Musée d'Orsay in Paris: Tickets and Tours

The Musée d'Orsay is famous for its large collection of Impressionist art. From paintings and photographs to sculptures and decorative arts, this museum houses some of the most important works from the period between 1848 and 1914.

If you're unsure about what to see and do in Paris and you're an art lover, be sure to visit this museum and immerse yourself in the world of Impressionism. In this article, I'll tell you everything you need to know to plan your itinerary: how and where to buy your tickets, prices, how to get there, and all the details you need to enjoy the best works of Impressionism in Paris.

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With this option, you can skip all the queues and go straight to the museum through entrance C. You'll be free to explore the museum and see not only the permanent collections but also any temporary exhibitions that are available during your visit.

Enjoy all the art of great artists such as Degas, Cézanne and many more. Remember that you always have the option of renting an audio guide if you want a little extra information.

Recommended if... you don't need a private guide to explain the different works and prefer to go on your own with greater freedom.

You can purchase a ticket to the museum from €16, but below are all the options available to benefit from discounts or even free tickets.

Discounts and offers

• Admission to the museum is free on the first Sunday of each month. No prior reservation is required.
• The museum offers free admission to visitors who meet any of the following criteria (proof of eligibility is required): children under 18, citizens of European Union countries between the ages of 18 and 25, people with disabilities and their companions, and visitors with an ICOM card.
• The museum offers a reduced price of €12 instead of €16 every Thursday for tickets after 6 p.m.
• If you are accompanying a child under 18, your ticket will be reduced and you can purchase your ticket from £13.

Useful information about tickets

In addition to the permanent collections, you can enjoy temporary exhibitions (visit the museum's official website for more information about temporary exhibitions on the dates of your visit)

With your tickets, you will have priority access to the museum within 30 minutes of your reserved time slot.

If you wish to visit the Rodin Museum before or after your visit to the Musée d'Orsay, you can purchase combined tickets from £14.

You can also purchase combined tickets with the Louvre Museum from £33. If you would like more information about other museums in Paris, here is a guide with recommendations for the 17 best museums in the city.

You can purchase your museum tickets at the ticket office, on the official website or with your Paris Pass:

• If you decide to buy your tickets at the ticket office, I recommend that you go in advance, as access is linked to a specific time slot, so if you go during the middle of the day, you may have to wait. Prices are the same as on the website, as are the conditions for discounts.
• You can also buy your tickets online by choosing the option that best suits you: standard ticket, companion ticket, afternoon ticket for Thursdays, etc. and select the day and time slot you want to visit the museum. At the time of purchase, you can also add the audio guide service and the special audio guide for children (I'll give you more details below).
• If you have the Paris Pass, you can enter for free without prior reservation and without having to comply with any time slot.

If you have purchased the Paris Museum Pass (here you can see how the Paris Pass works, which includes the above), you can benefit from free admission and, what's more, you won't have to wait for a time slot, but can access the museum whenever you choose.

Not only do children enjoy free admission (up to the age of 18), but they can also use the audio guide service (from £3.50) which explains the museum's works with easy and entertaining commentary so that they can learn about the artistic history of France.

In addition, the museum offers various workshops to stimulate children's curiosity and imagination. These must be done after the visit so that they can discuss and practise art after their visit. The prices for these workshops start at £7.

Twice a year (check the dates on the museum's official website), dance, music and theatre performances are organised, attended by different artists to create a unique experience in the museum for the whole family.

Consult this guide if you are visiting Paris with children and need ideas on what to see and do in the city.

The Musée d'Orsay not only offers guided tours and group tickets, but if you prefer to go on your own, you can request audio guides for adults or adapted for children.

Guided tour in English:

The museum offers guided tours lasting approximately 90 minutes. The guide will accompany you on this journey through the world of Impressionism, showing you the best pieces and explaining the works so that you can delve into the artistic history of Paris.

Children under the age of 13 are not allowed on the tour, which is conducted in English. The price of the tour starts at €6, and if you purchase it together with your ticket, it will start at €22.

Audio guide

Once you have purchased your tickets, you can request (from £5) an audio tour that includes commentary and specialised information on more than 300 works from the museum's permanent collections.

The audio guide is available in several languages, including Spanish. For temporary exhibitions, the audio tour will only be available in English and French.

Audio guide

for children

If you are travelling with your family and any of the members of your group are between 6 and 12 years old, you can request an audio tour at the museum (from £3.50) that explains the permanent collection and temporary exhibitions with commentary adapted for children, so they can learn about Impressionist art in a fun and entertaining way.

