Paris: Musée d’Orsay Guided Tour with an Expert
Recommended by 92% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Paris, France
- 1 hour 45 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Explore one of the world's most important collections of Impressionist and post-Impressionist art on this guided tour of the Musée d'Orsay. Instead of trying to navigate the museum on your own, enjoy insight from a guide to make sure you see the top pieces and learn about the artists, such as Van Gogh, Monet, Manet, and Renoir. And with entry included, you're ensured a hassle-free visiting experience.
- The ideal Musée d'Orsay tour for art history loves
- Tour this Parisian museum at a relaxed pace
- Admire the architecture of the Beaux-Arts former train station
- Have free time to explore the museum on your own after the tour
Why Travelers Choose This Tour
Instead of racing through the whole museum, this tour highlights its most famed collections.
What's Included
- Explore the world’s finest Impressionist & Post-Impressionist masterpieces.
- See iconic works by Monet, Manet, Renoir, Van Gogh, and more.
- Enjoy a relaxed, intimate 1h45 tour with small groups and headsets.
- Discover one of Paris’s most dazzling museums and its vibrant art history.
- All ticket and pre-reserved entry through a special entrance are included.
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Gratuities (optional)
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 2 Rue de la Légion d'Honneur, 75007 Paris, France
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!
End point
- Musée d'OrsayEsplanade Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, 75007 Paris, France
Your tour will end inside the museum.
Itinerary
1
Musee d'Orsay
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
2
Musee d'Orsay
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- Infants aged 0-3 years are free of charge and do not require a booking
- You can cancel your tour up to 24 hours prior to departure and receive a full refund. Please note that refunds are not possible for missed tours.
- If you plan to arrive at the meeting point by taxi, please ensure you leave yourselves plenty of time, it can often take a considerable amount of time to find a taxi in Paris!
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.7
based on 1,212 reviews
Review summary
Last 12 months
86 reviews
Select a theme to learn more
Travelers find the Musée d’Orsay’s impressionist collection and distinctive architecture, including the iconic giant clock, highly impressive. Guides receive praise for their engaging storytelling, enthusiasm, and clear communication, which enhance the educational and entertaining aspects of the museum visit. Overall, the museum is considered a culturally significant destination that offers a well-rounded and enjoyable experience.
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Traveler reviews summarised by AI
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Great guided tour. Crystal the tour guide was punctual and kept the tour on time. She was knowledgeable and very personable.
Anthony was an amazing tour guide. He spoke of the emotion and colors of each painting. He addressed all of us in the group by name throughout the tour. Definitely recommend him for any guided tours.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Derrin, “Passionate Orsay Tour” is a title we’re happy to read! Orsay’s colours and emotions are a big part of why we love sharing it, and Anthony will be delighted to see how much it meant to you. Thank you for recommending him, and we hope you’re enjoying Paris!
We learned so much! Our wonderful guide Sophie was very informative and took us through the different “isms” of the time period covered by this gorgeous museum. Highly recommend!
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Cynthia, what a journey through the “isms”! We’re delighted Sophie guided you through them, and that Orsay felt as gorgeous to you as it does to us. Thank you for recommending us, and we hope Paris is treating you well!
This was a very thorough presentation. We visited the first floor and 3 out of the 6 artists on the 5th floor. The tour started at 1:30 and then we entered the museum, restroom break and got audio equipment. It concluded at 4:15.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thank you for your review, Marci. We’re pleased you found Sophie’s presentation of Orsay so thorough, and we’ll make sure she reads your comments. We hope you’re enjoying Paris!
Interesting backstory on both the harvest and the paintings! Orsae was so knowledgeable and very fun and interesting!
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thank you, Bruce! We’re delighted Orsae made the backstory of the paintings so interesting for you, and that she brought so much fun along with it. We’ll make sure she reads your kind words, and we hope you enjoyed Paris!
Musée d’Orsay has no equal anywhere for impressionist art! Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and interesting. We loved the small group tour!!!
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Susan, what a title to find! Orsay and its Impressionists are a joy for us to share, and we’re delighted the small group suited you so well. Your guide will be thrilled to read this, and we hope Paris is treating you well!
Overwhelmingly beautiful experience. Our guide was so knowledgeable and made the experience wonderful!!! I highly recommend!
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thank you so much, Elizabeth! What a beautiful note to read, and we’re delighted your guide’s knowledge made your visit to Orsay so wonderful. It means a great deal that you’d recommend it to others. We’ll make sure your kind words reach the team, and we hope you’re enjoying Paris!
Our guide was very knowledgeable, and the museum is a "must see". The group was large (21). The handsets worked well when our guide talked into the microphone, which she did not always do.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thank you, David! We’re delighted your guide’s knowledge made your visit to Orsay so enjoyable, and we agree that it’s a must-see. Thank you for the helpful note about the microphone. We’ll gently remind our guides how much it helps to keep it close when they speak. We cap our groups at 20, so having 21 was a very rare exception, not something we’d plan. We’ll make sure your kind words reach the team, and we hope you had a wonderful time here in Paris!
