---
title: "Louvre Museum Tickets: Compare 7 Tours & Prices"
date: 2026-10-08
canonical: https://louvremuseumtickets.org/
---
# Louvre Museum Tickets

Louvre museum tickets run from EUR 49 to EUR 319 across 7 tours, from self-guided entry to a private family tour.

## Tours & passes compared
- [Mona Lisa & Louvre Masterpieces Guided Tour](https://louvremuseumtickets.org/tours/louvre-museum-guided-tour/): from 59 EUR (checked 2026-10-08)
- [Louvre Private Family Tour with Reserved Entry](https://louvremuseumtickets.org/tours/louvre-family-tour-tickets/): from 99 EUR (checked 2026-10-08)
- [Louvre Museum Reserved Entry with Audio Guide](https://louvremuseumtickets.org/tours/louvre-museum-reserved-entry-tickets/): from 55.2 EUR (checked 2026-10-08)
- [Louvre Museum Private Family Tour](https://louvremuseumtickets.org/tours/louvre-private-family-tour/): from 319 EUR (checked 2026-10-08)
- [Louvre Museum Tour with Seine River Cruise](https://louvremuseumtickets.org/tours/louvre-museum-seine-cruise-combo/): from 84.15 EUR (checked 2026-10-08)
- [Louvre Museum Skip-the-Line Small Group Tour](https://louvremuseumtickets.org/tours/louvre-skip-the-line-tour/): from 49 EUR (checked 2026-10-08)
- [Best of the Louvre Small-Group Guided Tour](https://louvremuseumtickets.org/tours/louvre-small-group-guided-tour/): from 95.25 EUR (checked 2026-10-08)

**Louvre museum tickets** are the first thing to sort out before anything else about a Paris trip, because the museum is big enough, and popular enough, that walking up without a plan wastes real hours of your day. Seven tours are compared on this page, priced from EUR 49 to EUR 319, covering everything from a bare-bones self-guided entry ticket to a fully private family tour. If I had to pick just one for a first-time visit, I'd book the standard guided highlights tour: it's the one that most reliably turns a huge, confusing building into a focused two-hour walk past the three works almost everyone actually came to see.

## What Is the Louvre, and Why Is It Worth a Ticket?

The **[Louvre](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvre)** is the world's largest art museum and, by most counts, the world's most-visited one, housing the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo and tens of thousands of other works inside a former royal palace on the right bank of the Seine. It's less a single museum than eight collections stacked across three wings, Denon, Sully and Richelieu, which is exactly why a ticket alone rarely gets a first-time visitor to what they actually came for.

I think the Louvre earns its reputation, but I'd go in with a plan rather than a vague sense that you'll "see the famous stuff." Our **[entity guide to the Louvre in Paris](/louvre-museum-paris-guide/)** covers the building's layout, location and history in more depth if you want the fuller picture before you book anything.

## How Much Do Louvre Museum Tickets Cost?

Prices across the 7 tours on this page range from EUR 49 for a budget small-group guided tour to EUR 319 for a fully private family experience. Standard guided highlights tours, the most popular format, sit between EUR 55 and 95 depending on group size, and a self-guided reserved-entry ticket with an audio guide starts at EUR 55.20.

What actually moves the price isn't the museum entry itself so much as what's wrapped around it: a smaller group cap, a private guide instead of a shared one, or an add-on like a Seine river cruise. I'd skip the premium add-ons on a first visit and spend that money on a better guide instead, since a sharp guide does more for your actual experience than an extra activity tacked on afterward. Our **[full Louvre ticket price breakdown](/louvre-tickets-price-guide/)** walks through every pricing tier, including the free-entry rules, in more detail than fits here.

![Visitor checking louvre museum tickets on a phone in front of the glass Pyramid entrance](/images/blog/paris-homepage-1.webp)

## Which Type of Louvre Tour Should You Book?

Beyond price, the 7 tours here split into a few genuinely different formats: standard small-group guided tours, a cheaper budget-guided option, a small-group tour capped at six people, a self-guided reserved-entry ticket, a combo with a Seine cruise, and two family-oriented tiers, one shared and one fully private.

My honest read is that most travelers overthink this choice. If you want the easiest, most reliable option, book the standard guided highlights tour and move on. If budget is tight, the small-group budget tour covers the same three headline works for less. If you'd rather explore without a guide pacing you, the self-guided ticket is the better fit, and if you're traveling with young kids, one of the two family tours will suit you far better than a standard adult-paced tour. Our **[full comparison of Louvre tour formats](/best-louvre-tours-compare-formats/)** breaks down group size, pace and who each one actually suits.

