Guide To The The Louvre Museum: How To Make The Most Of Your Visit

If you love art and architecture then more than likely the Louvre Museum in Paris is on your travel bucket list.

 It’s an incredible museum but it’s definitely one that you don’t want to enter without a plan, due to its size and popularity. You can get lost for days!

This post will help you enjoy your visit to the Louvre museum in Paris and help you navigate it effectively and efficiently.

History of the Louvre Museum

The Louvre is MASSIVE and upon entering you may feel like you are in a palace…which you should…. because, you are.

Originally erected as a fortress in 1190, the Louvre became a royal palace in the 16th century. Louis XIV moved the royal headquarters to Versailles. Since then, the Louvre served as an art school as part of its evolution to the museum it is today. 

As you make your way through the palace, take note of the architecture and look up at the ceiling. 

Art is literally all around you and the building is part of what makes the experience of visiting the Louvre special.

Getting There

You can access the Louvre by cab, bus or metro. 

For the metro, your stops will be Palais-Royal Musée du Louvre (lines 1 and 7) and Pyramides (line 14)

Click here to download a copy of the Paris Metro Map.

If you plan on taking a bus, you want numbers 21, 24, 27, 39, 48, 68, 69, 72, 81, 95.

If you plan on driving, you can park a car underground at Avenue du Général Lemonier.

I suggest the metro, because it drops you right of. For entering, head to the mall entrance on Rue Di Rivoli. I explain more in the next section.

The underground entrance to the Louvre is on the north side of the Louvre onRue Di Rivoli.

Tickets, Hours and Entrance Tips

The Louvre Museum is open every day except Tuesdays.

As enticing as the entrance near the famous glass pyramid is… you don’t want to enter there. 

You will wait for hours to get through security there. The security check is unavoidable ( as it should be), but you will likely experience much shorter lines if you go through the underground entrance.

If you choose to not purchase a museum pass, I highly suggest you still purchase tickets in advance. This way, you don’t have to stand in both a ticket line and a security line. You can purchased advanced tickets directly from the Louvre website here.

Travel Tips To Maximize Your Louvre Experience

Spend 3 Hours MAX

Depending on how long you plan on staying in Paris (and what else is on your itinerary), you want to make a trip to the Louvre enjoyable… but efficient. You should probably set aside a maximum of 3 hours to enjoy the Louvre. Anything more and you will end up wandering aimlessly, feeling burnt out or losing an entire day in the museum when you could spend a few hours doing something else in Paris, as well.

Of course, as previously mentioned the Louvre museum is ginormous. That is why it is incredibly important that you have a plan.

I recommend downloading Rick Steves Audio Europe travel app. On the app, he has a guided walking tour of the Louvre Museum. You can listen to the tour on your smartphone and follow along in the museum. Just don’t forget to pack a pair of headphones!  

The app is completely free and will save you the cost of purchasing the audio tour at the Museum.          

Consider Visiting At Night

On Wednesdays and Fridays, the Louvre is open until 9:45 pm. They also reduce the cost of admission after 6. as many people are already wrapping up their day you stand a decent chance if experiencing fewer crowds plus there won’t be large crowds of school groups. 

As a bonus, hitting the Louvre museum at the golden hour will be a photographer’s dream.

Pre-Purchase Tickets

Purchase either the Paris Museum Pass, The Paris Pass or tickets directly from the Louvre museum site in advance. 

Without a pass, the entrance fee is 17€ if you buy your ticket online and 15€ if at the museum. Saving 3€ is not worth the line.

If you are traveling with children or teens under the age of 18, they are free. Also, residents of the European Union under the age of 26 are also free…just remember ID.

Know Which Entrance You Want

I already mentioned that entering underground is usually faster than up top by the glass pyramid. However, once you are actually inside, there are three other additional entrances that will lead you towards certain pieces.

Of course, using an audio guide will walk you through this… but if you are opting to navigate yourself, make sure you know which pieces you want to visit first. 

Here is a quick cheat sheet to help you out, as well.

Try To Avoid The Weekends

It may seem obvious but needs to be mentioned. Weekdays will be generally less crowded as it is a non-peak time. If you’re not planning on making an evening visit as mentioned above, try to get to the museum as close to opening time in the morning…which is 9:00 a.m.

We made the mistake of getting to the Mona Lisa in the middle of the day… ⇓

This selfie was taken in the .2 seconds we had in front of it, after making our way through a hoard of people. Visiting earlier in the day would likely have made this more bearable.

Don’t be like us.

Exiting and Entering

If you have a pass, you can exit or enter the Louvre at leisure throughout your trip. If you purchase a ticket, you can still enter and exit throughout the day. If you find yourself needing a bite to eat, you can certainly check out an eatery inside the museum, or head outside to a nearby brasserie for lunch.

Click here to view my collection of affordable lunch options near the Louvre

Bring A Water Bottle

Bottled water at the Louvre is expensive. You can bring in your own bottle of water and refill, if necessary.

Visit The Tuileries Garden

Make sure to save some space in your day to stroll the grounds around the Louvre and meander over to the Tuileries Garden. The Garden has been blooming since 1564 and is a lovely walk.

Tuileries Gardens flickr photo by darcyadelaide shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license

If gardens are not really your thing, you can also easily stroll over to the  Musée d’Orsay to view the incredible collection of impressionist works, or the Musee l’Orangerie and sit among Monet’s water lilies. Both are easy walks.

Notable Pieces On Display At The Louvre In Paris

Wondering what you can expect to see during your excursion to the Louvre? With over 35,000 pieces of art, you could get lost in all of the priceless finds. Here are a few crowd-pleasers to look for.

The Mona Lisa

The Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci. (Spoiler alert: It’s smaller than you’d think…)

Oath of the Horatii

Oath of the Horatii by Jacques-Louis David

Grande Odalisque

Grande Odalisque by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres

The Coronation of Napoleon

The Coronation of Napoleon by Jacques-Louis David.

The Wedding at Cana

The Wedding at Cana by Paolo Veronese

Winged Victory

Winged Victory of Samothrace on display at the Louvre Museum in Paris

Venus de Milo

Have you been to the Louvre Museum in Paris? What are your favorite pieces and best travel tips to navigate the museum? Share in the comments!

Like the post? Please share!