Is Paris Museum Pass Worth It? What it Costs, What’s Included and Where to Buy It
Is Paris Museum Pass worth it?
Ashley Couto of Museums and Miles shares her perspective in this post.
The first time I went to Paris, I purchased the Paris Museum Pass to get into some of the cities biggest, but also most fringe museums. Is the Paris Museum Pass worth it? Yes, and let me tell you why.
As an art historian who works on Surrealist and Renaissance art in Europe and North America, a lot of my life is lived in museums and galleries, looking at works of times gone by. I’ve also visited nearly every museum in Paris more than once, so I know which museums are worth your time, and which ones to skip.
Day-to-day, I’m a journalist and travel writing is one of my main verticals. I’ve written for places like Business Insider, NZ Herald, and Travel+Leisure about my own travels and the travel experiences of others. Basically, at every turn, my job is to be an astute traveller and share my expert recommendations.
The Paris Museum Pass is a cost-effective way of seeing most (but not all) of the biggest attractions in Paris with a single card — the ones I would consider a must-visit for any art and heritage lover in Paris.
Is the Paris Museum Pass Worth It?
Yes, it is. This budget-friendly solution lets you customize the length of your pass, helps you save money on museum admission and helps you cut the line.
In a tourist city like Paris, getting to skip the line can mean fitting in an extra activity or two and when you’ve come from far away to see as much of the city as you can, this is your golden ticket to opening most of the museum doors in Paris.
It’s important to check the regulations for each individual site, though. Some museums and centers want you to reserve your ticket or choose your slot online, still. You won’t be able to just show up last minute.
Large attractions like The Louvre or the Centre Georges Pompidou will want you to reserve your ticket in advance, but you won’t pay anything extra with your pass.
So it’s a good idea to look at the attractions listed in the Paris Museum Pass to see which will allow you to just show up and which need reservations so you can plan your trip accordingly.
What is the Paris Museum Pass?
The Paris Museum Pass is a bundle of single-admission passes to over 50 museums and cultural sites in Paris and its environs. If you’re a museum lover, this pass is going to be a must for your trip to Paris.
You can choose a 2-day, 3-day, or 6-day version of the Paris Museum Pass, depending on how much of a museum lover you are and the length of your stay.
I would consider very carefully the cost effectiveness of the shorter passes and make sure you’re actually going to save money on your short museum stints.
I would also carefully consider your itinerary and whether it makes sense to purchase the pass. Museums in Paris close on Mondays or Tuesdays (about half and half), so verify that the museums you’d want to visit with the pass are open on the days you’d want to go.
If you’re planning to do a Paris 2024 Olympics trip, I’d be mindful of availability and book your tickets early. Everyone’s going to be scrambling for limited tickets at every museum. The earlier you can buy and book, the better.
What is the difference between Paris Pass and Paris Museum Pass?
The Paris Museum Pass focuses on Parisian museums and cultural sites. It’s specifically designed for art lovers and people who like museums and history. The pass is a very curated selection.
The Paris Pass, however, is a pass of attractions and experiences in and around Paris. It’s a more diverse range of activities — everything from tickets to the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe to a perfume workshop, wine tasting, and a macaron coffee stop.
If you’re a museums person, I would go with the Paris Museum Pass, but if you want variety on your vacation and to experience elements of French culture beyond its museums and major sites, then I would do the Paris Pass, hands down.
How much does the Paris Museum Pass cost?
There are three ticket options for the Paris Museum Pass:
- 2-Day Pass: €62.00
- 3-Day Pass: €77.00
- 6-Day Pass: €92.00
As you can see, the longer your pass, the better the deal. That’s why I recommended doing some careful math about whether you’ll actually save any money with the shorter passes.
Where can I buy the Paris Museum Pass?
There are two versions of the Paris Museum Pass: The e-ticket and the paper pass.
You can purchase the Paris Museum Pass online. Once you pay, you’ll receive a PDF of your pass. You can then print your pass or use your phone. This is the option I recommend as it avoids an extra stop.
However, if you’re on a tight timeline or you’ve decided to add Paris to your itinerary at the last minute, you can purchase on-site the paper version of the pass.
The paper version of the pass is available at Paris airports, museums and Parisian tourist offices.
Benefits and Perks of the Paris Museum Pass
There are many benefits and perks to the Paris Museum Pass that as a visitor to Paris, you need to know about.
