Planning Guide · Updated February 2026
Paris Museum Pass: Mandatory Reservations 2026
9 venues require a separate timed entry booking even with the pass. Reservations are always free — but without them, you can be turned away at the door.
Last updated: February 2026 · Booking requirements verified against official venue websites
9
venues require booking
€0
cost to reserve
3
book weeks ahead
Reservations are always free with a valid pass. The pass has already covered the entry fee — a timed slot just controls visitor flow. Book as early as possible for the Louvre, Versailles and Sainte-Chapelle.
The most common mistake pass holders make: arriving at the Louvre or Versailles without a timed slot and being turned away. Both are mandatory, both fill up weeks ahead in peak season. Book your slots the moment you confirm your travel dates — before you book your hotel or flights.
Book weeks in advance
Booking portal
Ticket type to select
“Paris Museum Pass ticket (I have a Paris Museum Pass)”
Pass number required?
No — just select pass holder ticket type. Bring your pass and reservation confirmation.
Available time slots
Morning: 9:00–12:30 (30-min windows) · Afternoon: 13:00–16:30 · Friday late: 18:00–19:30
Step-by-step
1
Go to louvre.fr and click “Book a Ticket”
2
Select “Paris Museum Pass ticket (I have a Paris Museum Pass)”
3
Choose your date and time slot. Book 9:00am for the quietest experience.
4
Create an account to receive your confirmation by email. No pass number required during booking.
5
On the day: bring both your reservation confirmation and your pass. At the Pyramid, join the green or pink priority line.
Booking portal
What’s covered
Pass covers Palace entry + Trianon palaces + Domaine de Marie-Antoinette. Gardens are free on most weekdays.
What’s NOT covered
Musical Fountain show days (Saturdays and Sundays, Apr–Oct) require a separate garden entry fee.
Trianon booking?
No separate reservation needed for the Trianons — reservation is for the Palace only.
Step-by-step
1
Go to chateauversailles.fr and select “Tickets & Pass”
2
Select the pass holder entry option and choose your date and morning time slot
3
Complete your booking — no charge applies as your pass covers entry
4
On the day: bring reservation confirmation and your pass. Take RER C to Versailles-Rive Gauche (40 min from central Paris).
Booking portal
Ticket type to select
Select “Sainte-Chapelle” → “Visit of the monument” → “I already have a ticket” line
Time slot windows
30-minute windows. Must enter within 30 minutes of your slot. Best: 1:30pm–2:30pm for afternoon light.
Security note
Part of the Palais de Justice — strict security checks. Allow 30 minutes waiting time on busy days.
Step-by-step
2
Select the Sainte-Chapelle monument, then “Visit of the monument”
3
Select “I already have a ticket” (Paris Museum Pass line) and choose date + time
4
Create an account to receive your confirmation. No charge.
5
On the day: arrive a few minutes before your slot. Have both your reservation and pass ready for security.
Book a few days ahead
Booking portal
Booking window
Slots open 72 hours in advance only. New slots are added regularly — check back daily.
Cathedral vs Towers
The Cathedral itself is free and open to all — no ticket or booking needed. The Towers circuit (€16 individual, included with pass) requires booking.
Physical requirements
424 steps, no lift. Not recommended for reduced mobility, vertigo, or children under 6. No bags >1L or stilettos permitted.
Step-by-step
1
Go to notredamedeparis.fr — towers booking opens 72 hours in advance
2
Select the Paris Museum Pass holder option and choose your date and time
3
If slots appear full, check again — new slots are released regularly, especially just after midnight Paris time
4
On the day: show your booking confirmation and pass at the Towers entrance (not the Cathedral entrance)
Note: The Notre-Dame Cathedral is completely separate from the Towers circuit. The Cathedral is free to enter with no reservation needed. The Towers (chimeras, gargoyles, panoramic views) are the pass-included paid circuit requiring advance booking.
Booking portal
Ticket type to select
Select “Free of charge reservation” (€0 price) — creates a timed slot for your pass
Status
Listed by parismuseumpass.fr as mandatory. Reservations “strongly recommended” on the museum’s own site. Without one, you join the walk-up queue which can be long.
Priority access
Booking gives priority access within 30 minutes of your reserved time. Walk-ins are lower priority.
Step-by-step
2
Click Book button on Admission tickets to the Musée de l’Orangerie. Then click on “Buy A Ticket”, then select the date and time, then choose: Countermark Paris Museum Pass / Reseller ticket option
3
Choose your date and time slot. Create an account to receive your confirmation.
4
On the day: present your timed slot confirmation and your pass at the entrance.
