Best Time to Visit Louvre Museum 2023

The Louvre Museum in Paris is a must-visit for any type of traveler. Being one of the most visited museum in the world, it’s very busy almost all year, which decreases your chances to truly enjoy the famous art works. You’ll definitely want to have a look at the famous Mona Lisa but to get through the crowd of the equally curious visitors can be a pretty challenging task. Even though this museum with its more than 35000 objects to demonstrate to the public is always very crowded there is still the best time to visit the Louvre museum in Paris.   

This is the only ultimate guide you need to check to find out what is the best time to visit Louvre; keep reading to get more details about museum busiest time, best day to go, best time of the day, how to beat the crowds and other useful visitor’s tips.

General Info 

• Buy skip the line Louvre museum tickets in advance
• Buy Paris Museum Pass and SAVE on visiting the Louvre and 60 other museums around Paris.
• Working hours: Wednesday – Monday, 9.00 – 18.00, Friday – 9.00 – 21.45, last entry – one hour before closing time. 
• Address: Rue de Rivoli, 75001, Paris
• On the map

Best Day of the Week to Visit the Louvre 

Museum is closed on Tuesdays, which means that on Wednesday there will be long lines of visitors. Keeping this in mind the best day to visit the Louvre museum is on Monday or on Thursday.

It’s better to avoid weekends for visiting as it’s super crowded. The same can be said about Friday, from 13.00 till 18.00 it’s very busy, so it’s better to skip these Louvre museum hours.

You might be tempted to get into a museum for free. This can be done every first Sunday of the month. But it’s definitely not worth it, if your goal is to enjoy the art objects presented in the museum. 

Check Louvre Museum Tickes Availability and Prices

Best time to go to the Louvre 

It’s better to plan your visit to Louvre museum early in the morning or during the evening hours. A large influx of tourists is usually observed during the day, at lunchtime and in the afternoon. Especially during this period there are many group tours.

In the evening, a special entourage of museum exhibits is added by light illumination. But you should also note that most of the exhibitions will be closed during evening hours, usually they start close at 17.30 and (21.30 on Wed and Fri). There are other tips for visiting the Louvre museum for better experience.

Is there ways to beat the crowd?

The main to check out and learn about best season to go the one of the most visited museums in the world is to avoid crowds and enjoy most famous masterpieces.

• Buy online tickets in advance. It will save you a lot of time waiting in the queues. Together with skip-the-line Louvre tickets you can book guided tour and check all the famous masterpieces, like Venus de Milo, within several hours. You should also know that there is a security check that every visitor has to come through before enter the museum.
• If you have in your mind certain museum’s collection you would like to check, like, for example Egyptian Antiqueties, make sure to take Louvre museum map, otherwise you can just get lost in museum complex.
• For those, interested in Mona Lisa, there is an option to book tickets with guidance to this masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci.

Check different entrances

There are several museum entrances, with glass pyramid entrance being the main one, which means its very busy. Depending on visitor’s category you belong to, there are other options, except Louvre pyramid entrance, to enter the museum. If you have a ticket, you can avoid crowds by choosing Carrousel du Louvre or Porte des Lions.

Those who need to buy Louvre tickets have to go to main pyramid entrance and follow orange queue.

Night Museum Tours

In times before covid, the Louvre was open longer than usual on Wednesdays and Fridays. Tours organized at night were very popular. For sure, there were less crowds of tourists and more space to enjoy the famous masterpieces.

Nowadays, you can also find a company, organizing such tours. Prices are always a bit higher compared to regular guided tours and places are usually limited.

Best Season to Visit the Louvre museum 

The Louvre in Winter

In terms of choosing the best month for exploring the Louvre museum, winter time is the best option. The period from November till March is considered to be the low season in France, so less tourists are expected during this period. You can fully enjoy your visit to the Louvre on your own, or by joining the group tour. 

Spring

Spring months are also marked by less crowds of tourists with smooth growth closer to the end of May. Choose the afternoon hours closer to the evening for visiting. 

Summer

The peak season in the Louvre lasts from June till August. If you’re traveling to Paris during this time, for better experience, plan to visit in the early hours (come by the opening time) or again the evening hours are the best option.

Autumn

Fall time is when the schools and universities start, so the definite part of tourists leave. It starts to get dark much earlier, so you don’t have to wait late at night to enjoy the views of the illuminated pyramid. You can expect a bit less crowds in the museum, but excursions for schoolchildren and students can be organized.

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