How to buy Louvre tickets when it's sold out?

Summer 2024 Update:

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The Louvre has informed us that during the Olympic Games, some dates might not be available. We already know that the museum will be closed on July 25th and 26th. They are still waiting on an answer from the Olympic Committee as to the organization. Here are the dates that might be unavailable:

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• Thursday, July 18th to Wednesday, July 24th
• Saturday, August 3rd to Sunday, August 4th
• Saturday, August 10th to Sunday, August 11th
• Monday, August 26th to Wednesday, August 28th

If you see these dates unavailable on their website, it's not sold out, just not available yet.

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Our Usual Recommendations

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It's fairly easy throughout the year to get tickets for the Louvre Museum when you buy them a few weeks ahead. However, in some periods, known as peak season, such as Christmas, Easter, or July, a lot of dates or time slots are unavailable. Even some companies struggle to find them at the last minute. However, at Dayin, we became the masters of the Louvre. We can always get tickets. Here are a few of our secrets:

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Get up early

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I'm sure you'd expect me to say, "Get up early and go to the Louvre." No! That's what most people do, and they end up queuing. During low season, it's okay, but during peak season, you might wait as much as 1h30.

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The secret here is that the Louvre updates its stocks of tickets the day before or in the morning. So between 9:20 am and 9:45 am, you have the opportunity to buy tickets for the same day, later during the day. The downside of this technique, is that it's not 100% sure; it depends on cancellations and if you're fast enough to grab the available tickets.

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Find resellers

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Some websites have partnerships with the Louvre, and they can resell tickets that are not linked to the inventory of the Louvre. This last part is very important because some websites will display tickets but if the Louvre is sold out, so are they.

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Others have their own inventory, and you might pay slightly more for the tickets (it shouldn't be more than 5€), but at least you'll have them. Headout is one of these platforms, Tiqets is another one.

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Go to the Louvre (late)

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The Louvre sells tickets inside the museum. They always have availability, but as mentioned earlier, the issue is the line to get in. That's why we recommend going later in the day, around 4 pm (be careful, they start emptying the rooms at 5:30pm). Usually, most people have already done something of their day and won't go to the museum that late. The line should be much shorter then.

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Book a tour with us!

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Of course, I couldn't finish this article without promoting our tours! We know the Louvre like our own home, I've been coming to the museum since I was 5 years old, and I know all the ins and outs. Your first issue might be to find tickets; however once inside, it's not the easiest place to navigate.

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Having a guide removes all the hassle; you don't have to worry about the tickets, what to see and what's the story behind it. We created a nicely wrapped 2h tour (more is honestly overwhelming), that covers the highlights of this must-see museum. See below for more!