A Musée d’Orsay tour comes down to one question: do you want the Impressionists explained by a person, with the entry arranged for you? I compared nine guided Musée d’Orsay tours, from $45 to $284, and each includes museum entry. This page puts them side by side, with route, group size, languages, meeting point and what reviewers say. If you only want the entry, my guide to tickets for the Musée d’Orsay covers every option.
What a Musée d’Orsay Tour Adds Over a Plain Ticket
The museum is housed in the former Gare d’Orsay, a Beaux-Arts railway station built from 1898 to 1900, and it holds mainly French art from 1848 to 1914, including what Wikipedia calls the largest collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist masterpieces in the world. That is a lot of rooms. A guided Musée d’Orsay tour gives you three things: a selection of the works that matter, the story that links them, and a booked entry. It does not give you the whole museum, because the tours run about 1.5 to 2 hours.
I could not open the museum’s own ticket page when I wrote this, so I do not quote its adult price. The one plain entry I compared costs $47 and includes a Seine cruise but no guide, as my tickets page explains.
Large-Group Musée d’Orsay Tours With Entry
Four of the tours follow the same shape: meet the guide opposite the museum, enter with the group, walk the highlights.
Memories France is the Musée d’Orsay tour I would start with, because 1,257 reviews at 4.8 is the biggest sample here. It costs $71, the guide talks for about 1 hour 45 minutes, and the price includes a dedicated entrance, all entrance fees and headsets when appropriate. It runs in English only. The guide stands opposite the main entrance, next to the Legion d’Honneur museum, with an orange lanyard, and the listing says not to join the museum queue. You can stay as long as you like in the museum afterwards, and refunds are not possible for missed tours. The review summary on GetYourGuide notes some travellers found the pace tight.
Memories France
Musée d'Orsay: Guided Tour with an Expert
★4.8 (1,257 reviews)
1.5 - 2.5 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: The most reviewed Musée d'Orsay tour: $71, 4.8 from 1,257 reviews, entry included, English, and you can stay on after the guide leaves.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ 1 hour 45 minutes guided tour of the Musée d’Orsay
✓ Fully accredited local guide
✓ Dedicated entrance and all entrance fees
✓ Headsets when appropriate so you can always hear your guide
✓ Stay as long as you like in the museum after your tour
Not included / not suitable
✕ Hotel pick-up/drop-off
✕ Gratuities (optional)
Meeting point: Meet your guide opposite the main entrance to the Musée d'Orsay, next to the entrance of the Legion d'Honneur Museum.
Your guide will be just by the entrance and will be wearing their guide badge on an orange lanyard.
Please do not get in the lines for the museum!
Nearest stations: RER Station Musée d’Orsay (Line C) or metro Solferino (line 12). 2 Rue de la Légion d'Honneur, 75007 Paris, France
Languages: English
Duration: 1.5 - 2.5 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“It was a wonderful excursion!Antonio was a perfect guide !Thank you !” – GetYourGuide review
City Wonders is $66 for 2 hours, the cheapest English tour I compared, and 4.5 stars from 525 reviews. An art historian guide leads, and the price includes the entry and reservation fees plus a headset. The guide waits at the entrance of the Musée de la Légion d’Honneur, next to the stairs, with a City Wonders sign. The listing says it cannot take wheelchairs or strollers and that many museum sections are not air-conditioned. A reviewer who booked it because timed tickets were sold out found that the guide delivered much more than access, and another says the guide got the group into a sold-out Renoir exhibit, though it is a one-off report. One reviewer was disappointed that popular works were on loan, which no guide can fix.
City Wonders Ltd.
Musée d'Orsay Masterpieces Guided Tour
★4.5 (525 reviews)
2 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: The cheapest English guided tour: $66, 2 hours, an art historian, entry included, 4.5 from 525 reviews.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ English-speaking art historian guide
✓ Entrance and reservation fees for the Musée d'Orsay
✓ Headset to hear the guide clearly (when necessary)
Not included / not suitable
✕ Tips
✕ Transportation
Meeting point: Meet your guide at the entrance of the Musée de la Légion d’Honneur (Rue de la Légion d’Honneur), situated next to the stairs ascending toward the Musée d’Orsay. The guide will be waiting with a City Wonders sign at the meeting point for easy recognition.
The nearest public transport stop is on the RER (Line C) Musée d'Orsay Station. You can also take Metro Line 12 to Solferino. Leave via exit 2, signposted "Musee d'Orsay," and turn left. Walk up Rue de Bellechasse to the museum.
