How to skip the line at the Louvre and save time to visit Paris

Planning a weekend or a week in Paris? Then you’re probably already searching for the fastest and smartest way to visit the Louvre Museum, and trust me, you’re not alone.

I’ve been inside the Louvre dozens of times, and I can tell you this with complete confidence: the Louvre Museum is an absolute must-see in Paris. Just like the Vatican Museums or the Capitoline Museums in Italy, it’s home to some of the greatest masterpieces ever created by human hands. Missing it would be a real shame.

But here’s the problem, and it’s a big one.

The Louvre is the most visited museum in the world. That means one thing above all else: long queues. We’re talking up to 60-90 minutes of waiting just to get through the entrance. And once you’re finally inside? The museum covers over 60,000 square meters with more than 35,000 works of art, so without a plan, you risk losing hours wandering and still missing the highlights.

The good news is: there are proven ways to skip the line at the Louvre and make the most of every minute inside. And most tourists don’t know them.

Ready to discover all the insider tips? Let’s dive in.

Tickets and tours you can buy online

Skip-the-line tickets for the Louvre

In recent years, the queues at the Louvre have become longer and longer, to the point where the museum has started limiting the number of daily visitors. And the crowds don’t stop at the entrance: once inside, popular areas like the room hosting the Mona Lisa can feel overwhelmingly packed, especially during summer and holiday seasons.

My first and most important tip is to buy your Louvre ticket online before your visit. By doing so, you skip the main ticket queue entirely and go straight to the entrance with your booking confirmation. It takes two minutes and it can save you over an hour of waiting in line.

When booking, you simply choose your preferred date and time slot, then select the number of tickets you need. Your ticket grants you entry to the Louvre within a 30-minute window from the time you selected, so make sure you plan your arrival accordingly. Today you can show the ticket directly on your smartphone, so there is no need to print anything.

Pro tip: book at least 3 to 4 days in advance, especially if you are visiting between April and October. Time slots sell out quickly and last-minute availability is not guaranteed.

👉 Book your skip-the-line ticket here

Alternative entrances to the Louvre: how to save time

The glass Pyramid entrance is certainly the most iconic way to enter the Louvre, but it is also by far the most crowded. What many visitors don’t know is that the museum has three other entrances, and using one of them can easily save you 15 to 20 minutes of waiting.

Here are all the entrances available:

• Pyramid entrance (Cour Napoléon): the main entrance, the most scenic, but also the busiest. Best avoided during peak hours.
• Carrousel du Louvre entrance (99 Rue de Rivoli): accessible directly from the underground shopping mall beneath the museum. This is the best option if you arrive by metro, getting off at the Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre stop and following the signs for the Carrousel. You walk through an indoor gallery full of shops and arrive directly at the central ticket hall.
• Porte des Lions entrance (near the Seine, on the south side): a lesser-known option that is often significantly less crowded. Note that it is not always open, so it is worth checking the official Louvre website before you go.
• Passage Richelieu entrance (Rue de Rivoli, near Rue de Rohan): this entrance is reserved for visitors with a pre-booked ticket or a museum pass. If you have already bought your ticket online, this is often the fastest way in.

Will you completely avoid the queue by using an alternative entrance?

Not entirely, but you will definitely reduce your waiting time. The Pyramid is always the most congested point, while the Carrousel and Richelieu entrances tend to move faster, especially in the morning and late afternoon. If you combine an alternative entrance with a pre-booked ticket, you are looking at a very smooth entry experience.

Pro tip: if you are visiting in summer, arrive right when the museum opens at 9:00 am. The Carrousel entrance is your best bet at that time, as most tourists head straight for the Pyramid.

ecco il paragrafo ed usa questo come link d’affiliazione d0ora in poi quando necessario

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Take a guided tour

Book it here
As I said at the beginning of this post, another big problem with the Louvre is its size. Inside the museum, there are more than 35,000 masterpieces, collected in an area of about 60,000 square meters. Visiting it all in one day is simply impossible, that’s why I advise you to book an English guide for the Louvre, which can takes you to discover the most beautiful artworks.
The advantage of having a guide at your side is not just to skip the line. You will know, in fact, some curiosities and stories that you would never have imagined, without risking losing the most beautiful artworks of the Louvre.
After all, when will you have the chance to visit this museum again?

