Is the Paris Museum Pass actually worth it? Is the Paris Museum Pass actually a good value? Those were two questions I asked myself repeatedly when I was planning my recent trip to Paris. I knew I wanted to see some of Paris’ famous museums and galleries, but did I want to see enough to make a two-day pass or a four-day pass a good investment?
After some careful consideration, very complicated mathematical calculations, a map that covered my entire kitchen table and, ultimately, the flip of a one-euro coin, I decided to buy a four-day Paris Museum Pass for my trip. And in the end, I was so glad that I did! Let me tell you about my own experience using the pass, and how you can get the maximum value from a two- or four-day Paris Museum Pass.
What is the Paris Museum Pass?
The Paris Museum Pass is an official tourist card for the city of Paris. You can purchase a pass for two, four or six days, to have access to more than fifty museums, monuments and historical sites in and around Paris. Your pass includes one entry to each attraction. Many popular attractions require you to reserve your entry time online in advance; there is no charge for these reservations. Always check online a few days in advance to see if booking is required.
To see when official bookings open for the main tourist attractions in Paris, check out my new guide here.
Once you activate your Paris Museum Pass at the first site you visit, the clock starts ticking. Technically, a two-day pass gives you 48 consecutive hours of access, while a four-day pass gives you 96 hours of consecutive access. You can’t skip a day or spread your four days over a full week. Since many Paris attractions are closed on either Monday or Tuesday, I recommend planning to use your Paris Museum Pass between Wednesday and Sunday (or being very careful when planning your trip).
The Paris Museum Pass does not include public transportation. There is a competing product called The Paris Pass that is significantly more expensive, but that also includes public transit and several additional attractions. Personally, I didn’t think the other card was a great value, so I bought a four-day Paris Museum Pass for my most recent trip to Paris.
(Disclosure: I paid in full for my Paris Museum Pass. I am not an affiliate of the Paris Museum Pass so I do not make any money if you buy a pass from the official site linked on this page.)
Paris Museum Pass Prices in 2026
At the time of publication (January 2026), Paris Museum Pass prices are:
- 2 Day Paris Museum Pass – €85
- 4 Day Paris Museum Pass – €105
- 6 Day Paris Museum Pass – €125 (the best value!)
I bought my four-day Paris Museum Pass online from the official site in advance, as you need the serial number from the pass to reserve your Louvre entrance. I opted for an electronic ticket, which ended up just being a PDF they sent to my email address. I printed a back-up copy but saved a screenshot of the QR code to my phone. It wasn’t compatible with my iPhone Wallet app.
You can also buy a physical pass when you arrive in Paris. The pass is sold at the ticket offices of most of the included attractions, although you’ll first have to join the general queue to purchase it. Trust me when I say you don’t want to wait in the Louvre’s general admission queue to buy your pass! If you’re arriving in Paris at Charles de Gaulle or Orly airports, you can also purchase the Paris Museum Pass at the tourist information offices in the airport.
Getting the Most Value from A Paris Museum Pass
I created a two-day plan and a four-day plan to get the most value from my own Paris Museum Pass, and I’m so excited to share it with you. With both itineraries you save at least 50% compared to buying individual tickets for the attractions listed, and I grouped them carefully based on opening hours and location, so that you can make the most out of your time in Paris.
What I didn’t do was include every single attraction that you can access with your Paris Museum Pass. Although Day 1 is pretty packed, the other three days leave you with lots of time for a leisurely lunch, a stroll down that pretty street you notice, or a little shopping at that charming boutique you pass along the way. Of course, you can always use your free time to visit more of the museums and galleries that are included with your pass.
You can follow my recommended itinerary in any order. If you bought a two-day Paris Museum Pass, you can do Day 1 then Day 2, or vice versa. If you purchased a four-day Paris Museum Pass, you can mix up the following four days in any order you’d like. However, be careful to check the website for each attraction you want to visit, as most of the included attractions are closed one day per week.
