In addition to masterpieces such as the Mona Lisa, Nike of Samothrace, and Venus de Milo, the museum’s collection comprises hundreds of thousands of paintings, sculptures, drawings, and jewels.
How to visit: Tours with skip-the-line entry will help you sail past the crowds, while tours covering the highlights make it easier to navigate the colossal institution.
As notable for its 19th-century architecture as its collection of impressionist masterpieces, the riverside Musée d’Orsay has real personality. Renoir, Van Gogh, Degas, Manet, and Monet are all well-represented in its collection.
How to Visit: Book a VIP tour to browse the museum’s highlights before enjoying a meal in the onsite restaurant. Alternatively, try a customizable private guided tour to see everything on your list.
Immediately striking for its unconventional looks, the Centre Pompidou was designed by star architects Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers and houses the National Museum of Modern Art (Musée National d’Art Moderne) as well as other cultural bodies.
How to Visit: Prebook priority-access tickets to enter the museum without delay, or go on a private guided tour to learn about its modern-art highlights. And don’t miss the views overlooking Paris from the center’s top level.
Following a lengthy renovation that doubled its size, the Musée Picasso reopened in 2014 and has since become an unmissable highlight in artsy Marais. Fans of the visionary cubist artist can discover the 5,000-plus works displayed here.
How to visit: Make Picasso’s masterworks accessible to the whole family on a kid-friendly tour, or pair a museum visit with a walking tour of the surrounding Marais neighborhood.
Located within the Tuileries Gardens (and just a quick stroll from the Louvre), the Musée de l’Orangerie is one of Paris’ most charming cultural institutions. Its outsize reputation rests on its collection of eight enormous water lily paintings from Monet, which are displayed in two light-drenched, oval rooms.
How to visit: Pair a visit with a trip to the nearby Musée d’Orsay for full impressionist immersion, or book a skip-the-line tour to spend more time with Monet’s canvases.
Home to an enormous collection of artworks from Asia, the Americas, Africa, and Oceania, the Musée du Quai Branly is one of the City of Light’s most distinctive museums (Its striking building, designed by Jean Nouvel, also helps set it apart).
How to visit: Explore the collections independently with a Paris museum pass; glimpse the museum during a Seine river cruise; or head to its rooftop Les Ombres Restaurant for up-close Eiffel Tower views.