Best Louvre Entrance: Avoid the Pyramid Queue

The Louvre has four public entrances, not one. But the glass Pyramid — the famous, Instagrammable, I.M. Pei-designed main gateway — attracts the overwhelming majority of visitors, which is exactly why you should consider the others. Using the right entrance can cut 30–60 minutes off your security wait, before you’ve even seen a painting.

This guide covers all four entrances, when each is open, who can use them, and the smartest choice based on your ticket type and visit plan.

The Four Louvre Entrances at a Glance

1. The Pyramid Entrance (Main)

Location: Centre of the Cour Napoléon courtyard, under the glass pyramid.

The Pyramid is the Louvre’s official main entrance and by far the most crowded. During peak season (April–October) the line to reach the security check can wrap around the courtyard, with wait times of 30 minutes to over an hour. It’s outdoors, so you’re exposed to weather, and it handles both ticket holders and walk-up buyers, which slows everything down.

Use the Pyramid if:

• You want the iconic architectural entrance experience
• You don’t have a ticket yet and need to buy one on site
• You need accessibility services provided directly at the Pyramid (tube lift, staff assistance)
• You’re visiting with a baby carrier or pram that needs the Pyramid’s dedicated lifts

Skip the Pyramid if: You have a pre-booked ticket, a Paris Museum Pass, or any reserved-access product. The Carrousel gives you the same museum access, 30 minutes faster.

Tip: Even if you use the Pyramid to enter, you can still exit through it on your way out. You get the photo and the architecture experience without queuing for it.

2. The Carrousel du Louvre Entrance (Recommended)

Location: 99 Rue de Rivoli, accessed through the Carrousel du Louvre underground shopping mall, or directly from the Palais Royal–Musée du Louvre metro station (Lines 1 and 7).

This is the entrance we recommend for almost everyone with a pre-booked ticket. It’s underground (so no weather), climate-controlled, and connected to the metro, which means you can travel from anywhere in Paris and stay indoors the whole way. Security lines are dramatically shorter — typically 5–20 minutes even at peak — because the entrance skews heavily toward pre-ticketed visitors.

Use the Carrousel if:

• You have a pre-booked standard ticket, skip-the-line ticket, or Paris Museum Pass
• You’re taking the metro (it’s connected directly)
• You need a wheelchair-accessible, step-free entrance
• You have a stroller and want smooth access
• You want to grab food or shop before/after your visit

Important: The Carrousel does not admit visitors without tickets. If you haven’t booked online, you’ll need to buy from the ticket machines inside the Carrousel or go to the Pyramid. In practice, always book online first.

How to find it:

• From the metro: Exit at Palais Royal–Musée du Louvre (Line 1 or 7), follow signs for “Musée du Louvre” — you’re routed directly into the Carrousel
• From Rue de Rivoli: Enter at 99 Rue de Rivoli and walk down the escalators into the Carrousel du Louvre mall, then follow signs to the museum entrance
• From the underground car park: The Louvre Carrousel car park (entrance on Avenue du Général Lemonnier) connects directly to the Carrousel entrance

3. Passage Richelieu Entrance

Location: On the north side of the Cour Napoléon, between the Richelieu Wing and Rue de Rivoli.

This is the Louvre’s most restricted entrance. It’s reserved for groups (including booked guided tours of up to 6 people with a licensed guide), membership card holders (Amis du Louvre, ICOM, Ministère de la Culture staff, and certain patron societies), and visitors with the official Paris Museum Pass. If you qualify, it’s usually the fastest entrance at the museum.

Use the Passage Richelieu if:

• You’re on a booked guided tour with a licensed guide (e.g., a small-group guided tour)
• You hold an Amis du Louvre membership
• You’re visiting on a Paris Museum Pass and want the quickest line
• Your tour group has pre-arranged this entrance

Important: The Passage Richelieu has different hours from the rest of the museum. It closes daily at 5:30 PM, and on Wednesdays and Fridays at 7:30 PM — earlier than the museum’s 9:45 PM late opening. If you’re visiting in the evening, you can’t use this entrance.

