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How long does it take to see the Louvre?

The Louvre lists its Masterpieces trail at 90 minutes, a starting point for a focused visit. With about 35,000 works on display across roughly 73,000 m², choose a route before you arrive.

Checked on 13 November 2026

Masterpieces trail
90 minutes

The route names the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and Winged Victory of Samothrace.

Richelieu trail
1 hour

This route ends in the Napoleon III Apartments, whose opening schedule needs checking.

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Room clearing
30 minutes

Staff start clearing galleries 30 minutes before the museum's advertised closing time.

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Choose the trail or rooms you want to see, then check their opening schedule before booking your time slot.

A focused visit

Is 2 hours enough for the Louvre?

Two hours can work for a focused visit, using the museum's 90-minute Masterpieces trail as a guide. The route includes the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and Winged Victory of Samothrace.

Keep arrival time separate from time in the galleries. The Louvre allows 10 minutes from the metro to the Pyramid, plus 15 extra minutes for lockers and toilets.

The museum's trail mentions queuing for the Mona Lisa without giving a waiting time. Use the published duration as a guide, allowing time for pauses.

What to do: If your 2 hours includes arrival, choose fewer stops before you set out.

Choose a route

Can you see the whole Louvre in one visit?

Do not aim to see everything in one visit; the Louvre advises choosing a route. It describes about 35,000 works on display across roughly 73,000 m².

The museum's published trails give you shorter routes to plan around. Check room openings before following one, because works may be away for loans, exhibitions or conservation.

The Richelieu trail lists Friday visits, but the room schedule closes its Napoleon III Apartments stop during Friday late opening. Check the day's room schedule before planning that route.

  • The Louvre's Masterpieces: 90 minutes.
  • Secret Treasures of the Richelieu Wing: 1 hour.
  • De toutes beautés: 1 hour.

Before closing

When should you finish a Louvre visit?

Plan to finish viewing before room clearing, which starts 30 minutes before closing. The museum closes at 18:00 on Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

On Wednesdays and Fridays, closing time is 21:00. Last entry is one hour before closing on every open day.

  • Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday: last entry at 17:00.
  • Regular opening days: room clearing starts at 17:30.
  • Wednesday and Friday: last entry at 20:00.
  • Late-opening days: room clearing starts at 20:30.

Guided visits

How long is a Louvre guided tour?

The museum's Welcome to the Louvre guided tour lasts about 1 h 30. That matches the stated duration of the self-guided Masterpieces trail.

The guided route includes the medieval moat, which is not a stop on the Masterpieces trail. Its full fee is €12, plus admission unless you qualify for free entry.

Our guided tour comparison covers 56 tours, with prices from €58. Check the duration of the option you choose before fitting it into your day.

People also ask

Is one hour enough at the Louvre?
One hour matches the published length of the Richelieu and beauty trails. Allow separate time for arrival, and check the day's room openings.
How long does it take to see the Mona Lisa?
The museum's trail description gives no separate viewing or waiting time for the Mona Lisa. It includes the painting within the 90-minute Masterpieces route and mentions a queue.
How much arrival time should you allow for the Louvre?
The Louvre advises allowing 10 minutes from the metro to the Pyramid, plus 15 minutes for lockers and toilets. These are arrival allowances, not a forecast of your security queue.
Can you leave the Louvre for lunch and come back?
No, leaving the museum is final, so plan your visit before going outside. You can eat beneath the Pyramid, but eating and drinking are forbidden in the exhibition rooms.
Is there an accessible Louvre visitor trail?
The museum labels its 1-hour De toutes beautés trail as accessible for visitors with reduced mobility. It gives no such label to the Masterpieces or Richelieu trails.

Louvre guided tours

7 picked from 56

Louvre visit guides

  • Open rooms at the Louvre

    Check which collections are open before choosing the route for your visit.

  • The Mona Lisa

    The painting is a stop on the museum's Masterpieces trail, which mentions a queue.

  • Louvre opening hours

    Use last-entry and room-clearing times when deciding how late to begin your visit.

Sources checked on 13 November 2026: Louvre: Visitor trails, Louvre: Visit as a family, Louvre: Hours & admission.