Again, I strongly recommend planning your itinerary so that none of your visits are planned for a Monday or Tuesday. Most Paris attractions close on either Monday or Tuesday, so using your pass on either of those days adds a level of complexity to your scheduling that probably isn’t worth the hassle. Personally, I activated my pass on my third full day in Paris (a Thursday) and used it through Sunday night.
Although your first admission to all of the sites below is free, I’ve noted their regular admission prices so that you can get a sense of the value of the Paris Museum Pass.
Paris Museum Pass – Day One (€72 Value!)
You’re going to start your first day on the stunning Île de la Cité, the island in the Seine that is home to Notre Dame Cathedral. The three attractions on this island tend to open fairly early in the morning (between 9:00 and 10:00 am), so you can breeze through all three before lunch.
Then, after lunch in the trendy Le Marais district, choose one of the area’s two highlight museums for a quick tour before heading to the Latin Quarter to explore Musée de Cluny.
Sainte-Chapelle (€22)
A thirteenth-century Gothic church with stunning stained glass windows, Sainte-Chapelle can be explored in thirty minutes if you reserve your entry time in advance. You can download a guide to the chapel’s two levels from their official website. Security precautions require you to reserve your entry in advance.
Secret Tip: Ticket holders line up in half-hour timeslots. Come towards the end of your timeslot (for example, if your ticket is for 9:30, come at 9:50 or even 9:55) and you’ll probably breeze right through the queue.
Conciergerie (€13)
You’ll need about an hour to explore the Conciergerie, a former royal residence and prison. This is where Marie Antoinette was held in the weeks leading up to her execution. You can still visit her cell, which was converted into a small chapel in 1815. There are also exhibits inside about the French Revolution and the evolution of the French justice system. Security precautions require you to reserve your entry in advance. I booked Sainte-Chapelle for 9:30 and the Conciergerie for 10:30, but when I finished at Sainte-Chapelle early they were happy to let me in when I arrived.
Archeological Crypts (€9)
These are not the catacombs! The Archeological Crypts showcase excavations that took place in the 1960s and 1970s, revealing details of the Roman and medieval history of the Île de la Cité. It takes about thirty minutes to walk through the ruins. While Notre Dame is being repaired, this subterranean gallery is also featuring a number of exhibits about the church and its history. You only need about half an hour here.
Lunch in Le Marais & Nearby
Au Petit Fer a Cheval is a popular option for a typical French bistro in the Marais district. Expect traditional French dishes, along with lighter fare like sandwiches and salads. Unfortunately they were closed when I visited.
Miznon is famous for its whole-roasted cauliflower, but that’s not the only thing worth trying at this Mediterranean restaurant. There are also creative pita (at press time, there’s one with beef bourguignon!) and mixed plates.
Big Love is kind of a big deal among the Instagram crowd, who are obsessed with the stunning garden interior and the 100% vegetarian menu. The menu changes every month, but expect beautiful pastas, pizzas and desserts.
La Marché des Enfants Rouges is over by the Picasso Museum; I got there by taking the bus. This food market actually dates back to the 1600s, but it’s been completely modernized and now features more than ten cool, street food-inspired eateries among the traditional food vendors. See my guide to visiting the Marche des Enfants Rouges for a look at some of the restaurants inside.
Musée Picasso (€16) or The Museum of Jewish Art and History (€10)
After lunch, wander through Le Marais to whichever of these two museums piques your interest. Both take between ninety minutes and two hours to visit.
The Musée Picasso contains more than 5,000 works of art, most of which were donated by his family in lieu of paying an inheritance tax. Expect to see paintings, sculptures and sketches by Picasso, as well as works he collected from other artists. Make sure to go down to the lower level to access the charming garden area. You might be the only visitor, and you’ll have a stunning view of the building exterior all to yourself.
The Museum of Jewish Art and History explores the history of Judaism in France and the diversity of art created by Jewish artists. There are more than 12,000 works in the collection, and it is enhanced by changing temporary exhibits as well (as press time, there was an exhibit about writer Marcel Proust and a collection of photographs from a Tunisian synagogue).
Musée de Cluny (€12)
From Le Marais, it’s a straight walk across the river to the Latin Quarter and the stunning Museé de Cluny. You can walk in thirty minutes, or you can hop on a bus and the trip will take twenty minutes.
