The only guide you need to explore the best of Louvre Museum Paris

The Louvre Museum in Paris is the world's most-visited and largest art museum. Located on the right bank of the river Seine in the heart of Paris, it is the perfect example of French Baroque architecture. Best known as the home to the Mona Lisa, the museum has the most impressive art collection in the world.

When in Paris, it is impossible to not visit the Louvre and this guide will help you through navigating the most famous paintings, scoring the cheapest tickets, dining at the best restaurants nearby and more!

Louvre Museum in a Nutshell

Why Visit Louvre Museum Paris

The Louvre was first built as a fortress to protect Paris from Viking attacks in the 12th century. In 1546, it became home to the French monarchs. In 1789, during the French Revolution, it was decided that The Louvre would be home to the country’s art. Since then, the museum has become world-famous as the holy shrine of art.

The Louvre is home to over 3,80,000 artworks, of which only 35,000 make up the permanent exhibition. These exhibits are spread across eight departments - Egyptian Antiquities; Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities; Near Eastern Antiquities; Islamic Art; Decorative Arts; Sculpture; Paintings; Drawings and Prints.

Considered as the world's best and largest art museum, it is only natural to visit Louvre, Paris to experience and see the finest artworks. From paintings from centuries ago to the newest artworks from today's admirable artists, you can find all forms and styles of art in the Louvre Museum.

Louvre Pyramid

Originally built as a fortress in the 13th century, the Louvre Pyramid has caught the eye of today’s generation for its modernism. The larger-than-life glass and metal pyramid were designed by the architect legend, I. M. Pei in 1981. It is accompanied by three smaller pyramids and is located in the main courtyard of the Louvre Palace, resting against the backdrop of its baroque neighbors. Inside the pyramid are a newer entrance, a web of rooms, an information center, and a cafeteria.

Yet, this iconic structure was not without controversy. It was thought that the style did not sit well with the rest of the monuments in the area, the people saw the pyramid as a symbol of Egyptian death, the French thought that the then-President, François Mitterrand, who commissioned the project was delusional and that the Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei was not fully aware of the French culture to restore such an important monument. It was no small undertaking to modernize a building with a great history of its own and make the project the talk of the century. Against all odds, the Louvre Pyramid became one of the most legendary landmarks in the world.

How To Plan The Perfect Louvre Visit

2. Choose the Right Time for Your Visit

The best time to visit the Louvre Museum is on a weekday. Parisians love visiting museums and they do so on weekends, mostly Sunday afternoons. If you’re visiting the museum during the weekdays, then Wednesday and Friday are perfect, as the museum stays open longer, and you can look around the museum in peace, as the crowds lessen considerably during the closing hours (9:45 PM).

During the summer, when the days are long and the weather is pleasant, the Louvre sees a large number of visitors. Approximately 7.4 million people visited the Musée du Louvre in 2016. To avoid the densest crowds, it is recommended you visit during fall and early winter.

Scoring The Best Louvre Tickets

Choosing the best Louvre Museum tickets for your needs can be a tedious task. Hence, we took it upon ourselves to ease the process for you. Here are the various options you can choose from.

On-site

Of course, you can buy the tickets at the ticket counter but beware of the never-ending lines and long waiting time. The tickets do sell out very fast and you may have to return home without seeing the museum. If you want to buy them over the counter, Wednesday mornings during the early opening hours will be the best time to get your hands on them.

Skip the line

For those who want to explore the museum at their own pace and time, Skip the line Louvre tickets are the best option. You can get timed entries and book them in advance to save your entry.

Louvre Museum Tours

Guided tours provide you with skip-the-line access as well as a local guide who knows the museum like the back of their hand. You will also get to listen to the shocking secrets of the museum only the Parisians know of.

Combo Louvre Museum Tours

Cover all the major attractions of Paris along with the Louvre Museum tour by purchasing combo tickets. You will save time and dime by booking the tickets at once with exciting discounts by Headout.

Louvre Museum VIP Tour

If you are short on time and want to cover world famous artworks like Mona Lisa, The Winged Victory of Samothrace, Venus de Milo and more, then consider buying the VIP Small-Group tour. It'll give you skip the line access to the Louvre and you can opt for a small group of 6 to 10 people tour or a private tour for yourself. It's a 3 hour tour and an expert English speaking guide will acompany you.

Louvre At Night

Visiting Louvre at night is better than Louvre in the daytime. There are fewer people, you can explore the rooms without the anxiety of not getting a good look at the art, and most importantly, the Louvre pyramid shines like a beacon under the Parisian night sky. A night tour of the museum provides a serene atmosphere to soak in the art and the information that is given by the guide and leaves no room for the crowd’s noise to get the better of it.

Understanding Louvre Museum Floor Plan

With a gallery space of 72,735 sq. m., the Louvre is the largest art museum in the world. Given that 35,000 permanent exhibits are spread across eight departments, it is best to plan ahead, so you can see as much of the artwork as possible.

