Ah, the Louvre. The world’s most visited art museum. A former fortress, then palace, dating back to the 12th century. An icon of Paris. Chances are if you’re planning a trip to Paris, the Louvre is on your must-see list. But being the largest art museum in the world, planning a visit can be overwhelming. Where should you begin? 

First, just because the Louvre attracts over 10 million visitors per year, that doesn’t mean that you should spend your time and money dodging other tourists there. Though I would argue that there’s something at the Louvre for everyone, I never think you should waste time seeing something just because everyone else does. If you’re not a huge fan of art or museums, or don’t have a ton of time to spare and would rather do other things in the city, don’t feel obligated to pay 20 euros just to run in and out of the Louvre! Feel free to stop by the courtyard to see the glass pyramids, and then move on. 

However, I also know that while I give that disclaimer to anyone who asks, it seems that any first-time visitor to Paris wants to give the Louvre a go, art enthusiast or not. And while I also try to steer people away from going solely to see the Mona Lisa, that tends to happen anyway. But, if you’re looking for a more robust visit than just popping in to see the famous lady, keep reading. I’ll point out some highlights and a few ideas depending on what you’re most interested in. Before we get to that, a few insider tips to keep stress levels down!

Pro Tips on When & How to Visit

1. The Louvre is closed on Tuesdays. If you can, skip Monday too since most other museums in Paris are closed then, so that day is extra busy.

2. Make sure to buy tickets online ahead of time (or on your phone while on your way over) to avoid long lines. (This is true pretty much anywhere you visit in Paris!)

3. Tickets are free for those under 18! Make sure to bring a form of ID.

4. If you are able, go on a Wednesday or Friday night. The museum is open late on these days (until 9pm) and there are usually few crowds because of the atypical hours. Grab a snack or light dinner beforehand and settle in because you will have the whole place to yourself! (And, the museum is free on the first Friday of the month after 6 p.m., except in July and August)

5. Unless you’re really into art, I would pass on getting a guided tour. It’s usually very crowded and you would probably just be annoyed trying to listen to and follow someone around. The audio guide can add a lot to your visit, but I find it to be a distraction since there’s already so much to see and read.

6. Use the secret entrance to avoid long lines at the Pyramid. Enter through the Carrousel du Louvre after taking the metro (lines 1 or 7) to the “Palais Royale-Musee du Louvre” stop (just follow the signs once you arrive at the station), or from the street level at 99 Rue de Rivoli. The Carrousel du Louvre is a mall, so you will pass some shops before you see the inverted glass pyramid in the museum lobby, where the queue to enter the museum will be on your left. In the off-season or during the late hours on Wednesdays and Fridays, the main entrance in front of the large pyramid shouldn’t have a long wait time. 

Layout

• The first line to get inside is just a security check. You can enter the lobby using the Carrousel or Pyramid entrances even if you don’t have a ticket.

• Once inside the lobby, you can do several things before/after you go into the museum rooms:

• There is a coat check with free lockers. Find an open locker, type in your desired code, and then retrieve your stuff whenever you want. (Suitcases and large items are not permitted, but the lockers are pretty roomy.)

• You can borrow wheelchairs, baby strollers, and more from the visitor assistance area. There’s also a Baby Space called the Studio on the ground floor of the Richelieu wing with a bottle warmer and rocking chair that offers a quiet space to feed your baby.

• There are bathrooms on two sides of the lobby. There are also other bathrooms located randomly throughout the building, which may have a shorter line but can be trickier to locate.

• There are several cafes and restaurants. At the Paul café by the coat check, you can buy sandwiches or salads and get a drink and a pastry for ~11e. If you’re visiting in the evening, get your food early (before ~6:30pm), because they don’t restock.

• Because the Louvre is huge and can be overwhelming, plan out your route in advance or decide to go with the flow and just walk around and explore. One game plan might include picking a few rooms to check out, coming back to the lobby to regroup and grab food, and then going back to see more.

• The museum is made up of five levels, but organized into three sections depending on which side of the building you’re in: Richelieu (North), Sully (East), and Denon (South). (Here’s a map.) Enter through any of these 3 entrances to access the exhibits. Once you enter a section (ex. Richelieu), you can go up or down levels to any of the rooms within that section. 

• If you exit a section to the main lobby, you’ll have to show your ticket again to reenter the next section (ex. if you leave Richelieu, you will have to show you ticket again to enter Denon), but there isn’t usually much of a wait. Or you can wander from one side to another within the museum, though it’s a bit of a maze! 

What to See

If you only want to see the Louvre because it’s famous, but don’t really think you’ll be all that interested by anything inside because you aren’t into art, let me try to change your mind. 

It’s not all paintings! The museum has TONS of different types of things to see, and you will have a better experience if you choose which rooms you want to see based on what interests you, rather than just drifting through hall after hall of something that bores you.

Don’t feel pressure to walk through the rooms of paintings if you don’t care about paintings! Choose one of the other sections that sounds interesting to you so that you actually get something out of your visit. 

Below are some ideas on what to see. Make sure to check out my other blog post with more recommendations!

If you like…	Check out…	Wing & Floor
Ancient cultures and civilizations	Household objects, weapons, tablets and inscriptions, and architectural details	– Egyptian (Sully, 0-1) – Greek (Denon, 0; Sully, 1) – Roman (Denon, 0; Sully, 1) – Near Eastern (Richelieu, 0)
Statues	– French and European sculptures – Antiquities sections (These rooms are also a great place to have a quiet rest)	– French (Richelieu, -1) – European (Denon, -1)
Royal life	– Napoleon’s apartment (These opulent rooms are like a mini visit to Versailles) – The French crown jewels	– Napoleon’s apt (Richelieu, 1) – Crown Jewels (Denon, 1)
How people lived	Jewelry, weapons, tapestries, serving ware, and furniture in the Decorative Arts section	Richelieu, 1
History and engineering	Wander the stone walls of the moat when the Louvre was a fortress in medieval times	Sully, -1
Interactive exhibits	Discover history about the Louvre in the Pavillon de l’Horloge	Sully, -1
Middle East and other cultures	– Middle Eastern patterned tiles, engraved swords, and gold bowls – Arts from other cultures	– Islamic and Near Eastern and Egyptian sections (Denon, -1) – Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas (Denon, 0)
Paintings	Paintings from the 13th-19th centuries	– France (Denon, 1, and Richelieu and Sully, 2) – Italy (Denon, 1) – Spain (Denon, 1) – Northern Europe (Richelieu, 2)
Architecture… or people who simply prefer to keep moving 😉	Meander through the maze of intricate staircases and hallways that make up this 800-year old former fortress and castle. There’s much to discover!
Famous works	Some of the most famous pieces include: the Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory statue, the Venus of Milo statue, Liberty Leading the People, and the Law Code of Hammurabi	Check out this post on 10 things to see that are better than the Mona Lisa!
Tip for photographers	Don’t forget to peek out the windows to see the pyramids and city from different angles!

Lastly, make sure to include time to walk through the Tuileries gardens connected to the palace before or after your visit! 

If you’ve been to the Louvre, how was your visit? What was the most memorable thing you discovered?