Book skip-the-line tickets for quicker access to the museum or explore the Louvre with an art expert guide for a more in-depth visit—art lovers and novices alike will benefit from such insight. Private Louvre tours are a good option for those with specific interests, such as family-friendly Louvre tours tailored to entertain children. Alternatively, choose a Paris tour that combines the Louvre with stops at the Eiffel Tower, Montmartre, and Notre Dame Cathedral.
The Louvre is spread across three main exhibition spaces: the Sully, Denon, and Richelieu Wings. Highlights from the ancient world include the Winged Victory of Samothrace, Seated Scribe, and Venus de Milo. If you like Renaissance art, don't miss famous works by Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, and Titian. French masterpieces from the 19th century include Gericault's The Raft of the Medusa and Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People.
The Louvre always has big crowds—book skip-the-line entry to save time.
Photography of certain major works inside the Louvre is prohibited.
A 2-, 4-, or 6-day Paris museum pass includes skip-the-line access at the Louvre and Orsay Museum (Musee d'Orsay), as well as entry to other top attractions.
Audio guides are available and are included in some Louvre tours and tickets.
The Louvre is accessible for visitors with physical and learning disabilities, as well as visual and hearing impairments; disabled visitors enter for free.
Give yourself plenty of time to visit the Louvre–this is not something you can see in only 30 minutes, and some people opt to spend multiple days exploring the museum.
The Louvre is located between the Rue de Rivoli and the Seine River in central Paris’s 1st Arrondissement. Catch Metro line 1 or 7 to the Palais Royal/Musée du Louvre station. Alternatively, opt for an organized tour that includes round-trip transportation to and from the museum.
On Friday evenings, the Louvre stays open well into the night, making it a great time to enjoy the museum with fewer crowds. You'll also see the glass pyramid majestically illuminated. From October through March. You can gain access to the Louvre's permanent collection for free on the first Sunday of every month.
Most visitors flock to the Mona Lisa, but the Louvre is so much more than da Vinci's moody muse. Make time for Ingres' Grande Odalisque, an 18th-century nude; the cheeky 16th-century Gabrielle d’Estrées and One of Her Sisters; and a Goya classic—The Countess del Carpio. You can even explore the ruins of the fortress upon which the Louvre is built.
