Which museums are essential?
The Louvre
The largest collection in Paris and the hardest to do well. Do not try to see it all: choose one thread and follow it. The route in the Louvre in 3 hours takes you through the ancient world, from the Great Sphinx of Tanis to the Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory. Since January 2026 tickets cost €22 for visitors from the European Economic Area and €32 for everyone else; the museum is closed on Tuesdays and open until 21:00 on Wednesdays and Fridays, which are the best times to go.
The Musée d’Orsay
The museum of nineteenth-century art, set in a former railway station on the left bank of the Seine. This is where the Impressionists are: Monet, Renoir, Degas, Van Gogh and the painters around them. Start on the top floor, where the Impressionist rooms are, while you still have energy, then work down. Give it at least half a day, and do not put it on the same day as the Louvre: both are long, and the second one always suffers. Tickets cost €16 online or €14 at the museum, free for under-18s and for EEA residents under 26; it is closed on Mondays and open until 21:45 on Thursdays. Renovation work is under way, so check the entrance conditions before you go.
Monet’s Water Lilies at the Orangerie
One of the shortest great visits in Paris. In two oval rooms at the edge of the Tuileries gardens, Monet’s Water Lilies run around the walls, lit from above. Sit on the bench in the middle of each room and let the painting surround you: the rooms were built for exactly that. An hour is enough, including the collection downstairs. Tickets cost €12.50 online or €11 at the museum, or €20 for a combined ticket with the Orsay; the museum strongly recommends booking a time slot, because queues are long. It is closed on Tuesdays.
Sainte-Chapelle
A thirteenth-century royal chapel on the Île de la Cité, built to hold relics and walled almost entirely with stained glass. The lower chapel is dark and low; climb to the upper one and the walls seem to disappear into coloured light. Go on a sunny day, ideally in the morning, and allow 45 minutes. Since January 2026 tickets cost €16 for EEA nationals and residents and €22 for other visitors; it is open from 9:00 to 17:00 from October to March and to 19:00 from April to September.
Notre-DameFree
The cathedral reopened in December 2024 after the fire of 2019, and entry is free. You can reserve a free time slot online, which saves queuing at busy times, but you do not have to. The towers are a separate visit, €16. It is a short walk from Sainte-Chapelle, on the same island, so the two fit into one visit.
What is worth it if you have a particular interest?
The Musée Rodin, for sculpture
Rodin’s house and garden, with The Thinker and many of his bronzes outside among the trees. It is a calm visit, good in fine weather, and the garden is part of the point. €14; open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 18:30; free on the first Sunday of the month from October to March.
The Musée de Cluny, for the Middle Ages
The national museum of the Middle Ages, in a medieval mansion built over Roman baths. Its best-known work is the set of tapestries called The Lady and the Unicorn, shown in a room of their own. €14; closed on Mondays.
What can you skip?
Skip the Centre Pompidou for now: it closed for renovation in 2025 and is due to reopen in 2030. Skip the Mona Lisa queue at the Louvre unless the painting is the reason you came. Skip trying to fit the Louvre and the Orsay into one day. And skip any plan that has more than two big museums in a day; Paris rewards slower visits.
How many days do you need?
One day: the Louvre in the morning, then Sainte-Chapelle and Notre-Dame on the Île de la Cité. Two days: add the Musée d’Orsay and the Orangerie, which are across the river from each other. Three days: add the Musée Rodin and the Musée de Cluny. Two days is the minimum for a first art trip.
When should you go?
Book time slots first, especially for the Louvre and the Orangerie. Use the Louvre’s late openings on Wednesdays and Fridays. Remember the closing days: the Louvre and the Orangerie on Tuesdays, the Orsay, the Musée Rodin and the Musée de Cluny on Mondays. The Orsay stays open until 21:45 on Thursdays.
Paris in brief
Louvre
- Ticket
- €22 for visitors from the European Economic Area; €32 for other visitors
- Booking
- Time slot recommended, on ticket.louvre.fr
- Hours
- 9:00-18:00; Wednesday and Friday to 21:00; closed Tuesdays
- Free
- Under 18; EEA citizens and residents under 26; everyone on the first Friday of the month after 18:00 (not July and August)
- Time
- 3 hours for one route
Musée d’Orsay
- Ticket
- €16 online, €14 at the museum; Thursday evening €12 online, €10 at the museum
- Booking
- Timed tickets online, entrance 1
- Hours
- Tuesday-Sunday 9:30-18:00, Thursday until 21:45; last admission 17:00 (Thursday 21:00); closed Mondays, 1 May and 25 December
- Free
- Under 18; EEA residents under 26
- Time
- Half a day
- Note
- Renovation work under way: check access conditions
Musée de l’Orangerie
- Ticket
- €12.50 online, €11 at the museum; Orsay and Orangerie combined ticket €20
- Booking
- Time slot strongly recommended, on billetterie.musee-orangerie.fr
- Hours
- 9:00-18:00, last admission 17:15; closed Tuesdays, 1 May, the morning of 14 July and 25 December
- Time
- 1 hour
Sainte-Chapelle
- Ticket
- €16 for EEA nationals and residents; €22 for other visitors; combined with the Conciergerie €23 or €30
- Hours
- October-March 9:00-17:00; April-September 9:00-19:00; last access 30 minutes before closing; closed 1 January, 1 May, 25 December
- Free
- Under 18; EU nationals and residents aged 18-25
- Time
- 45 minutes
- Note
- Best on a sunny morning
Notre-Dame
- Ticket
- Cathedral free; towers €16 (free for EU residents under 26)
- Booking
- Optional free time slot for the cathedral
- Time
- 30-45 minutes
Musée Rodin and Musée de Cluny
- Ticket
- Rodin €14; Cluny €14
- Hours
- Rodin Tuesday-Sunday 10:00-18:30; Cluny 9:30-18:15, closed Mondays
- Free
- Rodin: first Sunday of the month, October to March
- Time
- 1-1.5 hours each
For the whole trip
- Time
- 2 days for a first art trip
- Note
- Centre Pompidou closed for renovation until 2030
- Verified
- October 2026, on the official sites of each museum (Notre-Dame cathedral from consistent sources). Prices and hours change: check before you go.
Questions
Louvre or Musée d’Orsay?
Both, on different days. The Louvre for antiquity and the old masters, the Orsay for the Impressionists and the nineteenth century. With only one day, choose by period.
Is the Centre Pompidou open?
No. It closed for renovation in 2025 and is due to reopen in 2030.
Is Notre-Dame free?
Yes. Entry to the cathedral is free; you can book a free time slot to avoid the queue. The towers are a separate paid visit.
Sources
- Musée du Louvre, “Hours, admission and directions” (October 2026).
- Centre Pompidou and French Ministry of Culture announcements on the 2025-2030 renovation, as reported in the press.
- Musée d’Orsay, Musée de l’Orangerie, Musée Rodin, Sainte-Chapelle and Notre-Dame visitor information (closing days and booking rules).
