Louvre Museum

Louvre Museum tickets and tours

France

Things to do in Louvre Museum

4.5/5 (1870)

In August 1911, Leonardo’s masterpiece The Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre and was missing for two years. The criminal was Vincenzo Peruggia, a handyman with a police record for robbing a prostitute. After hiding in a closet until the museum closed, he then removed the painting from its frame, rolled it up and walked out with it inside his coat.

There were no security alarms at that time and it was 24 hours before anyone even noticed the painting was missing. Police searched Peruggia’s flat but didn’t find anything, despite it being hidden in the bottom of a trunk. Instead, they arrested the poet Guillame Apollinaire, who was soon released for lack of evidence. Picasso was also questioned.

After a while, the media became interested in the tragic sinking of the Titanic and Peruggia decided it was time to sell the painting. Unfortunately, he tried to sell it to Giovanni Poggi, director of Florence’s Uffizi Gallery, and was immediately arrested. The painting went on a brief tour of Italy before returning to the Louvre. Peruggia served seven months in prison.

Opening hours

9.00am-6.00pm: Monday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday

9.00-9.45pm: Wednesday, Friday

Sundays in October - March: free access to permanent collections on the first Sunday of each month

Rooms begin closing 30 minutes before museum closing time

CLOSED: Tuesdays, January 1, May 1, December 25

About the Louvre

The history of the Louvre begins around 1200 with its construction as a defensive bastion for Paris. It later served time as a royal residence before housing various government ministries during the nineteenth century. Only at the start of the twentieth century did its role as an art treasury begin.

The Louvre's collections include western art from the medieval period to 1848 and are organised into different departments: paintings, Egyptian antiquities, Greek/Roman/Etruscan antiquities, Near Eastern antiquities, sculpture, decorative arts, Islamic arts, prints & drawings, and the Pavillon de l’Horloge (once the royal palace).

The departments are color coded to help you navigate what is a vast and potentially confusing space. It’s recommended that you obtain a map and spend a little time thinking about what you’d like to see rather than trying to see everything in a single session. The maps are available in Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Hindi, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.

The Louvre also has an excellent website with maps, information and tips on how to understand the art you’ll see there. The Mona Lisa may be its most famous (and popular) exhibit but there are a thousand other discoveries to be made if you explore all the museum has to offer.

Address

Musée du Louvre, 75058 Paris - France

Getting there

By Metro

Lines 1 and 7 to Palais-Royal Musée du Louvre

By bus

Lines 21, 24, 27, 39, 48, 68, 69, 72, 81, 95 + Paris Open Tour bus to the Pyramid

By car

Entrance to underground garage: avenue du Général Lemonnier: 7.00am-11.00pm

By batobus (boat)

Louvre stop: quai François Mitterrand

By train

(From Paris Orly) RER C to Champs de Mars-Tour Eiffel. Get off at Saint-Michel-Notre-Dame. Walk to the place Saint-Michel and take bus no 27, direction Saint-Lazare. Get off at the Louvre in front of the Pyramid

(From Charles de Gaulle): RER B train, direction Massy-Palaiseau. Change at Châtelet-les-Halles to line 14, direction Saint-Lazare. Get off at Pyramides station and walk to the Louvre from there (three minutes)

By bike

Vélib' stations (bicycle sharing system):
No 1015: 2 place A. Malraux
No 1023: 165 rue Saint-Honoré
No 1014: 5 rue de l’Echelle
No 1013: 186 rue Saint-Honoré

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Experiences in Louvre Museum

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Best of the Louvre tour with skip-the-line tickets
Attractions & guided tours

Best of the Louvre tour with skip-the-line tickets

Make sure you don't miss anything at the Louvre with this guided tour of the greatest masterpieces and an express ticket to save you time.

free cancellation
Available in:

en 

Private tour of the Italian art at Louvre Museum
Attractions & guided tours

Private tour of the Italian art at Louvre Museum

Get the most of Italian Art with this guided tour through the Italian collection and biggest masterpieces of the Louvre Museum!

Duration 2 hours
Available in:

en, it, fr 

Guided Tour
Louvre Museum guided tour with skip-the-line tickets
Attractions & guided tours

Louvre Museum guided tour with skip-the-line tickets

Get all the best information for your guided visit of the Louvre Museum in Paris and book your tickets, skipping the line, at official rates. Get informed, plan and book your tour in Paris.

free cancellation
Available in:

en, fr, es 

Murders and mysteries tour of the Louvre Museum
Attractions & guided tours

Murders and mysteries tour of the Louvre Museum

Uncover the secrets of the Louvre Museum with this 2-hour Murders and Mysteries tour.

free cancellation
Available in:

en, fr 

City tour of Paris by bus and tickets for a Seine cruise
Activities

City tour of Paris by bus and tickets for a Seine cruise

Book this offer including a city tour of Paris by bus and a 1-hour sightseeing cruise on the Seine river.

free cancellation
Available in:

en, it, fr, es, de, +5  pt, ru, ja, zh, ko

Happy hour cruise on the Seine river
Activities

Happy hour cruise on the Seine river

Book this happy hour cruise to get magical views over the Louvre, Notre Dame de Paris and the Eiffel Tower at sunset over drinks!

free cancellation
Instant Confirmation
Paris mysteries and legends tour with guide on your smartphone
Activities

Paris mysteries and legends tour with guide on your smartphone

Visit the Louvre Museum surroundings at your own pace and customize your itinerary as you wish with this audio-guided tour on your smartphone!

free cancellation
Available in:

en, fr 

Best of Paris, 3 audioguided tours on your smartphone
Activities

Best of Paris, 3 audioguided tours on your smartphone

Visit Montmartre, Le Marais and the Louvre neighborhood at your own pace and customize your itinerary as you wish with this audio-guided tour on your smartphone!

free cancellation
Available in:

en, fr 

Paris criminal past  tour with guide on your smartphone
Activities

Paris criminal past tour with guide on your smartphone

Rewind to Paris' bloodiest crimes listening to your guide on your smartphone! Visit at your own pace, the commentaries and fun facts trigger automatically!

free cancellation
Available in:

en, fr 

Ghosts of Paris: Mona Lisa Murder Exploration Game and Tour
Activities

Ghosts of Paris: Mona Lisa Murder Exploration Game and Tour

Play a haunted city game and go on a mysterious walking tour around Paris.

free cancellation
Available in:

en, fr, es, de 

Paris self-guided audio tour
Activities

Paris self-guided audio tour

Explore Paris at your own pace! Enjoy an app containing over 130 points of interest, famous transport routes, sightseeing itineraries and walking tours.

Validity Flexible
Available in:

en, it, fr, es, de, +1  zh

Instant Confirmation
Paris by day guided tour in vintage French car
Activities

Paris by day guided tour in vintage French car

Travel back in time and discover the most iconic monuments of Paris booking this guided tour of Paris in a French Citroen vintage car!

free cancellation
Available in:

en, fr 

How to get there

Louvre Museum

Louvre Museum

Paris

France

Reviews Louvre Museum

4/5
Casier, 08 Apr 2016

“The visit of The Louvre was very good. The skip-the -line ticket was very convient.But I have to mention that I my crecitcard has been abused since the payment that I did online to your company!”

4/5
Jennifer, 01 Mar 2016
5/5
Kirsty, 15 Feb 2016
5/5
Michele, 15 Feb 2016
Paris