## What Does a Louvre Ticket Actually Include?

Every tour compared on this page includes some form of reserved or skip-the-line entry, but what's bundled around that base access varies more than most listings make obvious. A standard guided tour adds a live guide and a personal headset on top of the entry ticket. A self-guided reserved-entry ticket swaps the guide for an audio or app-based commentary instead. A family tour adds a slower pace and storytelling aimed at younger visitors, and the private tiers add a guide who works with your group alone rather than a shared one.

What's rarely included anywhere is food, transport to the meeting point, or gratuities, and most tours exclude the free under-26 or under-18 entry discount from their bundled price, since that discount applies at the ticket desk rather than through a reseller. I'd read the inclusions list on whichever listing you're considering rather than assume it matches another tour you've seen, since even two similarly priced options can bundle genuinely different things.

## Do You Need a Separate Mona Lisa Ticket?

No, and this trips up more visitors than almost anything else in this keyword set. The Mona Lisa hangs inside the Louvre's permanent collection, in the Salle des Etats, and any standard admission ticket already includes the room it's in. There is no separate "Mona Lisa ticket" sold by the museum itself.

If a listing is marketed as a Mona Lisa ticket, it's selling Louvre admission, usually with a guide who makes a point of walking you there efficiently. I'd treat that marketing framing as a signal about the route, not a sign you're buying something extra. Our dedicated **[Mona Lisa tickets guide](/mona-lisa-tickets-louvre/)** goes deeper into where it hangs, how crowded that room gets, and the best time to stand in front of it.

## Do You Need a Live Guide or Just an Audio Guide?

This is the real trade-off once you've settled on a budget. A live guide reserves your entry slot, threads you through the building in the right order, and answers questions in real time, which is genuinely valuable in a museum this size. An audio guide, rented or through the official free app, gives you commentary at your own pace without anyone setting the schedule for you.

I'd book the live guide for a first visit almost every time, since getting lost in the Louvre costs you time you can't get back. On a second visit, or if you're simply someone who prefers wandering alone, the audio guide route is a smart way to save money without losing all the context. Our **[Louvre audio guide and app guide](/louvre-audio-guide-price-app/)** covers the free official app, the paid rental option and whether either is actually worth it over a live guide.

## What Are the Louvre's Opening Hours?

The Louvre generally opens at 9:00 and closes at 18:00, and the museum is closed every Tuesday, which is the single fact that trips up the most travelers planning a tight Paris itinerary. Hours can shift around public holidays and special evening openings, so I'd always check the current schedule close to your travel dates rather than trust a number you saw months ago.

Because the Tuesday closure is easy to forget when you're juggling a whole trip itinerary, I'd mark it on your calendar the moment you book flights, not the week before you fly. Our **[full Louvre hours guide](/louvre-opening-hours/)** covers late-opening evenings and the quietest time slots in more detail.

## When Is the Best Time of Year to Visit?

Late spring and early fall genuinely feel different from a midsummer trip: smaller crowds, milder weather for the walk over, and a better chance of getting a reserved slot without booking months ahead. Midsummer is still doable, it's just busier, and I'd book your slot the moment your travel dates are fixed rather than wait.

If your trip only allows summer dates, I'd lean toward the earliest available morning slot or a later afternoon one over midday, since the galleries around the Mona Lisa feel noticeably more crowded between late morning and early afternoon regardless of season. And unless you specifically want the free-entry experience and don't mind the crowd it draws, I'd avoid the first Sunday of the month, when free admission brings out the biggest lines of the month.

## How Do You Get to the Louvre, and Which Entrance Should You Use?

The closest metro stop is Palais-Royal - Musée du Louvre on lines 1 and 7, a short walk from the famous glass **[Pyramid entrance](/louvre-glass-pyramid-guide/)**, which doubles as both the museum's most photographed feature and its main public doorway. Several bus lines stop nearby too, and if you're already staying centrally, walking along the Seine is a genuinely pleasant way to arrive rather than a last resort.

The Pyramid entrance is also, predictably, the most crowded one. I'd factor a security check into your timing no matter which entrance you use, reserved slot or not, since everyone passes through the same screening regardless of ticket type. If the walk-up queue at the Pyramid looks unusually long, the Carrousel du Louvre underground entrance and the Passage Richelieu priority entrance are real alternatives that fewer first-time visitors know about. Neither skips security, but on a crowded day they're worth knowing exist rather than assuming the Pyramid doors are your only way in.

## What Will You See Inside the Louvre?

Beyond the Mona Lisa, the collection most visitors prioritize includes the Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory of Samothrace, both ancient sculptures displayed along the main route most guided tours follow. The building itself holds eight curatorial departments spanning Egyptian antiquities, Islamic art, French and Italian painting, and sculpture from across centuries, far more than any single visit can realistically cover.

