Louvre tickets cost €32 (about $36) if you live outside the European Economic Area, which includes visitors from the US, Canada, the UK and Australia, and €22 (about $24) for EEA citizens and residents (prices checked October 2026). Under-18s of any nationality get in free. For most people the right move is the official timed ticket, booked online for a specific date and time slot. If you’d rather have a guide steer you through the crowds to the Mona Lisa and the Winged Victory, the 2.5-hour Louvre masterpieces tour with entry included is the most-reviewed guided option on Viator.
How much do Louvre tickets cost?
Since January 14, 2026, the Louvre has charged two adult prices, depending on where you live. These are the official rates from the Louvre’s hours and admission page, checked in October 2026, with dollar figures at €1 = $1.11.
| Ticket | Price | Who it’s for |
|---|---|---|
| Adult, non-EEA visitor | €32 (about $36) | Everyone 18+ who isn’t an EEA citizen or resident, including American visitors |
| Adult, EEA visitor | €22 (about $24) | Citizens of EEA countries, and residents with a permit or visa of more than three months |
| Under 18, any nationality | Free | Bring proof of age, such as a passport, and book a free slot |
| EEA citizen or resident under 26 | Free | Photo ID; residents also need a permit valid for more than 90 days |
| Disabled visitor and one companion | Free | Proof of disability |
| Audio guide | €6 (about $7) | Optional, rented at the museum |
| Louvre-run guided tours and workshops | €12 (about $13), €9 reduced | Paid on top of admission |
For US travelers: you pay the €32 rate, and a US student ID doesn’t get you in free, because free entry for under-26s is limited to citizens and residents of the EEA (the EU plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway). Americans living in France on a visa or residence permit of more than three months count as residents.
What the ticket includes: the permanent collections, the temporary exhibitions and entry to the Musée national Eugène-Delacroix, on the day of your visit or the next day that museum is open. Exhibitions in the Hall Napoléon, under the Pyramid, need their own time-slot booking even though the ticket covers them. One person can buy up to six tickets.
What it doesn’t include: re-entry. The museum states that “any exit is final,” so eat, rest and finish the galleries you care about before you walk out.
How to book Louvre tickets on the official site
The Louvre’s own ticket shop is ticket.louvre.fr, which you can also reach from the museum’s visit page. Booking takes a few minutes:
- Pick your date and time slot. The ticket is valid only for that slot. According to the museum’s help center, if you arrive outside it you are treated like a visitor without a ticket and sent to the general line at the Pyramid.
- Choose the right rate for each person. Children and other free visitors pick the matching “free admission” option. Booking a free slot is optional for them but recommended, because only a booking guarantees entry.
- Pay by card. Online bookings for individuals are card-only, and the charge is in euros, so use a card without foreign transaction fees if you have one.
- Save the tickets to your phone and have ID ready for anyone getting the EEA rate or free entry.
Once booked, tickets can’t be changed, exchanged or refunded, according to the Louvre’s ticket FAQ. The exception is when the museum itself cancels or changes your visit, for example on a strike day, in which case you’re entitled to a refund under its terms of sale.
When to book: as soon as your dates are set. The museum made reservations compulsory for every visitor from October 17 to November 1, 2026, which covered the French fall school break, so treat a booking as essential at busy times. The ticket office does sell same-day tickets, but only while slots remain.
The Louvre warns visitors not to buy tickets that claim to let you cut the line. A booked slot, official or through a tour, puts you in the shorter line for ticket holders. Everyone still goes through the same security check.
What if Louvre tickets are sold out?
You still have options, roughly in this order:
- Try a late opening. On Wednesdays and Fridays the museum stays open until 9 pm, so those days have more time slots to look at.
- Book a tour with entry included. Tour operators book their own group entries, so a tour can still have places on a day when the official calendar is full. If you only want the Mona Lisa and a handful of highlights, the 1-hour express Louvre tour with entry included is the shortest way in with a guide. It also comes with a self-guided audio app for after the tour.
- Wait in line without a ticket. Join the general line at the Pyramid when the museum opens and hope for same-day tickets. The Paris Museum Pass site warns that at peak times this can mean a very long wait, or no entry at all.
Which Louvre entrance should you use?
