Choose the right ticket before paying
Since 14 January 2026, Louvre ordinary admission costs €22 for eligible European Economic Area residents or citizens and €32 for other visitors. Under-18s of any nationality and qualifying EEA residents/citizens under 26 enter free with proof, but should still reserve a timed ticket. From 17 October through 1 November 2026, advance reservations are mandatory for most visitors, including many free-ticket holders, with published exemptions. Booking a timed slot does not skip security.
What each product actually includes
| Ticket | Published price or rule | Included / essential limitation |
|---|---|---|
| EEA adult, valid citizenship or residence | €22 | Prove EEA citizenship or a qualifying residence document/visa |
| Non-EEA adult without qualifying EEA status | €32 | New 2026 geographic tariff; not the historical €22 ticket |
| All visitors younger than 18 | Free, timed reservation advised | Proof of date of birth; confirm mandatory seasonal booking |
| Eligible EEA citizen/resident ages 18–25 | Free, timed reservation advised | Proof of EEA passport or qualifying residence status |
| First Friday after 18:00, except July/August | Free, specific availability | A free opportunity with its own online time slots; not all Fridays |
| Guided welcome tour | €12 activity fee separately | General museum admission remains required for those not eligible free |
Published reference conditions only. The operator's live checkout controls final fees, stock, visitor reductions and reservations.
From the genuine ticket page to the entrance gate
How to book and use Official Musée du Louvre ticket booking
- Use the actual national museum checkout
Open ticket.louvre.fr/en from louvre.fr and ensure the merchant is the Musée du Louvre, not a paid Google ad imitating it.
- Choose the museum visit product
Select ordinary Musée du Louvre admission; a guided welcome activity or special exhibition may have a separate timed reservation.
- Select date and timed entry
Check Tuesday closure, evening hours and the October 17–November 1, 2026 mandatory reservation period before proceeding.
- Select correct EEA eligibility for every adult
EEA nationality OR qualifying residency may give the €22 rate; another visitor should select €32, with accurate passport/residence evidence.
- Add free admissions for eligible children and young adults
Children under 18 of all nationalities can book free; EEA 18–25 visitors can book free when their citizenship/residence proof qualifies.
- Review guided-tour and audio add-ons
Official guided tour activity fees are separate from museum admission; an audio guide is optional, and not every free booking includes it.
- Confirm final amount and pay on the official domain
Ticket dates/times generally cannot be modified, exchanged or refunded except operator cancellations; do not rely on later rescheduling.
- Download and preserve every visitor's ticket
Keep the e-ticket/QR and each eligible traveller's identification on your device, with an offline backup before reaching the museum.
- Go to the correct entrance and allow for security
Find the Pyramid line for timed online tickets; the Carrousel and Porte des Lions have different access restrictions and opening times.
- Enter at the booked slot and retain the documents
Present entry ticket and category proof; exit is final, and selected temporary exhibitions may require additional timed registration.
Purchasing guidance, not real-time availability or admission guarantee. The actual provider's product-specific instructions take priority.
Do not assume a payment receipt alone is admission. The provider may separately issue QR tickets, wristbands, redemption vouchers or a mandatory visit-day reservation.
Check official admission, price & availability
Official Musée du Louvre ticket booking
Opens the venue's authorised original merchant. This is an ordinary editorial reference link, not a Waynote commission code. Verify your final ticket, admission time and provider terms there.
Official Musée du Louvre ticket booking — inspect live ticketsBooking traps and better choices
The 2026 €22 / €32 difference is about EEA status, not language
The Louvre's primary tariff, effective 14 January 2026, distinguishes eligible residents or citizens of the European Economic Area from all other visitors. A person with a Japanese, Canadian or Korean passport living outside the EEA should not select the €22 fare just because a third-party guide copied the pre-2026 universal admission price. Conversely, a traveller with qualifying EEA residence may be eligible even with a non-European passport.
The museum lists the EEA states and asks for documentary proof such as a residency permit or applicable long-stay visa. In a January 2026 ParisTravelGuide discussion, a visitor noticed the new €32 fare and asked whether it was genuine; responders identified the mid-January policy start. That reported confusion is why the traveller's legal category matters more than the language of a booking interface.
Free children are not the same as children without bookings
Under-18 visitors of every nationality can enter for free on presentation of a valid age document. Eligible EEA residents/citizens ages 18–25 may also qualify for free entry. Both groups are advised to take a zero-euro timed reservation online, and a temporarily stricter rule applies for many visitors during 17 October–1 November 2026.
