The Paris Museum Pass: which museums to visit?

If you had free access to essentially all the museums in Paris, and were given four days to visit as many as you wanted, where would you go?

Would you stick with the famed ones, the main ones, the classics? A full day in the Louvre? In the Musée d’Orsay? The Rodin Museum?

Or would you visit all the smaller ones and see more while escaping the crowds?

It’s certainly a tricky one, and it’s the exact task I was faced with last week after a “Paris Museum Pass” landed in my letterbox.

Full disclosure: The 4-day passes cost €70 per person, we had a press pass.

Anyway, like many tourists before me and like many who’ll follow after, I was faced with this daunting challenge of deciding how to spend my four days. I studied the map of the 55 museums on the pass and decided a few things:

1. I wouldn’t visit any that were outside the city. That meant I was left with 34 museums.
2. I would do a mix of the big ones and the small ones.
3. I’d never spend too long in any museum, focusing on quantity of museums over length of visit.
4. I’d spend each day in one area of Paris to avoid wasting time trekking between arrondissements.
5. I’d do a lot of mad running about to make it more fun and to make my wife laugh.

I’m going to list out the practical information and more below, but if you would like to listen to the audio tale of this four-day adventure, check out the podcast version of it below. Hit play or listen wherever you find your podcasts.

How we spent our four days with the Paris Museum Pass

Day 1

La Conciergerie

Where Marie Antoinette was imprisoned before she was killed. The hallway is visually exceptional, much more so than the rest of the museum. You could go for that alone. Address: 2 Bd du Palais, 75001 Paris

Sainte Chapelle

A stunning church with glorious stained-glass windows. Saint Louis, built the Sainte-Chapelle in the 13th century as a reliquary to house the crown of thorns. This chapel is one of the few vestiges that remain of the original royal palace of Paris. There’s often a massive queue here so get there early. Ever seen Sainte-Chapelle when it’s completely empty? Click here to see our pictures. Address: 10 Bd du Palais, 75001 Paris

The Crypte Archéologique

The 3rd century city ramparts below the Notre Dame cathedral. Pretty impressive, but it won’t knock your socks off if you’re not into ancient ruins. I am, so it was fine. Address: 7 Parvis Notre-Dame – Pl. Jean-Paul II, 75004 Paris

Read more on the latest with Notre Dame here

Day 2

Musée Nissim de Camondo

The Musée Nissim de Camondo is one of the most beautiful museums in Paris. While it’s mostly unknown for first-time visitors, everyone else should add this to their must-see list immediately. Learn more about this museum here. Address: 63 Rue de Monceau, 75008 Paris

The Orangerie

Where you’ll find massive Monets and big crowds. Unfortunately the masses ruined it a little, Monet said that the paintings were meant to transport you to a place of peace and tranquility and that wasn’t the case… but the museum is certainly worth a look. Address: Jardin des Tuileries, 75001 Paris

The Louvre

Mona Lisa and bigger crowds. But there’s a reason 15,000 people file past the Mona Lisa each day and that’s because the museum itself is gobsmackingly good. Tip: Go downstairs and see the ancient city walls and castle foundations. Philippe Auguste and his walls are a favourite on The Earful Tower. Address: 75001 Paris

Learn more about the Louvre and our tips for your visit here.

Day 3

Musée Gustave Moreau

Another townhouse turned art museum. This one was a surprise package, recommended by the followers and for good reason. The central staircase alone is worth the price of admission. Address: 14 Rue Catherine de la Rochefoucauld, 75009 Paris

Musée Rodin

This is quite simply one of the loveliest museums in the whole of France. It’s the former workshop of sculptor Auguste Rodin and the stunning building houses an enormous collection of his work. The gardens are sheer perfection too, a mix of famous statues (like The Thinker) and beautiful plants, trees, and flowers. Do not miss this museum. @museerodinparis Address: 77 Rue de Varenne, 75007

Napoleon’s Tomb

Hands down one of the most impressive buildings in Paris. Plus not a queue in sight, at least when we visited. The tomb itself didn’t floor me, but the architecture did. Address: 129 Rue de Grenelle, 75007 Paris

Musée d’Orsay

Another stunner with impressionists and eye-watering views of the city. Address: Esplanade Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, 75007 Paris

Day 4

Musée de Cluny

Also known as the National Museum of the Middle Ages, this is another exceptional and newly-renovated museum. The Roman ruins are the dream of ancient history fans, while the tapestries (especially The Lady and the Unicorn) will get your imagination spinning. (We discussed these more on our podcast all about the 5th arrondissement). Address: 28 Rue du Sommerard, 75005

Delacroix Museum

Delacroix is something of a hero of the 6th arrondissement. This museum is in his old home, complete with workshop and garden out the back. You can also find some of the artist’s masterpieces in the nearby Saint Sulpice church, and a fountain in his honour in the Luxembourg Gardens. @museedelacroix Address: 6 Rue de Furstemberg, 75006

The Pantheon

This has to be one of the most stunning buildings in Europe. If there’s a queue, buy an online ticket for the exact same price and waltz past everyone. Don’t forget to see the crypt downstairs where Josephine Baker now rests among many French greats like Victor Hugo and Marie Curie. Address: Pl. du Panthéon, 75005

Final thoughts

Now, if you were to pay for all the museums we visited you’d be around 140 euros out of pocket (based on the fact that the museums are typically around 10 euros each).

Is it worth it to get the pass? I’d say yes. In fact, I would highly recommend it for several reasons.

1. It’ll help you plan your trip a little better. I’d wager most people have a bucket list of the Louvre and the Orsay and perhaps don’t plan more.
2. It’ll open your eyes to some new places you’d never considered before. Like the Musée Nissim de Camondo or the Musée Gustave Moreau.
3. It’ll let you skip a lot of queues. In the 14 places we visited, we managed to skip almost every queue we saw, which was fantastic – especially when you’re already doing so much walking.

You can find more about the museum pass here, including the full list of museums. As well as the 4-day pass you can get 2-day or 6-day passes too.

Thanks for reading and happy museum hunting. If you’re interested in finding ten excellent Paris museums that are criminally overlooked, click here.

Here’s the podcast episode again in case you missed it:

If you like these tips, be sure to check out the Earful Tower’s Guide to Paris: