2026 guide — kept up to date

Musée d'Orsay tickets: book online, walk in without the stress

Since March 10, 2026, every visitor needs a reserved time slot — even for free admission. This independent guide walks you through which ticket to choose, what it costs, and how to make the most of the world's finest Impressionist collection.

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Full price
€16 online · €14 at the door
Hours
Tue–Sun 9:30 AM–6 PM · Thu 9:45 PM
Booking
Time slot required since March 2026
Suggested visit
2.5 to 4 hours

Available tickets & tours

Compare entry tickets, guided tours and combo deals offered by Tiqets, an authorized reseller — free cancellation on most options.

The essentials before you buy

The Musée d'Orsay occupies the former Gare d'Orsay, a railway station built by Victor Laloux for the 1900 World's Fair. Under its great glass roof: Monet, Van Gogh, Renoir, Degas, Manet — art from 1848 to 1914. Here's what you need to know, in 30 seconds.

QuestionQuick answer
Ticket price€16 online, €14 at the ticket desks (full price); Thursday evening ticket €12 from 6 PM — source: the museum's official website
Do I need to book?Yes, it's been mandatory since March 10, 2026, including for free tickets — the museum caps admissions during the "Orsay Grand Ouvert" renovation works
Opening hoursTuesday–Sunday 9:30 AM–6 PM, late opening Thursday until 9:45 PM, closed Mondays — full opening hours
How long to visit2.5 hours for the highlights, 4 hours to take your time
Free entryUnder-18s, EU residents aged 18–25, first Sunday of the month (a time slot must still be booked)
Where to buyOfficial ticket office or authorized resellers like Tiqets — same galleries, often more flexible cancellation
💡 The key change for 2026: the "show up and buy at the counter" approach no longer works. Without a reserved slot, you can be turned away at busy times. Book at least 3–4 days ahead in high season (April–October), and one to two weeks ahead for a Saturday or a first Sunday of the month.

Which ticket should you choose?

Three options cover 95% of visitors. The prices below are those we found on Tiqets and the official ticket office when this guide was last updated.

Timed entry ticket

from €13–16 depending on channel and slot
  • Permanent collections + temporary exhibitions
  • Guaranteed time slot
  • Mobile ticket, nothing to print
  • Security line shared by everyone

For most visitors: the best value for money.

Most complete

Entry + guided tour

from €99 2 hours with an expert guide
  • Priority entry with the group
  • The masterpieces explained (Monet, Van Gogh, Manet…)
  • Small-group options available
  • Ideal for a first visit

For those who want to understand, not just look.

Thursday evening

€12 from 6 PM, single official rate
  • Museum open until 9:45 PM
  • Half the daytime crowds
  • Evening light in the great nave
  • 3 h 45 max — brisk pace

For tight budgets and visitors short on time.

Compare prices in detail or see how to get in faster if you hate standing in line.

What awaits you inside

Orsay is really three museums in one. On the ground floor, the central sculpture aisle runs from Carpeaux to Rodin beneath a 32-meter glass vault. In the side galleries: Millet, Courbet, and Manet's founding scandal, Olympia.

The middle level covers Art Nouveau, Pont-Aven and the Nabis. But the summit — quite literally — is the Impressionist gallery on the fifth floor: Monet, Renoir, Degas, Pissarro and Cézanne lined up facing the Seine, plus the famous see-through clock framing Montmartre.

Central sculpture aisle of the Musée d'Orsay beneath the former station's glass roof
The central sculpture aisle, along the axis of the former 1900 railway station.

When to come: the smart time slots

Orsay welcomes around 3.9 million visitors a year. The difference between a relaxed visit and an endurance test comes down to which slot you pick.

9:30 AM
Opening: head straight to the fifth floor before the tour groups
11 AM–3 PM
Peak crowds, especially Tuesdays and Sundays
4 PM+
Crowds thin out — 2 hours is still enough for the highlights
Thu 6 PM+
€12 evening opening: Paris's best-kept secret
📷 For the clock photo (fifth floor, Café Campana): come before 10:30 AM or on a Thursday evening. In the middle of the day, expect to wait 15–20 minutes for a clear shot. The museum is closed on Mondays — which makes Tuesday its busiest day, along with the first Sunday of the month.

How to pay less

  • Under 18: free, every day — ID required.
  • Ages 18–25, EU/EEA residents: free on presentation of proof of residence.
  • Thursday evening: €12 instead of €16 from 6 PM — same full access.
  • First Sunday of the month: free for everyone, but the slot must still be booked and the quotas go fast — reserve as soon as availability opens.
  • Orsay + Orangerie combo ticket (Monet's Water Lilies) and Orsay + Musée Rodin: official combos that cost less than two separate entries — exact prices on the official ticket office.
  • Paris Museum Pass: Orsay is included; it pays off from 3 major museums in 2 days. Careful: the Orsay time slot still has to be booked even with the pass.

