Louvre, Orsay or Orangerie: Which Paris Museum to Choose

Most visitors to Paris have time for one or two art museums, not all of them. The three they usually choose between are the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay and the Musée de l’Orangerie, and I’ve been to all three.

They’re not interchangeable. Each one covers a different stretch of art history and offers a completely different kind of visit. They also sit close together, around the Tuileries Garden and across the Seine, which makes it easy to see two in a day, or even all three.

Louvre, Orsay or Orangerie at a Glance
🏛️ Louvre · For the icons — the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, the Winged Victory — and the one museum every first-timer should see.
🎨 Orsay · For the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists, in a former railway station that’s worth the trip on its own.
🪷 Orangerie · For Monet’s Water Lilies, wrapped around two oval rooms — the smallest, quietest and most moving of the three.
🎟️ Combined ticket · €20 covers the Orsay and the Orangerie, which pair naturally on the same day.
📅 Closing days · The Louvre and Orangerie shut on Tuesdays, the Orsay on Mondays — Wednesday to Sunday works for all three.
🚶 All in a row · The three line up along the Tuileries and across the Seine, 10–15 minutes apart on foot.

The Short Answer

For the world-famous icons, and for a first visit to Paris, choose the Louvre. For the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists, in a former railway station that’s worth the visit on its own, choose the Orsay. For Monet‘s Water Lilies, and a quieter hour, choose the Orangerie. And for anyone who has been to Giverny, or plans to go, the Orangerie is the one not to miss.

The Louvre: For the Icons

My first “wow” at the Louvre came before I’d seen a single painting. I stood under the glass pyramid, looked up, and so many thoughts crossed my mind. I’m a little embarrassed to admit that one of them was Robert Langdon, from the film of Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code. Still, it’s impossible to look up through that glass and not be in awe.

The Louvre is the main museum in Paris, and it covers art from antiquity to the 19th century. It’s far too big to see in one visit, so don’t try. Pick up a map at the information desk, see the highlights first, and leave with a reason to come back. Allow a few hours, even for the highlights alone.

The Mona Lisa was a lesson in crowds. I lined up to see her, and once I reached the front I was pushed and surrounded by people, and stood there for only a few seconds.

The Winged Victory of Samothrace and the Venus de Milo were a different experience. I had learned about both at school, and because of my heritage, I stood in front of them in awe. And yes, Beyoncé and Jay-Z crossed my mind too, since they filmed their 2018 music video in these very galleries, posing in front of the Mona Lisa and the Winged Victory.

Next time, I’m thinking of booking an early VIP tour, to see these masterpieces before the crowds arrive. The Louvre is a bucket-list museum for me, and for a visit like that, a VIP tour may be worth it.

Skip it? I don’t think anyone should. Crowds and all, the Louvre is the one museum every first-time visitor to Paris should see.

The Musée d’Orsay: For the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists

The Orsay picks up where the Louvre leaves off, with art from the second half of the 19th century and the early 20th. This is where the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists hang, on the top floor, including Renoir’s Bal du moulin de la Galette. Van Gogh‘s Starry Night Over the Rhône was the painting I most wanted to see, because I grew up with a replica of it at home.

The building is half the reason to go. It’s a former railway station, and the main hall still has its glass-and-iron vault and its great clock.

Up on the top floor, one of the clock faces works as a window. Looking out through it, the view runs across the Seine to the Tuileries Garden and the Right Bank.

The work that really caught my attention, though, was the polar bear: François Pompon’s huge white stone bear, more than two and a half metres long. I love how the Orsay mixes older masterpieces with more modern pieces and sculpture.

Pompon spent years as an assistant to Rodin and Camille Claudel, and he was 67 before his polar bear finally brought him recognition, at the 1922 Salon d’Automne.

Like the Louvre, the Orsay takes a few hours. Skip it? Not for anyone who loves the Impressionists or Post-Impressionists, since the Orsay is the place to be. Go for the architecture too. The building has appeared on screen, including in the Lupin series, and the views through the clock windows are unbeatable.

The Musée de l’Orangerie: For Monet

The Orangerie is the smallest of the three, and the one that stood out most for me. It’s built around Monet’s Water Lilies: eight huge panels, each two metres high and stretching 91 metres in all, curving around two oval rooms lit by natural light from above.

Because I had visited Giverny, everything made sense when I saw these paintings. I had walked around the pond Monet painted, and here it was again, wrapped around the room. It all clicked.

Our guide told us about Monet’s vision problems. In his final years he suffered from cataracts, and that helps explain the colours in some of the panels.

The oval rooms have benches in the middle, so it’s easy to sit and contemplate the water lilies all around. When I visited, there were quite a few people. It’s worth visiting when it’s quieter too, and that’s what I’m hoping for this December.

Allow 60 to 90 minutes. Downstairs, a second collection adds paintings by Renoir, Cézanne, Picasso and Matisse, so the visit doesn’t have to end with Monet.

Skip it? Don’t. How often does anyone get to see Monet masterpieces like these? If time is short, go for the oval rooms and skip the rest.

Seeing More Than One

The three museums line up along a short walk. The Louvre sits at the eastern end of the Tuileries Garden, and the Orangerie at the western end, by the Place de la Concorde, about 15 minutes away on foot. From the Orangerie, the Passerelle Léopold-Sédar-Senghor footbridge crosses the Seine to the Orsay in about 10 to 15 minutes.

My advice is to pair the Orangerie with the Orsay, since together they tell the Impressionist story, from the movement’s early years to Monet’s last great project. Then give the Louvre its own morning.

Bubbly Tips

• Watch the closing days. The Louvre and the Orangerie close on Tuesdays, and the Orsay closes on Mondays. Wednesday to Sunday works for all three.
• Book ahead. The Louvre requires a timed ticket for every visitor, and booking a time slot is recommended at the Orangerie too, even for free ticket holders.
• Buy the combined Orsay and Orangerie ticket. It costs €20 and covers both museums, which pair naturally on the same day.
• Use the Orsay’s late opening. It stays open until 9:45 p.m. on Thursdays, which makes room for the Louvre or the Orangerie earlier in the day.
• Ask for the highlights map at the Louvre. See the big works first, then decide whether to keep going.
• Take a seat at the Orangerie. The benches in the oval rooms are there for a reason. Give the Water Lilies at least ten quiet minutes.
• Visit Giverny before the Orangerie, if you can. Seeing Monet’s pond and garden first makes the paintings come alive.
• Take Line 1, 8 or 12 to Concorde. It’s the nearest metro station to the Orangerie, at the western end of the Tuileries.

Final Thoughts

If there’s only time for one, the Louvre is the natural choice for a first visit. But the Orangerie was the one that stayed with me, especially after Giverny.

I’m going back to Paris this December, and the Water Lilies are high on my list, hopefully with fewer people this time.

Until next time!

xoxo,
Bubbly 🎈