often the more practical option for ticket holders. Do not count on Passage Richelieu unless you qualify for its restricted access. Porte des Lions is ticket-holder-only and has limited hours, so use it only after confirming it is open. Entrance details: https://www.louvre.fr/en/visit/map-entrances-directions/