I visited Museé de Cluny for the first time in 2025 and I was so impressed. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t visited before. The museum displays one of the world’s largest collections of medieval art. Your journey through the galleries (housed between a building that was once ancient Roman baths and the adjacent Benedictine monastery mansion) ends in a beautiful room housing the six “Lady and the Unicorn” tapestries, which absolutely have to be seen to be believed. The Mona Lisa didn’t knock my socks off, but these definitely did.
During the school year the Museé de Cluny quiets down after 4:00 pm, which is when the last school group typically leaves, which is why I like to save it for the end of the day. They’re open until 6:15 and while you could spend all day there, you can wander through the galleries and then pause for the tapestries in about 90 minutes.
Paris Museum Pass – Day Two (€67 Value!)
Today you’re going to cover the stretch from The Louvre, through the Jardin des Tuileries, along the Champs-Elysees, all the way to the Arc de Triomphe. You can do the whole thing on foot, or cover some of the distance on public transportation.
If you followed my plan for Day 1 and Day 2, you will have got €119 worth of value from a two-day Paris Museum Pass… that’s nearly double the price you paid! Even if you paid for the four-day Paris Museum Pass, you’ve also already recouped the full value, plus €29 extra!
The Louvre (€32)
With Louvre prices for non-EU visitors set to increase by 45% in January 2026, it makes more sense than ever to visit The Louvre with a Paris Museum Pass.
It’s tempting to book your Louvre tickets for your first day in Paris, but this monolithic museum requires a lot of energy, and patience, to explore, and I typically have neither when I’m jet-lagged. So, I always book my Louvre visits for my second or third day after arriving in Paris. Paris Museum Pass holders need to pre-book their time slots on this specific website – I recommend choosing the first entrance in the morning, to beat the crowds.
Plan to spend at least two hours here just to see the highlights (you can follow their recommended route or use the free audio guide from Rick Steves). If you come right at opening, make a beeline for the Mona Lisa before the crowds pick up, then backtrack to the entry and follow your chosen plan from there. For a more relaxed visit, plan to stay in the museum for about three or four hours, until you head out for lunch.
Lunch Near The Louvre
Le Louvre Ripaille serves traditional French cuisine like French onion soup and roasted chicken. They have a daily two-course lunch menu for €19; check the chalkboard for the menu of the day.
Loulou’s location in the gardens of the Museum of Decorative Arts can’t be beat. You’ll pay for the gorgeous setting though; Italian-inspired main dishes are priced around €35. Still, a meal here is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Balagan is a modern Israeli restaurant with a creative, albeit limited, lunch menu. Two- or three-course meals are €25 and €30, respectively.
Musée de l’Orangerie (€13)
In case you haven’t seen enough world-class art yet today, you can stroll through the Jardin des Tuileries to the Musée de l’Orangerie, which famously houses eight of Monet’s Water Lilies murals. If you’re just coming to see the Water Lilies, you can be in and out in half an hour. If you’d like to see more of the Impressionist and post-Impressionist works here, plan to stay for an hour and a half to two hours.
Note: As per the signs at the museum entrance, the rooms housing the Water Lilies are supposed to be silent. Be considerate during your visit.
Arc de Triomphe (€22)
At the far end of the Champs-Élysées, the Arc de Triomphe makes a lovely last stop today. It’s often open until 11:00 pm, so you can come after the museums have closed. If you ascend the arch in the early evening you can take in sunset views of the city and watch as the City of Lights begins to sparkle in the evening light.
With a Paris Museum Pass, you don’t need to queue at the ticket window. Bypass the underground line and go up the stairs, which will take you to the middle of the traffic circle, right under the arch. From there, you can go right into the line for ticket holders. By default, this line goes up the 284 spiral stairs to the rooftop viewing platform; let the staff know if you require an elevator.
Paris Museum Pass – Day Three (€31 Value!)
