Itinerary Guide · Updated February 2026
The Perfect 4-Day Paris Museum Pass Itinerary
8+ museums across 4 consecutive days — including a full day at Versailles. Walking routes, booking reminders, and over €150 in savings per person.
Pass cost
€109
Individual value
€265+
You save
€156+
Venues
9 venues
Advance bookings
3 required
Last updated: February 2026 · Prices and booking requirements verified
The 4-Day Plan at a Glance
Day 1: Louvre, Sainte-Chapelle & Arc de Triomphe. Day 2: Full day at Versailles. Day 3: Musée d’Orsay, Orangerie & Musée Rodin. Day 4: Army Museum, Panthéon & Musée Picasso. Three advance bookings required: Louvre, Sainte-Chapelle, and Versailles. Everything else is walk-in.
Book three things before you leave home: The Louvre, Sainte-Chapelle, and Versailles all require timed entry reservations. Versailles slots can fill up weeks in advance in peak season. See our mandatory reservations guide →
Note on the Centre Pompidou: The Pompidou is included in the pass but is fully closed until approximately 2030 for renovation. It has been removed from this itinerary. See our Pompidou page for reopening details.
Day 1
The Louvre, Sainte-Chapelle & Arc de Triomphe
€83
pass value today
Start your four days with the biggest hitter — the Louvre at opening time, then a short walk across the Seine to Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie. Finish the day at the Arc de Triomphe for sunset views over the city.
1
Book the 9:00am slot for the quietest experience. Spend 3 hours on the highlights: Winged Victory, Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and the Medieval Louvre foundations. Resist the urge to see everything — the museum rewards focus.
At the Pyramid, join the green or pink priority line — not the orange walk-up queue
Book your free timed slot at louvre.fr — select “Paris Museum Pass ticket”
🚶 10-min walk along the Seine · grab lunch near Pont Neuf
2
Fifteen floor-to-ceiling stained glass windows from 1248. Small, transcendent, and worth every bit of the advance booking effort. Afternoon light through the windows is spectacular.
Book a 1:30pm or 2:00pm slot — afternoon light through the windows is at its best
🚶 2-min walk
3
Marie Antoinette’s prison before the guillotine, in the original medieval royal palace on the Île de la Cité. Gothic halls and a compelling account of the Revolution — usually uncrowded in the afternoon.
🚇 Metro line 1 from Châtelet · 15 min to Charles de Gaulle–Étoile
4
Climb to the top for panoramic views down the Champs-Élysées and across Paris. An ideal late-afternoon stop — the golden hour light from the summit is outstanding, and the pass gets you straight in without queuing.
Enter via the underground pedestrian tunnel — never cross the roundabout on foot
4
Venues
~8hrs
On your feet
2
Advance bookings
€83
Pass value used today
Day 2
A Full Day at Versailles
€21
pass value today
Day Trip · 40 min from Paris
Why Versailles Gets Its Own Day
The Palace of Versailles is one of the most extraordinary places on earth — and one of the most underestimated in terms of scale. The palace alone takes 2–3 hours to do properly. The gardens add another 2–3 hours. Most visitors shortchange themselves by allocating half a day. Book the earliest timed slot available and leave Paris by 8:30am to make the most of it.
5
The Sun King’s extraordinary palace — Hall of Mirrors, Royal Apartments, the King’s and Queen’s State Rooms, and 800 hectares of formal gardens. The Trianon palaces and Domaine de Marie-Antoinette are also included with the pass and well worth the extra walk.
Take RER C from Paris to Versailles-Rive Gauche — 40 minutes, runs frequently. Exit directly in front of the palace. See our getting around guide → for Metro and RER tips.
Book the earliest timed slot available — morning queues at the entrance are far shorter
The gardens are free most days. On Musical Fountain show days (Saturdays and Sundays, April–October), a separate garden entry fee applies — not covered by the pass
The Grand Trianon and Petit Trianon are a 20-minute walk from the main palace — allow extra time if you want to see them
Getting back from Versailles. Take RER C back towards Paris. Trains run regularly. Allow 40–50 minutes back to central Paris. Most visitors find a full day at Versailles genuinely tiring — a quiet dinner near your hotel is the right call for Day 2 evening.
1
Venue
~8hrs
On your feet
1
Advance booking
€21
Pass value used today
Day 3
Musée d’Orsay, Orangerie & Musée Rodin
€45
pass value today
Day 3 is deliberately more relaxed after the intensity of Versailles. No mandatory bookings — all walk-in. The Orsay, Orangerie and Rodin form a natural geographical cluster on the Left Bank, connected by pleasant walks.
6
Monet, Renoir, Degas, Van Gogh — the world’s greatest Impressionist collection in a magnificent converted railway station. After the Louvre and Versailles, the Orsay feels wonderfully intimate. Allow 2–2.5 hours.
Go straight to the top floor first — that’s where the Impressionists are. Work your way down.
🚶 15-min walk through the Tuileries Garden
7
Monet’s monumental Water Lilies in two oval rooms — a genuinely transcendent experience. Shorter queues than the Orsay, more peaceful, and one of the most beautiful spaces in Paris. Allow 1–1.5 hours.
Don’t miss the Walter-Guillaume collection on the lower floor — Cézanne, Picasso, Matisse, usually uncrowded
🚇 Metro line 13 from Invalides · or 25-min walk
8
The Thinker, The Kiss, The Gates of Hell in beautiful gardens and salons in Rodin’s former home. The perfect end to a day of Impressionism — relaxed, beautiful, and at your own pace.
