District · Paris
Louvre, Tuileries and Orsay (1st and 7th)Louvre, Tuileries, Orsay
The Louvre and the Tuileries Garden, with the Orsay across the river; grand and busy by day.
Key facts
- Suits
- Museums, gardens, river walks
- Sights here
- 5
- Eats here
- 4
What it's like
- Feels:
- Grand, formal and busy
- Suits:
- Museums, gardens, river walks
- Best time:
- Opening and after 17:00Opening and after 5:00 PM
- Watch out for:
- Midday queues.
- In short:
- The Louvre and the Tuileries Garden, with the Orsay across the river; grand and busy by day.
About these names
Paris is walkable but large; treat it as clusters linked by the metro. The four clusters on the trip line cover the first-visit sights.
Where exactly
This district is highlighted. Shapes follow this guide's walking areas and places, not official boundaries.
Shaded shapes: walking areas (click one). Black pins: sleep areas. Grey dots: places. Round badges: arrivals. Click the map to turn on scroll-wheel zoom.
Louvre, Tuileries and Orsay (1st and 7th)Louvre, Tuileries, Orsay
see
The Louvre and the Tuileries Garden, with the Orsay across the river; grand and busy by day.
Suits: Museums, gardens, river walks
On the map: Jardin des Tuileries, Jardin du Palais-Royal, Musée d'Orsay, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Louvre Museum
District guideWalk: Louvre, Tuileries & Musée d'OrsayIn the districts table
Off the map: Paris Orly Airport (ORY) (30–40 min by the usual route).
Not drawn yet (no coordinates in this guide): Montmartre (18th), Saint-Germain and Montparnasse (6th). They are in the neighbourhood cards below.
Where’s what, as a list:
- Le Marais (3rd and 4th) (Le Marais): Medieval streets, courtyards, Place des Vosges and the Jewish quarter; busy on Sundays when shops open. Suits: First visit, food, shops, evening walks. Price band $$$.
- Latin Quarter and the islands (5th and 4th) (Quartier latin, Île de la Cité): Narrow streets around the Sorbonne and Notre-Dame; touristy near the cathedral, calmer toward the Luxembourg Gardens. Suits: History, students' Paris, Notre-Dame, cafés. Price band $$$.
- Louvre, Tuileries and Orsay (1st and 7th) (Louvre, Tuileries, Orsay): The Louvre and the Tuileries Garden, with the Orsay across the river; grand and busy by day. Suits: Museums, gardens, river walks.
- Eiffel Tower and Trocadéro (7th and 16th) (Tour Eiffel, Trocadéro): Wide avenues and long queues; the quietest hours are the first and last of the day. Suits: The tower, views, a river cruise.
- Montmartre (18th) (Montmartre): Sacré-Cœur and steep lanes; a metro ride away and very busy at midday. Suits: Views, hills, painters' Paris.
- Saint-Germain and Montparnasse (6th) (Saint-Germain-des-Prés): Pricey and elegant; near the Luxembourg Gardens. Suits: Cafés, bookshops, quiet evenings.
- Sleep area 7th arrondissement (Eiffel Tower and Invalides): suits Families, older travellers, price band $$$.
- Sleep area Latin Quarter and Saint-Germain: suits History, students' Paris, Notre-Dame, cafés, price band $$$.
- Sleep area Le Marais: suits First visit, food, shops, evening walks, price band $$$.
- Sleep area Palais-Royal and Louvre: suits Families, older travellers, price band $$$.
- Sleep area Saint-Germain-des-Prés: suits Families, older travellers, price band $$$.
- Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), about 23 km (14 mi)14 mi (23 km) from the centre, 40–55 min by the usual route.
- Paris Orly Airport (ORY), 30–40 min by the usual route.
Stay here?
Not a base in this guide
See
Opening hours and prices from each place page; (check) means typical hours, not yet verified.
Impressionists in a former railway station: plan 90–120 minutes with a timed ticket; closed on Mondays.
- Hours:
- Open Tuesday to Sunday; closed Monday; late Thursday (check).(check)
Walk it between the Louvre and Place de la Concorde: free, shaded in parts, with chairs and a pond; 20–60 minutes at any pace. Good after a museum.
- Hours:
- Open daily from the morning to the evening; closing time changes by season; check the official guide.(check)
- Entry:
- Free
Go for design, furniture, fashion and toys in a wing of the Louvre palace on the Rue de Rivoli; 90 minutes, usually quiet. Closed Mondays.
- Hours:
- Open Tuesday to Sunday, usually from about 11:00 to 18:00; closed Monday; confirm on the official site.Open Tuesday to Sunday, usually from about 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM; closed Monday; confirm on the official site.(check)
- Closed:
- Closed Mon
Stop for 20–40 minutes in a quiet arcaded garden behind the Louvre, with the Buren columns in the courtyard; free, good for a bench and a coffee.
