Museo d'Orsay in Paris: tickets, prices, hours...

The Musée d'Orsay is famous for its large collection of impressionist art. From paintings and photographs to sculptures and decorative arts, this museum encompasses some of the most important works belonging to the period from 1848 to 1914.

If you are undecided about what to see and do in Paris and you are an art lover, be sure to visit this museum and enter the world of impressionism. In this article I tell you everything you need to know to organize your itinerary: how and where to buy your tickets, prices, how to get there and all the details to enjoy the best works of impressionism in Paris.

The most basic option

Paris Orsay Museum Tickets

Special skip-the-line entrance to the Musée d'Orsay in Paris

Enjoy one of the best impressionist art collections with your visit to the Musée d'Orsay. Enter the museum through the reserved access and enjoy the permanent collection and temporary exhibitions with your ticket.

From $23 at Hellotickets

With this option you can skip all the queues and enter directly to the museum through the entrance C. You will be free to walk around the museum and see not only the permanent collections but also all those temporary exhibitions that are available during your visit.

Enjoy all the art of great artists such as Degas, Cézanne and many more. Remember that you always have the option of renting an audio guide if you want a little extra information.

Recommended if... you do not need a private guide to explain the different works and you prefer to go on your own with more freedom.

You can buy the entrance ticket to the museum from 16€ but here are all the options available to benefit from discounts or even free tickets.

Discounts and offers

• Access to the museum is free on the first Sunday of each month. No prior reservation is necessary.
• The museum offers free admission for visitors who fit into one of the following profiles (a supporting document will be required): children under 18 years of age, citizens belonging to European Union countries between 18 and 25 years old, people with disabilities and their companion and those visitors who have an ICOM card.
• The museum offers a reduced price from €12 instead of €16 every Thursday for tickets from 6 pm.
• If you are the companion of a child under 18 years your ticket will have a reduced price and you can purchase your ticket from 13 €.

Interesting information about tickets

In addition to the permanent collections, you can enjoy temporary exhibitions (see the museum's official website for more information about temporary exhibitions on the dates of your visit)

With your tickets you will have priority access to the museum within 30 minutes of your reserved time slot.

If you wish to visit the Rodin Museum before or after your visit to the Musée d'Orsay, you can buy your combined tickets from £14.

You can also buy combined tickets with the Louvre Museum from 33€. If you want more information about other museums in Paris I leave you this guide with a recommendation of the 17 best museums in the city.

You can buy your tickets to the museum at the box office, on the official website or with your Paris Pass:

• If you decide to buy your tickets at the box office I recommend you to go in advance, as access is linked to a specific time slot, so if you go in the central hours of the day you may have to wait. The prices are the same as on the website as well as the conditions for discounts.
• You can also buy your tickets online looking for the option that best suits you: normal ticket, companion, afternoon ticket for Thursdays, etc. and choose the day and time slot in which you want to visit the museum. You can also add at the time of purchase the audio guide service and the special audio guide for children (I tell you all the details below).
• If you have the Paris Pass you can enter for free without prior reservation and without having to comply with any time slot.

If you have purchased the Paris Museums Pass (here you can see how the Paris Pass works, which includes the above) you can benefit from free entry and also, you will not have to wait for a time slot, but you can access the museum when you decide.

The little ones will not only enjoy free admission (up to 18 years old) but they can also use the audio guide service (from 3.50€) that will explain the works of the museum with easy and entertaining commentary so they can learn about the artistic history of France.

In addition, the museum offers different workshops to stimulate the curiosity and imagination of the little ones. These have to be done after the visit so that they can comment and perform artistic practices after their visit. Prices for these workshops start at 7€.

Twice a year (check dates on the museum's official website), dance, music and theater shows are organized with different artists to make a unique experience in the museum for the whole family.

Check this guide if you are visiting Paris with children and need options on what to see and do in the city.

The Musée d'Orsay not only offers guided tours or group tickets but, if you prefer to go on your own, you can request audioguides for adults or adapted for the little ones.

Guided tour in English:

The museum offers guided tours lasting approximately 90 minutes. The guide will accompany you on this tour through the world of Impressionism, showing you the best pieces and explaining the works so that you can delve into the artistic history of Paris.

Children under 13 years old are not allowed on the tour and the tour will be in English. The price of the tour starts at 6€ and if you buy it together with your ticket it will be from 22€.

Audio guide

Once you have purchased your tickets, you can request (from 6€) an audio tour that includes commentary and specialized information on more than 300 works from the museum's permanent collections.

The audio guide is available in many languages, including Spanish. For temporary exhibitions, the audio tour is only available in English and French.

Audio guide

for children

If you are traveling as a family and one of the members of the group is between 6 and 12 years old, you can request an audio tour at the museum (from 3.50€), explaining the permanent collection and temporary exhibitions with commentary adapted for the little ones, so they can learn in a fun and entertaining way about the art of Impressionism.

The museum is located at 1 Rue de la Légion d'Honneur, on the left bank of the Seine River, opposite the Tuileries Gardens. You can reach the museum on foot, by bus, metro, train, cab or car. Read this guide for more information on how to get around Paris.

