Musée d'Orsay Tickets 2026: Prices, Hours & How to Skip the Line
Orsay ticket prices, opening hours, free days, and whether skip-the-line is worth it. Plus what to see first and how to avoid the worst crowds. Updated April 2026.
The Musée d'Orsay exists because Paris had a disused train station and the world's greatest collection of Impressionist paintings. The Beaux-Arts building, originally built for the 1900 World Fair, reopened as a museum in 1986. The converted station hall — iron arches, giant clock, natural light flooding through the glass roof — is nearly as impressive as the art.
This is where Monet, Renoir, Degas, and Van Gogh live in Paris. The Louvre gets the crowds for Renaissance masterpieces. Orsay gets them for the 1848-1914 period that changed everything.
How much are Musée d'Orsay tickets?
Online: €16. On-site: €14. Thursday evening (after 6 PM): €12.
Free entry: Under 18 (all nationalities), EU residents 18-25 with valid ID, disabled visitors and one companion.
First Sunday of the month: Free for everyone. Reservation required online — don't show up without one.
A combo ticket with the Orangerie costs €20 (buy at the Orangerie desk, valid for 6 days). If you plan to visit both, this saves €8.
The Orsay guide — your 2-hour room-by-room route
- Start Level 5, not ground floor — most visitors get it backwards and exhaust themselves
- Exact locations for Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette, Starry Night Over the Rhône, and Olympia
- The clock window light at sunset, and how to avoid missing it
Opening hours
Tuesday to Sunday: 9:30-18:00 (last entry 17:00).
Thursday: 9:30-21:45 (last entry 21:00). This is the best time to visit — the galleries thin out dramatically after 18:00.
Closed every Monday, plus May 1 and December 25.
Renovation note (2026–2028): From 10 March 2026, booking a timed entry slot is mandatory for all visitors while reception areas are being renovated. This applies through summer 2028. All galleries remain fully open. Walk-up entry is no longer available — book before you go.
Is skip-the-line worth it?
Yes. Standard queues run 45-90 minutes during peak hours and can exceed 2 hours in summer. Any pre-booked ticket with a timeslot effectively skips the main queue.
Worst day to visit: Tuesday. The Louvre closes on Tuesdays, so its crowd spills into Orsay. Avoid if you can.
Best day: Wednesday or Friday morning. Thursday evening is even better — fewer visitors, €12 entry, and the Impressionist galleries feel almost private after 19:00.
Where to book
Our take: Book direct if Orsay is your only stop (€16, works fine). The GYG ticket adds a digital audio guide — worth it if you're going in cold. Visiting 3+ Paris museums over 2-4 days? The Paris Museum Pass saves money — see the Paris Museum Pass guide.
What to see first
Go straight to the 5th floor (top level). This is where the Impressionists are, and it's where most visitors want to be. The collection includes 86 Monets, 81 Renoirs, 43 Degas, and 24 Van Goghs.
Don't miss: Renoir's Bal au moulin de la Galette — the painting that captures Montmartre's open-air dance halls better than any photograph. Van Gogh's Starry Night over the Rhône hangs here too. It's more contemplative than the MoMA version. Degas's ballet pastels and Monet's Rouen Cathedral series reward close viewing. If Van Gogh is what pulled you to Orsay, the 7 places to see Van Gogh in Paris maps the rest — Auvers-sur-Oise, the Orangerie, and the Montmartre addresses he actually lived at.
The ground floor covers mid-19th century academic art and early Impressionism. The middle levels bridge the gap with Post-Impressionism, Art Nouveau furniture, and sculpture.
If you only have 2 hours, stay on the 5th floor and the ground floor. Skip the middle levels unless you're interested in decorative arts.
Tips most sites won't tell you
Thursday evening is the best-kept secret. Entry drops to €12, and the museum stays open until 21:45. By 19:00, you'll have entire rooms to yourself. The light through the great clock at sunset is worth the late visit alone.
Don't skip the clock. The giant clock on the 5th floor looks out over the Seine and Sacré-Coeur. It's the most photographed spot in the museum — arrive early or wait for a gap.
The restaurant on level 2 has Belle Époque ceilings and reasonable prices for a museum café. Better than the cafeteria on the ground floor.
Orsay + Orangerie in one day works well. Walk from Orsay along the Seine (10 minutes) to the Orangerie for Monet's Water Lilies. Buy the combo ticket at Orangerie first (€20 for both).
- Address
- 1 Rue de la Légion d'Honneur, 75007 Paris
- Hours
- Tue–Sun: 9:30–18:00 · Thu: 9:30–21:45
- Closed
- Mondays · May 1 · December 25
- Standard ticket
- €16 online · €12 Thursday evening · Free under 18
- Free day
- First Sunday of each month (book online)
- Book at
- GetYourGuide (entry + audio guide) · official site (€16)
- Metro
- RER C: Musée d'Orsay · Line 12: Solférino
- Time needed
- 2–4 hours
Frequently asked questions
How much are Musée d'Orsay tickets in 2026?
Online tickets cost €16. On-site tickets are €14. Thursday evening entry (after 6 PM) is €12. Free for under 18, EU residents under 26, and on the first Sunday of each month.
Is the Musée d'Orsay open during renovation?
Yes. The entrance hall renovation started March 2026 but the museum and all galleries remain fully open. Expect minor entrance route changes.
What day is the Musée d'Orsay free?
The first Sunday of every month. Entry is free but you need to book a timeslot online in advance. Expect large crowds.
How long do you need at the Musée d'Orsay?
Most visitors spend 2 to 4 hours. If you focus on the Impressionist galleries on the 5th floor, 2 hours is enough. A complete visit takes 3-4 hours.
The Musée d'Orsay pairs naturally with the Louvre (20-minute walk along the Seine), the Orangerie (10 minutes on foot for Monet's Water Lilies), and Notre Dame (15 minutes east along the river, free entry with a free reservation). For a different art capital, see our Rome and Florence guides.
Last verified: April 2026