Visiting the Louvre Museum
The Louvre is open every day except Tuesday, with last entry one hour before closing, and the museum recommends booking a time slot (hours checked Oct 5, 2026).
Hours as the museum states them
Checked Oct 5, 2026
- Opens on open daysNot Tuesdays
- Closes; Wed and Fri at 21:00Last entry 1 h before
Before you go: open days, hours and closures
The museum is open every day except Tuesday. It is closed on Jan 1, May 1 and Dec 25, and it stays open on other public holidays unless they fall on a Tuesday. Pick a date to see the hours and notes for that day.
Wednesday, Oct 7, 2026
Checked Oct 5, 2026
- OpensOpen
- Last entry
- Rooms cleared
- Closes
- On Wednesdays and Fridays the rooms on Level 2 open at 10:30 a.m., per the room schedule.
- The Studio, the museum's family activity space, is closed from Oct 5 to Oct 16.
Some rooms close during the week because of renovation. The museum publishes a schedule of open rooms as dated files, and the schedule read on Oct 5 covers Sep 29 to Nov 1.
The museum asks visitors to call +33 (0)1 40 20 53 17 for the situation on the day.
Which entrance to use
The Pyramid is the main entrance for individual visitors. The other entrances serve ticket holders, groups or members, so the right one depends on what you hold.
Pyramid, Carrousel or Porte des Lions
The Pyramid has a queue for visitors who booked a time slot. The Carrousel and Porte des Lions entrances can be used with a ticket, and Porte des Lions admits ticket holders only.
Porte des Lions closes at 6 p.m. every day, takes last entry at 5 p.m. and is closed on Tuesdays.
Pyramid
- Who may use it
- Individual visitors, in three queues: ticket or pass, no ticket, disabled visitors and staff
- Hours noted
- The museum's opening hours
Carrousel, 99 rue de Rivoli
- Who may use it
- Groups, visitors with membership cards and visitors with a ticket
- Hours noted
- The museum's opening hours
Richelieu
- Who may use it
- Groups, activity and auditorium visitors, members of the listed card schemes
- Hours noted
- Closes after 5:30 p.m.; after 7:30 p.m. Wed and Fri
Porte des Lions
- Who may use it
- Visitors with admission tickets only
- Hours noted
- Closes 6 p.m. daily; last entry 5 p.m.; closed Tuesdays
Getting here
Carrousel entrance99 rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris
The museum lists metro station Palais-Royal / Musée du Louvre (lines 1 and 7) and Pyramides (line 14). The family page says it takes 10 minutes to get from the metro to the Pyramid entrance.
An underground car park at 1 Avenue du Général Lemonnier leads to the Carrousel entrance. The entrances page lists the bus lines and the Batobus stop too.
How a visit runs
Last entry is one hour before closing, and the museum asks visitors to leave the exhibition rooms 30 minutes before closing. Any exit is final, so finish what you want to do before you leave.
The tickets page covers what a ticket costs and covers, and how the time slot works.
Visit-day rules
Checked Oct 5, 2026
- Last entry1 h before closing
- Rooms cleared30 min before closing
- Largest item allowed55 x 35 x 20 cm
- Free lockers, emptiedthe same day
How long to plan
The museum pages we read give no length for a visit, and the museum advises keeping a visit short because the Louvre can tire children and adults. The planner shows the time the hours leave you.
Louvre, Thursday
Checked Oct 5, 2026
- You arrive at the entrance
- Last entry
- Rooms cleared3 h 30 min
Taking off the 15 extra minutes the museum suggests for the lockers and toilets, that leaves about 3 h 15 min in the rooms.
Guided tours and audio guides
The museum runs its own tour, Welcome to the Louvre. It lasts about 1 hour 30 minutes and meets at the groups reception area. The fee is 12 euros, or 9 euros at the reduced rate, and covers the tour only. Every visitor also needs an admission ticket unless they enter free, so buy admission first.
Welcome to the Louvre, by language
Checked Oct 5, 2026
- FrenchOpen days
- ItalianMon and Sat
- SpanishOpen days
- EnglishOpen days
- EnglishOpen days
- FrenchSat and Sun
- EnglishFridays
- EnglishFridays
An audio guide rents for 6 euros, with up to six audio guides for up to six tickets per person. The visit page lists nine languages, and the hours page and the help center say it can be booked in advance with a ticket. The counter takes an ID as a deposit. The museum words the languages and the advance booking two ways, so check at the audio guide counter. The tickets page sets out both statements.
Visiting with children or with a disability
Some visitors enter free. The tickets page lists who, with the proof each category needs. The lists below give the museum's wording on loans and access.
With children
- A pushchair or a front baby carrier can be borrowed free under the Pyramid. Prams are allowed, and baby carriers worn on the back are not.
- The Studio, on the ground level of the Richelieu wing, has self-guided activities for ticket holders, in French only; it is closed from Oct 5 to Oct 16, 2026.
With a disability
- Disabled visitors and the person accompanying them get priority access without queuing at the reception area and the entrances.
- Wheelchairs, folding chairs, canes with rubber tips and multifunctional rolling chairs are lent free at the help desk under the Pyramid, against an ID.
- Because of renovation, trips by lift take longer than usual, and the museum strongly advises booking a time slot.
Buying from the right place
The museum sells tickets at its own ticket office, ticket.louvre.fr. The tickets page covers what a ticket costs, how the time slot works, who enters free and how to spot look-alike sites.
Is the Louvre worth it for you
Only you can say. The board gives the scale each source states. If you would rather see a smaller collection, the Paris tourist office describes the Musée d'Orsay's permanent collections as Western art from 1848 to 1914.
The comparison page sets the two museums side by side by your day, your time and what you want to see.
Scale, as each source states it
- Louvre, works on displayabout 35,000
- Louvre, surface areaabout 73,000 m²
- Orsay, works on show at a timeabout 3,000
Visiting the Louvre: questions
What do I need to know before visiting the Louvre?
Check your date, pick the entrance that matches what you hold, book a time slot and leave time before closing. The museum is closed on Tuesdays.
Can I just show up at the Louvre?
Only advance booking guarantees entry, the museum says, although tickets may be bought on site when attendance is low. The tickets page covers booking and what to do when a date is full.
Can you wear jeans to the Louvre?
The visitor rules page, read on Oct 5, 2026, lists conduct rules and items that are not allowed and states no dress code.
What are the top things to see at the Louvre?
We do not rank works. The museum publishes a map: download it from the official visit page or take one at the information desk under the Pyramid. Its Welcome to the Louvre tour page names the Mona Lisa and the Winged Victory of Samothrace among the works that tour visits, and its online collections database gives each work's current location.
What is the best guided tour of the Louvre?
We do not rank tours. The museum's own tour, Welcome to the Louvre, lasts about 1 hour 30 minutes and runs in English at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on open days and at 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Fridays. The official tours page lists the rest.
Is entry to the Louvre ever free?
For some visitors and on some days. The tickets page lists them, with the proof each needs and the booking rule.
What time does the Louvre open and close?
It opens at 9 a.m. on open days. It closes at 6 p.m. on Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday and at 9 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday, and it is closed on Tuesday. Last entry is one hour before closing. Source: the official hours page, checked Oct 5, 2026.
Which entrance should I use?
The Pyramid is the main entrance. Ticket holders can also use the Carrousel and Porte des Lions, and Richelieu is for groups and members. The official pages word who may use the Carrousel two ways, so follow the entrance named in your booking.