4. Porte des Lions Entrance

Location: Quai François Mitterrand, on the south side of the museum facing the Seine River.

The Porte des Lions is the Louvre’s wildcard entrance. When it’s open, it’s typically the fastest and quietest entrance at the whole museum — security takes 5–10 minutes, and sometimes there’s no queue at all. The catch is that the Louvre closes it without notice, often for operational reasons, and its opening schedule is genuinely unpredictable.

Use the Porte des Lions if:

• You’ve confirmed (same-day) that it’s open
• You have a pre-booked ticket (walk-ups can’t buy tickets here most days)
• You’re travelling light — there’s no cloakroom, so large bags mean you’ll be turned away
• You want direct access to the Denon Wing (where the Mona Lisa is)

Known limitations:

• Closes at 6:00 PM daily (last entry 5:00 PM)
• Closed on Tuesdays (like the rest of the museum)
• Sometimes closed on Fridays, though this varies
• No equipment loans or lockers at this entrance
• Ticket office may not be staffed

Don’t plan your visit around Porte des Lions. Use it as a bonus if you happen to be walking by and it’s open — otherwise stick with the Carrousel.

Which Entrance Should You Use?

Here’s the decision by visitor type:

Solo traveller with a pre-booked ticket → Carrousel

Couple with a skip-the-line ticket → Carrousel

Family with young children + stroller → Carrousel (step-free, climate-controlled, cleanest access)

Wheelchair user or visitor with mobility needs → Carrousel (for its accessibility) or Pyramid (for direct staff assistance at the tube lift)

Tour group on a guided tour → Passage Richelieu (your guide will take you there)

Paris Museum Pass holder → Passage Richelieu (if open) or Carrousel

Walk-up visitor buying tickets on site → Pyramid (only entrance that consistently sells on-the-day tickets)

Evening visitor (Wednesday/Friday after 7:30 PM) → Pyramid or Carrousel (Passage Richelieu and Porte des Lions are closed)

First-timer who wants the photo → Pyramid (or enter through Carrousel and exit through the Pyramid, which we recommend)

Entrance Opening Hours

Each entrance has slightly different hours — this catches a lot of visitors out.

The full museum closure rules apply — see Louvre Opening Hours for the complete schedule including public holidays.

Security & What’s Allowed at Each Entrance

All four entrances have mandatory security checks. You’ll pass through metal detectors, and bags go through X-ray machines — same setup as an airport.

Bag size limit: 55 × 35 × 20 cm (21.5 × 14 × 8 inches). Anything larger will be refused. The Pyramid and Carrousel entrances have free cloakrooms for storing bags within this size range. The Passage Richelieu and Porte des Lions do not.

Prohibited items: Large backpacks, suitcases, tripods, selfie sticks, long umbrellas, knives, and anything the security team judges a hazard.

Baby carriers: Only front-worn carriers are allowed. Back-worn carriers must be removed. Prams are allowed, and the museum loans out smaller ones at the Pyramid if yours is too large for the lifts.

For the full breakdown of what you can and can’t bring, see Louvre Rules: Bags, Photos, Food & What’s Allowed.

Tips for a Fast Entry

Regardless of which entrance you choose, these tricks reduce your total wait:

Book a timed-entry ticket. Every entrance except walk-up at the Pyramid requires one. Book your time slot 2–4 weeks ahead in peak season, 1–2 weeks off-season.

Arrive 10 minutes before your time slot. Not earlier — you won’t be let through security until your window opens. Much earlier means you’ll stand around outside, possibly in the rain.

Pack light. Anything under a small crossbody bag or backpack breezes through security. Bulky items mean longer searches.

Use the metro, not taxis. The Carrousel entrance is directly connected to the metro. A taxi drops you outside, where you’ll walk to the Pyramid or Rue de Rivoli entrance anyway.

Don’t arrive at opening rush (8:45–9:15 AM). The first wave of visitors all queue at 9 AM. Arrive at 9:30 or 10:00 AM, and the Pyramid line shortens dramatically.