Paris sightseeing tickets: the Musée d'Orsay and a Seine cruise

Quick answer

Book the Musée d'Orsay for any day except Monday, and turn up on time, because the museum's reception areas are under works and entry runs by time slot. Thursday is the late opening. The Bateaux Parisiens cruise lasts about an hour and leaves only from Port de la Bourdonnais, at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. Its ticket has no time slot, so it is easy to fit around the museum. The Orsay ticket is non-refundable, while the cruise can be cancelled up to the day before. Check the official pages or your ticket page the day before you go.

When is the Musée d'Orsay open?

The museum's official hours are:

• Closed every Monday, and on 1 May and 25 December.
• Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday: 09:30 to 18:00. Last admission to the museum is at 17:00 and the galleries start closing at 17:30.
• Thursday late opening: 09:30 to 21:45, with last admission at 21:00.

The museum is on the Left Bank, on the Seine opposite the Tuileries. The RER C has a Musée d'Orsay stop, and Solférino on Metro line 12 is close by.

Which entrance do I use during the works?

The museum is rebuilding its reception areas from 10 March 2026 until summer 2028. The collections stay open, but the entrances have changed, and the museum asks visitors to book a time slot. Its entrance guide says:

• The Quay Entrance (Seine side) is for timed tickets bought from the museum, including Paris Museum Pass holders with a booked slot (see the pass rules for Orsay).
• The Forecourt Entrance is for priority visitors, reseller tickets with time-stamped vouchers, visitors without tickets, and groups. Visitors with reduced mobility or luggage also use the Forecourt.

Mismatch to watch: At the time of checking, the Tiqets instructions pointed to the Quay entrance (level -1, timed-ticket "red zone"), while the museum's own page sends reseller vouchers to the Forecourt. Read the entrance on your voucher, and ask staff on arrival if the signs don't match it. Access routes move as the works progress.

You can book a timed entry for the permanent collection, plus temporary exhibitions subject to availability. The ticket page says plainly what it does not include:

• No skip-the-line access at security or at the exhibitions, and there may be a line on busy days.
• If you arrive outside your time slot, you lose your reserved access. The ticket stays valid that day, but you wait with visitors who don't have a timed ticket.
• Large bags are not allowed. The page says luggage up to 56 × 45 × 25 cm can be stored on site.

At the time of checking, the ticket was non-refundable and could not be rescheduled.

How does the Bateaux Parisiens Seine cruise work?

Bateaux Parisiens runs its sightseeing cruise from Port de la Bourdonnais, at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. The boat heads downriver for about half an hour, turns around and comes back, so the whole trip takes about an hour.

Departure times change through the year. The operator's 2026–2027 timetable (PDF, French) lists departures from mid-morning into the evening, and the gap between boats changes by season and by day of the week. The operator says the times are indicative and may change.

The operator's practical information (French) includes a few rules worth knowing:

• Bags are checked at the entrance, and you may be asked to open your jacket.
• Luggage other than small backpacks, handbags and laptop bags is not accepted, not even in the cloakroom.
• Toilets are on the boats only. There are none on the pontoons.

You can book the cruise with an audio guide in English and 13 other languages, and an attendant on board for questions. You don't pick a time slot. Go straight to pontoon 3 and show the ticket on your phone. You can't board at any other stop. At the time of checking, you could cancel or reschedule until 23:59 on the day before your visit.

Mismatch to watch: At the time of checking, the Tiqets page said the first cruise of the day leaves at 13:00 from 3 September 2026, instead of 10:00. The operator's own timetable for 2 November to 18 December 2026 still lists morning departures. Check the operator's timetable or the ticket page before you plan a morning cruise. The Tiqets page also calls the cruise wheelchair accessible. If you need step-free boarding, confirm it with the operator before you book.

Getting there, from the ticket page: Metro line 6 to Bir-Hakeim or Trocadéro, or RER C to Champ de Mars.

A simple way to group these sights

Before you go

• Check closing days against your dates. The Musée d'Orsay is closed on Mondays, 1 May and 25 December.
• Be at the museum for your time slot. If you're late, you join the line for visitors without a timed ticket.
• Check which entrance your voucher names, because entrances change during the works.
• Leave large bags at your hotel. Both the museum and the cruise operator restrict luggage.
• Read each ticket's cancellation terms before you pay. The Orsay ticket was non-refundable when we checked, and the cruise could be cancelled until the day before.
• Check the cruise timetable the day before. The operator says departure times may change.

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