Amilie was amazing! Entertaining and informative. Pacing was great. Request her if you can. The museum is wonderful
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thank you, Dean! We’re delighted Amélie made your visit so entertaining, and we completely agree about the museum, Orsay is wonderful, with a story behind every painting. We’ll be sure she sees your kind words, and we hope you’re enjoying Paris!
Antoine was a fantastic tour guide!!! He was knowledgeable, interesting and fun. It was also great to skip the queue. I highly recommend this tour.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thank you, Karilyn! Fantastic, knowledgeable and fun is a combination we love to read, and it’s a pleasure to hear Anthony gave you that at Orsay, where the light and the colours make every room a treat. We’ll make sure he sees your kind words, and we hope you had a wonderful time here in Paris!
The tour guide Avi was outstanding. Kept it moving, answered all our questions, very engaging and interesting. Maybe the best tour guide I’ve ever had, and I’ve done at least twenty.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thank you, Ray! Being called maybe the best of more than twenty tours is about as high a compliment as we could hope for, and we’re delighted Avi gave you such a memorable time at Orsay. Avi will be thrilled to read this, and so are we. We hope you had a wonderful time here in Paris!
Very knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide at musée d’Orsay. I would highly recommend in order to have a deeper understanding of the impressive collection and architecture of the museum.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thank you, Susie! We’re delighted your guide’s knowledge and enthusiasm gave you a deeper feel for the collection and for the building itself, a former railway station is quite a setting for all that art. We’ll make sure your kind words reach the team, and we hope you’re enjoying Paris!
Avi was an incredible guide and handled our larger size group with ease through a busy museum. He was engaging and knowledgeable and brought the museum into context with interesting details and stories. Highly recommend!
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thank you, Arnold! Orsay is a museum we adore, with its light, its colours and the stories behind each painting, so we’re delighted Avi brought it into context in a way that stayed with you. We’ll be sure he reads your kind words, and we hope you’re enjoying Paris!
Our tour guide was phenomenal-informative and very engaging ! She also managed to give us a tour from earliest paintings to more modern with great explanations of what to look at in paintings!
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thank you, Marian! Your title made us smile. The way the painters play with white and light is one of our favourite things about Orsay, and we're so glad it caught your eye. We'll be sure Marjolein sees your kind words, and we hope you're enjoying Paris!
Our guide, Sylvania, was extremely friendly, great listener, and extremely knowledgeable. I walked away from the experience understanding so much about the d’Orsay. She really had a great ability to speak in terms we were comfortable with and this allowed me time to process and adjust questions if I had any.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you, Kristin! Being a good listener alongside all that knowledge is such an underrated quality in a guide, giving you the space to actually think and ask rather than just absorb information. We really appreciate such a thoughtful review, and we hope you had a wonderful time here!
Anthony was an amazing guide! Very knowledgeable, sweet and fun to listen to. He also gave us great recommendations for food/drinks, other spots to visit while we were in Paris. He was fantastic and made the tour even better!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you Amy! Anthony's passion for the d'Orsay really shines through, and as locals ourselves we love that our guides are always happy to share their favourite spots too — it's such a lovely bonus on top of the tour. So glad it made your visit to Paris even better! He'll be delighted to hear this.
Anthony was so knowledgeable. He was incredibly accommodating and friendly. He had a broad depth of knowledge and enthusiasm about Impressionism!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you Laura! Anthony's enthusiasm for Impressionism is genuinely infectious and the d'Orsay is the most extraordinary place to experience it — the colours, the light, the stories behind those iconic works. We're so glad it all came together so beautifully for you. He'll be delighted to hear this!
Loved our tour guide Amalie! She knew her history of art during the age of Impressionism. Great tour
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you Claudia! The Impressionist collection at the d'Orsay is truly extraordinary and Amélie has a wonderful depth of knowledge that brings those incredible works and the artists behind them to life. So glad you loved the tour. She'll be delighted to hear this
Excellent guided tour of the highlights of this very interesting museum. Lots to see, but compared to the Louvre, not overwhelming.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for the lovely review! The d'Orsay really is a spectacular museum — the colours, the light, the stories behind those Impressionist masterpieces — there is so much to discover, and our guides absolutely love sharing it. We're glad you had a great experience and hope to see you again in Paris! We'll share your kind words with your guide Cecile.
Learned such interesting details about the art periods, the culture during the period and about the artist personally.
Response from Host, May 2026
Hi Patricia! We sure love to take the amazing collections of the Orsay, and trace what the Impressionists were building on, reacting to and triumphing over. They are also a great springboard for learning about France of the 19th century in a way that makes the country make sense, even in the 21st, especially Paris. Thanks so much for the kind words, it was a pleasure!
I just used this tour to skip the line. I didn't use or need a tour. I got to the museum early and they passed me right through.
Response from Host, May 2026
Hello Mx Blanken, we are so glad to know that we were able to get you past the lines that can eat into precious vacation time. That is one of our reasons for being certainly. Yet we were sad to have missed you when we had so much fun. A Memories guide is an expert guide, ready to share the collections’ many secrets, secrets that key us also into the mysteries of Parisian culture to this day. We have often been told that we’re the tour company specifically catering to non-tour kinds of people. We are sorry you chose to miss out on that but again, pleased to have been of service!
