The Louvre, which has been standing for centuries, houses a vibrant art collection covering the history and culture of Paris.
The art collection is the biggest in the world, spread out over 400 rooms with over 35,000 works to admire on a visit.
Visitors exploring the Museum for the first time will get lost in the massive 73,000 square meter museum if they don’t know the best ways to enter and other details.
In this article, we’ll discover 10 tips for visiting the Louvre Museum so you can keep track of your location at all times and access other services to plan the best trip
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1. Book a Guided Tour of the Louvre.
The Louvre is a massive museum, divided into four floors and three wings, with over 400 rooms.
It can be difficult for visitors, especially those exploring for the first time, to explore the museum and find its highlights themselves.
The best way to ensure you have a convenient experience and your group of family and friends remains together in the crowd is to take a Louvre Museum Guided Tour!
You will be accompanied by a professional guide, who will ensure you cover the most popular highlights, including the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory of Samothrace, and more in under 3 hours.
The ticket also allows you to skip all the entry queues and get all your personal questions answered to have the most memorable and comfortable trip.
2. Use the Carrousel Du Louvre Shopping Mall Entrance to avoid crowds.
Most visitors choose the main entrance to get inside the Louvre, but what if there was another less-crowded entrance?
The best way to avoid all the crowds and enter as soon as you stand in line is by entering the Museum through the Carrousel du Louvre Shopping Mall!
It is easy to access from the Palais Royale Metro Station via Line 1.
You can also get to this entrance from the staircase leading underground from the Carrousel Entrance of the Louvre.
Visitors will find the least crowd at this entrance in the evening after 3 pm.
3. Plan to see the Mona Lisa when the Museum is closing.
Most visitors rush to see the Mona Lisa as soon as they reach the Louvre, making the Salle des Etats the most crowded room in the Museum.
However, we do not recommend this since you go closer to the painting to admire it.
We recommend scheduling your visit so you can plan to see the Mona Lisa an hour before the Louvre Museum’s closing hours.
Since all rooms are being cleared out, you have a better chance of finding the least crowd at Da Vinci’s masterpiece.
4. Choose the Richelieu Wing for a quiet visit.
The Richelieu Wing is the least crowded in the Museum, located on the north side of the Museum.
Visitors who dislike crowding too much or cannot enter the other wings of the museum because they are crowded can explore this part for the best experience!
You can see sculptures from Mesopotamia and Iran, other household items from France, and much more.
Most of the items used by the French in their Royal Palaces, including jewelry, weapons, chandeliers, and gold and silver utensils, are displayed in ornate rooms.
The most famous painting in the Richelieu Wing is the Coronation of Napoleon!
However, if you explore only this wing of the Museum, you cannot see most of its famous highlights, as most are in the Denon Wing.
5. Take advantage of the discount facilities offered at the Museum.
The museum has many discount offers for kids, European citizens, and visitors with disabilities that you must check out before booking the tickets!
Kids below 18 years old can book their time slot to visit the Museum for free with ID proof.
Residents of Europe from Norway, Iceland, Lichenstein, and other parts of Europe between the ages of 18 and 25 can get in for free with ID and residence proof.
Entry is also free for visitors with disabilities and for those accompanying them!
All visitors can also explore the Musuem for free on the first Friday of each month after 6 pm.
However, we don’t recommend visiting on this day unless you are prepared to deal with huge crowding.
Visitors can also use free Wi-fi facilities in all parts of the Musuem and even leave their items behind in the cloakroom so they can explore comfortably!
6. Choose the Washrooms near the lockers or upper rooms for the least crowd
The washroom facilities can be pretty crowded since over 30,000 visitors travel to explore the Louvre Museum.
You will find the cleanest and least crowded washrooms near the lockers in the pyramid.
Most visitors choose the first-floor washrooms since most of the major artworks are here, and going up can take a long time because of the crowds.
You can also find less crowded washrooms at the Richelieu Wing than in the Denon Wing, which is always crowded.
7. Visit on Wednesdays after 6 pm.
The best time to visit the Louvre Museum is early in the morning from 9 am to 10 am as soon as it opens.
However, you will only find the space empty if you line up an hour before the attraction opens, and enter exactly at 9 am.