The Pyramid in the Cour Napoléon is the main entrance and the one most visitors should use. It has three lines: green for ticket and Paris Museum Pass holders, orange for visitors without tickets, and blue for disabled visitors. The other entrances depend on who you are and the time of day. Details are from the Louvre’s map and entrances page.
| Entrance | Where | Who can use it | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pyramid | Cour Napoléon | All individual visitors | Green line for ticket and pass holders. The cylindrical elevator is for wheelchair users and visitors with strollers |
| Carrousel | 99 rue de Rivoli, through the underground Carrousel du Louvre | Ticket holders, groups and members | The museum says it may open to ticket holders at peak times |
| Porte des Lions | Quai François Mitterrand, on the Seine side | Admission ticket holders only | May open at peak times. Closes at 6 pm, last entry 5 pm, no equipment loans, coat check until 3 pm |
| Passage Richelieu | Rue de Rivoli | Groups with a booking, members, auditorium and activity visitors | Closes after 5:30 pm, or after 7:30 pm on Wednesdays and Fridays |
If you hold a timed ticket and the Pyramid’s green line looks long, ask staff whether the Carrousel or the Porte des Lions is open that day. Guided tours each have their own meeting point, usually near the Pyramid or the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, so read your booking voucher rather than heading to an entrance.
Getting there: the closest metro stations are Palais-Royal - Musée du Louvre (lines 1 and 7) and Pyramides (line 14).
Louvre opening hours, closed days and late openings
| Day | Opening hours | Last entry |
|---|---|---|
| Monday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday | 9 am to 6 pm | 5 pm |
| Wednesday and Friday | 9 am to 9 pm | 8 pm |
| Tuesday | Closed |
The Louvre is also closed on January 1, May 1 and December 25. It opens on other public holidays unless they fall on a Tuesday. Staff start clearing the galleries 30 minutes before closing, so a 5 pm entry on a normal day gives you about 30 minutes inside.
Some rooms may be closed for renovation, so check the museum’s list of open rooms the night before if one work is the reason you’re going. Strikes are the other risk: staff walkouts closed the museum on several days between mid-December 2025 and January 2026, The Local reported.
The Wednesday and Friday late openings suit anyone whose days are already full of sightseeing. If you’d like a guide for the evening, this small-group Louvre closing-time tour by Walks includes entry and audio headsets, and is timed for the end of the day, when the operator says the Mona Lisa room is calmer.
When is the Louvre free?
Free entry at the Louvre comes in two forms: free days for everyone, and free admission for certain visitors at any time.
Free for everyone:
- The first Friday of the month after 6 pm, except in July and August.
- July 14, Bastille Day.
Free every day, with proof:
- Visitors under 18, of any nationality.
- EEA citizens under 26, with photo ID, and EEA residents under 26, with photo ID and a residence permit valid for more than 90 days.
- Disabled visitors and one companion.
- EEA art and architecture teachers, EEA job seekers and people on income support, journalists with a press card, and ICOM members.
The museum recommends that free visitors still book a time slot online with the “free admission” option, and on free first-Friday evenings that booking is your best protection against a long wait. For American families, the rule that matters is that children are free, so two adults and two teenagers pay €64 (about $71), not €128.
Louvre tickets and the Paris Museum Pass
The Paris Museum Pass covers the Louvre. It costs €85 (about $95) for 2 days, €105 (about $117) for 4 days and €125 (about $139) for 6 days, and runs in hours from your first visit. Three rules matter at the Louvre:
- You must still reserve a slot. The pass’s reservation page says only a reserved time slot guarantees entry to the Louvre with the pass. The slot is free: follow the Louvre link on that page, choose a date and time, and create an account on the Louvre’s ticketing site to receive the reservation.
- Use the Pyramid’s green line, the one for ticket and pass holders.
- The pass covers permanent collections. Its conditions exclude temporary exhibitions, so check before you go if a Hall Napoléon show is your main reason to visit.
Is the pass worth it for the Louvre? Not on its own: the 2-day pass costs €85 and a non-EEA Louvre ticket costs €32. It pays off when you add three or more paid sites. In our Paris Museum Pass break-even math, Louvre, Orsay, Versailles and the Arc de Triomphe save a non-EEA adult €14 (about $16) on the 2-day pass. Skip it for under-18s, who enter the Louvre free.