Priority access to Paris museums & heritage sites
Many of the attractions you’ll visit as a part of the pass have priority lines for people with the Paris Museum Pass or other pre-reserved tickets.
In general, Parisian sites are great about indicating what lines you should queue in, but if you’re ever uncertain, there’s always a security guard or museum attendant around who’ll be more than happy to help point you in the right direction.
Save money on your museum visits in Paris
Especially with the 6-day pass, you’ll get immense value from the bundle deal. You’ll probably still have to spend cash elsewhere on admission tickets, but if museums are going to be a big part of your Parisian experience, then you’ll be able to save on those with the pass.
Discover new museums and historical sites
There is an overwhelming amount of attractions in Paris. While some are obvious stops for tourists, like The Louvre, there are also many small and relatively unknown sites.
Even as an art historian, I haven’t been able to see all of these smaller museums and homes and I go to Parisian museums a lot. Far more than the average tourist.
The Paris Museum Pass is a great way to discover new museums and add them to your itinerary or discover something new if you finish an activity early and you have a little time to squeeze something else in.
What’s included? Highlights and Hidden Gems
There are more than 50 included attractions in the Paris Museum Pass. This section will help you clarify whether or not some of the things you’re wanting to see will be included in the pass
Does the Paris Museum Pass include the Eiffel Tower?
The Eiffel Tower is not included in the Paris Museum Pass. If you’re taking a quick trip to the city and planning to take full advantage of the pass, you’ll have to skip that attraction, or you’ll have to press your luck and see whether you can see the Eiffel Tower from the Paris Airports or on takeoff/landing.
Does the Paris Museum Pass include Versailles?
Yes, it does! Versailles is an included attraction in the Paris Museum Pass. There’s no specific reservation instructions and you can go right to the palace.
Does the Paris Museum Pass include the Louvre?
Yes! You can go to The Louvre with the Paris Museum Pass. You’ll need to book your ticket online to guarantee that you can get into The Louvre. I recommend booking early. Don’t wait until you get to Paris.
Does the Paris Museum Pass include the Arc de Triomphe?
The Arc de Triomphe is one of the attractions bundled in the Paris Museum Pass. Paris Museum Pass holders don’t need to reserve in advance to visit the Arc de Triomphe.
What else is included with Paris Museum Pass?
The biggest disappointment is the Eiffel Tower not being included with this pass. It’s not a museum, but it is an iconic historic site. However, there’s plenty of other cool Parisian attractions that still make this pass plenty worthwhile.
Musée D’Orsay
The main Impressionist museum in Paris is the Musée D’Orsay, which has works by Van Gogh, Manet, Monet, Dégas and dozens more of your favorite Impressionists. The Paris Museum Pass includes admission to this iconic museum, known for its famous clocks. You don’t need a reservation.
Musée de Cluny – Musée du Moyen Âge
If you’re into medieval art and history, you have to take a tour of the Musée de Cluny. It’s home to The Lady and the Unicorn tapestry, one of the most famous artworks of the medieval period. You don’t need a reservation to visit this attraction.
Chapelle Expiatoire
Want to visit Marie Antoinette’s burial place? Then you’ll be glad to have the Paris Museum Pass, which includes admission to this tomb.
Centre Georges Pompidou
Paris is integral to the history of modern art, and the Centre Georges Pompidou is one of the most iconic buildings in the city. See works by masters like Le Corbusier, Marcel Duchamp, Otto Dix, Mark Rothko and hundreds more artists with the Paris Museum Pass.
Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine
If you want the best hidden gem museum in Paris and best hidden gem view of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, head to Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine, which is like an architectural tour of France contained within one Paris museum.
The site features hundreds of castings of the entrances and carvings in medieval and Renaissance churches throughout the country. The top floor directly overlooks the Eiffel Tower and it’s the best elevated view of the iconic site that you’ll get.
It’s also a museum that isn’t overly busy, so you’ll feel like you’ve got room to breathe!
Musée de L’Orangerie
This is the museum with Monet’s iconic waterlillies. It’s a quick museum to get through, near the Musée D’Orsay, so I recommend doing the two on the same day. You can get through this museum in a few hours. This museum is big on reservations, so plan accordingly.
Musée du Quai Branly
If you like seeing artifacts from around the world, then the Musée du Quai Branly is one I would check out. It’s not far from the Eiffel Tower, so you could visit this museum in the afternoon and do an Eiffel Tower tour as the sun starts to set.
