THE MOST VISITED MUSEUM IN THE WORLD — PARIS
Updated: June 2026 · by dani
Buy your Louvre tickets online from €79 — skip the line and head straight to the Mona Lisa with a tour assistant, then explore at your own pace with an audio guide.
Louvre tickets cost from €79 per person for skip-the-line entry with a tour assistant to the Mona Lisa. The standard museum ticket is €22, but booking online secures your timed-entry slot, avoids the long pyramid queues and takes you straight to the Mona Lisa. Under-18s enter free. Slots sell out fast, so book early.
Buying Louvre tickets in advance through Civitatis guarantees your entry — essential in summer, on weekends and over the holidays when timed slots sell out. You'll skip the long queues under the glass pyramid, get instant confirmation and, with the skip-the-line option, a tour assistant who takes you straight to the Mona Lisa.
Priority access through the pyramid, an assistant who walks you straight to the Mona Lisa, and an audio guide on your phone. After that, explore the galleries at your own pace.
The Louvre is impossible to see in a single visit, so prioritise. Don't miss the three icons — the Mona Lisa (Leonardo da Vinci, in the Salle des États), the Venus de Milo (Sully wing) and the Winged Victory of Samothrace at the top of the Daru staircase. Also worth your time: The Wedding at Cana by Veronese (the museum's largest painting, right across from the Mona Lisa), Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People, David's Coronation of Napoleon, and the Egyptian antiquities. The museum is laid out in three wings around the pyramid: Denon (Italian and Spanish painting, Mona Lisa), Sully (antiquities, Venus de Milo) and Richelieu (French sculpture, decorative arts). Plan your route by wing to save time.
The easiest way to reach the Louvre on public transport is the metro: get off at Palais Royal–Musée du Louvre, served by lines 1 and 7, which connects directly to the underground Carrousel entrance — handy for skipping the outdoor pyramid queue. Buses 21, 27, 39, 68, 69, 72 and 95 also stop nearby, and from the Left Bank you can take RER C to Musée d'Orsay and cross the river on foot. The museum sits in the heart of Paris, a 10-minute walk from the Île de la Cité or through the Tuileries Garden.
The famous glass pyramid in the Napoleon Courtyard is the most photogenic entrance, but it's also where the longest lines form. The Carrousel du Louvre underground entrance (from the metro or 99 Rue de Rivoli) usually moves faster, and the Porte des Lions is often the quietest when it's open. Whichever you choose, timed entry is mandatory: you must pick a date and an entry slot when you book, so plan ahead in high season. Arrive on time for your slot — there's a short grace window, but turning up well outside your slot can complicate access.
Book the first slot of the morning (09:00): the Salle des États is far emptier and you can see the Mona Lisa before the crowds arrive. The Wednesday and Friday late openings (until 21:45) are also quieter in the evening. Enter via the Carrousel rather than the pyramid, head straight to the Mona Lisa on arrival, and leave the less-visited rooms for later. Avoid weekends and the free first-Friday evenings if crowds bother you. An audio guide is included with the skip-the-line option — bring headphones — and plan for at least 2–3 hours to cover the highlights.
Skip-the-line tickets with a tour assistant to the Mona Lisa start from €79. The standard museum ticket is €22, but booking online secures your timed slot and skips the pyramid queues. Under-18s enter free.
Yes — the Louvre requires a date and an entry slot. Even with a ticket, access isn't guaranteed without a reserved slot, especially in high season.
No. The Louvre is closed on Tuesdays and on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. Otherwise it opens 09:00–18:00, with late openings until 21:45 on Wednesdays and Fridays.
The underground Carrousel du Louvre entrance is usually faster than the pyramid, and the Porte des Lions is often the quietest when open.
Yes, the skip-the-line option includes an English audio guide on your phone covering the masterpieces. Bring headphones.
The Louvre is a must in Paris, but it's vast and very busy: a timed-entry ticket and a clear route make the difference between enjoying it and getting lost in the crowds.
👍 What we like most
👎 What to know before booking
🎯 Who it's for (and who it isn't)
Yes if you love art or it's your first time in Paris. Maybe not if you're short on time and prefer smaller, more manageable museums.
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