Resellers sell the same pass, such as the Paris Museum Pass listing on GetYourGuide, usually for more than the official price. You still need to reserve your Louvre slot either way.
Is a guided Louvre tour worth it?
A tour costs several times the €32 ticket, so it has to give you something the ticket doesn’t. It’s worth it if:
- It’s your first visit and you have half a day or less. A guide gets you to the big works without wrong turns.
- Official slots are sold out for your dates.
- You’re visiting with children who won’t sit through an audio guide.
Skip it if you’ve been before or like to wander. Cheaper middle grounds: the €6 audio guide, the museum’s own guided tours at €12 plus admission (including an English-language introduction called “Welcome to the Louvre”), and the free 90-minute Masterpieces visitor trail on the Louvre’s website.
Louvre tours compared
We compared six popular Louvre tours on Viator in October 2026. All of them include museum entry except where noted, and all showed free cancellation when we checked.
| Tour | Length | Group size | Entry | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masterpieces guided tour (City Wonders) | 2.5 hours | Standard group, with small-group and private upgrades | Included | First visit at a lower price |
| Semi-private essential tour (Babylon Tours) | 2.5 hours | Max 6 | Included | A small group, then stay on by yourself |
| Express Mona Lisa tour (City Wonders) | 1 hour | Group | Included, plus audio app | Short on time or sold-out days |
| Mona Lisa First Viewing (LivTours) | 1.5 hours | Max 6 | Included | Seeing the Mona Lisa before the crowds |
| Closing-time highlights tour (Walks) | 2 to 4 hours, by option | Small group | Included | An evening visit |
| Kids and families private tour (Raphael Tours) | 2 or 3 hours | Private | Check your option | Families with children |
Which tour to book
- Best overall for a first visit: the Louvre masterpieces guided tour covers the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo and the Renaissance highlights in 2.5 hours, with audio headsets so you can hear the guide in busy rooms.
- Best small group: the semi-private Louvre tour for six people at most runs the same length with far fewer people, and you can stay in the museum as long as you like afterward.
- Best for the Mona Lisa without the crush: the Mona Lisa First Viewing tour is built around an early-morning look at the painting before the main crowds arrive, then continues with the highlights in a group of up to six.
- Best for families: the private kids and families Louvre tour is tailored to your children’s ages and attention spans, in a 2-hour or 3-hour version. Children enter free, so check whether adult admission is included in the option you pick.
- Best for comparing everything else: the full list of Louvre tickets and tours on Viator lets you filter by length, group size and price.
Book on ViatorLouvre Museum Essential Guided Tour Semi Private 6 GUESTS MAX
Book on ViatorMona Lisa First Viewing: Louvre Guided Tour with Max 6 People
Book on ViatorParis Kids and Families Private Louvre Tour
Book on ViatorLouvre MuseumSome tours list the €22 EEA ticket in their inclusions. As an American you pay the €32 rate, so check whether the operator charges a supplement before you pay.
The Mona Lisa hangs in Room 711, the Salle des États, on level 1 of the Denon wing, behind a climate-controlled glass case. Expect to wait in line to reach the front.
Tips for the day of your visit
- Arrive a little before your slot. Show up outside it and you join the general line.
- Carry ID for anyone getting free entry, such as your kids’ passports.
- Keep your phone online. Your tickets, the museum map and your route back to the hotel all live on your phone, and US carriers’ international day passes add up: Verizon’s TravelPass costs $12 a day per line in Europe. A France eSIM from Airalo is set up before you fly; use code GUIDEZ15 at checkout if you’re new to Airalo, or GUIDEZ10 if you’ve bought from them before. Our Airalo vs local SIM vs roaming comparison runs the numbers.
- Use the Delacroix bonus. Your ticket also covers the small Delacroix museum in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the same day or the next day it’s open.
Planning several museums? Read whether the Paris Museum Pass is worth it before you book single tickets, and if the Musée d’Orsay is next on your list, this Orsay daily entry ticket gets you in across the river. For timed-entry tactics at other big sights, from the Vatican to the Sagrada Família, see our skip-the-line hacks for Europe. And for cafés, restaurants and places to stay between museum days, open Maya Barkan’s Paris map on Guidez, which is in Hebrew.
