Knowing the best time to visit the Louvre is the key to avoiding crowds. After all, the museum attracts tens of thousands of visitors each day. You have to be strategic when you’ve got competition!
The Louvre Museum, or simply the Louvre, houses some of the most prized art pieces and artifacts in the world, from the Mona Lisa to ancient Egyptian relics. It makes sense why it’s such a popular attraction.
Get ready to wake up early or time your visit perfectly before closing to make the most out of your experience with as few crowds as possible. Read on for our in-depth suggestions on the best time to visit the Louvre, as well as more tips on ways to avoid crowds.
Louvre Opening Hours
The Louvre Museum is open from 9 AM to 6 PM on every day except Friday and Tuesday. On Fridays, Louvre opening hours extend to 9:45 PM.
On Tuesdays, the museum is closed completely.
Last entry to the museum is one hour before closing time. Also, the staff ask visitors to start leaving the rooms 30 minutes before the museum officially closes.
Aside from Tuesdays, the Louvre Museum is closed three days out of the year: December 25 (Christmas), January 1 (New Year’s Day), and May 1 (Labor Day).
Best Time to Visit the Louvre
Early morning is perhaps the best time to visit the Louvre — before the midday crowds of late wakers and people on lunch break roll in.
Indeed, the lines get much longer as noon approaches and don’t begin thinning out until close to closing time.
Evenings, as the last entry time draws near, are typically less crowded than in the middle of the day. If you’re not an early bird or you don’t intend to spend long at the museum, try getting to the Louvre shortly before the last entry time (one hour before closing).
Best Day to Visit the Louvre
Monday and Thursday are the best days to visit the Louvre if you want to avoid crowds and long lines.
Wednesday isn’t too busy compared to other days, but it tends to see a rise in visitors since it’s right after Tuesday, when the museum is closed. It’s perhaps the best day to visit the Louvre after Monday and Thursday.
Weekends at the Louvre are very crowded and have long wait times. Weekend trips to Paris are popular, and Parisian workers and students who are busy during the week have the time to visit on the weekend.
Friday is also quite busy but not as much. Note that the Louvre offers free entry after 6 PM on the first Friday of the month (except July and August). These times will always be crowded since many people like to take advantage of the lucrative deal. The same offer is given on Bastille Day (July 14) unless it’s a Tuesday.
Friday can still be a good day to go if you visit at night, close to closing time (take advantage of the extended Louvre opening hours!).
Best Season to Visit the Louvre
Visit the Louvre museum in late fall to early spring to have the best chance of avoiding crowds. This time, roughly stretching from November to March is the off-season in Paris (with the exception of the holiday season).
Crowds begin to ramp up after March, hitting a peak in July and August before slowly mellowing out as November approaches.
Buy Louvre Tickets Online to Avoid Ticket Lines
The best way to avoid lines at the Louver Museum is to buy your ticket online. This will allow you to skip the ticket lines at the museum itself.
However, all visitors to the museum still have to go through the security line; there’s no way around it.
Beyond allowing you to skip the ticket line, online tickets are better because they guarantee your access to the museum. When you go to buy your ticket in person, there’s a chance they’ll be sold out if it’s an especially busy day.
Tickets can be bought up to two months in advance. If you’re visiting during the off-season/low season, you don’t have to worry too much about buying tickets far in advance.
If you’re visiting during the peak season (summer) or will only be spending a day or two in Paris, it would be good to buy your ticket in advance, just in case.
Are Louvre Skip-the-Line Tickets Worth It?
When looking into the Louvre, you’ll come across websites offering Louvre “skip-the-line” tickets. Be wary of these sellers.
To put it simply, regular tickets bought on the official Louvre website and these “skip-the-line” tickets from other websites do the same thing.
As mentioned earlier, everyone has to join the security line. The most that the sellers offering Louvre “skip-the-line” tickets can do is have you skip the ticket line and maybe also take you to a different entrance.
These are things you can do on your own with a ticket bought from the official website, without the added price for the supposed “skip-the-line” premium! It’s always best to buy your ticket from the official Louvre website unless the other website you’re considering buying it from offers an actual benefit, such as a special guided tour or a multi-attraction deal.
Best Louvre Entrance to Avoid Crowds
The Louvre has four entrances: at the Pyramid, the Carrousel du Louvre, the Richelieu, and the Porte des Lions.
The best Louvre entrance to use if you want to avoid crowds is generally the Carrousel entrance, but you might be able to use a different, even better entrance if you meet certain requirements. Let’s get into each of the entrances.
- The Pyramid, one of the most iconic parts of the Louvre Museum, is the main entrance. Most people enter here, so it has the longest lines.
- The Carrousel entrance lets you enter the Louvre from the Carrousel du Louvre, an underground shopping center. The lines here are usually much shorter than at the Pyramid entrance.
- The Richelieu has even shorter lines, but not everyone can use it. You can only use the Richelieu entrance if you have a membership card with the Louvre or a few other select cultural entities.
- The Porte des Lions entrance is another conditional entrance. There are no lockers at this entrance, so you can’t enter if you have a large bag or a helmet. Also, the ticket booth is not always open, so you have to have your ticket beforehand.
Conclusion
Timing is key when planning your visit to the Louvre Museum if you want to avoid crowds. The best time to visit the Louvre is during the early morning or in the evening, near closing time.
Mondays and Thursdays are the best days of the week to visit, but the off-season is the best overall. The crowds can be overwhelming during the peak season.
To skip the line (well, one of them), make sure you buy your ticket online, preferably from the official Louvre website. This will let you skip the ticket line and go straight to the security line.
Last but not least, even your choice of entrance matters! Choose the less popular Carrousel entrance over the iconic Pyramid.
These are the most important things to keep in mind if you want to have a smooth experience at the Louvre. Follow these suggestions as best as you can, and you’ll be good to go. Enjoy your visit to the Louvre!
