Paris's Musée du Louvre, located in the vast Palais du Louvre next to the Jardins des Tuileries (map), is among the greatest museums in the world—perhaps it is the greatest museum in the world.

The Louvre is like life: filled with wonders and pleasures you can only experience one at a time. Identify a limited number of exhibits you'll enjoy, and go enjoy them. A treasure-house as rich as the Louve should be a treat, not a burden or an obligation. For tips on visiting the Louvre, click here.

Buy Tickets in Advance

The Louvre isimplementing a policy requiring all visitors to reserve a specific date and time for visiting the museum. This requirement is also true for holders or the Paris Museum Pass or the Paris Pass. While these passes will still gain you entrance, you will need to reserve a time slot ahead of time. More...

Avoid the Louvre??

For every visitor to Paris, the Louvre presents a challenge: how to partake of its incredible richness in such a short time?

	Above, Pyramid from Richelieu Entrance.

Allow me a bit of sacrilege here, but I believe that if your time in Paris is very short, and if you have little interest in museums, you can bypass the Louvre.

No guilt. No second thoughts. Just go do something else that you'd enjoy more, such as spending adequate time in one of Paris's smaller, exquisite museums (ever heard of the Musée Nissim de Camondo? Quite wonderful, and never crowded.) Click here for a list to choose from.

The Louvre will be here when you visit Paris again and are more in the mood for dealing with it and enjoying it. La Gioconda (Mona Lisa) will still be there, smiling as mysteriously, when you return to Paris—which, chances are, you will.

Gazing at the Mona Lisa, Musée du Louvre.

Plan Your Visit

But if, like most people, you want to visit the Louvre, you need a strategy for your visit. Planning ahead can help maximize your time and ensure an enjoyable visit. Here are some suggested approaches to visiting the Louvre.

Avoid the Long Lines

Just getting into the Louvre can be a challenge. Do I have to wait in that long line? What are all those escalators? Where do I go? Here are some suggestions on how to get in and out of the Louvre with ease, and know where you're going. More...

There are lots of ways to enjoy the Louvre, so do a little planning and figure out what will work best for you.

Métro: Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre
Bus: 21, 24, 27, 39, 48, 68, 69, 72, 81, 95

Paris Museum Pass accepted. Closed Tuesday. Open Wednesday and Friday evenings.

Musée du Louvre
Palais du Louvre
75001 Paris, France
Tel +33 1 40 20 53 17

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