Paris: Musée d’Orsay Skip-the-Line Tour with Expert Guide
Description
Don’t miss the world’s greatest collection of Impressionist and Post Impressionist art! The Musée d’Orsay is home to some of the world’s most iconic artworks, created by now legendary artists such as Monet, Manet, Renoir and Van Gogh. Follow your guide on a 1h45' journey through one of the most exciting periods of the history of art, and discover one of the most dazzling museums in Paris. Small groups and electronic headsets allow for a relaxed and intimate visit.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Step inside the world’s greatest collection of Impressionist art at the Musée d’Orsay — the museum Parisians love most. Housed in a magnificent Beaux-Arts railway station, the Orsay is one of Paris’s must-see cultural landmarks. Meet your expert local guide just outside the museum and begin an immersive guided tour designed to help you truly understand the art, not just see it. Led by a fully accredited art expert, this experience goes beyond a standard museum visit, offering insight, storytelling, and context that bring the collection vividly to life.
Once considered shocking and scandalous, the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces inside the Orsay changed the course of art history forever. Your guide will explain why bold colors, visible brushstrokes, and modern subjects outraged critics — and how these daring artists refused to compromise. Discover the lives, rivalries, and ambitions of Monet, Manet, Renoir, Degas, Van Gogh, and more. Stand before iconic works such as Monet’s Water Lilies and Manet’s Olympia while learning what makes them revolutionary. After the tour, enjoy free time to continue exploring the museum at your own pace, with a deeper appreciation of the art you’ve just discovered.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- 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!
Reviews(1,196)
Our guide Anthony had some much knowledge!
Thank you! The d'Orsay is such a spectacular museum and Anthony's knowledge and passion for it are truly something special. We're so glad it left such an impression! He'll be delighted to hear this.
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!
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!
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
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
Great to have skipped the line as there was a great Renoir Exhibit people were lined up to see which I took advantage of after our tour. The Museum itself is stunning. An "ok" experience otherwise. We did not receive any updates prior as to where exactly to meet or how to identify our guide. We only found her as we saw a woman with several people getting ready to go into the museum and asked if she was with Trip Advisor. Apparently she had a number of people on her tour who had signed up through different providers so she did not have specific TA identification. Our group had about 10 people. She had some good information and background on the paintings and artists. Monet is my favorite artist and she did provide some additional interesting information. Would have liked a longer tour as she seemed rushed to get done. My husband had limited knowledge of Monet and the Impressionist (Thank you You Tube!) and he did find the tour interesting.
Thank you for your review and we're glad you enjoyed the d'Orsay — it truly is one of the most beautiful museums in the world and the Impressionist collection is extraordinary. However, we have been unable to find any record of your booking with us, and we wonder if you may have been with another operator on the day. All our guests receive detailed instructions in advance including the exact meeting point, a map, and how to identify their guide. We also call all guests who are not at the meeting point to see if they need help finding it. Every guest is known to us by name — we are waiting to welcome each one personally. Tripadvisor, like many platforms, lists tours from multiple operators and it's worth checking which company you booked with directly. Our guides are passionate art historians who love the d'Orsay deeply — the colours, the light, the stories behind those extraordinary Impressionist works are genuinely thrilling to share. The museum sets a time limit on guided visits, but we always make sure our guests leave with a real feel for the collection and the freedom to linger and explore afterwards at their own pace. The glowing reviews we receive for this tour reflect just how much our guests love it. We hope you had a wonderful time here in Paris.
Excellent guided tour of the highlights of this very interesting museum. Lots to see, but compared to the Louvre, not overwhelming.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