You can find the detailed floor plan here. Given the sheer size of the museum, it is not possible to see all of it in one day. However, if you decide in advance with galleries and exhibits you want to visit, your experience will be much more fulfilling.

Floor Plan

The museum is spread over 5 levels, with 2 underground levels. The museum exhibitions are present on levels -1, 0, 1, and 2. Level -2 is dedicated to the museum shops, bookstores and the Richelieu and the Carrousel du Louvre entrances.

Level -2
• Richelieu and the Carrousel du Louvre entrances
• Bookshop
• Museum shops
• Entrances to the three wings that make up the Louvre - Richelieu, Denon and Sully.

Level -1
• Richelieu Wing: French Sculptures
• Sully Wing: The Pavillon de l’Horloge
• Denon Wing: Greek Antiquities, European Sculptures, Islamic Art, Near Eastern and Egyptian Art and a Touch Gallery

Level 0
• Richelieu Wing: French Sculptures and Near Eastern Antiquities
• Sully Wing: Near Eastern Antiquities, Egyptian Antiquities and Greek Antiquities
• Denon Wing: Greek Antiquities, Italian and Etruscan Antiquities, Roman Antiquities, European Sculptures and Arts of Africa, Asia, Oceania and Americas

Level 1
• Richelieu Wing: European Decorative Arts
• Sully Wing: Egyptian Antiquities and Greek and Roman Antiquities
• Denon Wing: French, Italian, Spanish, British and American Paintings

Level 2
• Richelieu Wing: Northern European Paintings
• Sully Wing: French Paintings

Inside Louvre Museum

The Eternal Louvre Paintings And Sculpture

Read our complete blog on the 15 must see artworks at Louvre Paris.

Louvre Museum Practical Information

Timings

Monday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday: 9 AM - 6 PM
Wednesday, Friday: 9 AM - 9:45 PM

The Louvre Museum is closed on Tuesdays and the following holidays: January 1, May 1, December 25.

Getting There

The Louvre Museum is situated in Paris’ 1st Arrondissement, on the right bank of the Seine. You have the following public transport options available to get to the museum:

Metro - The closest metro station to the museum, and the one where our ticket redemption center is located is the Palais-Royal–Musée du Louvre station on Line 1.
Bus - 21, 24, 27, 39, 48, 68, 69, 72, 81, 95

Entrances

There are three entrances individual ticket holders can use to enter the museum:
1. Pyramid Entrance: This is the main entrance to the Louvre. Look for the sign “avec billet” (with ticket), and get into the line. You will be allowed to enter after a brief security check.
2. Richelieu Passage entrance: This is the closest entrance to the Headout ticket redemption center.
3. Carrousel du Louvre entrance: This entrance is past the underground shopping center, near the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel.

Louvre Museum Map

Image Courtesy: Louvre Official Website

Tips on Visiting the Louvre Museum

• The following people get free admission to the Louvre: Those under the age of 18, 18-25 year old residents of the EU, Visitors with disabilities and the person accompanying them, and teachers of art & art history. Find more information on this here.
• You’ll never have the Louvre Museum all to yourself, but mornings and evenings will be the least crowded hours of the day - try going early in the morning or around 3 PM.
• Always buy tickets in advance. This way, you can skip the line to purchase tickets, making your wait to enter the museum a short one.
• Use the Passage Richelieu and Galerie du Carrousel entrances to enter the museum, as these are less crowded than the main Pyramid entrance.
• Be sure to carry water and wear comfortable shoes. The Louvre is massive, and that involves a lot of walking. You can also borrow walking sticks and foldable chairs from the Museum Centre for free.

10 Fun Louvre Museum Facts

• The Louvre was originally built as a fortress to keep the Vikings out in 1190 AD. In the 16th century, it was converted into a palace.
• Following the French Revolution, the Louvre was made a museum in 1793.
• Napoleon expanded the collection of the museum by 5000, and even renamed it the Musée Napoleon. However, after the defeat at Waterloo, the pieces were returned to the original owners.
• In 1911, the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre. The masterpiece was finally recovered two years later in December 1913.
• During World War II, the Louvre was used by the Nazis as a storeroom to keep stolen art.
• The glass pyramid was built in the 1980s based on the design of Chinese architect I. M. Pei. He was the first non-French architect to work on the Louvre, which created controversy at the time. However, today, the Louvre pyramid is one of the most iconic landmarks in Paris.
• It will take 15 acres to house the 380,000 pieces properly.
• It is the largest art musuem and the most visited museum on earth, with over 10.2 million people visiting it every year.
• 66% of all artwork displayed inside the museum is made by French artists.
• You can find a quarter of all Leonardo Da Vinci’s paintings in the Louvre Museum.

Restaurants Near Louvre Museum

Try the best French delicacies in these restaurants only a few minutes walk away from Louvre Museum. Check out more top rated restaurants near the Louvre and plan your visit to the Louvre.

Hotels Near Louvre Museum

Here are a handfull of world-class hotel options located very close to Louvre Museum that you can stay in for the ultimate Parisian experience.

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