If you are arriving by foot, the Musée d'Orsay overlooks the River Seine on Quai Anatole France. It's the large building with 2 clocks on the river-facing facade. The courtyard in front of the main entrance is between the Quai Anatole France and Rue de la Legion d'Honneur. 5 Rue de la Légion d'Honneur, 75007 Paris, France
Languages: English
Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Knowledgeable, friendly, interesting and accommodating guide (Carolina). We were disappointed that many popular works were out on loan but we know that is the nature of the industry.” – GetYourGuide review
Shedlight costs $70 for 1.5 hours in French or English and has 4.8 stars from 166 reviews. The tour is built around the birth of Impressionism. One reviewer says the guide began by asking what they wanted to see, and another wished the tour were longer. Private or small-group options are available. The guide waits in front of the Legion of Honor museum.
Shedlight
Musée d'Orsay: Guided Tour of Impressionism with Ticket Included
★4.8 (166 reviews)
1.5 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: The Impressionism-focused one: $70, 1.5 hours, French or English, 4.8 from 166 reviews.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Welcome by the live guide at the meeting point
✓ Admission ticket to the Musée d’Orsay
✓ 1.5-hour guided tour
Not included / not suitable
✕ Food and drinks
✕ Transportation to the museum
Meeting point: The guide will be waiting for visitors right in front of the Legion of Honor Museum, which is opposite the Musée d'Orsay. Esplanade Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, 75007 Paris, France
Languages: French, English
Duration: 1.5 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Our guide of Musée d’Orsay was excellent. We had been to this museum several times before, but she was able to tell us things about the impressionist paintings that were completely new to us.” – GetYourGuide review
Uncle Sam Tours is $69 for 1.5 to 2 hours in English, with reserved entry, admission and a guide for the highlights, including the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces. It has 5 stars, but from 4 reviews, and the meeting point varies with the option you pick.
Uncle Sam Tours
Musée d'Orsay Expert Guided Tour with Scheduled Access
★5.0 (4 reviews)
1.5 - 2 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: A $69 highlights tour with reserved entry, but only 4 reviews, so treat 5.0 as a first impression.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Reserved entry to the museum
✓ Admission to the Musée d'Orsay
✓ Expert English-speaking guide
✓ Guided tour of the museum's highlights
✓ See famous Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces
Not included / not suitable
✕ Hotel pickup and drop-off
✕ Food and drinks
✕ Gratuities
Meeting point: Meeting point may vary depending on the option you select. Check availability for more details.
Languages: English
Duration: 1.5 - 2 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Absolutely awesome! Nea is an excellent guide! She is so knowledgeable and fun! We learnt a lot!” – GetYourGuide review
Two Musée d’Orsay tours cap the group at 6 and charge about $30 to $40 more.
Walks In Europe is $105 for 2 hours, 4.9 stars from 20 reviews. It includes pre-reserved tickets, an audio guide in English, the permanent collections and all temporary exhibitions, and it offers semi-private and private options. The listing is wheelchair accessible. Arrive 15 minutes early because the tickets are timed, and note that you cannot join once the tour starts. Two reviewers could not find the guide in the summer 2024 crowds, one after waiting 30 minutes, so confirm the Legion d’Honneur meeting point in your booking.
Walks In Europe
Musée d'Orsay Highlights Guided Tour with Pre-Reserved Tickets
★4.9 (20 reviews)
2 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: The small-group pick that includes temporary exhibitions: $105, up to 6 guests, 4.9 from 20 reviews.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Pre-reserved tickets to the Musée d'Orsay
✓ Expert local guide with insider knowledge
✓ Exclusive group of up to 6 guests
✓ Semi-private and private tour options available
✓ Guided tour of the permanent collections
✓ Access to all of the temporary exhibitions
Not included / not suitable
✕ Transportation to the meeting point
Meeting point: We will meet in front of the Musée de la Légion d’Honneur, directly across from the Musée d’Orsay. Our guide will be there holding a Walks in Europe sign. 5 Rue de la Légion d'Honneur, 75007 Paris, France
Languages: English
Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Merav was an excellent tour guide with a vast knowledge of art history.” – GetYourGuide review
Exploring Tours and Services is $101 for 2 hours, 4.9 stars from 17 reviews, in English, Italian and Spanish. The group is a semi-private tour of up to 6, with an experienced licensed guide, and the guide holds a GetYourGuide sign at the Legion d’Honneur museum. Reviews are in several languages, and French and Italian reviewers call the guide exceptionally well prepared.