All the details in our guide to ticket prices.

How to get there

Facade of the Musée d'Orsay seen from the right bank of the Seine
The former Gare d'Orsay, facing the Tuileries on the left bank of the Seine.

Address: Esplanade Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, 75007 Paris (7th arrondissement, left bank).

  • RER C: "Musée d'Orsay" station — you literally come out underneath the museum.
  • Métro line 12: Solférino station, then a 5-minute walk.
  • Bus: lines 63, 68, 69, 73, 83, 84, 94 — stops on the riverside quay or Rue du Bac.
  • From Gare Saint-Lazare: line 12 toward Mairie d'Issy, 4 stops — our detailed route, with the story of Monet's painting as a bonus.
  • On foot: 10 minutes from the Louvre via the Léopold-Sédar-Senghor footbridge, 12 minutes from Place de la Concorde.

Entrance A (on the forecourt side) is reserved for holders of timed tickets. Arrive 10–15 minutes before your slot, no earlier: you won't be let in ahead of time.

Our guides by topic

Every page digs deep: up-to-date prices, pitfalls to avoid, tips tested on site.

Great nave of the Musée d'Orsay with its gilded clock

Ticket prices 2026

Full price, discounts, free entry, Orangerie and Rodin combos: every figure verified, no surprises at the desk.

See the prices →
Musée d'Orsay on the banks of the Seine under a cloudy sky

Opening hours

Day-by-day opening times, Thursday late opening, public holidays, last admission: plan without nasty surprises.

See the hours →
Visitors in the central aisle of the Musée d'Orsay

Skip-the-line tickets

What "skip the line" really means at Orsay, which queues you avoid and how to get inside in under 15 minutes.

Get in faster →
The Romans of the Decadence by Thomas Couture at the Musée d'Orsay

Masterpieces & paintings

Olympia, The Origin of the World, Bal du moulin de la Galette: the 20 major works and where to find them, floor by floor.

Discover the works →
Poppies by Claude Monet at the Musée d'Orsay

Monet at Orsay

Poppies, the Rouen Cathedrals, Luncheon on the Grass: the complete Monet trail on the fifth floor, room by room.

Follow Monet →
Self-portrait by Vincent van Gogh at the Musée d'Orsay

Van Gogh at Orsay

France's finest Van Gogh collection: the self-portrait, Starry Night, the church at Auvers — and where each one hangs.

See Van Gogh →
The Gare Saint-Lazare by Claude Monet, 1877

Gare Saint-Lazare

Monet's painting and the actual route: how to reach Orsay from Gare Saint-Lazare station in 15 minutes.

Painting & route →
Interior of the Musée d'Orsay, a former Beaux-Arts railway station

Renoir at Orsay

Bal du moulin de la Galette, Dance in the City, Young Girls at the Piano: where to see Renoir and why it matters.

Explore Renoir →

Ready for Orsay?

Since March 2026, booking a timed entry slot is mandatory. Reserve your entry in advance and simply show up with your mobile ticket.

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Frequently asked questions

Do I really need to book Musée d'Orsay tickets in advance?

Yes. Since March 10, 2026, the museum requires every visitor to reserve a time slot, including those entitled to free entry, for the duration of the "Orsay Grand Ouvert" renovation works (source: Musée d'Orsay). In practice, weekend slots sell out several days ahead in high season.

How much does a Musée d'Orsay ticket cost?

The official full price is €16 online and €14 at the museum's ticket desks. The Thursday evening ticket (from 6 PM) costs €12. Through authorized resellers like Tiqets, timed entry starts at around €13–16 depending on the slot. Temporary exhibitions are included.

Does the ticket include the temporary exhibitions?

Yes, the entry ticket covers the permanent collections and the temporary exhibitions on at the time, subject to capacity.

What's the best time to visit?

At opening (9:30 AM), heading straight up to the fifth floor; after 4 PM; or on Thursday evenings from 6 PM — the quietest and cheapest slot (€12). Avoid Tuesdays and the first Sunday of the month, the busiest days.

How much time should I allow for the visit?

2.5 hours covers the great nave and the Impressionist gallery. Allow 4 hours to add the middle level (Art Nouveau, the Nabis) and a break at the Café Campana behind the clock.

Can you get into the Musée d'Orsay for free?

Yes: under-18s, EU/EEA residents aged 18 to 25, visitors with disabilities plus one companion, job seekers registered in France, and everyone on the first Sunday of the month. In every case, a time slot must be booked since March 2026.

Are the tickets refundable?

On the official ticket office, tickets are generally neither exchangeable nor refundable. With Tiqets, most Orsay options can be cancelled free of charge until the day before — check for the "free cancellation" label before you pay.

Is museeorsay.paris the official website?

No. We are an independent guide. The museum's official website is musee-orsay.fr, and its official ticket office is billetterie.musee-orsay.fr. The tickets offered here are sold by Tiqets, an authorized reseller.