The Louvre Museum is open from 9am to 6pm every day except Tuesday, and until 9pm on Wednesdays and Fridays; booking a time slot online is recommended. Admission costs €22 for European Economic Area residents and €32 for other visitors (price as of September 2026). Once one of the main residences of the kings of France, the Louvre was converted into a museum in 1793 and now houses more than 35,000 works of Western art from the Middle Ages to 1848, as well as art from ancient civilizations. The Louvre's rich art collection ranks it among the most visited museums in the world.
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Highlights
The Mona Lisa
The portrait of the Mona Lisa is without doubt the most famous painting in the world. The identity of the young Florentine woman remains a mystery to this day, adding to the myth surrounding the painting. It took Leonardo da Vinci four years to complete this work of art.
Napoleon III's apartments
The small and grand dining rooms of Napoleon III's apartments reflect the Second Empire style, recognizable by its sophisticated, luxurious décor.
The Winged Victory of Samothrace
This depiction of the goddess of victory was discovered during excavations of Greek sanctuaries on the island of Samothrace. It has since been preserved at the Louvre and has undergone several restorations.
Venus de Milo
This Greek statue originates from the island of Milos. It dates from the Hellenistic period and represents the goddess of love and beauty. Her two missing arms leave the imagination free to wonder what movement the original statue might have had.
How long, and which works?
Allow at least 3 hours for the highlights, as a full day is still not enough to see everything. The Mona Lisa is in the Denon wing, first floor (room 711); the Winged Victory of Samothrace stands at the top of the Daru staircase, also in the Denon wing; the Venus de Milo is in the Sully wing (room 345); Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People is in the Denon wing (room 700). Find these rooms on the map before you start.
Practical info
Tips
- Use the Lions' Gate, to the right of the Galerie du Carrousel: it is reserved for pre-booked tickets, so the wait is short. It closes on some days: call +33 (0) 1 40 20 53 17.
- Otherwise use the Carrousel du Louvre: the queue is shorter than at the main entrance (glass pyramid).
- Without a skip-the-line ticket, queue at the main entrance around 07:45 to be among the first in when it opens at 09:00.
- Once inside, go up to the first floor: see the Mona Lisa first, passing the Winged Victory of Samothrace on the way, then the Venus de Milo. The room fills up fast.
- On site, tickets are only sold when attendance is low: book your ticket and time slot in advance.
- 2026 prices (ticket.louvre.fr): 22 € for residents of the EEA, 32 € for other visitors; free for under 18s, for 18-25-year-old EEA residents, on the first Friday of the month after 6pm (except July-August) and on 14 July.
How to get there
Metro "Palais Royal - Musée du Louvre" (lines 1 and 7), right beneath the pyramid. Bus lines 21, 24, 27, 39, 48, 68, 69, 72, 81, 95. After your visit, the Tuileries Garden and the Palais-Royal are a few minutes' walk away. For somewhere to sleep nearby, see the hotels in the Palais-Royal area on Booking.
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Pour vous déplacer facilement à Paris pendant votre visite, consultez notre guide Navigo ou Paris Visite : quel pass de transport choisir.
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