Museums Tickets in Paris

The museum and cultural offer of Paris is one of the largest in Europe, so much so that sometimes you need a guideline to avoid getting lost among so much variety and be able to make a better selection.

It is impossible to visit only one, but since you'll be in Paris for a set number of days, here's a list of the most important museums in the city so you can choose which one or which ones you dedicate your time to.

It needs no introduction; it is the quintessential museum of Paris and one of the largest art collections in Europe. I advise you to book tickets in advance and choose a time slot to visit the museum (the slot is only for the entrance, once inside there is no time limit).

Otherwise, you run the risk that the Louvre tickets will be sold out due to the influx of visitors and you will have to wait in long lines. Therefore, I recommend that you get the general admission to the Louvre without queues.

The Louvre's collection is so immense that you can spend as much time as you wish; in this museum, you will find works such as La Gioconda by Leonardo Da Vinci, Liberty Leading the People by Delacroix, the Venus de Milo, The Marriage at Cana by Veronese, The Victory of Samothrace and an impressive collection of Egyptian art.

No-queue admission with audioguide

If you are interested in the Louvre, I invite you to read the guide I have written about the Louvre Museum Tickets and Tours. There is also the option of visiting the Louvre at your own pace with audioguide, so that you can understand the details of what you see as you walk through the interior of the incredible building.

Guided tour

But there is undoubtedly an option that for me is the most recommendable. To enjoy in depth the visual spectacle in front of you I recommend 100% a guided tour of the Louvre; when a professional explains the main works of the museum you enjoy and learn twice as much and in half the time.

Family option

If you are traveling with your family and you are thinking of skipping the Louvre: don't do it! Kids can indeed get bored on a long visit to the museum, but keep in mind that you can book a visit with a specific audio guide for children that will awaken their interest in art and culture.

Details of interest

I find it hard to be objective about this museum because, of all the museums in Paris, it is my favorite. The impressionist paintings by Monet and the plaster replica of Rodin's Gate of Hell are my favorite works and to these, we must add the wonders created by artists like Cézanne or Gauguin.

The dimensions of the museum, divided into two floors, and the lateral and orderly arrangement of the rooms allow you to enjoy it without stress and calmly. In addition, the light that bathes the main gallery and the tranquility that permeates the atmosphere make this place very special.

Guided tour

I prefer to enjoy it at my own pace, but do not rule out the guided tour of the Musée D'Orsay that will give you the information you need both to fall in love with the museum itself and the works of art it contains.

Entrance with audioguide and cruise included

If you are visiting the museum for the first time, don't hesitate to take the audio guide. The works of art housed in the Musée d'Orsay have wonderful lessons behind them. A highly recommended option to extend the experience of visiting this museum is to complete the day with a cruise on the Seine.

There is a combined option for both activities, entrance to the museum with audio guide and cruise on the Seine, which will be very economical if you are interested in both activities.

Details of interest

This contemporary art institution in Paris is one of the most original museums you can see in Europe and one of the largest collections of contemporary art in the world. With a very particular architecture, the Pompidou museum is divided into four floors (there are two others dedicated to temporary exhibitions) where you can see works by Duchamp, Kandinsky, Picasso, or Matisse.

Lovers of contemporary art will enjoy key works, but those less familiar with this discipline will also enjoy this essential reference in Paris for the originality of the collection.

Organize your visit

The spaciousness of the rooms of the Pompidou Museum allows you to experience a visit away from the crowds. If you are traveling with children and you have to choose only one museum to take them, choose the Pompidou; the contact with art will be much more fun and closer than in "conventional" museums and will awaken their curiosity.

Although it is not usual to find long queues at the Pompidou, you can also buy tickets in advance on their website.

Details of interest

It doesn't matter if you know Rodin's work or if you've never seen one of his sculptures: you have to go to this museum. The collection of 400 works of art inside a historic 18th-century mansion is mixed with the one exhibited in wonderful gardens where you can stroll without crowds or rush.