The museum is located at 1 Rue de la Légion d'Honneur, on the left bank of the River Seine, opposite the Tuileries Gardens. You can reach the museum on foot, by bus, metro, train, taxi or car. Read this guide for more information on getting around Paris

• Getting to the museum by metro: This may be one of the cheapest ways to get to the museum, along with the bus. The nearest metro stations are Solférino, a 6-minute walk away, or Tuileries, a 9-minute walk away. Line 12 is one of the closest. Here is a link if you have any questions about how to use the Paris metro
• Take the bus to the museum: Along with the metro, the bus is a very economical option in Paris. The nearest stops are Musée d'Orsay and Pont Royal–Quai Voltaire, a 4-minute walk away, or Solferino-Bellechasse and Pont de Solferino-Quai Des Tuileries, a 6-minute walk away. The bus lines that pass through this area are 68, 69, 72, 73 and 85.
• Take the train for speed: the H, L and N train lines pass close to the museum and can be a quick and convenient option.
• Walk and enjoy Paris: The museum is close to other tourist attractions in the city. The Louvre Museum is only a 12-minute walk away, and the Orangerie Museum and Tuileries Gardens are also quite close, so depending on your itinerary, walking to the Musée d'Orsay may be your best option. What's more, strolling along the River Seine is a wonderful way to round off your day after visiting the museum. Check out this post to see the best cruises on the Seine.
• Parking near the museum: If you have decided to drive to the museum, there are two car parks nearby: the Carrousel du Louvre shopping centre, located on Avenue 1 du Général Lemonnier, and the Bac Montalembert car park, at 9 Rue Montalembert.

Access to the museum

Once you arrive at the museum, you will find different doors depending on the type of ticket or pass you have:

• Gate A: If you have not purchased your tickets in advance, wish to purchase them at the ticket office, or are eligible for free admission to the museum, please go to Gate A. This entrance is also for those with museum passes.
• Door B: This entrance is for adult groups who have made a prior reservation only.
• Gate C: Go to this entrance if you are a member of the AFMO, if you have purchased your tickets in advance, if you are a pass holder, or if you have special needs or a disability.
• Gate D: This entrance is exclusively for school groups with prior reservations.

The museum contains more than 6,000 works of art, including paintings, medals, photographs, decorative art, etc.

On the upper level are the main masterpieces such as London, Parliament and Monet's Poppies, Van Gogh's Starry Night and Self-Portrait, sculptures such as Rodin's The Age of Bronze and Antoine Bourdelle's Bust of Ludwig Van Beethoven.

You can also enjoy important paintings such as Renoir's Dance at the Moulin de la Galette and Manet's Olympia.

The recommended visiting time for the museum (permanent exhibition and temporary exhibitions) is approximately 2 to 4 hours. It all depends on how much time you want to spend on each work.

For example, the guided tours offered by the museum last about 90 minutes, and some guided tours last up to 2 hours. If you also want to rent an audio guide or review your favourite works, your visit will take approximately 4 hours.

The Musée d'Orsay is open from 9.30 a.m. to 6 p.m., except on Thursdays, when it closes at 9.45 p.m. The museum is closed on Mondays and on the public holidays of 1 May and 25 December.

If you have left your visit to the museum until the last few hours of the day, please note that the last admission to the permanent collections is at 5 pm (9 pm on Thursdays).

• Don't worry about carrying your coat, bags, etc. The museum has lockers where you can store your suitcases and backpacks and cloakrooms for your coats. You can also borrow a pushchair, as bulky pushchairs and baby carriers are not allowed inside the museum, or if you need one, you can request a wheelchair or folding chair.
• The museum is equipped with lifts and ramps to make it accessible to people with reduced mobility.
• On level -1, next to the reception, you will find an area designated for babies.
• The museum offers free Wi-Fi.
• If you want to visit the museum at a more leisurely pace, I recommend going in the morning, from 9.30am to midday, and on weekdays, as it is less crowded.

Inside the museum, you will find the shop and bookshop. It is suitable for all ages and has content in French and English. With your standard ticket, you can access the shop, which is located behind the ticket office and has the same opening hours as the museum.

In this shop, you can purchase art books, catalogues and works of painting, sculpture, photography, etc. All this makes this shop your go-to bookshop if you need information on art from the period 1848 to 1914.

You can also purchase gifts inspired by the museum's works, products related to temporary exhibitions, or choose some postcards to send as souvenirs to your loved ones. There are also various games based on the museum's collections for you to enjoy with your family when you get home.

If you would like to take home a souvenir of your visit to the museum, you can access the shop's website online.

The museum offers two different dining areas. Here you can enjoy a variety of food and drinks or set menus for lunch or dinner after your visit to the museum.

The restaurant, in addition to being a majestic space with high ceilings typical of old train stations and contrasting chandeliers and gilded ceilings, offers traditional French cuisine and dishes prepared by chefs Gabriel Ferrier and Benjamin Constant. The restaurant is open Tuesday to Sunday from 11:45 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and on Thursdays from 11:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. and from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

If you prefer something more informal or just want to have a snack, you can always go to Café Campana, designed by the Campana brothers, whose atmosphere will transport you to a world under the sea as a tribute to Art Nouveau.

The menu is redesigned periodically, but you can find salads, stews, gourmet desserts, ice cream, etc. The café is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. and on Thursdays from 10:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

If you prefer to have lunch or dinner outside the museum, I recommend you take a look at this guide to the best restaurants in Paris or the best crêperies in the city.