The world’s greatest Impressionist collection — housed in a stunning former railway station on the Left Bank. Free with the Museum Pass.
Individual ticket
€16
With Museum Pass
Included
Timed slot
Not required
Open
Tue–Sun
Hours
9:30am–6pm (9:45pm Thu)
Last updated: February 2026 · Prices and details verified
Quick Answer
Yes — the Paris Museum Pass covers full entry to the Musée d’Orsay, saving you €16 per person. No timed-entry reservation is required for pass holders — you can walk in during opening hours. Avoid Tuesdays when Louvre crowds spill over, and note the entrance forecourt is under renovation until summer 2028 (museum fully open throughout).
Is Musée d’Orsay Included in the Paris Museum Pass?
Yes — Musée d’Orsay is covered by the Paris Museum Pass. Entry costs €16 per person without the pass; with the pass it’s included at no extra cost. The pass covers the permanent Impressionist and Post-Impressionist collections across all five floors.
No reservation required. Museum Pass holders do not need to book a timed-entry slot at the Orsay — simply show your pass at Entrance C (Rue de Bellechasse side) during opening hours.
Note: Entrance forecourt renovation runs March 2026 to summer 2028. All galleries and collections remain fully accessible throughout. Check musee-orsay.fr for current entrance instructions.
What to See — Collection Highlights
The Orsay holds the most important collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art in the world — the movement that changed everything between 1848 and 1914.
Highlight 1
5th floor Impressionists gallery — Monet’s series paintings, Renoir’s Bal du moulin de la Galette, and Degas’s ballet dancers
Highlight 2
Van Gogh’s Starry Night Over the Rhône and Bedroom in Arles — among the most visited works in the museum
Highlight 3
The museum building itself — the vast glass vault of the former Gare d’Orsay, with the original station clocks visible from inside the galleries
Suggested Itinerary — 2–3 Hours
Start on the 5th floor while you’re fresh — it’s the most crowded section and best seen early. Work down through the floors to finish at ground level.
9:30am
5th floor — Impressionists gallery
Head straight upstairs. Monet, Renoir, Degas, Manet, Sisley, Pissarro — allow 45–60 minutes here. The terrace café behind the great clock face is on this floor.
10:30am
2nd floor — Post-Impressionists and Van Gogh
Cézanne, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Seurat. Van Gogh’s Bedroom in Arles and Starry Night over the Rhône are here. Allow 30–45 minutes.
11:15am
Ground floor — Realist and academic works
The ground floor contextualises the Impressionist revolution with the academic work it was reacting against. Rodin’s Gates of Hell is here. Allow 20–30 minutes to finish.
Practical Tips
Tip 1
Thursday evenings after 6pm — open until 9:45pm, dramatically quieter, and the sunset light through the giant clock face is extraordinary. The single best time to visit year-round.
Tip 2
Avoid Tuesdays — the Louvre closes that day and crowds spill to the Orsay. Wednesday and Friday mornings are the quietest standard days.
Tip 3
Enter via Entrance C on the Rue de Bellechasse side with your Museum Pass — this bypasses the main ticket queue entirely.
Getting There
Musée d’Orsay — Fast Facts
Address
1 Rue de la Légion d’Honneur, 75007 Paris
Nearest Metro
Musée d’Orsay (RER C) · Solférino (Metro 12) (RER C · Metro 12)
RER
RER C — Musée d’Orsay station — directly outside
Bus lines
24, 63, 68, 69, 73, 83, 84, 94
Opening hours
Tuesday–Sunday 9:30am–6pm · Thursday until 9:45pm · Closed Monday, 1 May, 25 December
Pass holders enter via Entrance C on the Rue de Bellechasse side — the dedicated pass/reserved ticket entrance that bypasses the main ticket queue. No timed reservation is required. During peak season there may be a short security queue but it moves significantly faster than the walk-up line.
No — unlike the Louvre or Versailles, the Musée d’Orsay does not require Museum Pass holders to book a timed-entry slot. Arrive during opening hours and enter directly via Entrance C. During peak season (July–August), arriving at opening time (9:30am) gives the best experience.
The museum is fully open in 2026. The entrance forecourt and canopy structures are undergoing renovation from March 2026 through summer 2028, but all galleries, permanent collections, and temporary exhibitions remain fully accessible. Check musee-orsay.fr before your visit for current entrance instructions.
Thursday evenings after 6pm — open until 9:45pm, dramatically quieter, and the sunset light through the great clock face is extraordinary. For daytime visits, Wednesday and Friday mornings are quietest. Avoid Tuesdays (Louvre is closed and crowds spill to the Orsay).
Two hours covers the essential highlights: 5th floor Impressionists, 2nd floor Post-Impressionists and Van Gogh, and the ground floor context galleries. Three to four hours allows a thorough visit. The museum is very well organised and far less overwhelming than the Louvre.
Technically yes but exhausting. Better to visit the Louvre in the morning (book the earliest timed slot) and the Orsay in the afternoon, or split them across two pass days. The Louvre alone warrants 3–4 focused hours; the Orsay needs 2–3.
Combine Musée d’Orsay With These Museums
The Orsay sits in the heart of the Left Bank museum cluster. These three venues are all pass-covered and within easy walking distance.