- Hours:
- Open daily, usually from the morning until dusk; closing time changes by season (check).(check)
- Entry:
- Free
- Louvre MuseumBook a time
Book a timed slot, go in at opening and choose two or three wings: the Mona Lisa room is a crush after 10:30; the museum is closed on Tuesdays.
- Hours:
- Open Wednesday to Monday; closed Tuesday; confirm times.(check)
Eat
What to order and what locals pay, from each eat page. Prices are estimates; check the menu.
- Angelina tea room (Rivoli)
A tea room on Rue de Rivoli famous for thick hot chocolate and the Mont-Blanc pastry; go at opening or late afternoon to avoid the queue.
Order: Chocolat chaud: Ask "un chocolat chaud".
Price: Locals pay menu prices.
- Café Kitsuné
A Japanese-French coffee bar in the Palais-Royal gallery for flat whites and pastries; a short, calm break next to the garden and the Louvre.
Order: Un café allongé: Say “un allongé”.
Price: Locals pay the menu price.
- Café Marly
A café under the Louvre arcades overlooking the pyramid: coffee or lunch after a morning inside the museum.
Order: Formule: Ask "quelle est la formule ?".
Price: Locals pay menu prices.
- Le Grand Véfour
A restaurant dining room from 1784 under the Palais-Royal arcades, for a long, formal meal; book ahead and expect a high price. A special-occasion choice.
Order: L’addition, s’il vous plaît: Say it to ask for the bill; it is not brought unasked.
Price: Locals pay the menu price.
Show 6 sectionsHideGetting there and around, Walking loop, Half-day walk, Photo and sunset spots, Safety at night and noise, Nearby districts
Getting there and around
Where to get off
- 226 rue de Rivoli, opposite the Tuileries · 6 min walk to Angelina tea room (Rivoli)
- Galerie de Montpensier, 1st arrondissement · 1 min walk to Café Kitsuné
- Cour Napoléon side of the Louvre · 5 min walk to Café Marly
- Palais-Royal garden, 1st arrondissement · 1 min walk to Le Grand Véfour
Walks inside the district
- Louvre Museum → Café Marly (Louvre courtyard): 5–8 min on foot (Walk through the Cour Napoléon)
- Louvre Museum → Musée d'Orsay: 14–20 min on foot (Walk over Pont Royal (or Pont du Carrousel))
- Musée d'Orsay → Café Marly (Louvre courtyard): 14–20 min on foot (Walk back over Pont Royal)
- Jardin des Tuileries → Louvre Museum: 13–18 min on foot (Walk (straight-line distance plus 30% for streets))
- Louvre Museum → Jardin des Tuileries: 13–18 min on foot (Walk (straight-line distance plus 30% for streets))
On to the next area
- Metro line 1: about 16 min to Le Marais
- Walk east along the quays: about 20 min to Île de la Cité & Latin Quarter
- Metro or RER C: about 25 min to Eiffel Tower & Trocadéro
From other sleep areas
- From 7th arrondissement (Eiffel Tower and Invalides): 25–34 min walk to Louvre, Tuileries & Musée d'Orsay
- From Palais-Royal and Louvre: 4–8 min walk to Louvre, Tuileries & Musée d'Orsay
- From Saint-Germain-des-Prés: 18–26 min walk to Louvre, Tuileries & Musée d'Orsay
Nearest arrival point: Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG): about 23 km (14 mi) in a straight line; the usual ride to the centre takes 40–55 minParis Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG): about 14 mi (23 km) in a straight line; the usual ride to the centre takes 40–55 min.
Minutes are this guide’s typical walking and ride times (p50–p90); traffic and heat stretch them.
Walking loop
A loop that starts and ends at the same place, through this district's sights and eats. Pick a length; download it for Organic Maps, OsmAnd or Google Earth.
About 102 min in all: 22 min on foot, the rest at the stops. 3 stops, back to where you started.
- Musée d'OrsayStart here · stop about 30 min
- Jardin des Tuileries6 min walk · stop about 20 min
- Musée des Arts Décoratifs7 min walk · stop about 30 min
- Back to Musée d'Orsay: 9 min walk
Walking minutes come from this guide’s route graph where it has one; “estimate” means straight-line distance plus a quarter for street detours at an easy pace. Opening hours are not checked: look at “Open now” below before you set off.
Half-day walk
In the day plans: Day 2 — Louvre morning, Orsay optional (Paris in 3 days)
Photo and sunset spots
Light: Late afternoon
Glass reflects the light.
Safety at night and noise
Louvre and Tuileriesday: oknight: caution
Ring, bracelet and petition scams; the Tuileries are dark late at night.
Nearby districts
Built from this guide’s Paris districts table, place, eat and sleep pages, route graph and city notes. Hours, prices and rules change: anything marked (check) is typical, not verified. checked: 2026-09.