• Getting to the museum by metro: This may be one of the most economical ways to get to the museum next to the bus. The closest metro stations are Solférino 6 minutes walk or Tuileries 9 minutes walk. Line 12 is one of the closest. Here is this link in case you have doubts about how to use the metro in Paris
• Use the bus to get to the museum: Next to the metro, the bus is a very economical option in Paris. The closest stops are Musée d'Orsay and Pont Royal-Quai Voltaire at 4 minutes walking distance or Solferino-Bellechasse and Pont de Solferino-Quai Des Tuileries at 6 minutes walking distance. Bus lines passing through this area are 68, 69, 72, 73 and 85.
• Go by train for speed: train lines H, L and N pass close to the museum and can be a fast and convenient option.
• Walk and enjoy Paris: The museum is close to other tourist activities in the city. The Louvre Museum is only a 12-minute walk away, the Musée de l'Orangerie and the Tuileries Gardens are quite close and so, depending on your itinerary, walking to the Musée d'Orsay may be your best option. Also, strolling along the Seine River is a beautiful experience to top off your day with a visit to the museum. Check out this post for the best Seine river cruises.
• Parking near the museum: If you have decided to come by car to the museum, you can find two parking lots quite close: at the Carrousel du Louvre shopping center, located on Avenue 1 du General Lemonnier and the Bac Montalembert parking lot, at number 9 Montalembert Street.

Access to the Museum

Once you arrive at the museum you will find different doors depending on the type of ticket or pass you have:

• Gate A: If you have not purchased your tickets in advance, you want to buy them at the box office or you enter within the profiles that can benefit from a free entrance to the museum, go to Gate A. This entrance is also for those with museum passes.
• Gate B: This gate is only for groups of adults who have made a reservation in advance.
• Gate C: Go to this entrance if you are an AFMO member, if you have purchased your tickets in advance, if you are a pass holder, or for people with special needs or disabilities.
• Gate D: This entrance is exclusively for school groups with advance reservations.

The museum contains more than 6000 works of art, among which you can find paintings, medals, photographs, decorative art, etc.

On the upper level are the main masterpieces such as London, Parliament and Poppies by Monet, the starry night and self-portrait by Van Gogh, sculptures such as The Bronze Age by Rodin or The Bust of Ludwig Van Beethoven by Antoine Bourdelle.

You can also enjoy important paintings such as the Dance at the Moulin de la Galette by Renoir or Olympia by Manet.

The recommended visiting time for the museum (permanent exhibition and temporary exhibitions) is approximately 2 and 4 hours. It all depends on the time you want to dedicate to each work.

For example, the guided tours that the museum offers are about 90 minutes long and some guided tours are up to 2 hours. If you also want to rent a self-guide or go over your favorite works, your visit will last approximately 4 hours.

The Musée d'Orsay is open from 9.30 a.m. to 6 p. m. with the exception of Thursdays, when it closes at 9.45 p.m. The museum is closed on Mondays and on the public holidays of May 1st and December 25th.

If you have left your visit to the museum for the last hours of the day be careful, as the last access time for the permanent collections is at 5 pm (9 pm if it is a Thursday).

• Don't worry about carrying your coat, bags, etc. The museum has lockers where you can store your suitcases and backpacks and checkrooms for your coats. In addition, you can borrow a baby stroller as bulky strollers or baby carriers are not allowed inside the museum, or if needed you can request a wheelchair or folding chair.
• The museum is equipped with elevators and ramps to make it accessible for people with reduced mobility.
• On level -1, next to the reception, you will find a baby area.
• The museum offers free wifi.
• If you want to visit the museum with more tranquility I recommend that you go in the morning hours, from 9.30 to noon and during the week, as it is less crowded.

Inside the museum you will find the store and the bookstore. It is dedicated to all ages and has content in French and English. With your normal ticket you can access the store which is located behind the ticket office and has the same opening hours as the museum.

In this store you can buy art books, catalogs and works of painting, sculpture, photography etc.. All this makes this store your reference bookstore if you need information about the art of the period from 1848 to 1914.

In addition, you can buy gifts inspired by the works of the museum, products related to temporary exhibitions or choose some postcards to send as a souvenir to your loved ones. There are also several games about the museum's collections for a fun family time back home.

If you've been left wanting to take home a souvenir of your visit to the museum, you can access online through the store's website.

The museum offers two different dining areas. In them you can enjoy different products and drinks or menus for lunch or dinner after your visit to the museum.

The restaurant, besides being a majestic space with its high ceilings typical of the old train stations and its contrast with chandelier and golden ceilings, offers menus and traditional dishes of the French gastronomic offer by chef Gabriel Ferrier and Benjamin Constant. The restaurant is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 11:45 to 17:30 and on Thursdays from 11:45 to 14:45 and from 19:00 to 21:00.

If you prefer something more informal or just a snack you can always go to Café Campana, designed by the Campana brothers, whose atmosphere will transport you to a world under the sea as a tribute to Art Nouveau.

The menu is periodically redesigned but you will find salads, casseroles, gourmet desserts, ice cream, etc. The café is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10:30 am to 4:45 pm and on Thursdays from 10:30 am to 7:00 pm.

If you prefer to have lunch or dinner outside the museum, I recommend you take a look at this guide to the best restaurants in Paris or the best creperies in the city.