In short. Paris has nine places where a booked ticket makes your day easier: Versailles, the Eiffel Tower, Musée d’Orsay, Sainte-Chapelle with the Conciergerie, the Arc de Triomphe, the Seine cruises, Fontainebleau, Chantilly and Disneyland Paris. The Louvre also has its own tickets and tours, and we cover it inside our guides. Here is how to choose, and in which order to book.
Book your visit
Palace of Versailles: Entry Ticket + Gardens + Estate of Trianon
4.4· 13,261 reviews
from €22
Book tickets and tours →What to book first
Start with what you cannot do without a booking. At Versailles everyone needs a time slot for the palace. Sainte-Chapelle also asks you to choose a time, and in busy periods you risk a long wait at the door without one. The Eiffel Tower comes next: if you want to go to the top, book it as soon as you know your dates.
Then come the places where a ticket is a comfort rather than a must. Orsay, the Arc de Triomphe, the Seine cruises, Fontainebleau and Chantilly are easy to organise, and a ticket on your phone is one thing less to think about on the day.
Pick by the kind of day you want
A short stay, big names. Book the Eiffel Tower, a Seine cruise and one museum. Paris in 3 days shows how to fit them together.
Art and history. Musée d’Orsay has Monet, Van Gogh and Renoir under the roof of an old railway station. Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie sit side by side on the Île de la Cité, so you can see both in a morning.
Views. The Eiffel Tower is the classic. The Arc de Triomphe gives you the other view, a full circle over the city with the Eiffel Tower in it. Today you reach the terrace by 284 steps, because the lift is out of service.
On the water. The Seine cruises last about an hour and pass many famous sights without a single step. Choose an evening departure if you want the city at dusk.
A whole day outside the city. Versailles is the royal palace and its gardens. Fontainebleau has centuries of royal history, and Chantilly has a castle, a horse museum and a park. Disneyland Paris is the family day. Our guide to day trips from Paris helps you decide.
The Louvre
The Louvre has its own tickets and tours, from a one-hour visit to the masterpieces to a long evening tour. Booking a time slot is recommended, and at some busy times the museum asks every visitor to hold one, so choose your slot first. The museum is closed on Tuesdays and is open until 21:00 on Wednesdays and Fridays. Large bags are not allowed inside; there are free lockers.
Prices and what they include
Prices change with the date and with the option you choose. As a guide, a Seine cruise starts from €17, Orsay from €13, the Arc de Triomphe terrace from €18, the Sainte-Chapelle and Conciergerie ticket from €25, Versailles with gardens and the Trianon estate from €22, and Disneyland Paris from €63. Read what each option includes before you pay: an entry ticket gets you inside, and a guided tour adds a live guide and a fixed duration.
Days when places are closed
- Monday: Versailles and Musée d’Orsay are closed.
- Tuesday: the Louvre, Fontainebleau and Chantilly are closed.
- 1 January, 1 May and 25 December: the Louvre, Versailles and Sainte-Chapelle are closed.
Which one is for you?
Short on time? Book one place a day and leave the rest open. Travelling with children? Choose a cruise and a day outside the city. Love art? Give Orsay and the Louvre a morning each, and do not put them on the same day.
