Paris Museum Pass 2026: Prices, Included Museums and Reservations

The Paris Museum Pass provides one admission to more than 50 museums and monuments in Paris and the surrounding region. It is sold for 48, 96, or 144 consecutive hours, begins with the first visit, and works best when several included paid sites are already part of the itinerary.

Service fees may be added by some sales networks. Prices, participating sites, closures, and reservation rules can change, so the official pass directory should be checked before purchase and again shortly before each visit.

What The Paris Museum Pass Includes

The pass covers standard entry to participating museums, monuments, historic houses, castles, and specialist collections. The included network extends beyond central Paris into the wider Paris region.

Admission normally applies to the permanent collections or the standard self-guided visit route. Temporary exhibitions, guided tours, workshops, performances, audio guides, and separately ticketed activities may cost extra. The exact rule depends on the institution.

What Is Not Included

• Eiffel Tower admission
• Paris Catacombs admission
• Public transport, airport transfers, and regional train fares
• Seine cruises, bus tours, and private tours
• Most temporary exhibitions and separately priced events
• Guided visits, workshops, audio guides, and optional experiences unless a site states otherwise
• Repeat entry to a site already visited with the same pass

The Paris Museum Pass is different from broader Paris city-pass products that combine museums with transport, cruises, observation decks, or tours. A buyer who mainly wants the Eiffel Tower, the Catacombs, a river cruise, and public transport will receive little value from this museum-only pass.

How The Hour-Based Validity Works

• 48-hour pass: valid for exactly 48 hours from the first scan.
• 96-hour pass: valid for exactly 96 hours from the first scan.
• 144-hour pass: valid for exactly 144 hours from the first scan.
• Overnight hours count: the timer continues while museums are closed.
• The purchase date does not activate the pass: it remains unused until the first participating site records entry.

A 48-hour pass first used at 3:00 p.m. on Monday remains valid until 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday. This can be useful when arrival day begins late, but only when the final visit can be completed before the expiry time. A late activation does not create an extra calendar day; it simply moves the 48-hour window.

Reservations Required With The Pass

The pass covers admission, but several institutions require a separate reservation. These bookings are free for pass holders and remain subject to available capacity.

Reservation rules apply to children and other visitors who qualify for free admission as well. A free ticket or age-based exemption does not remove the need to reserve where capacity is controlled.

Is The Paris Museum Pass Worth The Price?

The financial value depends on the exact sites selected, their current individual admission prices, and whether all planned reservations are available. The official pass website states that average savings begin with the fourth visit for the 2-day pass, the fifth visit for the 4-day pass, and the sixth visit for the 6-day pass.

A 2-Day Price Example

Using admission prices displayed by the official pass website, a plan containing the Louvre (€32), Palace of Versailles (€25), Sainte-Chapelle (€22), and Arc de Triomphe (€22) totals €101 before any extra fees. Against an €85 two-day pass, that produces a theoretical difference of €16.

That calculation only works when the visitor can secure the required slots and has enough time to complete the visits without turning each museum into a rushed stop. Versailles usually takes a large part of a day, while the Louvre can occupy half a day or longer. A cheaper route on paper may be a poor fit when travel time and opening hours make it difficult.

A 4-Day Price Example

Adding Musée d’Orsay (€16) and Musée Rodin (€15) to the four sites above raises the displayed individual-ticket total to €132. Compared with the €105 four-day pass, the theoretical difference is €27. The longer period also leaves more room to place large museums on separate days.

Individual prices can change and some institutions offer free-entry conditions that make a pass unnecessary. The most reliable calculation is a personal list: write down the included sites you will actually visit, check their normal admission prices, remove sites already free for you, and compare the total with the pass price.

Free Admission For Children And Young Adults

Most participating museums and monuments are free for visitors under 18. National museums and monuments are also generally free for residents of the European Union under 26 when valid proof is presented. The official pass seller advises against buying a pass for children.

• Under 18: usually free at participating sites, but proof of age may be requested.
• EU residents under 26: generally free at national museums and monuments with proof of age and residence.
• Non-EU visitors aged 18–25: the EU-resident exemption normally does not apply, so a pass may still be useful.
• Reservation sites: each eligible visitor still needs the appropriate free time-slot reservation.

Free-admission rules are not identical at every participating institution. Private museums, temporary exhibitions, tours, and special events may use different age limits or charges.

Versailles With The Paris Museum Pass

The pass includes admission to the Palace of Versailles and the Trianon Estate under the participating-site conditions. A timed reservation is required for the Palace. The official pass reservation page states that the same booking is not required for the Trianon visit.

Garden access needs separate attention. From April through October, the gardens may charge admission on Musical Gardens and Fountain Show days. The Paris Museum Pass should not be assumed to cover these separately ticketed garden programmes. Train travel between Paris and Versailles is also not included.

Planning Visits By Area

Opening days matter as much as distance. The Louvre is normally closed on Tuesday, Musée d’Orsay is normally closed on Monday, and Versailles Palace is normally closed on Monday. Current calendars should be checked because holidays, strikes, heat, restoration work, and private events can alter access.

Buying And Using The Pass

1. List the museums and monuments you intend to visit. Check that each one is included and open during the planned dates.
2. Compare individual admission prices with the pass price. Remove any site that is already free under your age or residence status.
3. Check reservation availability before relying on the pass. Louvre and Versailles slots can fill during busy periods.
4. Choose 48, 96, or 144 hours. The duration cannot be paused once activated.
5. Buy from the official website or an authorized point of sale. Some sales networks add service fees.
6. Download the PDF and keep an offline copy. The official seller states that the pass is not currently compatible with Apple Wallet.
7. Carry the pass and all reservation confirmations. A reservation confirmation does not replace the pass, and the pass does not replace a required reservation.
8. Present the pass at each checkpoint. The first successful visit starts the hour-based validity period.

Each online order requires a valid email address because the download link is delivered by email. The name of each user is entered during purchase. A phone screenshot may be useful as a backup, but the original PDF should remain available in case the barcode needs to be enlarged or reopened.

Common Questions