Paris
Louvre vs Orsay
Make time for the art you love
Choose between the Louvre and Orsay using your interests, budget and available time. Compare official admission, closure days and separate reseller ticket options.
Compare your options
Choose by the art you want, not the longest checklist#
If Monet, Van Gogh and Degas are what draw you to Paris, start by looking at Orsay. Its former railway-station setting and the works highlighted in the museum audio route make it a focused choice for that interest. The Louvre is the stronger starting point when your own list already centres on its collections.
A Louvre admission ticket covers the permanent collections and temporary exhibitions, with the stated access to the Eugène-Delacroix museum. Decide which works matter to you before buying: admission to a vast collection is not the same as having time or energy to see all of it.
Compare the official admission categories#
The Louvre lists €22 for eligible EEA visitors and €32 for the non-EEA category. Those are official admission categories, not reseller totals. Check the nationality and residency conditions, and take the proof required for a reduced or free-entry category.
Orsay lists standard admission at €16 online or €14 at the museum. Thursday evening has its own €12 online or €10 on-site rate. Compare the ticket that applies to your visit time rather than assuming every museum has a single all-day price.
Plan around closure days and free-entry windows#
The Louvre is closed on Tuesdays. Its free first-Friday evening arrangement does not apply in July and August; free admission is also listed for 14 July. A free-entry window can still need planning and a suitable time slot, so start with the museum calendar.
Orsay’s current merchant information lists Monday as closed and Thursday as the late-opening day. Check the official calendar for your dates, especially holidays and exceptional arrangements. Different regular closure days can help a short trip, but do not mean the museums can never close on the same date.
Seeing both is a choice, not an obligation#
For a short trip, choosing a few galleries at the Louvre is more practical than treating the visit as a race through the whole building. Remember that leaving ends the admission: plan food, breaks and the works you most want to see before stepping outside.
Orsay also treats an exit as final. If you want both museums, make each reservation separately and leave realistic space between them. A Thursday evening at Orsay can spread the visits through the day, but it should not turn two enjoyable visits into a rushed checklist.
Reseller options are separate purchases#
The Louvre entrance product currently lists €40. It does not let you skip the security line, and it is not a combined Louvre-and-Orsay pass. Compare its conditions and total with the official category that applies to you.
The separate Orsay entrance product currently lists €21.88. Buying it alongside a Louvre ticket is still two purchases, not a discounted official combined ticket. Use the dedicated ticket guides if you have already chosen your museum and now need the detailed booking conditions.
Compare your options#
| Option | What to check |
|---|---|
| Louvre first | Choose this route when the Louvre’s collections are the main purpose of your visit. Pick a manageable gallery plan, check the correct admission category and remember the regular Tuesday closure. |
| Orsay first | Choose this route when the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works named in the Orsay audio route match your interests. Decide separately whether you need the app commentary or only admission. |
Plan your visit#
Reserve the museum you care most about first, then fit other plans around its date and slot. Do not assume the admission ticket also books a guided workshop or other separately sold activity.
If someone in your group qualifies for free admission, check that category before purchasing a reseller ticket. At Orsay the free first Sunday requires a reservation even though the admission charge is waived.
Frequently asked questions#
Which museum has the lower standard online admission rate?
Orsay’s published standard online admission is €16. Compare that with the appropriate Louvre category, and keep reseller totals separate from museum prices.
Is there one ticket here covering both museums?
No. The featured Orsay product is museum admission for Orsay, while the Louvre option is a separate product. Do not read the side-by-side comparison as a combined pass.