The tour covers a good portion of the Museum but there’s a lot more that you can see if you have the time. Fanny, our guide, was excellent. She is very knowledgeable about art and the artists. She’s easy to understand and has great enthusiasm for the arts. Excellent tour.
Response from Host, May 2026
Hi Joe, we do strive for excellence at Memories, and guides like Fanny come through every time. We particularly love to know that you took the knowledge gained from the tour to go on and make your own favorites through the rest of the amazing Orsay collections! Thanks so much for joining us!
Excellent tour, very knowledgeable guide. Enjoyed time after tour to explore on our own. Amelia, our guide, was great.
Response from Host, May 2026
Amélie is indeed, like all Memories guides, cream of the crop, ready willling and able to make those paintings walk right out of their frames to welcome you into their world. It's especially rewarding to know that you decided to stay on and take in the amazing art in the Orsay, after our in-depth exploration of the most iconic masterpieces (and some hidden gems). Thank you John, for the kind words, we will transmit straightaway!
Loved learning about the history of the train station and history of some of the paintings exhibited in the station. Julie, outlet guide, was engaging, knowledgeable and a great source of information. She knew her subject matter well. I would definitely recommend it.
Response from Host, May 2026
And on our end, Memories, the outlet in question, loves telling you all about the key pieces that make the one-time train station one of the premiere art pilgrimages the world over. Guides like Julie turn a wander around into something far more, an experience that stays with you for ages to come. Thank you so much, Trina, for the fantastic recommendation!
Anthony Rosselot was our guide and, without exaggeration, he was one of the top two guides we've ever had. Anthony began before the tour by welcoming each of us and inquiring where we were from, while secretly memorizing our names, so that he could address us personally during the tour. The Musée d’Orsay houses the largest collection of impressionist and post-impressionist art, so by necessity one has to understand the evolution of art in that period to really appreciate what the d'Orsay holds. So Anthony skillfully guided us through that period of art by getting our group to key pieces of art in time-ordered sequence, asking our impressions and feelings, sharing his, and describing the reactions of the public when these pieces were first shown -- often creating somewhat of a scandal. Anthony's approach was like a compressed art class, gently teaching us while also letting us fully enjoy these masterpieces. (We heard several other members of our tour group comment on that.) The d'Orsay building has been originally constructed as a train station, so another aspect of Anthony's tour was letting us appreciate the design of the building for that purpose as well, and its being saved from demolition to be turned into the exquisite museum that it now is.
Response from Host, May 2026
Hello Anita and thank you with all our heart. Anthony is right now leading the Memories family in our Happy Dance while we read your share your exceptional review! Anthony is indeed a national treasure and a fine ambassador of all that Memories has to offer and that you can expect when you choose to explore the Orsay with us! It IS an exquisite museum, and we make every effort to do the collections justice that also storytells the trials, tribulations and eventual triumphs of Impressionism - what they were reacting to, building on, up against, and so on. We are over the moon that we were able to provide you with just such an experience and are proud indeed of this uttterly magnificent review - and by the way, Anthony loved having you!
I valued our tour guides perspective on art and society and appreciated her sense of humor. She made sure we were allowed in even though we were late.
Response from Host, May 2026
Hello Olivia! We at Memories love to make you smile while keying you into the mysteries of French culture and history using the beauty of the Orsay collections as springboard! We also will do everything possible to catch you up with your tour, as hiccups do happen when you're travelling abroad. Thank you so much for the great review!
Our guide was excellent, extremely informed and passionate about the subject. She was well-organized. Loved this experience!
Response from Host, May 2026
Hello Wanda and thank you - this is what we strive to provide every single time, to bring your whole time at the Orsay to a next-level experience. We are so proud to know we hit a bull's eye for you!
Julie was very knowledgeable and gave an interesting overview of the paintings. I would recommend this tour
Response from Host, May 2026
Hello Raymond, thanks so much for the fantastic recommendation - we'll let Julie know! It delights us to be able to show you the Orsay's amazing collection in a light that you simply can't get elsewhere. We're so glad you could join us!
We would definitely recommend this tour with Anthony. He bought a fresh view of art, concentrating on colour, shapes and artistry periods which made appreciating the art different, rather than concentrating on history which is already displayed. Very engaging and wonderfully remembered everyone’s name. Thank you very much for the experience.
Response from Host, May 2026
Hello Jill! Anthony loved having you, and it is we who thank you for being such a lovely guest. We so appreciate the kind words and detailed review of what it is we do here at Memories and we are simply delighted to know we provided you with an experience that will long stay with you!
Meeting point address not recognized by taxi gps because the street is closed in front of the Legion of Honour bldg. Recommend using different address reference.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Hello Kevin, thank you for the feedback. Yes because the Musée d'Orsay is so popular, the small road that runs parallel to the doors is closed to traffic, a pedestrian street. As most of our visitors come from the Metro, RER or by foot, we have chosen the most easily accessible and locatable meeting point possible for all concerned. A taxi would drop you off mere yards away, as well. We are glad your time with us was otherwise a five star experience, and thank you!
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