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Travel bucket list idea:

Last updated: 28 May, 2023
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.

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

Montmartre Walking Tour to the Sacre Coeur & Skip-the-Line to Musée d'Orsay

Paris

Montmartre Walking Tour to the Sacre Coeur & Skip-the-Line to Musée d'Orsay
Start off by exploring the magical streets which wind their way up Montmartre to Sacré Coeur. This is where Van Gogh found his calling. Where Renoir emerged as leader of the Impressionists. And where Picasso became a great master. Locals say the hill is enchanted. Explore the charming, historical hill top. And discover the Sacré Coeur basilica, artists' square, Moulin Rouge, and the cabaret of the assassins. After your small group tour, enjoy skip-the-line access to the Musée d'Orsay, the world's largest collection of impressionist art. Or save your ticket for the day of your choice. As you explore the museum, you recognize the streets and shops of Montmartre in every gallery. To fully appreciate the Musée d'Orsay, you need to know the hill of Montmartre. You will see Montmartre in the paintings of the Orsay. This 90 minute walking tour is a must for any art lover.

Price: €46

Min age: 0

Rating 4.83 / 5 [37 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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

Paris

Musée d'Orsay Skip-the-Line Impressionists Guided Tour
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 most iconic artworks, created by now legendary artists such as Monet, Manet, Renoir and Van Gogh. Follow your guide on a 1h45' journey through one of the most exciting periods of the history of art, and discover one of the most dazzling museums in Paris. Small groups and electronic headsets allow for a relaxed and intimate visit.

Price: €64

Min age: 4

Rating 4.70 / 5 [294 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Private 2-Hour Guided Tour in Orsay Museum Paris

Paris

Private 2-Hour Guided Tour in Orsay Museum 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. Your guide will be a licensed official guide with a deep expertise in art history.

Price: €75

Min age: 0

Rating 4.88 / 5 [156 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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

Paris

Musée d'Orsay Skip the Line Private and semi Private Tour
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. Discover Impressionist works by Monet, Degas, Renoir, and so many more as you learn about the rich history surrounding the artworks and their artists. Select a departure time when booking, including a possible Thursday evening slot. *Please note that the museum entrance tickets are not included in the tour price. You can buy them directly on the museum website or we will send you the link once you have booked the tour. Be careful to the dates as the museum entrance tickets are sold only 3 months in advance.

Price: €85

Min age: 0

Rating 4.20 / 5 [227 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Semi-Private Musée d’Orsay Highlights tour – max 6 people

Paris

Semi-Private Musée d’Orsay Highlights tour – max 6 people
Enjoy a semi-private fully-guided tour of Paris's most beloved museums, the Musée d'Orsay. Together with your guide and small group of fellow tour participants, you'll enter a world of colour and light, taking in all of the museum's most iconic works. See masterpieces by the likes of Van Gogh, Monet, and Renoir, and perhaps find a few unexpected favorites. Your guide will provide details about each work as well as the artist who created it, bringing each piece to life through expert commentary.

Price: €89

Min age: 0

Rating 4.32 / 5 [37 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Musée d’Orsay Orsay Museum - Exclusive Guided Tour (Reserved Entry Included!)

Paris

Musée d’Orsay Orsay Museum - Exclusive Guided Tour (Reserved Entry Included!)
Join us on a 2.5 hour exclusive guided tour of the Musée d’Orsay. With our expert guides, explore the must-see works hanging in the Musée d’Orsay, Paris’s gallery dedicated to 19th century art and the Impressionists. Jump right into the sculptures and paintings in this world renowned gallery. Consider our Thursday evening option to beat the crowds if possible.

Price: €126

Min age: 0

Rating 4.95 / 5 [216 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Musée d’Orsay Orsay Museum Tour - Semi-Private 8ppl Max Reserved Entry Included!

Paris

Musée d’Orsay Orsay Museum Tour - Semi-Private 8ppl Max Reserved Entry Included!
Join us on a 2.5 hour semi-private (8 guest maximum) tour of the Musée d’Orsay. With our expert guides, explore the must-see works hanging in the Musée d’Orsay, Paris’s gallery dedicated to 19th century art and the Impressionists. Jump right into the sculptures and paintings in this world renowned gallery. Consider our Thursday evening option to beat the crowds if possible.

Price: €126

Min age: 0

Rating 4.95 / 5 [335 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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

Paris

Orsay Masterpieces - Small group of max 6 people - 2h tour
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 people. The visit will take us back in time to the 19th century when Paris became the capital of the arts. Such renowned artists as Millet, Manet, Courbet, Monet, Renoir, Cassatt among others, documented the social changes of a new century, shocked viewers and experienced rejection.

