Things to do
Louvre, Orsay and Versailles: 2026 Prices, Closing Days and Booking
Quick answer
Book a time slot for all three. Americans now pay the non-EU rate at the Louvre (€32) and Versailles (€25 in winter, €35 from April). Put the Louvre on a Wednesday or Friday evening, Orsay on a Thursday night, and Versailles on any day but Monday, as early as you can get there.
Sources for this answer · Checked
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| Site | Closed, open late, price for U.S. visitors |
|---|---|
| Louvre | Closed Tuesday. Open to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Friday. €32 non-EEA adult; under 18 free. Time slot recommended. |
| Musée d'Orsay | Closed Monday. Open to 9:45 p.m. Thursday. €16 online, €14 at the museum; under 18 free. |
| Versailles | Closed Monday. 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Nov–Mar, to 6:30 p.m. Apr–Oct. Passport €25 low season, €35 high season. Time slot required. |
Plan this trip
- Louvre: a Wednesday or Friday evening.
- Orsay: any day but Monday; Thursday runs late.
- Versailles: any day but Monday, earliest slot, by RER C.
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The Louvre: choose the evening
The Louvre is closed on Tuesday. On Wednesday and Friday it stays open until 9 p.m., and an evening visit is the easiest way to see the big rooms without the morning tour groups; on other days it closes at 6 p.m. Last entry is an hour before closing, and the rooms are cleared from 30 minutes before closing time. From January 14, 2026, the museum charges €32 to visitors from outside the European Economic Area, which includes Americans, and €22 to EEA residents. Anyone under 18 gets in free with ID. The museum recommends booking a time slot, even for free admission, and its tickets cannot be changed or refunded, so book once your Paris days are fixed. Louvre hours and admission, checked November 9, 2026
Orsay: the Thursday night visit
Orsay closes every Monday, plus May 1 and December 25. It opens at 9:30 a.m. and closes at 6 p.m., except Thursday, when it stays open until 9:45 p.m. with last admission at 9. A full-price ticket is €16 online or €14 at the museum; under-18s are free. The museum is also carrying out renovation work, so check which galleries are open before you go if you are coming for one painting in particular. Musée d’Orsay visitor information
Versailles: book the slot, then the train
Versailles is closed on Monday. From November 2 to March 31 it opens 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (last admission 4:45 p.m.); from April 1 to November 1, 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. (last admission 5:45 p.m.). Every visitor must book a time slot for the Palace. In 2026 the Passport, the only ticket with a timed Palace visit, costs €25 in low season and €35 in high season; residents of France and the EEA pay €3 less. If you hold a Paris Museum Pass, you still need a free Passport ticket for your slot. Versailles 2026 tickets · Time slots and tickets
Take RER C to Versailles Château–Rive Gauche, about a 10-minute walk from the Palace. Do not plan to drive from Paris: the château warns that the A13 is closed toward Versailles from November 16, 2026, to August 31, 2027. Pick the earliest slot you can, give the Palace the morning and the gardens the afternoon. Versailles practical information
Putting the three in one week
Versailles takes a full day, the Louvre and Orsay a half day each. A week that starts on a Sunday might look like this: Louvre on Wednesday evening, Orsay on Thursday evening, Versailles on Friday. Avoid putting the Louvre on a Tuesday or Orsay and Versailles on a Monday, the classic mistakes. If you are weighing a Paris Museum Pass against individual tickets, see whether the pass pays off for your list in our Museum Pass math.
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The Paris in 5 days with Versailles itinerary places all three on open days.
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The France Trip Checklist for Americans
Three pages to save before you fly: passport and EES/ETIAS status, the proof the border police can ask for, cards and phones, driving rules and the bookings worth making early. Every line links an official source, checked November 9, 2026.
Sources and check dates
The Louvre opens 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday, is closed on Tuesday, and stops admitting visitors an hour before closing.
Musée du Louvre · Hours and admission ↗Checked · Regular hours. Check the museum's notices for your date.The Louvre charges €32 to visitors who are neither residents nor citizens of the European Economic Area, €22 to EEA visitors, and admits under-18s free with ID. Time-slot booking is recommended, including for free admission.
Musée du Louvre · Hours and admission ↗Checked · Individual admission in 2026.The Louvre says tickets cannot be changed, exchanged or refunded.
Musée du Louvre · Visitor FAQ ↗Checked · Louvre tickets.Orsay is closed every Monday, May 1 and December 25, opens 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., stays open until 9:45 p.m. on Thursdays with last admission at 9 p.m., and charges €16 online or €14 at the museum, with under-18s free.
Musée d’Orsay · Plan your visit: hours and prices ↗Checked · Musée d'Orsay.The Palace and Trianon are open every day except Monday: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (last admission 4:45 p.m.) from November 2 to March 31, and 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. (last admission 5:45 p.m.) from April 1 to November 1. RER C reaches Versailles Château–Rive Gauche, a 10-minute walk away.
Château de Versailles · Practical information: hours, access, A13 notice ↗Checked · Château de Versailles.Versailles warns that the A13 is closed in the Paris-to-Versailles direction from November 16, 2026, to August 31, 2027.
Château de Versailles · Practical information: hours, access, A13 notice ↗Checked · Driving from Paris to Versailles.The 2026 Passport costs €25 in low season and €35 in high season (€22 and €32 for France and EEA residents) and is the only ticket that includes a timed tour of the Palace.
Château de Versailles · 2026 ticketing and the Passport ↗Checked · 2026 ticketing.All visitors must book a time slot to enter the Palace, and Paris Museum Pass holders must obtain a free Passport ticket.
Château de Versailles · Tickets and prices: time slots for all visitors ↗Checked · Château de Versailles.