How to See the Louvre Without the Crowds

The Louvre is the most visited museum in the world, and 80% of visitors funnel into the same three rooms: the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, and the Winged Victory. Everywhere else is surprisingly calm — if you know when to go and which entrance to use.

Use the Porte des Lions entrance

Almost no one knows it exists. It opens onto the Denon wing and skips the pyramid queue entirely. Not open every day — check the daily schedule before you arrive.

Go on a Wednesday or Friday evening

The museum stays open until 9:45pm. From 6pm onward the day crowds are gone, the lighting on the sculptures is extraordinary, and you can sit alone in front of a Vermeer.

See the Mona Lisa last, not first

Everyone rushes to her at opening. Go at 5pm instead — the queue is often five minutes or less. Then walk the Grande Galerie in near silence.

The rooms almost no one visits

The Napoleon III Apartments, the Islamic Art wing, and the Egyptian antiquities on the lower ground floor. All three are world-class and often nearly empty.