The Paris Museum Pass: is it worth it for the Louvre?

If you are planning to visit several attractions during your stay in Paris, the Paris Museum Pass is something you should seriously consider. With a single pass, you get unlimited access to more than 50 museums and monuments across the city, including the Louvre, the Palace of Versailles, the Musée d’Orsay, the Centre Pompidou and the Arc de Triomphe, just to name a few.

The pass is available in three options: 2, 4 or 6 consecutive days, and it activates from the first time you use it. If you are spending at least three or four days in Paris and you plan to visit two or more paid attractions per day, the pass will almost certainly save you money compared to buying individual tickets.

One important thing to keep in mind: the Paris Museum Pass alone does not guarantee direct entry to the Louvre. You still need to book a timed entry slot in advance through the official Louvre reservation page. Make sure you do this before your visit, as slots fill up quickly, especially during peak season.

How can you buy the Paris Museum Pass?

You can buy it online before you travel, which is what I recommend so you don’t waste time on arrival. Once in Paris, the pass can also be collected at the Paris tourist office at 23 Rue d’Aboukir, 75002 Paris, open every day from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, about a 10-minute walk from the Louvre.

👉 Buy the Paris Museum Pass online

Best days and times to visit the Louvre with fewer crowds

If you have some flexibility in your schedule, choosing the right day and time to visit the Louvre can make a huge difference. The museum attracts millions of visitors every year, but the crowds are not equally distributed across the week, and knowing when to go can save you a lot of stress.

The Louvre is open every day except Tuesday, from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. On Wednesdays and Fridays, however, it stays open until 9:45 pm, and this is where the real insider tip comes in. I have visited the museum on Wednesday evenings many times, and after 7:00 pm the difference is remarkable. The queues at the entrance are minimal, and inside the galleries feel almost peaceful compared to the daytime chaos. If you can, plan your visit on one of these two evenings.

In terms of days, Tuesday is when the museum is closed, so Mondays tend to be busier than usual as visitors try to compensate. The most crowded days overall are Saturday and Sunday, especially in the morning. If a weekend visit is your only option, try to arrive right at opening time at 9:00 am and head straight to the highlights you care about most.

As for the time of year, the quietest months are generally January, February and November. Summer, especially July and August, is by far the busiest period, with waiting times that can exceed 90 minutes. If you are visiting in summer, the Wednesday or Friday evening visit is pretty much essential.

Pro tip: no matter what day you visit, always book your timed entry ticket online in advance. It is the single most effective way to avoid wasting time in the queue.

👉 Book your Louvre ticket online

How to visit the Louvre for free

Before you buy a ticket, it is worth checking whether you are actually entitled to free entry. The Louvre offers free admission to a wider range of visitors than most people realise, and many tourists end up paying when they did not need to.

Here is who can get in for free:

• Under 18s: free entry for all visitors under 18 years old, regardless of nationality.
• EU residents under 26: if you are under 26 and a resident of a European Union country, you can enter for free by showing a valid identity document proving your age and residency.
• First Friday of the month: on the first Friday of every month, from 6:00 pm to 9:45 pm, entry is free for all visitors under 26, regardless of nationality.
• First Saturday of the month: free entry for everyone on the first Saturday of each month, from 6:00 pm to 9:45 pm.
• Teachers and art educators: free entry for teachers of art, architecture, history and related subjects, upon presentation of valid professional credentials.
• Visitors with disabilities and their carers: free entry for people with disabilities and one accompanying person.
• Job seekers: free entry for people registered as unemployed, upon presentation of relevant documentation.

In all these cases, you simply need to show a valid identity document or proof of eligibility at the entrance. No ticket purchase is required, but you still need to book a free timed entry slot on the official Louvre website in advance, as walk-in access is not always guaranteed, especially during busy periods.

It is always worth checking the official Louvre website before your visit, as free admission policies can be updated during the year.