Price: €150

Min age: 0

Rating 4.85 / 5 [63 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Musee d'Orsay & Surroundings Private Tour

Paris

Musee d'Orsay & Surroundings Private Tour
There's plenty to see inside and outside of the Musee d'Orsay. And with a skip the line ticket, you're set to enjoy this attraction to the max. So, don't wait long to enter this attraction - there's no time to lose with this private skip the line tour! Your local guide will leave no details behind. Check out paintings of both Vincent van Gogh and Claude Monet, plus the many treasures that can only be found in this worldwide-known attraction. With a local guide by your side, you get the ins and outs, answers to your Musee d'Orsay questions, and a different and personalized perspective of the attraction. Withlocals Skip the Line Private Tour™ is one of Withlocals' signature tours available in major cities worldwide. We work with passionate local guides who earn a fair fee. We support local economies by only offering local products and preventing over-tourism with only small non-intrusive groups. Our tours are carbon-neutral and away from the standard tourist routes.

Price: €161

Min age: 0

Rating 4.91 / 5 [24 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Louvre Museum & Musée d'Orsay (Reserved Entry Included) - Semi-Private 8ppl Max

Paris

Louvre Museum & Musée d'Orsay (Reserved Entry Included) - Semi-Private 8ppl Max
This semi-private (8 guest maximum) Louvre and Musée d’Orsay guided museum tour, allows you to experience Paris’s two major museums all in a half day. And they said it couldn’t be done! Join our guides and spend 5.5 hours immersed in the treasures of these two iconic museums with one of our energetic and enthusiastic guides.

Price: €243

Min age: 0

Rating 4.93 / 5 [345 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Louvre Museum & Musée d'Orsay - Exclusive Guided Tour (Reserved Entry Included!)

Paris

Louvre Museum & Musée d'Orsay - Exclusive Guided Tour (Reserved Entry Included!)
Beat the queues and admire some of history's most treasured artworks at the Louvre Museum and Musée d'Orsay on this exclusive tour. Enjoy reserved timed entry tickets and expert guided tour of these world-famous museums and marvel at must-see masterpieces including the 'Mona Lisa,' 'Venus de Milo,' and 19th-century classics from Monet, Renoir and van Gogh. Journey through the history of art, from Greek antiquity to the post–Impressionists, while learning about the pieces from your expert private guide.

Price: €243

Min age: 0

Rating 4.98 / 5 [96 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Musée d'Orsay & Montmartre - Exclusive Guided Tour (Reserved Entry Included!)

Paris

Musée d'Orsay & Montmartre - Exclusive Guided Tour (Reserved Entry Included!)
Explore the birth of the Impressionist movement with this private 5.5-hour guided combo tour! Starting at the Museum d'Orsay, our private tour guide will lead you through this groundbreaking period in art history, introducing you to works by the likes of Monet, Cezanne, and Van Gogh. Afterwards, you'll journey to Montmartre where you'll get an in-depth look into the lives and works of the Impressionist pioneers. Start at the Moulin Rouge, experience the Belle Époque period, and finish at the towering Sacré Coeur. Includes museum entry & transportation between locations.

Price: €243

Min age: 0

Rating 4.84 / 5 [25 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Louvre Museum and Musée d'Orsay Private Tour

Paris

Louvre Museum and Musée d'Orsay Private Tour
Enjoy skip-the-line access and learn the stories behind some of the world’s most famous works of art on this private tour of the Louvre Museum and the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. With your informative English-speaking guide, visit the Louvre and admire the 'Mona Lisa,' 'The Raft of the Medusa,' 'Venus de Milo' and other masterpieces. Enjoy some free time before meeting your guide again at the Musée d’Orsay, home to 4,000 artworks from the second half of the 19th century by artists including Van Gogh, Monet, Renoir and Rodin. This private tour limited to six people ensures more personalized attention from your guide.

Price: €332

Min age: 18

Rating 4.41 / 5 [12 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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The Impressionists at Orsay - skip the line

Paris

The Impressionists at Orsay - skip the line
Located in a former train station, Orsay contains the largest collection of Impressionists’ paintings in the world. In this private group tour, you will explore the works of Edouard Manet, Paul Cezanne, Gustave Courbet, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley, and Vincent Van Gogh. During your tour not only will you explore an important revolution in French art history, but you will also experience captivating architecture that makes the d’Orsay Museum one of the world’s ‘must see’ museums. Our knowledgeable tour guides will provide insight into the many personalities and artist’s temperaments behind the Realist, the Impressionist, and the Post-Impressionist movements. They will walk you through the many beautiful works and help build an understanding of how the first artist movements came about. Learn how these artists were a reflection of their time but yet still have an impact on contemporary art today.

Price: €667

Min age: 0

Rating 4.92 / 5 [13 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

Paris

Ile-de-France, France

Aerial view of Paris with the Eiffel Tower in frame against a beautiful golden sunset

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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