The museum displays roughly 35,000 works out of a much larger collection, inside a building that started as a medieval fortress, became a royal palace, and opened to the public in 1793. The glass Pyramid you walk through to enter was a controversial addition when it was unveiled in 1989, and it's now almost as recognizable as anything inside the galleries. I'd actually budget a minute or two to look at the Pyramid itself before heading in, since it's easy to walk through it on autopilot toward the ticket check and miss what makes it worth a photo.

I wouldn't try to see everything on one trip, and I'd actively discourage it. Pick a handful of works that matter to you, walk the main Denon-wing route for the headline pieces, and treat the rest of the museum as a bonus rather than a checklist. Our **[guide to the Louvre's must-see paintings and masterpieces](/louvre-paintings-must-see-masterpieces/)** lists the works worth prioritizing and exactly which wing and room each one sits in.

## How Crowded Does the Louvre Get, and How Do You Avoid the Worst of It?

Crowding at the Louvre isn't spread evenly, even within a single visit. The walk-up line at the Pyramid can be the worst part of a trip regardless of season, which is exactly why a reserved entry slot matters more than simply picking a quiet month. Inside, the room holding the Mona Lisa bottlenecks on its own schedule, often independent of how busy the rest of the museum feels that day.

If avoiding crowds matters more to you than anything else on this page, I'd prioritize a reserved-entry ticket over a cheap walk-up ticket every time, and I'd head to the Mona Lisa first thing rather than saving it for later in the visit, since that room only gets busier as the day goes on.

## How Long Should You Plan to Spend There?

A focused highlights visit, the kind most guided tours run, takes roughly two to four hours. A fuller visit covering multiple wings can easily fill a whole day, and genuinely seeing everything the Louvre holds would take several full visits over a lifetime, not one afternoon.

My honest advice is to plan for less time than you think you need and treat anything extra as a bonus. Gallery fatigue is real, and I'd rather you leave energized after two solid hours than drag through four exhausted ones. Our **[guide to visiting rules, bag limits and planning your visit](/visiting-the-louvre-tips-and-rules/)** covers what to expect before you go, including the museum's own visiting policies.

## Who Is a Louvre Visit Best For?

Almost anyone visiting Paris for the first time should go, in my view, even if art history isn't normally your thing. The building and its history carry the visit on their own, and the guided tours compared here are built specifically for people who want the highlights without needing a degree in art to appreciate them.

Where I'd push back a little is on families with very young children or anyone with limited stamina for standing and walking on hard floors. A shorter, guided family tour works better for young kids than a long self-guided wander, and if mobility is a real concern, I'd call ahead about accessible routes before booking rather than assume every entrance accommodates it equally. The guided options compared here are also consistently well regarded by past visitors, which lines up with what I'd expect from a route built specifically around the three works almost everyone recognizes before they ever set foot in Paris.

## Insider Tips for Visiting the Louvre

Book your entry slot as far ahead as your travel plans allow, especially in spring and summer, since popular morning times for the most affordable tours do sell out. Wear real walking shoes rather than anything you wouldn't want to stand in for two hours straight, the galleries are marble floored and cover more ground than the itinerary suggests.

If your main goal is simply the three headline works, Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and Winged Victory, tell your guide that at the start so they can weight the route toward speed. I'd also bring a printed or downloaded ticket as backup rather than relying entirely on a phone screen with patchy signal near the entrance, since a dead battery at the door is a bad way to start your visit.

Check the museum's current bag-size and photography rules before you go, since oversized bags aren't allowed past security and there's no guaranteed cloakroom space during busy periods. If you're relying on a rented or app-based audio guide instead of a live one, pack a spare phone battery too, a dead screen mid-visit with no guide to fall back on is a frustrating way to lose your commentary halfway through.

![Map style illustration of the walking route from the Louvre Pyramid entrance to the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo](/images/blog/paris-homepage-2.webp)

## Should You Combine the Louvre With Other Paris Museums?

It's tempting to pair the Louvre with the Musee d'Orsay, home to the city's great Impressionist collection, but there's no single combined ticket covering both since they're run by separate institutions. A short riverside walk or a quick bus ride connects them, which makes a same-day pairing realistic if you keep each visit focused.

I'd only combine them in one day if you're comfortable moving fast through the Louvre's highlights in the morning and giving Orsay a proper afternoon. If you have the extra day, splitting them gives both collections the time they deserve rather than rushing either one. Our **[guide to visiting the Louvre and Musee d'Orsay together](/louvre-and-musee-dorsay-combined-tickets/)** covers the walking route and realistic timing in more depth.