As always, I recommend you to get your ticket to the Rodin Museum in advance to simply arrive and enjoy.

Why I like this museum

The Rodin Museum is a haven among the museums of Paris; a breath of fresh air where the green of nature mingles with sculptures such as the Gates of Hell, the Balzac, The Burghers of Calais, or The Thinker. When you come out of this visit you will feel like resting up a bit: the Eiffel Tower is within walking distance, I recommend you to go there and lie down to contemplate the surroundings on the Champs de Mars.

Details of interest

If you like Impressionist painting, it is in this museum that you can delight in Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works by Matisse, Picasso, Renoir, or Cézanne. Located near the Louvre, in the garden of Tuileries, the Orangerie is a small and specialized museum (you will recognize it by its appearance of Greek temple), but still remains one of the most visited in Paris and one of the most prominent in the city.

You may have seen Monet's water lilies painting (the one he painted up to 250 times in search of perfection); eight of those works are in this museum. So you don't miss out, be sure to buy your ticket to the Musée de l'Orangerie in advance.

Details of interest

Paris was always the second home of the Spanish artist of reference in cubism. If you take a guided tour of the Montmartre district, you will discover the places he frequented during his stay in the French capital and more than one anecdote of the artist. For this reason, there could not fail to be a museum dedicated to his figure in Paris, specifically in the Le Marais neighborhood (a neighborhood that, by the way, is well worth a visit).

Although it is not the largest existing collection of this artist, the works and documentation collected in this museum are still a window to the life and work of the Spanish genius. In addition, with your entry to the Picasso Museum you can also admire pieces by Matisse, Miró, Derain, or Cézanne that were part of the artist's collection.

Details of interest

You have to get away from the center of Paris to see this museum dedicated to the First World War, but if you are particularly interested in this part of history it will be worth buying a ticket to the Museum of the Great War, being able to see a total of 70,000 historical objects and documents.

The collection began thanks to a private historian, Jean-Pierre Verney, who was collecting for 50 years the objects that were later bought by the community of Pays de Meaux, which now houses the museum. One of the advantages of this museum is that it is adapted so that children can also visit and, in an interactive way, learn a little more about this important period in the history of Europe.

Details of interest

Not all works of art in Paris are displayed on a pedestal or frame. The cultural legacy of the city is also something to admire and within this legacy is framed the French wine tradition. In this museum, you will learn more about wine, its production, and its importance in the French capital. The entrance to the Wine Museum also includes wine tasting.

The wine museum is located in the vicinity of the Eiffel Tower and its galleries are built on the old quarries of Passy.

Details of interest

France is a country that places great importance on its military history whose achievements are embodied by the figure of Napoleon. On a visit to the Musée des Invalides, located in the hotel of the same name, you will learn about the European political landscape while viewing the collection of armor, war paintings, weapons and other objects related to the French Revolution and World War II.

The tour also includes the church of the Dome where Napoleon's tomb is located.

Details of interest

Impressionist painter Auguste Renoir lived in what is now the Musée Montmartre, which is why the stunning gardens surrounding the museum (overlooking a secret vineyard) still bear his name. This museum is dedicated to nostalgia; nostalgia divided between Renoir's life and the essence of the Montmartre neighborhood that inspired the artist during one of the most relevant artistic periods of his career.

In the Montmartre museum the most important thing is not the works of art (which are also there) but the history of a neighborhood and an era, the history of the artistic bohemia of Paris. If you fell in love with the stories of this place and those who inhabited it, I recommend you to visit the Montmartre Museum and take some time to assimilate all that this museum has to tell you.

Details of interest

The building of the Petit Palais, at the beginning of the Avenue des Champs-Elysées, houses works of art ranging from antiquity to the beginning of the 20th century, the whole of which is known as the Musée des Beaux-Arts of the city of Paris.

