Everyone who travels to Paris wants to visit the Louvre. Since it is the most popular museum in the world,I will give you some preliminary information on how to avoid crowds.
Be aware that the time required to enter the museum and view the Mona Lisa can vary greatly depending on the time of day, day of the week, and season.
If you fail to arrange your visit, you will have a hard time even entering the Louvre, and even after entering the museum, you will have a hard time and be very tired.
The key words for smooth entry to the Louvre and viewing of the works are "advance reservation, museum pass, underground entrance, early in the morning, and off-season.
Waiting in line outside for an hour or two in the middle of summer is the situation you want to avoid the most. This is the worst possible pattern, so please plan accordingly so that you don't end up waiting in line.
- Louvre : What day of the week to go?
- Morning, early in the day
- Go directly to the Mona Lisa
- Reservation and Paris Museum Pass
- Carrousel du Louvre Entrance
- Off-season is the best time to visit
- Conclusion
Louvre : What day of the week to go?
If you can choose any day of the week in your travel schedule, I recommend that you visit the Louvre on a Thursday.
On Mondays, the Musée d'Orsay and the Château de Versailles are closed, so the Louvre receives more visitors.
On Tuesdays, the Louvre is closed.
Wednesday is the day after the museum is closed, so it tends to be more crowded.
Thursday is the recommended day to visit the Louvre!
Friday is the only day the museum is open with extended hours until 21:45.
Furthermore, the first Friday of the month is open free of charge after 6:00 p.m., which may attract more visitors at night.
The Louvre is also famous for its beautiful night views. The illuminated glass pyramid is worth seeing.
While there are advantages to visiting the Louvre on a Friday night, keep in mind that it may be crowded later in the evening.
Saturdays and Sundays are still more crowded than weekdays.
Morning, early in the day
One thing is for sure, aside from the day of the week season, it is a good idea to visit the museum early in the morning if you can anyway.
The Louvre museum opens at 9:00 a.m., so it is ideal to arrive a little earlier and be on standby.
The longer the museum is open, the more people will gather.
Go directly to the Mona Lisa
The Louvre is a large museum, so it is not crowded everywhere.
However, the ticket office, entry to the museum, around popular works such as the Mona Lisa, and cafes and restaurants can be very crowded.
After all, there are always many people around the Mona Lisa, which is everyone's favorite.
When entering the room where the "Mona Lisa" is exhibited, or even when reaching the front of the "Mona Lisa," it is difficult to move due to the crowds of people, people, people.
You have to wait patiently for your turn to come when the people in the front rows eventually clear out. When you get to a position where you can see the Mona Lisa, concentrate on the painting for a moment, and when you are satisfied, leave the place for the next person.
Anyway, it is recommended that you first view the "Mona Lisa" when you enter the museum, and then go around the museum.
Reservation and Paris Museum Pass
I recommend that you get a reservation slot on the official Louvre website and buy a Paris Museum Pass before your visit.
You can reserve a date and time slot on the official Louvre website 90 days (3 months) prior to your visit.
You can reserve a date and time slot for free from the official Louvre website even before purchasing a Paris Museum Pass.
No check for reservations
We reserved a date and time in advance from the official Louvre website and went prepared to present my reserved ticket either on my phone or on paper.
As it turns out, there was no check for reservations when we entered the museum.
I really wanted to go first thing in the morning, but when I made a reservation about a month in advance, the 9:00 a.m. reservation slot was already taken.
I had no choice but to make a reservation for the 10:00 slot and arrived at the Louvre before 9:30 on the day of my visit.
It was almost 10:00 when we went through the entrance gate because we had to take pictures outside and wait in line at the security check.
The staff at the gate only scanned my museum pass and did not check my reservation code (ticket).
When I visited the Louvre, I was never asked if I had a reservation or not.
(entered at around 10:00 on Saturday, 2/17/2024)
It was not only the Louvre that the entrance staff did not check the reservation codes, but also the Sainte-Chapelle, the Conciergerie, the Musee d'Orsay, and the Musee de l'Orangerie.
Is the reservation system year-round, but there is no checking during off-peak periods?
Or is the confirmation process omitted on the assumption that reservations are made?
I do not know the details, but I did not see any confirmation of reservations at the time of admission.
The official website also recommends making a reservation in advance, but you may be able to enter without a reservation.
Even if the reservation slot is full on the website, it may not be too early to give up.
Carrousel du Louvre Entrance
The Carrousel du Louvre entrance is recommended as it has a much shorter wait time than the Pyramid Central Entrance.
However, it is an entrance for ticket holders, so a museum pass or other admission ticket must be prepared in advance.
To reach the Carrousel du Louvre entrance from the ground level, go down the stairs by the Arc de Triomphe Carrousel on the square to the underground mall.
To reach the Carrousel du Louvre entrance from the subway, follow the pathway to the underground mall.
Hot and cold weather not a problem
Unlike the Musée d'Orsay and the Musée de l'Orangerie, the Louvre allows visitors to wait in line inside the shopping mall rather than outside by using the underground entrance.
The underground entrance to the Carrousel du Louvre allows you to wait in line out of the heat, cold, rain, and wind.
Off-season is the best time to visit
Europe in the middle of winter used to have an image of being very cold.
However, due to global warming, it was not as cold as I expected when I visited in mid-February. I was able to walk around the city without using gloves, scarf, or beanie.
A few days before I visited, there was a cold wave that brought snow to Paris, but once inside the museum, there was no need to worry about the cold.
Midwinter may be a good time to visit because the crowds are relatively smaller than in warmer seasons.
Conclusion
A trip to Paris in February is recommended because you can save on airfare and hotel costs and the tourist attractions are relatively uncrowded.
If you are planning to visit the Louvre, it is best to go in the off-season, on a weekday, or early in the morning.
The key to avoiding the crowds at the Louvre is to make reservations in advance, get a museum pass, use the underground entrance, and get there early in the morning.
If you want to visit popular tourist spots, it is better to go early in the morning to avoid crowds.
For example, if you are visiting the Palace of Versailles, the length of the line waiting to enter is completely different between 9:00 and 11:00.
I was actually surprised to see the long lines.
The later you arrive, the longer the line gets.
Hopefully, the earlier you get up, the less time you have to wait and the more time you have to spare.
