Musée d'Orsay, with the most powerful collection of Impressionist art in the world, is a very popular destination in Paris. It's one of the world's foremost museums, one of our personal favorites, and one that you simply should not miss. But popularity comes with a price— long ticket lines. So, if you're like us, and hate wasting precious time in Paris, you're going to like the ideas we've found that let you skip the lines. We're happy to share them.

Top Musée d'Orsay Guided Tours

1. Impressionists Tour of Musée d'Orsay

Skip the long lines at the Orsay Museum to marvel at stunning Impressionist works by the likes of Van Gogh, Monet, Manet, and Renoir on this tour led by an Impressionism expert guide. Once the tour finishes, you're free to spend as much time as you want perusing the masterpieces.

5-STAR REVIEW
"Museum architecture and backstory was amazing. More chill and less crowded than the Louvre. Loved the art history around Impressionism – our tour guide was excellent! Highly recommend if you're an art enthusiast"

2. Semi-Private Skip-the-Line Tour of d'Orsay

5-STAR REVIEW
"Best tour guide ever. Incredibly knowledgeable. Very good at communicating the significance of each artist and painting to us in a way that engaged three teenagers! Perhaps the best tour guide I've ever had. Truly amazing. Highly recommended!"

3. Orsay Museum Private Guided Tour

5-STAR REVIEW
"My wife and I had seen the Orsay on our own on our last trip to Paris and opted for a guided tour for this trip. It was night and day. Our guide provided insights that we would never have seen. He was extremely knowledgeable and interesting without being overwhelming. This was well worth the cost, even without considering not waiting in line."

VIP Private Tour of Musée d'Orsay + the Louvre

Interior of Musee d'Orsay, photo by Mark Craft

If you really want to soak up the Paris museum experience — and save tons of time while doing it — consider this 2-for-1 tour that gets you guided tours of the two major museums, skipping the lines at both. It's an extraordinary private tour package and the size is limited to eight people, making certain you receive personal, hands-on attention. You can also bet that this tour will sell out in advance.

5-STAR REVIEW
"Our guide was amazing. She engaged my entire family on the progression of art from the classic to the renaissance to the impressionist and right up to modern art. She showed us the transition of styles and the reasons behind it that opened my family's eyes to art that we never would have noticed before. Our guide kept the day moving and my kids engaged for the whole time."

Get the Most Out of Your Visit to Musée d'Orsay

Musée d'Orsay exterior, photo by Mark Craft

Our most enjoyable — and enlightening — visits to museums in Paris have been on a guided tours, led by an expert guide. We get into museums more quickly, we see more, and we learn a lot about the museum and the artworks it contains. At the end of the tour we feel calmly satisfied and are ready for a nice lunch in Paris.

All of the Musée d'Orsay guided tours we like give you priority access, are led by an expert guide, and allow only a limited number of guests to ensure individual attention. After the tour ends you are free to remain in the museum until closing time and explore on your own.