## Nearby: Planning the Rest of Your Paris Trip

The Louvre sits within easy walking distance of the Tuileries Garden and the Seine's right bank, both good options for the lighter half of a day that started with a few focused museum hours. The official **[Louvre website](https://www.louvre.fr/en)** and the **[Paris tourism board](https://en.parisinfo.com)** are both worth a bookmark for anything time-sensitive, current hours, closures or special exhibitions, that a page like this can't track in real time.

Seven tours, honestly compared, from a budget skip-the-line option to a fully private family experience: that's the whole point of this page. You can see every option side by side, including current pricing, on our **[tours page](/tours/)**, and whichever format fits your trip, book the one that matches how you actually want to spend your time inside, not just the cheapest ticket on the list.

## Guides
- [Best Louvre Tours: Guided, Private, Skip the Line or Self-Guided](https://louvremuseumtickets.org/best-louvre-tours-compare-formats/)
- [Louvre and Musee d'Orsay: Combined Tickets and Visiting Both](https://louvremuseumtickets.org/louvre-and-musee-dorsay-combined-tickets/)
- [Louvre Audio Guide: Price, App and Is It Worth It](https://louvremuseumtickets.org/louvre-audio-guide-price-app/)
- [The Louvre Glass Pyramid: History and Visiting Tips](https://louvremuseumtickets.org/louvre-glass-pyramid-guide/)
- [Louvre Museum Paris: Location, Facts and Visitor Guide](https://louvremuseumtickets.org/louvre-museum-paris-guide/)
- [Louvre Hours: Opening Times, Last Entry and Best Day to Visit](https://louvremuseumtickets.org/louvre-opening-hours/)
- [Louvre Paintings: The Must-See Masterpieces and Where to Find Them](https://louvremuseumtickets.org/louvre-paintings-must-see-masterpieces/)
- [Louvre Tickets Price: What You'll Actually Pay](https://louvremuseumtickets.org/louvre-tickets-price-guide/)
- [Visiting the Louvre: Tips, Rules and What to Know Before You Go](https://louvremuseumtickets.org/visiting-the-louvre-tips-and-rules/)
- [Mona Lisa Tickets: Everything You Need to Know](https://louvremuseumtickets.org/mona-lisa-tickets-louvre/)

## FAQ
### How much are Louvre museum tickets?
Tickets and tours on this page run from EUR 49 for a small-group skip-the-line tour to EUR 319 for a fully private family tour. Standard guided highlights tours sit between EUR 55 and 95, and a self-guided reserved-entry ticket with audio guide starts at EUR 55.20.

### Do I need a separate ticket to see the Mona Lisa?
No. The Mona Lisa hangs in the Louvre's permanent collection in the Salle des Etats, and standard admission already includes access to it. A listing selling a separate Mona Lisa ticket is really just selling Louvre admission under a different name.

### What time does the Louvre open and close?
The Louvre generally opens at 9:00 and closes at 18:00, and it's closed every Tuesday. Hours can shift for holidays or special events, so check the official Louvre website for the exact schedule on your travel dates before locking in a timed slot.

### Is it worth paying for a guided tour instead of a standard ticket?
For a first visit, yes. A guide gets you through the Pyramid on a reserved slot and leads you straight to the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and Winged Victory without wasted time. On a second or third visit, where you already know the layout, a cheaper self-guided ticket makes more sense.

### Can students or young travelers get free entry?
Visitors under 18, and European Economic Area residents under 26, can enter free with valid ID and proof of residency. This applies at the ticket desk for standard admission and isn't automatically built into every guided tour, so check before assuming it carries over.

### How do I skip the line at the Louvre?
Book a ticket or tour with a reserved entry time slot through the Pyramid rather than joining the walk-up line, which can run well past the security check even outside peak season. Every tour compared on this page includes some form of reserved or skip-the-line entry.

### Do I need an audio guide, or should I book a live guide?
A live guide earns its price on a first visit since it filters the collection into one focused route and handles logistics for you. A self-guided ticket with an audio or app-based guide suits a slower, independent pace, or a repeat visitor who already knows roughly where to go.

### When is the best time of year to visit the Louvre?
Late spring and early fall bring milder crowds than peak summer, and a late-afternoon or evening slot on any open day is usually quieter than a morning start. Avoid the first Sunday of the month if you dislike crowds, since free entry that day draws a noticeably bigger line.

### How do I get to the Louvre?
The closest stop is Palais-Royal - Musée du Louvre on metro lines 1 and 7, a short walk from the Pyramid entrance. Several bus lines also stop nearby, and the museum sits close enough to the Seine that walking from central Paris is realistic for most visitors.

### Can I visit the Louvre and the Musee d'Orsay on the same day?
It's possible but tight, since both museums reward a few unhurried hours each. Pairing a morning at the Louvre with an afternoon at Orsay works if you keep the Louvre visit to the highlights, but splitting them across two days gives each collection the time it deserves.