The Impressionists in an old train station on the Left Bank. Two hours covers the best of it. Here is how.
The short version
- Book a timed ticket at musee-orsay.fr: €16 online, €14 at the door, free under 18 and for EU/EEA citizens aged 18 to 25. The ticket covers the collections and the temporary exhibitions.
- Closed Mondays. Open until 21:45 on Thursday, and after 18:00 the Thursday ticket drops to €12.
- Timed tickets use the Quay entrance on the river side. No ticket means the Forecourt entrance and its line, and Museum Pass holders need a free slot booked online to use the Quay.
- Go up first. The Impressionists are on the fifth floor, and the rooms are quiet for the first half hour after opening.
- Last entry is 17:00, and the rooms start closing at 17:30. Arrive by 15:00 for a full visit.
- Once you leave, you’re out. The café behind the big clock on the fifth floor is the place to sit down.
Getting in
Buy on musee-orsay.fr and nowhere else. The museum turns away tickets from street sellers and copycat sites. Reduced tickets (€11) are sold at the door only, with proof. Two adults with a child under 18, living in the EU, pay the Enfant & Cie rate: €13 online, €11 at the door.
Renovation of the entrance hall runs from March 10, 2026 to summer 2028. The collections stay open throughout, but the entrances have moved, so follow the signs rather than the old habit.
- Quay entrance (1). Timed tickets for the collections or an exhibition, and Paris Museum Pass holders who booked a slot online.
- Forecourt entrance (2). No ticket yet, reseller vouchers, groups, priority visitors and anyone with a wheelchair or luggage.
Or let us handle it: our private Musée d’Orsay tour includes timed tickets and a licensed guide, two hours from the elephant statue in front of the museum, any day except Sunday and Monday.
The visit
Take the escalators straight to the fifth floor. Monet, Renoir and Degas hang in the rooms behind the clock, and that is where the crowd goes by late morning. See them first, then work down.
The ground floor is the 1848 to 1870 collection: Courbet, Millet, Ingres and the big Carpeaux sculptures in the nave. The old station roof is the reason to look up.
Mary Cassatt has a full exhibition from October 6, 2026 to January 31, 2027, and the Bartholdi show on the Statue of Liberty runs to the same date. Both are included in the museum ticket, subject to space.
Give the whole thing two hours. A third hour covers the Art Nouveau rooms on the middle level, which most people skip.
When to go
Thursday evening. From 18:00 to the 21:45 close the ticket is €12 and the fifth floor is as quiet as it gets. If Thursday doesn’t work, be at the Quay entrance for the 9:30 opening on a Tuesday or Wednesday.
The first Sunday of the month is free for everyone, but you must book a slot online first, and it is the busiest day of the month. Skip it unless free is the point.
Closed May 1 and December 25, and every Monday. On a Monday, the Orangerie across the river is open; give it 90 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a timed ticket for the Musée d’Orsay?
Not strictly, but get one. A timed ticket uses the Quay entrance; without one you join the Forecourt line, which is long by mid-morning. Paris Museum Pass holders also need to book a free slot online to use the Quay entrance.
How long does the Musée d’Orsay take?
Two hours for the fifth-floor Impressionists and the nave. Three if you want the Art Nouveau rooms and a coffee behind the clock. Once you leave you can’t come back in.
Is there a combined ticket with the Orangerie or the Rodin?
Yes to both. The Orsay and Orangerie ticket is €20, sold at the museums only. The Orsay and Rodin ticket is €25 and valid for three months, one entry each, no slot needed.
Is the Musée d’Orsay free?
For under-18s, for EU and EEA citizens aged 18 to 25, and for everyone on the first Sunday of the month with a slot booked online. Otherwise €16 online or €14 at the door, and €12 after 18:00 on Thursday.
Do I need a guide?
Not to get in. A guide takes you to the right rooms in the right order and gets you through the fifth floor before it fills. Our private Musée d’Orsay tour is two hours with a licensed guide and timed tickets, for up to six people, and you can stay on afterwards.