Exploring Tours and Services
Small-Group Guided Tour of the Musée d'Orsay
★4.9 (17 reviews)
2 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: Up to 6 people, 4.9 from 17 reviews, $101, in English, Italian or Spanish.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Semi-private guided tour (small group of up to 6 people)
✓ Experienced Licensed Guide
✓ Available in English, Spanish, Italian & French
Not included / not suitable
✕ Food and beverages
✕ Gratuities
Meeting point: The guide will meet you at the entrance of the Musée de la Légion d’Honneur, located at 2 Rue de la Légion d’Honneur, 75007 Paris, directly opposite the entrance to the Musée d’Orsay. The guide will be holding a GetYourGuide sign. 2 Rue de la Légion d'Honneur, 75007 Paris, France
Languages: English, Italian, Spanish
Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“It was wonderful! Arsen was so knowledgeable and he made it so interesting and informative. We really enjoyed our time there. Arsen made sure all our needs were met, before, during and after the tour.” – GetYourGuide review
If English is not your language, three Musée d’Orsay tours are worth a look. Visites Spectacles is the cheapest tour I compared at $45, a 100-minute theatrical tour in French led by an actor, with access to the permanent exhibit and not to the temporary exhibitions. It meets in front of Entrance B on the Esplanade Valéry Giscard d’Estaing and has 5 stars from 2 reviews.
Visites - Spectacles
Paris - Musée d'Orsay: Theatrical guided tour in French
★5.0 (2 reviews)
100 minutes
Free cancellation
My pick: The cheapest at $45: a theatrical tour in French, permanent collection only, 2 reviews.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Admission is included in the price of the activity.
✓ This tour grants access to the permanent exhibit of the Orsay Museum.
Not included / not suitable
✕ This tour does not include access to the temporary exhibitions.
Meeting point: Outside the Musée d'Orsay - In front of Entrance B - Esplanade Valéry Giscard d'Estaing - 75007 Paris Esp. Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, 75007 Paris, France
Languages: French
Duration: 100 minutes
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Superbe visite, la guide était intéressante elle expliquait très bien et j’ai pu comprendre ce qu’était l’impressionnisme. Le parcours montre de très beaux tableaux! Je conseille, même aux enfants!” – GetYourGuide review
Paris Tours runs a 2.5-hour tour in Spanish for $97 with entry, a personal audio system and a cloakroom. The listing says the museum entrance is under construction, so the guide contacts you the day before or that morning to give the exact meeting point. It has 5 stars from 2 reviews.
Paris Tours
Guided Tour of the Musée d'Orsay - Tickets Included
★5.0 (2 reviews)
2.5 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: The Spanish-language tour: $97, 2.5 hours, audio system and cloakroom, 2 reviews.
What you get, where you meet
Included
✓ Professional Spanish-speaking guide
✓ Entrance fee
✓ Personal audio system
✓ Cloakroom
Meeting point: The tour guide will contact you the day before or on the morning of the sightseeing tour. They will be holding a sign that says "PARIS TOURS".
* The museum entrance is under construction, so the tour guide will indicate the exact location on the morning of the tour. Near the RER exit Esplanade Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, 75007 Paris, Francia
Languages: Spanish
Duration: 2.5 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Rosotravel sells a private guided tour at $284, the most expensive Musée d’Orsay tour here, with no rating yet. The guide is a licensed art guide, the languages run to 11 and the entry is included. The longer options add an Île de la Cité walk, and some add private car transfers, so read which option you choose. You meet at the Thomas Jefferson statue on Rue de Solférino. It suits a family or small group that wants one guide for the day.
Rosotravel - France Tours & Experiences
Musée d'Orsay Paris Tour, Fast-Track Tickets, Private Guide
2 - 4 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: The private option: $284, 11 languages, optional Île de la Cité walk and transfers, no reviews yet.
What you get, where you meet
Included
✓ Private Guided Tour of Musée d'Orsay and Île de la Cité, the Old Town of Paris (number of attractions depends on the selected option)
✓ Licensed Art Guide who is fluent in the chosen language
✓ Entrance tickets to Musée d'Orsay (all options)
✓ Île de la Cité, Old Town tour with free admission to Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois (4 and 5.5-hour options only)
✓ Private car transfers with pickup and drop-off service (3.5 and 5.5-hour options only)
Not included / not suitable
✕ Île de la Cité, Old Town tour with free admission to Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois (in 2 and 3,5-hour options)
✕ Private car transfers with pickup and drop-off service (in 2 and 4-hour options)
Meeting point: Meet your guide by the Statue de Thomas Jefferson, Rue de Solferino, 75007 Paris, France
On the larger tours, yes. In the review texts I read, the praise goes to the guide: knowledge, humour and the way they link the art to its history. The complaints are small and practical: crowds in the galleries, a wish for more time, and meeting-point trouble.