If you’re looking for the least crowd in the day, we recommend visiting the Museum from 3 pm till 5 pm on weekdays.
The Museum is less crowded from 6 pm to 8 pm on Wednesdays.
The crowd increases from 2 pm to 8 pm on Fridays since this is the day all schools are closed in Paris.
However, the rooms are the least crowded an hour before the Museum closes, allowing you to observe all artworks up close for 30 minutes before the clearing of rooms begins.
At nighttime, the temperature is pleasant, allowing for a much more comfortable and comprehensive visit for an hour to see all the top highlights of Denon Wing!
We don’t recommend exploring the Musuem after 6 pm on the first Friday of every month since the crowd doubles because of free entry.
8. Follow a map and check the room closure schedule before visiting.
The best way to navigate the 73,000 square meter Museum area is to use a map to move around the space.
The map ensures you always remain on track and avoid circling in the same place over and over.
You can get a physical map from the information desk or even download a Louvre Museum Map pdf from their official website for easy access.
Since all visitors inside the Museum can access free Wi-fi, you can also use the interactive map on the website, which gives you a better view of shortcuts to reach the space.
Before you visit the museum, we recommend that you check the room closures for the day on the official website.
Checking this information in advance ensures you don’t have to walk to the exhibit while pushing through the crowd and leaving disappointed.
9. Cross out the itinerary plan to see all the artworks in a day.
Most visitors believe they can explore all the Wings of the Louvre in a single day, but this goal is impossible to fulfill.
It can take around 100 days to see all the artworks at the Louvre if you stop to admire each piece for 30 seconds!
Instead, visitors who plan to spend 2 hours at the Museum should only aim to cover the Denon Wing, as it has most of the highlight artworks on display!
If you cannot deal with crowding, choose the Sully and Richelieu Wings for a better experience.
The best way to avoid the closed rooms for the day and see most of the Musuem in a fixed period is to take a Guided Tour of the Louvre!
10. Pack light and wear comfortable shoes while exploring.
Pack light when exploring the Museum. Heavy bags can make the crowded space difficult to navigate and slow you down.
If you’re arriving at the Museum directly from the Airport, we recommend leaving behind your heavy suitcases and other items in the cloakroom.
Please remember that visitors cannot bring sharp objects, photography equipment, selfie sticks, and on-fold umbrellas are not allowed inside the space.
You cannot bring your pets in, either.
We don’t recommend storing valuables, like jewelry in the cloakroom, as the Museum will not be responsible if the items are lost or stolen.
Since the Museum has over 400 rooms, you must wear comfortable walking shoes like sneakers or sandals!
Wearing comfortable footwear ensures you can explore many more areas of the Museum without taking too many breaks.
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FAQs on Tips for visiting the Louvre
1. How to efficiently visit the Louvre?
To ensure an efficient visit, purchase a skip-the-line entry ticket to the Musuem online. We also recommend a guided tour so first-time visitors can have the best experience without getting lost in the massive space.
2. How early should I get to the Louvre?
You must arrive at the Louvre an hour before your booked time slot. This ensures you have enough time to get past the long queues and get inside the Museum. If you’re delayed, don’t worry! The Louvre tickets allow you to ensure half an hour after your time slot.
3. What is the best time to see the Mona Lisa painting?
The best time to see the Mona Lisa painting is an hour before the Museum closes since the crowd is less at this time, allowing a clear view of the piece.
4. Which is the least crowded entrance to the Louvre Musuem?
The Carrousel du Louvre Shopping Mall underground entrance, via a staircase near the Carrousel entrance, is the least crowded way to enter the Museum.
5. What discounts are available on the Louvre Museum tickets?
Kids under 18, European Citizens 18 to 25, and visitors with disabilities can enter the Museum for free. To avail of these discounts, you must show ID and residence proof. However, even if entry is free, all visitors must have a booked time slot.
6. From where can I get a map of the Museum?
You can get a map of the museum from the information desks. Map PDFs are also available online on the official website.
7. Which is the quietest wing inside the Museum?
The Richelieu Wing is the quietest wing and is perfect for exploring if you don’t have much time at the museum.