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Bucket list experience:

Last updated: 09 November, 2022
Expert travel writer: Anna Brooke

This brilliantly converted Belle Epoque train station is now a temple to art from 1848 to 1914, and it’s looking better than ever after a revamp for the museum’s 25th anniversary.

Downstairs, sculptures sit where trains once pulled in, and rooms pit Symbolists against Realists. On the top floor, the crowd-pulling Impressionists and Post-Impressionists include Monet, Manet, Degas, Cézanne, Gauguin and Van Gogh. The mezzanine levels feature Rodin sculptures, early photography and superb Art Nouveau decorative arts. At any one time, around 3,000 artworks are on display. Check out their Wikipedia page for a list of 24 selected collection highlights.

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Price from: £14
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 13+
When: All year around

Getting there & doing it

The nearest metro station is Solférino. It’s a 1-minute walk from there.

Be prepared for crowds, especially in the Impressionist galleries. The museum organises regular guided tours of the collection in English (see website for details). Audio guides are also available to rent (for small fee) at the entrance in multiple languages, with commentaries on over 300 artworks in the permanent collection.

The top-floor Café Campana, given a funky redesign by the Brazilian Campana brothers, is great for a light lunch. The first-floor restaurant serves more formal meals in gilded surroundings, under chandeliers.

When to do it

The museum is open all year round, Tuesday to Sunday. Closed on Mondays. It’s open late on Thursday, when crowds are fewer.

Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity

Musée d'Orsay Skip-the-Line Impressionists Guided Tour

Musée d'Orsay Skip-the-Line Impressionists Guided Tour

Paris

Don’t miss the world’s greatest collection of Impressionist and Post Impressionist art! The Musée d’Orsay is home to some of the world’s mos...

€61 | Rating 4.83 / 5 [177 ratings]

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Musée d'Orsay Skip the Line Private and semi Private Tour

Musée d'Orsay Skip the Line Private and semi Private Tour

Paris

Enjoy a tour of the Musée d'Orsay with a private guide with skip-the-line access to this popular attraction on the Seine waterfront. Discove...

€75 | Rating 4.14 / 5 [142 ratings]

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Private 2-Hour Guided Tour in Orsay Museum Paris

Private 2-Hour Guided Tour in Orsay Museum Paris

Paris

Enjoy this 2-hour private guided tour of Orsay Museum with the special focus on museum´s history and architecture and the 19th century art. ...

€75 | Rating 4.90 / 5 [139 ratings]

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Orsay Masterpieces - Small group of max 6 people - 2h tour

Orsay Masterpieces - Small group of max 6 people - 2h tour

Paris

Enjoy 2 hours tour of the second most visited museum in Paris accompanied by a fully certified guide and with a small group of maximum 6 peo...

€80 | Rating 4.91 / 5 [56 ratings]

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Tour supplied by:

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Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first

Le Meurice

Paris, Ile-de-France, France

Seriously grand but pleasingly unstuffy, the queen of Paris’ palace hotels has a regal setting overlooking the Jardin des Tuileries.

Official star rating:

Hotel Le Pradey

Paris, Ile-de-France, France

In a perfect Louvre-adjacent location, this witty, original boutique hotel pays homage to Parisian style.

Official star rating:

Hotel d’Aubusson

Paris, Ile-de-France, France

A grand, historic boutique hotel, set in a 17th-century St-Germain townhouse, offers both history and a brilliant, contemporary Left Bank location.

Official star rating:

Hotel Luxembourg Parc

Paris, Ile-de-France, France

This lovely, classic hotel puts you within walking distance of Paris’ major sights, perfect for first-time visitors.

Official star rating:

Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

Paris

Ile-de-France, France

Crammed with iconic buildings, world-class art and a culinary scene steeped in history, Paris is one of the world’s great capitals, overflowing with style, romance, and art de vivre. 

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Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first

Museum of Decorative Arts

Paris, Ile-de-France, France

The largest museum of decorative arts in continental Europe, home to an inspirational and diverse collection of 1M+ items of furniture, ceramics, jewellery and more, dating from the Middle Ages through to the latest designers.

Best for ages: 18+ | £12

Louvre Museum

Paris, Ile-de-France, France

The world’s most visited museum, a treasure trove of art from around the world. Admire the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and many, many more…

Best for ages: 16+ | £15

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Paris’ most exquisite Gothic monument was built by Louis IX in 1248 to house his collection of Passion relics, including Christ’s Crown of Thorns (now at Notre-Dame Cathedral). It has one of the most extensive 13th-century stained-glass collections anywhere in the world.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free

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Moulin Rouge

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A long-running, extravagant, colourful cabaret featuring dancers and courtesans has been thrilling Parisian audiences since 1889. See the incomparable Can Can – the enigmatic dance that’s its greatest claim to fame.

Best for ages: 10+ | £74 | 2-4 hours

Round-ups that include this experience