The Most Visited Museum in the World Is Hiking Entry Fees for Tourists, What to Know

It’s the most visited museum in the world, welcoming nearly nine million visitors annually, most of whom head straight to the star of its collection, the Mona Lisa. But, from early 2026, North American travelers will pay more than their European counterparts to see it.
As of Jan. 14, 2026, visitors from outside the EU, including those from the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom, will now be charged €32 ($37.50) to enter the Louvre museum in Paris. That’s a €10 ($11.70) increase on the current admission fee of €22 ($25.70), a price that will remain unchanged for those hailing from the European Economic Area, or EEA (EU member states, Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein).
Those visiting with an official guide will now be charged €28 ($32.80) to enter.
The announcement comes in the wake of October’s brazen theft of France’s crown jewels, as well as ongoing strikes by Louvre staff currently impacting opening hours and access to certain exhibition rooms.
Earlier this year, French President Emmanuel Macron unveiled his intentions to modernize and transform the Louvre. The new pricing structure is expected to boost the museum’s resources by more than $17.5 million per year, and fund planned works including new visitor facilities and a new gallery for the Mona Lisa.
The Louvre is not the only French site to have recently unveiled differentiated pricing for EU/Non-EU residents, either. The Palace of Versailles is also introducing a price change on Jan. 14: a €3 ($3.50) discount for nationals or residents of the EEA on the low/high season entrance price of €22/32 ($25.70/37.50).
A spokesperson for the Louvre told Travel + Leisure that other institutions concerned are Sainte-Chapelle, the Paris Opera, and the Château de Chambord in the Loire Valley, although no official price changes have been communicated for these sites as yet.
Travel advisor Kimberly Denison of Denison Travel told T+L she believes the added cost is unlikely to put off travelers, “particularly when it contributes to the security, preservation, and long-term stewardship of this iconic institution.”
“Similar approaches are becoming more common globally, with destinations introducing tourist taxes or adjusted pricing to help manage and sustain increased visitor demand,” she added.
France is not the only country to implement such a measure: at the newly opened Grand Egyptian Museum, non-Egyptian visitors pay around $30 to visit, compared to $4.20 for locals.
If you’re planning a visit to the Louvre in the new year, here’s a tip: don’t pay at all. The Louvre is free and will remain that way after Jan. 14 to all visitors between 6-9 pm on the first Friday of the month (except in July and August) and on July 14, France’s national day.