“Eleanor was knowledgeable, kind, and witty. We thoroughly enjoyed her tour. A good value.”
— GetYourGuide reviewer
That tells me the guide you draw matters more than the operator’s name. I cannot choose your guide, but the tours with the most reviews give the least random result.
Guided Musée d’Orsay Tour or Ticket Only?
The one plain entry I compared is $47 and includes a Seine cruise, is non-refundable and has no guide. The cheapest English guided tour with entry is $66, so the guide adds about $19 against that ticket, and the cruise comes with it only on the plain ticket. If you like to wander at your own pace and know what you want to see, the ticket alone is fine. If you would otherwise spend your time hunting for the famous works, a Musée d’Orsay tour saves it. My page on Musée d’Orsay tickets explains the plain entry.
Small Group, Private or Standard Musée d’Orsay Tours
The split is clear in the listings. Standard group tours are Memories France, City Wonders, Uncle Sam Tours and Shedlight (which also lists private or small groups). Group size is stated for just two tours, both capped at 6: Walks In Europe and Exploring Tours. Truly private is Rosotravel. Some reviewers of the large-group tours report tours of two to six people, which is luck, not a promise.
How I’d Choose a Musée d’Orsay Tour
First visit: Memories France at $71, for the 1,257 reviews and the freedom to stay on.
Cheapest in English: City Wonders at $66.
Small group: Walks In Europe at $105 or Exploring Tours at $101, both up to 6.
French or Spanish: Visites Spectacles at $45, Shedlight at $70 or Paris Tours at $97.
Private: Rosotravel at $284.
Temporary exhibitions: Walks In Europe, the one that lists them.
Before you book, check the Musée d’Orsay opening hours, because Thursday is the late night and Monday is closed per Google Maps. My Musée d’Orsay map shows what a tour reaches inside, and the Musée d’Orsay history page gives the background your guide will not have time for. When you are ready to pick, the full list of Musée d’Orsay tickets is the place to go, and the home page lists the other attractions I compare.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Musée d'Orsay tour worth it?+
I think so if you want the collection explained and the entry sorted in one booking. The most-reviewed Musée d'Orsay tour, Memories France at $71, has 4.8 stars from 1,257 reviews, and reviewers praise the guides far more than anything else. Their one common wish is more time, so plan to stay on after the guide leaves.
How long is a Musée d'Orsay tour?+
Most run 1.5 to 2 hours. Shedlight and Uncle Sam Tours start at 1.5 hours, City Wonders, Walks In Europe and Exploring Tours are 2 hours, Paris Tours is 2.5 hours in Spanish, and the Memories France guide talks for about 1 hour 45 minutes. The private Rosotravel tour has longer options that add the Île de la Cité.
Do Musée d'Orsay tours include the entry ticket?+
Yes, all nine I compared include museum entry in the price. Walks In Europe also lists access to the temporary exhibitions, while the Visites Spectacles theatrical tour covers the permanent exhibit only. I could not read the museum's own ticket prices, so I cannot give an exact gap to a plain ticket.
Which Musée d'Orsay tour is best for a small group?+
Walks In Europe at $105 and Exploring Tours at $101 both cap their groups at 6 and have 4.9 stars, from 20 and 17 reviews. Walks In Europe also lists semi-private and private options. Both cost about $30 to $40 more than the large-group tours.
Is there a Musée d'Orsay tour in French or Spanish?+
Yes. Visites Spectacles runs a $45 theatrical tour in French, Shedlight offers French or English at $70, and Paris Tours runs a Spanish tour at $97. Exploring Tours also lists Spanish and Italian, and the Rosotravel private tour offers 11 languages.
Where do I meet the guide for a Musée d'Orsay tour?+
For most tours it is not at the museum door. Memories France, City Wonders, Shedlight, Walks In Europe and Exploring Tours meet at the Musée de la Légion d'Honneur, opposite the Orsay. Visites Spectacles meets in front of Entrance B, and Rosotravel meets at the Thomas Jefferson statue on Rue de Solférino.