Book before you visit — less urgent but required
Booking portal
tickets.monuments-nationaux.fr — same system as Sainte-Chapelle
Combined ticket
A Sainte-Chapelle + Conciergerie combined ticket (€30/€23) is available — but pass holders need separate reservations for each
Tip
Book the same afternoon as Sainte-Chapelle — they’re 2 minutes apart on the Île de la Cité
Demand level
Lower demand than the Louvre or Sainte-Chapelle — usually bookable the same week
Booking portal
Pass access
Pass gives access to the “Intendants’ Apartments” tour circuit. Select free entry/pass holder rate when booking.
Open Mondays & Tuesdays
Unlike most Paris museums, the Hôtel de la Marine is open on Mondays and Tuesdays — useful on closure days elsewhere
Evening opening
Open until 9:30pm — one of the few pass venues with a regular late evening option
Booking portal
What it covers
Jewish art and history from medieval Europe to the present, in a stunning 17th-century Marais mansion. Often uncrowded.
Location
71 Rue du Temple, 3rd arrondissement — Marais neighbourhood, near the Musée Picasso
Security
Enhanced security checks at entrance — allow extra time. This is normal for this venue.
Booking portal
What it covers
Extraordinary collection of plaster casts of France’s greatest architecture — plus murals, stained glass and architectural models
Location
Palais de Chaillot, 1 Place du Trocadéro — across the river from the Eiffel Tower, excellent views
Demand level
Lower demand than the main tourist venues — bookable same-week in most periods
Quick Reference: All 9 Reservation Requirements
The full list from parismuseumpass.fr, with urgency guidance for 2026 peak season (April–October).
| Venue | Status | Book how far ahead | Booking site |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Louvre | Mandatory | 2–3 weeks in peak season | louvre.fr |
| Palace of Versailles | Mandatory (palace) | As early as possible | chateauversailles.fr |
| Sainte-Chapelle | Mandatory | 1–2 weeks in peak season | tickets.monuments-nationaux.fr |
| Notre-Dame Towers | Mandatory | 72 hours ahead (window limit) | notredamedeparis.fr |
| Musée de l’Orangerie | Strongly recommended | 1–3 days ahead | billetterie.musee-orangerie.fr |
| La Conciergerie | Mandatory | Same-week usually fine | tickets.monuments-nationaux.fr |
| Hôtel de la Marine | Mandatory | 1–3 days ahead | hotel-de-la-marine.paris |
| Musée d’Art et d’Histoire du Judaïsme | Mandatory | Same-week usually fine | mahj.org |
| Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine | Mandatory | Same-week usually fine | citedelarchitecture.fr |
Everything else is walk-in. Every other venue in the pass — the Orsay, Rodin, Arc de Triomphe, Army Museum, Panthéon, Musée Picasso, Orangerie, and all 40+ others — does not require advance booking. Just show up and present your pass at the entrance. See our how the pass works guide → for the full entry process.
Frequently Asked Questions
For the Louvre: no. You select “Paris Museum Pass holder” as your ticket type and book a slot. You do not need to enter a pass number during booking. On the day, you bring both your reservation confirmation and your physical or digital pass, and staff verify the pass on entry. For other venues, the process is similar — select the pass holder or “I already have a ticket” option and you won’t be charged.
All timed slot reservations are completely free for pass holders. The pass has already covered the entry fee — a timed reservation simply allocates you a specific entry window to manage visitor flow. You will not be charged anything when booking a slot.
For the Louvre: cancellations release slots regularly. Check daily, especially early morning and late evening. Friday evening slots (18:00–19:30) often remain available when daytime slots are full. For Versailles: try midweek dates and widen your window by a day or two. For Sainte-Chapelle: check back — same-day cancellations do appear. For Notre-Dame Towers: the 72-hour booking window means new slots appear constantly — check just after midnight Paris time for the best availability.
Technically you can attempt to walk up and join the standby queue, but the official Paris Museum Pass website states clearly: “Only reserving a time slot can guarantee access to the Louvre Museum with the PMP. Access can sometimes be very long, or even impossible, during periods of very high attendance.” In peak season (April–October), turning away without a booking is a genuine risk. Always book in advance.
The Cathedral itself is completely free and open to all without any ticket or booking. The Towers circuit — chimeras, gargoyles and panoramic views — is the separate paid tour that is included in the pass and requires advance booking. The two are separate experiences with separate entrances. See our Notre-Dame guide → for full details.
Each venue handles pass verification differently. For the Louvre, you select a pass holder ticket type without entering a number — the pass is verified physically on arrival. For Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie, the booking system asks you to indicate you “already have a ticket.” In all cases, you must bring your physical or digital pass and present it alongside your reservation confirmation.
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