Guided Tours

Orsay Museum Guided Tour: Home of the Impressionists

View from inside the Orsay Museum, Paris, featuring the iconic giant clock, included in the Combo: Rodin Museum Skip-the-Line Tickets + Orsay Museum Tickets package

Tourists on a semi-private guided tour inside Musée d'Orsay, Paris, viewing art exhibits.

Couple in front of painting Ball at the Moulin de la Galette, Orsay, Paris

Experience some of the world's most famous artworks at the Orsay Museum, including works by icons like Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, and more on a guided tour with skip-the-line tickets.

Highlights

Skip the lines and explore the diverse collection beyond Impressionism, featuring works from the French Realist and Symbolist movements at the Orsay Museum with a guide by your side.
Explore an extensive collection of French Realist and Symbolist art and gain insights into the cultural and artistic developments of the late 19th century.
You'll find paintings and sculptures from greats such as Renoir, Degas, Cézanne, and Gaugin, as well as iconic pieces from Monet, Manet, and Seurat.
Upgrade your tour to a premium one that includes a smaller and more personalized group tour with only 6 people.
Fun fact: American film director Orson Welles shot his adaptation of Franz Kafka's The Trial here.

Inclusions

Tour of the Orsay Museum
Small groups of 6 or 20 guests
Expert English-speaking tour guide
Fast-track entry tickets to Orsay Museum
Outdoor guided walking tour along the Seine River (optional)

Cancellation policy

You can cancel these tickets up to 48 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.

Reviews

3.8

67 ratings

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Paul

5/5

Dec, 2024

Our guide was quite good. He fleshed out the lives of the artists, and knowledgeably taught us about the techniques and materials of the painters

Jasper

3/5

Nov, 2024

The guide was late at the appiontment. He appeared to have had a wonderful night the night before. He was not inspiring at all, quite routinely led us through the museum.

David

4/5

Oct, 2024

Tinu was very pleasant and knowledgeable. We did see many paintings that she provided excellent details that we otherwise would not have seen. Merci

Sarah

5/5

Oct, 2024

Our guide Adam was simply amazing! Friendly knowledgeable and interesting. What was distressing are the crowd sizes that the museum allows. Should be better control of that. After guided tour could not remain to browse on our own. Way too many people!!!!

Jurga

4/5

Sep, 2024

Our guide was really professional! Some information on the meeting point within booking info or ticket itself would help your clients to be more relaxed. We were pointed to the main queue by the employee of museum (as there is no information in the ticket, only how to reach museum itself), altghough our guide was standing outside and waiting for us.

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Your experience

Your guided tour at the Orsay Museum is akin to a trip back in time to Paris's golden age. This was an era that saw the city transform into the axis of Western painting and sculpture, producing some of history's greatest artists in a few decades. Follow your guide and get a brief overview of the history: what led to the birth of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, and the revolutionary techniques in the 19th and early 20th centuries that changed what art means forever.

The museum is a must-visit if you want to see masterpieces such as Van Gogh, Renoir, and Manet, as well as the unique dots of Georges Seurat’s pointillism. If you get close enough, you can even feel the airiness of Monet's impressions! Your tour will be enhanced further thanks to the amazing commentary by your expert English-speaking guide. They will take you through the best path of the collection so you can observe the most famous works of art and sprinkle your journey with tales about the artists. Learn about how Van Gogh lived and died, and envisioned life in the Belle Époque ('beautiful era').

Optional outdoor guided walking tour along the Seine

Embark on a wholesome walking tour with a guide by your side that covers the history, highlights, architecture, and so much more of the Seine bridges and sights. Begin your tour at the Henri IV statue in the middle of the Pont Neuf, the first Parisian bridge built in stone. You can gain insight into a significant aspect of Paris's identity by hearing the tales of the two very different sides, the Rive Droite and the Rive Gauche, at the Pont du Carrousel and Pont Royal. A well-known landmark on the northern bank is the Louvre itself, which you will also see!

Know before you go

Accessibility

Wheelchairs are available in exchange for a piece of identification.
Cloakrooms are available free of charge for visitors to drop off their coats, small luggage, and other items subject to a compulsory deposit.
The deposit capacity will be reduced due to ongoing maintenance work in the cloakrooms. Please try and limit personal belongings during your visit.
Cabin-size baggage (56x45x25 cm) is allowed, but valuables are not accepted.

Additional information

Entry is free on the first Sunday of every month.

My tickets

Your voucher will be emailed to you instantly.
Display the voucher on your mobile phone with a valid photo ID at the meeting point.
Please arrive at the meeting point 15 minutes before the scheduled time of your tour to avoid any delays.