Admission to the permanent collection is free, but the most interesting in this museum are the temporary exhibitions. It is also advisable to take a look at the building itself and walk through the placid central garden.

Details of interest

Every major city has a wax museum in which are represented the great personalities that are part of the history of the city. Paris was not going to be less and also in his case, the wax museum (Grevin Museum) is quite successful and enlivened with the show that you will find in the Gallery of Mirages.

Ryan Gosling, Marilyn Monroe, Louis XIV, or Mozart are some of the figures represented in the museum. This is one of the most fun family visits, but I highly recommend to get your tickets for the Grevin Museum in advance to avoid the lines that form at the entrance.

Details of interest

In this museum you are not going to see works of art nor are you going to learn History. In this museum, you are going to have a good time and you are going to be amazed by what your own senses can deceive you. The museum of illusions is, as its name suggests, focused on optical phenomena and intellectual challenges.

This experience, which can also be enjoyed in cities such as New York, Shanghai, Toronto, or Dubai, is ideal for sharing with friends or children. If you want to take a break between visits on your trip to Paris, book your tickets to the Musée des Illusions and enjoy a different experience.

Details of interest

You better not go hungry to this museum, because you run the risk of catching a sugar rush. The visit to the Paris Chocolate Museum includes a tasting of all the chocolate you want and will help you learn about the history of what is one of France's most renowned confectionery and, of course, how it is made.

With an audio-guided tour of an hour and a half that you can book online, your mouth will be watering during this visit.

Details of interest

There are gastronomic museums, museums of works of art, of the history of those who inhabited the city, war museums... Of course, there had to be one also that tells the evolution of the city of Paris itself from its birth to the present day.

This is the Museum Carnavalet, located in the neighborhood of Le Marais. It houses all kinds of works of art, models, furniture, and other objects related to the history of the French capital. A recommended visit for all those who are curious to know how the City of Light has become what it is today.

Details of interest

Don't let the name confuse you; at this museum, you're not going to learn about the history of Japan, but you're still going to experience key pieces of modern and contemporary art similar to those at the Pompidou Museum. The Palais de Tokyo houses a smaller collection than its big brother, but equally interesting.

The Palais de Tokyo museum flees from the traditional to become a center of artistic creation in which visual arts, fashion, or music have a place. One of the most original and necessary visits for those art lovers looking for something new and out of the norm.

Details of interest

Access to the permanent collection of this museum, in one of the wings of the Palais de Tokyo, is free. The Museum of Modern Art focuses on 20th-century painting and therefore on currents such as surrealism, Dadaism, Fauvism, or Cubism by artists like Modigliani, Picasso, Matisse, or Braque.

The Museum of Modern Art usually goes unnoticed by most, but I assure you that it is worth a visit.

Details of interest

If you're a museum lover and after reading this list you've already penciled several into your travel plan, I recommend you invest in the Paris Museum Pass, a city pass that includes free, skip-the-line admission to all museums for 2, 4, or 6 consecutive days depending on the mode you choose.

Organize yourself according to the time you have to see the city (the museum offer is only a part of what there is to see in Paris), the size of the museums you want to see and the areas in which each one is located. Once you are clear on this, I think the Paris Museum Pass can compensate you if there are several museums on your list to see during your visit.

Ana's Traveller Tip

In Paris, museums are usually closed on Monday or Tuesday. Keep this in mind when planning your visit.

If in addition to the cultural offerings that Paris has to offer, you want to complete your visit to the City of Light with some other more relaxed attraction, a good icing on the cake is always to climb the Eiffel Tower and enjoy the incredible views of the city from the top. Here's this article I wrote about Eiffel Tower Tickets so you can take a look at all the details you need to know when planning your visit.

If on the other hand, you feel like relaxing while soaking in the views of the most incredible landmarks of the city, taking a cruise on the Seine will be a great option. I have also written a guide on Seine River Cruises to tell you everything you need to know. Bon voyage!