Musée Rodin
If you want to visit one of the best gardens in Paris, look no further than the Musée Rodin. They have a cute little coffee shop with tables that overlook the sculpture garden, so you can see works by the iconic artist while you’re chomping down on a ham and emmental cheese on baguette.
What does the Paris Museum Pass NOT include?
Unfortunately, the Paris Museum Pass doesn’t include any privately held museums and misses out on some of the other popular attractions in the city. Some of the attractions not included in the pass are:
- Eiffel Tower
- Catacombs
- Parc Asterix
- Disneyland Paris
- Tour Montparnasse
- Aquarium de Paris
- Paradox Museum Paris
- Musée Grévin
- Sainte-Chapelle
Tips for Using Your Paris Museum Pass
You’ll want to follow these tips and guidelines to get the most out of your Paris Museum Pass.
- Avoid using your pass on Mondays and Tuesdays or the first Sunday of the month. Museums in Paris close on those days, and the first Sunday of the month is free museums day, so it’ll be a waste to use the pass on those days.
- Start your day early. Your pass is by the number of calendar days, not hours, so make sure to get an early start, especially with those shorter passes to get the most value out of it.
- Avoid The Louvre unless you’re doing the 6-day pass. If you’re serious about loving museums, then The Louvre could easily be a multi-day activity for you. I would pay to see The Louvre and use the pass to save on other museums, personally.
- Similarly, Versailles will take nearly a full day as you have to travel outside of Paris, so I’d consider any full-day activities very carefully to maximize cost savings.
- Children and EU citizens under the age of 26 can get into most museums for free, as can people with disabilities with a doctor’s note, so there’s no need to purchase the pass for these groups
- If you’re going to purchase your pass in person, do it at the airport or a tourist kiosk. Don’t wait to purchase it at a popular museum because that defeats the purpose of skipping the line!
Who should buy the Paris Museum Pass?
If you’re a museum lover and you enjoy history, then the Paris Museum Pass will be a great investment for you if you’re planning to see a lot of the museums that are included with the pass.
Just make sure you’re clear about how much time it takes to see each museum and carefully plan out your itinerary in advance.
Who should NOT get the Paris Museum Pass?
If you’re looking for a more expansive view of Paris and the ability to visit a wide variety of attractions, then this won’t be the pass for you. I’d recommend taking a look at the Paris Pass instead, as it’s got a much wider variety of activities.
There’s also a one-day hop on, hop off bus tour included with the Paris Pass, which is nice because it will take you to most of the major tourist attractions and allow you to hop around easily while learning interesting facts about the city of Paris and the French culture.
Assessing the Value of the Paris Museum Pass
If you want to figure out whether the Paris Museum Pass will be a savings for you, here are the two strategies I’d recommend to figure that out:
- Plan your itinerary without looking at the website so you’re sure you’re seeing everything you want to see and not just basing it on what’s available. Calculate the total cost of all the attractions you want to see.
Then check the Paris Museum Pass website to see the cost of the pass and whether your attractions total is cheaper when you buy the pass rather than individual tickets. - Start with the website and plan your itinerary around that. If you visit 3 or 4 museums, the pass will likely pay for itself. Make a list of the definites and ‘if I have time’ museums and sites you want to see.
Calculate the cost of those museums, and see if it’s more than the cost of the pass. If the individual tickets would be more expensive, it’s worth it for you to grab the pass.
Final Thoughts: Is Paris Museum Pass Worth It?
If you’re a museum lover and you’re serious about spending your time in Paris seeing as much art and history as possible, then I would recommend the Paris museum pass.
Where I’d be careful is wasting a day with the pass on one activity. It might be more cost effective for you to see lots of the smaller museums and pay for the one or two things that will take the full day.
If you aren’t really a fan of museums and want to experience Parisian culture and spend more of your time shopping, eating, drinking, and seeing a wide variety of sites with the help of a tour guide, then I’d say the Paris Pass might be a better fit for you, or simply paying for each individual attraction that you want to see.
About the author: Ashley Couto is an award-winning journalist, art historian and travel writer based in Montreal, Quebec. Her writing has appeared in Travel+Leisure, Business Insider, NZ Herald, Entrepreneur, Well+Good, Observer, HuffPost, and more. Follow her on LinkedIn for tips about writing for publications and on Instagram and TikTok for travel content.