If you bought a four-day Paris Museum Pass, you’ve already recouped the full value, so everything that you do today and tomorrow is, essentially, free! If it’s a clear day, start your morning at the Eiffel Tower (not included in the Paris Museum Pass) and then head towards Les Invalides to visit (at least) two more iconic Paris museums.
Musée Rodin (€15)
You only need an hour to visit the Musée Rodin, but it will be an hour well-spent. Located in the sculptor’s former workshop, this museum consists of two gallery spaces and a tranquil outdoor sculpture garden. Pause to enjoy a coffee in the garden cafe before leaving.
Musée d’Orsay (€16)
Manet, Monet, Cezanne, Renoir… they’re all celebrated at Paris’ second-most-famous art museum. With a collection of masterpieces primarily from the Impressionists, post-Impressionists and Art Nouveau artists, the Musée d’Orsay will take about three hours to tour thoroughly.
Note that beginning in March 2026, the Musée d’Orsay will be added to the list of museums in Paris that require pass holders to reserve a spot online. The link to reserve your ticket is on the Paris Museum Pass website.
Paris Museum Pass – Day Four (Up to €32 Value!)
With a four-day Paris Museum Pass, you’ll want to travel outside Paris, to one of the many castles and palaces included with your card.
I’ve highlighted three of the most famous options that are included with your pass, but you’re not limited to historic castles. Other options include the National Air and Space Museum, where you can go on board a Concorde, or Villa Savoye, a masterpiece of modern architecture designed by Le Corbusier.
By the end of your fourth day you will have got almost €160 in value from a four-day Paris Museum Pass – that’s an incredible deal for something that barely cost ninety euros!
Versailles (€32)
The obvious choice for a royal day trip from Paris, Versailles is easy to reach by public transportation. From Paris, you can take the RER C5 train to the Versailles Château-Rive Gauche Station, which is a ten-minute walk from the palace entrance. Use your Paris Museum Pass to reserve an entry time here (aim to arrive before 11:00 am to beat the crowds) and then head to the entrance at the Dufour Pavilion upon arrival. You’ll probably want to spend about four hours between the palace and the gardens, and the train takes an hour each way, so you’ll need at least six hours to visit Versailles.
Chateau de Chantilly (€18)
If you’ve already been to Versailles, you might want to use your Paris Museum Pass to visit Chantilly and it’s pretty seventeenth-century palace that appears to be floating in the middle of a turquoise lake (shown above). You’ll want to visit the opulent palace, the expansive stables and the beautiful gardens during your visit.
To reach Chateau de Chantilly from Paris, it’s fastest to take a SNCF train from Gare du Nord to Chantilly-Gouvieux. From the station, it’s a 25-minute walk to the castle, or you can take a bus (ask the driver if they go to the chateau).
Chateau de Fontainebleau (€14)
This castle has 1900 rooms, putting it right up there with Versailles in terms of its grandeur (in fact, some people say it’s even more magnificent!). Within the grand apartments, you’ll find Marie Antoinette’s boudoir and Napoleon’s bedroom, complete with a secret door leading to his private library. You can expect to spend about three hours in the palace, and another hour in the gardens.
I have two new guides to the Chateau de Fontainebleau, including step-by-step instructions for taking the train from Paris to Fontainebleau, and what to expect when you visit the royal palace.
Paris Museum Pass Total Value
If you do the math, in 2026 prices I was able to get €202 of value out of my €105 Paris Museum Pass. With that in mind I’ve already purchased a new Paris Museum Pass, which I plan to use on my next trip to Paris (my fourth, I believe?) this summer.
Map of All The Sights Included in the Paris Museum Pass
To help with my own planning for my upcoming return trip to Paris, I plotted all of the included attractions on a Google Map. The red icons indicate that a reservation is required, while the green ones are free to visit any time. Feel free to make or save a copy of the map, or share it with anyone you know who will be visiting Paris.
I wrote a guide to my favorite areas to stay in Paris, whether you’re on a tight budget or looking to splurge on a luxury stay.
Then, check out out my new article about budgeting for a trip to Paris.
Then, check out my guide to the best Paris guidebooks (see which one I packed!) and my tips for learning French before your trip.
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