Spend most of your time in the garden — the sculptures in late afternoon light are extraordinary
3
Venues
~7hrs
On your feet
0
Advance bookings
€45
Pass value used today
Day 4
Army Museum, Panthéon & Musée Picasso
€44
pass value today
Your final day mixes Napoleonic grandeur, republican history and 20th-century art. All walk-in, no bookings needed. This is also a good day to add any venues you didn’t get to in the first three days, or to revisit a favourite.
9
One of the world’s finest military history museums — and the home of Napoleon’s tomb at Les Invalides. Arms, armour and uniforms from medieval times to WWII, plus the extraordinary Dôme des Invalides housing Napoleon’s tomb. Allow 2–2.5 hours.
Napoleon’s tomb in the Dôme des Invalides is unmissable — one of the most dramatic spaces in Paris
The WWII galleries are extensive and excellent — allow extra time if this is of particular interest
🚇 Metro line 10 from La Motte-Picquet to Cluny, or line 4 to Saint-Michel · grab lunch in the Latin Quarter
10
France’s national mausoleum — resting place of Voltaire, Rousseau, Marie Curie, Victor Hugo and Alexandre Dumas. Stunning neoclassical architecture, Foucault’s Pendulum, and an underrated crypt. Usually uncrowded and deeply impressive.
Often overlooked by visitors — rarely crowded even in peak season
🚇 Metro line 4 from Saint-Michel to Saint-Sébastien–Froissart · 20 min
11
Over 5,000 works spanning Picasso’s entire career in a magnificent 17th-century Marais mansion — the world’s largest Picasso collection. The building itself is extraordinary. A fitting finale to four days of extraordinary art.
Rarely as crowded as its reputation suggests — afternoon visits are particularly pleasant
The Marais neighbourhood is ideal for a final evening meal after the museum closes
3
Venues
~7hrs
On your feet
0
Advance bookings
€44
Pass value used today
Before You Leave Home — Booking Checklist
Buy the 4-day Museum Pass — buy online → for instant digital delivery and free cancellation before activation
Book Versailles timed entry — this fills up weeks ahead in peak season. Book the moment you confirm your travel dates. See Versailles guide →
Book your Louvre timed slot — free at louvre.fr. Select “Paris Museum Pass ticket”. Book the 9:00am slot on Day 1. See Louvre guide →
Book your Sainte-Chapelle timed slot — book a 1:30pm or 2:00pm slot on Day 1. See Sainte-Chapelle guide →
Check for Tuesday closures — the Louvre and Orsay are both closed on Tuesdays. Do not start your pass on a Monday if either falls on Day 1 or Day 3. See full opening hours guide →
Download the Louvre app — offline maps and audio guides essential for Day 1
What the 4-Day Pass Is Worth on This Itinerary
Based on February 2026 individual ticket prices.
| Venue | Day | Individual ticket | With pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Louvre | Day 1 | €32 | Included |
| Sainte-Chapelle | Day 1 | €22 | Included |
| La Conciergerie | Day 1 | €13 | Included |
| Arc de Triomphe | Day 1 | €16 | Included |
| Palace of Versailles | Day 2 | €21 | Included |
| Musée d’Orsay | Day 3 | €16 | Included |
| Musée de l’Orangerie | Day 3 | €15 | Included |
| Musée Rodin | Day 3 | €14 | Included |
| Musée de l’Armée | Day 4 | €15 | Included |
| The Panthéon | Day 4 | €13 | Included |
| Musée Picasso Paris | Day 4 | €16 | Included |
| Total individual cost | €193 | — | |
| 4-day pass cost | — | €109 | |
| You save | €84+ |
Want to save even more? Add the Musée de Cluny (€12), Musée Picasso (€16), or a day trip to Fontainebleau (€14) without paying extra — they’re all included in the pass. Use our pass calculator → to build your own itinerary and see your total savings.
Frequently Asked Questions
The 4-day pass covers four consecutive calendar days from the first time you use it. It activates when you first scan it at a venue and expires at midnight at the end of the fourth calendar day. So if you first use it on a Monday morning, it’s valid all of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. It does not cover 96 hours from first use.
We recommend Day 2 for Versailles, not Day 1. On Day 1 you’re still getting your bearings, managing jet lag if you’ve flown, and figuring out the Metro. Versailles rewards a full, energetic day — it’s better once you’ve settled in. Day 1 at the Louvre is also a good way to calibrate how many hours you can comfortably spend on your feet before tackling an 8-hour palace visit.
Tuesday is the closure day for both the Louvre and the Orsay. If Tuesday falls on Day 2 or Day 3 of your pass, use it for Versailles — the palace is open every day. If Tuesday is Day 1 or Day 4, swap in the Army Museum, Panthéon, Musée Picasso or the Arc de Triomphe — none of these close on Tuesdays.
If you have 4 days in Paris and plan to visit multiple museums, yes — the 4-day pass (€109) costs only €19 more than the 2-day (€90) but unlocks two extra full days of included entry. Versailles alone (€21 individual) makes the extra €19 worthwhile. See our full 2-day vs 4-day vs 6-day comparison →
Yes — the day order in this itinerary is a recommendation, not a rule. The only fixed constraint is your pre-booked timed slots for the Louvre, Sainte-Chapelle and Versailles, which are tied to specific dates. Everything else can be rearranged to suit your hotel location, weather, or energy levels. The key principle is to cluster geographically close venues on the same day to minimise travel time.
Ready to Book Your 4-Day Pass?
Instant digital delivery. Included at 50+ venues including Versailles. Free cancellation before activation.