The 'Secret Entrance' Rick Steves Recommends For Entering The Louvre With Fewer Lines

Paris is a dream destination for so many of us. Views from the Eiffel Tower, a walk along the River Seine, and a trip to the Louvre Museum are likely the first things you think of doing in this romantic city. Of course, you are not alone. Particularly during a trip to the Louvre, you might be surrounded by more people than you like, leading to lines that can take in excess of 3 hours to enter.

According to Statistica, the Louvre was the most visited museum in the world in 2023, with around 8.9 million visitors, which begs the question: Is it a lost cause to visit? Not entirely. Travel Pro Rick Steves, who always has great museum tips for travelers, suggests via his website to use a secret entrance. "Grand as the Louvre's glass-pyramid main entrance is, you'll likely encounter shorter security lines if you use the less crowded underground entrance." The entrance Steves is talking about is called Le Carrousel du Louvre, which you can use with any sort of ticket.

This entrance is through an underground shopping mall, which you can access directly from the metro at the Palais Royale-Musée du Louvre stop on lines 1 and 7, or from the street level at 99, Rue de Rivoli. You'll go underground, pass the shops, and enter the museum at the inverted pyramid (as opposed to the upright one, which is the main entrance). You may be surprised to know that this isn't the only alternative entrance to the Louvre. 

Steves gets how waiting in line makes people feel. He says, "Nothing kills a sightseeing buzz like showing up to find tickets are sold out, waiting in line for hours to get into a popular sight, or being shoulder to shoulder in front of a masterpiece painting." However, he says planning ahead can help. After all, everyone wants to see the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, the Code of Hammurabi, the portrait of Louis XIV, and other famous works of art. (Fun fact: There are around 35,000 art pieces. Rumor has it you'd need six weeks to see it all, even if you just stopped for half a minute at each item.)

Steves suggests booking a timed ticket in advance, which you can do right on the Louvre website. General admission is just under $24 and free for those under 18 (or EU residents under 26). Also on the site is the list of entrances and whether or not they're open at the time you check the website. 

The Le Carrousel du Louvre entrance is for people both with and without pre-booked tickets. You'll still have to go through the security line, but it's much less crowded. You are restricted to a maximum bag size of 21" x 14" x 8", and cannot bring anything sharp or anything that sprays inside, though there are lockers in the museum. There are actually two other entrances in addition to this one and the main pyramid. 

In addition to the underground mall entrance (above), if you book a tour with a group or with specific memberships, you can enter at the Passage Richelieu entrance. You can also choose the Porte des Lions on Quai François-Mitterrand, which is for visitors with a ticket, and it happens to be close to the Mona Lisa. It's closed on Fridays, and sometimes closed for other reasons, so have a map handy, just in case. This entrance doesn't have a cloakroom, so don't bring anything you don't need with you. 

It's also important to check the website for hours, as they can change. At the time of this writing, the museum is closed on Tuesdays, open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays. Steves, who always has great recommendations for timing, like when to visit Versailles, suggests visiting the Louvre during the late evening hours for fewer crowds. 

Steves says planning ahead for vacation activities is important to get the most out of your trip, and that's especially true if you want to see the Mona Lisa, the most famous piece in the Louvre. It's a good idea to go over a map and see where things are so you can decide what to concentrate on. (She's in the Denon wing in room six, by the way.)