For a family of two non-EEA adults and three children under eighteen, the museum entry subtotal under this published tariff can be €64 rather than five adult tickets, assuming no extra activities. You still need appropriate free-entry tickets and original proof of children's ages. This illustration is not a live shopping cart or a guarantee that five places are available on the same day.
The October–November 2026 booking requirement matters
The Louvre's current official page says reservations are compulsory for most visitors from 17 October through 1 November 2026, with explicit exceptions for selected memberships, qualifying disabilities and some professional categories. Other periods recommend advance booking to ensure entry but can permit limited on-site sales when museum attendance is low.
Do not promise that any free admission or Paris Museum Pass always permits spontaneous walk-in entry during that temporary window. If you hold a specific pass, read its category and the official exception list, and book a free timed entry when required. Booking in advance provides access to the correct ticket queue, not a right to bypass museum security.
The Pyramid timed queue is not universal fast-track access
The main Pyramid entrance separates visitors with dated online tickets from walk-up visitors. Carrousel and Porte des Lions may also admit ticket holders, but their availability differs and Porte des Lions has earlier closure and limits. A reseller saying 'skip every line' may be promising something the museum does not provide.
Follow the actual entrance map and do not assume the group-member Richelieu passage is an individual VIP gate. The official FAQ also warns about imitation websites and unauthorised street tickets. In a March 2026 reader discussion, a traveller nearly paid a site quoting €76 for what they thought was ordinary admission. That is an anecdote, not a measured price across resellers.
A museum ticket and a tour activity may require two bookings
The Louvre's welcome tour is an optional guided activity, with the official pricing showing a €12 activity fee for ordinary visitors on top of museum admission if they are not otherwise entitled to free access. The optional €6 audio guide is another product. A standalone tour activity receipt may not be sufficient to enter the museum galleries.
Some temporary exhibitions may specify their own access windows. Ordinary admission includes permanent collections and temporary exhibitions under museum conditions, plus an eligible Delacroix museum entry on the visit day or following opening day. A family choosing activities should confirm the tour language, time and separate tickets rather than paying for a reseller's poorly labelled bundle.
A nonrefundable date should not be placed after a tight flight
The Louvre's official FAQ says ordinary museum tickets are only valid on their selected date and time and generally cannot be modified, exchanged or refunded; the museum can refund when the operator cancels or changes its own service under published terms. Exit from the museum is final, so an afternoon return visit is not automatically included.
A May 2026 visitor described buying two days before and finding fewer desirable slots, while another reported 30 minutes in the line. Neither report means every day sells out or queues last that long. For an intercontinental flight arrival or a family with young children, select a day with time to recover and enough margin for the museum's checks.
Practical route and accessible alternatives
Wednesday and Friday have published 21:00 closings while the ordinary museum is closed on Tuesdays; some rooms close earlier than the building. The museum provides accessibility guidance, family stroller facilities and assistance at the Pyramid. A timed 16:00 arrival cannot realistically substitute for a full-day visit if your goal is to see multiple distant wings.
Visit instructions, rates and special booking windows were checked on 15 October 2026. Availability, room closures and holiday adjustments can change. We have not bought these tickets or visited on the reader's behalf; the official transaction and e-ticket define the actual admission.
Short booking answers
Does a non-EEA adult still pay the old €22 Louvre price?
No. Under the rate effective 14 January 2026, qualifying EEA visitors pay €22 and non-EEA visitors normally pay €32.
Do kids who enter free need a booked time?
They should reserve free timed admission; most visitors need reservations during the specific 17 Oct–1 Nov 2026 period.
Can a €12 Louvre welcome tour substitute for general admission?
No. The museum states that visitors who are not entitled to free entry must also hold a museum entrance ticket.
Does a timed e-ticket bypass the Louvre security check?
No. Timed tickets help organise admission; all visitors follow the actual security process.
Exact operator rules & reader context
Reviewed 15 October 2026. Official operator pages establish fares and rules; cited independent visitor conversations are anecdotes, not measured reviews. No in-person visit, paid order or live stock was claimed.
Louvre official 2026 hours, EEA prices and 17 Oct–1 Nov reservation requirementsOfficial Louvre ticketing portalLouvre FAQ: reservation, entrance, refunds and free child ticketsLouvre map and individual timed entrance queueOfficial 2026 ticket rate PDF, effective 14 JanuaryJan 2026 community discussion about new non-EEA admissionMarch 2026 traveller report of lookalike ticket sites