Paris Pass vs. Paris Museum Pass: Which Paris City Pass Is Worth It?

All Paris Passes at a Glance

For a quick first overview, we’ve compiled the passes and their features in a handy table below. Further down, we describe each pass individually.

	Paris City Pass	Paris Museum Pass	Paris Passlib'	Paris All-inclusive Pass	Paris Explorer Pass
Variants	2–6 days	2, 4, or 6 days	3, 5, or 6 attractions	1–4 or 6 days	3–7 attractions
Attractions	60+	60+	33 – 72	80+	45+
Price	140€ – 250€	110€ – 160€	59€ – 179€	89€ – 290€	79€ – 159€
Discount Code	5% with 22PLACES5	No	No	5% with GO22PLACESCITY05	5% with GO22PLACESCITY05
	Buy now	Buy now	Buy now	Buy now	Buy now

Our Recommendation: The Best Paris Pass

The Best Paris Pass for at Least 3 Days

Paris City Pass
This pass is ideal if you’re planning a city trip of at least three days to Paris and want to see as many as possible of the 60+ included attractions and museums. The Paris City Pass unfortunately no longer includes public transportation, but you can tour the city for 24 hours with a hop-on-hop-off bus and get directly from one attraction to the next. Just show the driver your digital City Pass, which you’ll receive by email.

You also get priority entry at the Louvre, the Centre Pompidou, and the Musée d’Orsay — a definite advantage at such popular museums.

And for the ultimate Paris feeling, a boat ride on the Seine is included as well.

Our tip: Use our code 22PLACES5 to save 5% when purchasing through Turbopass.

To the Paris City Pass

The Best Paris Pass for 2 Days

Paris Museum Pass
If you’re only in Paris for two days, the Paris Museum Pass is the better choice. It works the same way as the Paris City Pass, except that the Seine boat ride and the hop-on-hop-off tour are not included. With a two-day trip focused on museums and sights, you probably wouldn’t have time for the boat ride anyway.

For around $9 per day, you can purchase an additional ticket for public transportation. Our article on Paris Metro tickets has all the information you need about getting around the city.

To the Paris Museum Pass

The Best Paris Pass for Paris and Disneyland

Paris Explorer Pass by Go City
If you only want to visit a few sights and spend one day at Disneyland Paris, the Paris Explorer Pass is perfect for you. In addition to many museums and attractions, the Explorer Pass includes the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and a boat ride on the Seine.

You can also use the Explorer Pass for one day on the hop-on-hop-off bus in Paris. Public transportation, however, is not included in the Explorer Pass.

Our tip: Use our code GO22PLACESCITY05 to save 5% on your purchase — don’t worry if you don’t see the discount right away; it’s applied at the very end.

To the Paris Explorer Pass

The Best Paris Pass for Just a Few Attractions

Buy Individual Tickets
If you only want to visit the Eiffel Tower and a handful of museums or sights in Paris, a pass isn’t worth it. In that case, you’re better off buying individual tickets.

All our tips on tickets for Paris attractions

Is a Paris Pass Actually Worth It?

Buying a pass comes with several advantages, but it’s still not the right choice for every Paris visitor.

As a pass holder, you’ll get priority entry at many museums and attractions, which can save you a lot of time, especially on weekends or in the summer.

The entrance area of many attractions is split between visitors without tickets, visitors with individual tickets, and visitors who hold a Paris Pass.

It’s virtually impossible to use every single offer included in the passes — there are simply too many. But since admission to Paris’s sights and museums is relatively expensive, a pass is often financially worthwhile.

Unfortunately, admission to the Eiffel Tower is not included in all passes. If you choose a pass that doesn’t cover the Eiffel Tower, you’ll need a separate ticket. We’ve written a detailed article on buying Eiffel Tower tickets:

Buying Eiffel Tower Tickets: Everything You Need to Know

If you’re under 26 years old, a pass usually isn’t worth it for you. A large number of Paris museums and attractions are free for visitors under 18 and for visitors under 26 with a European ID.

All visitors with a disability card and their companions also typically receive free admission. If you fall into one of these groups, the Paris passes are all unnecessary for you.

Choosing the Right Paris Pass

When selecting the right pass, first think about everything you want to see and do, then figure out which pass fits your plans best.

Our tip: Don’t overstuff your days. Plan on at least two to four hours per attraction — and don’t forget that you’ll need to stop and eat at some point.

Some of the included activities work well for the evening. The Tour Montparnasse and the Arc de Triomphe, for example, stay open very late, and a boat ride on the Seine is actually much more beautiful after dark than during the day.

Some museums in Paris also stay open until 9 or 10 PM one day a week, and the Centre Pompidou is open until 9 PM every day. So you don’t have to get everything done by 6 PM.

How Do the Passes Work?

As in many other cities, Paris passes are sold specifically for tourists. You pay a flat fee for, say, three days, and can then use all the offers included in the pass during those three days.

All passes are valid for a specific time period, for example three or five days. When booking a pass, you don’t have to commit to a start date yet.

Your pass is only activated when you use it for the first time — whether at the entrance to a museum or when riding the Metro. From that day on, your pass is valid for the time period you selected.

Unfortunately, this period cannot be paused. A three-day pass activated on a Tuesday is valid for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Usage days are counted as calendar days, not in 24-hour intervals. If you use your pass for the first time at 5 PM, that day still counts as day one. That would mean wasting a lot of valuable time, so make sure to activate your pass in the morning if at all possible.

You can load the Paris All-Inclusive Pass, the Paris Explorer Pass, and the Paris Passlib’ digitally onto your phone. The Paris City Pass and the Museum Pass are delivered digitally by email.

Paris City Pass (Turbopass)

The Paris City Pass from Turbopass is our personal favorite.

What Does the Paris City Pass Offer?

The Paris City Pass offers a complete worry-free package for your stay in Paris:

• Admission to over 60 museums and attractions
• Boat ride on the Seine
• Visit to a wine cellar with wine tasting
• Fly View Paris (virtual flyover of Paris)
• Various guided walking tours of Paris
• Optional add-on: access to the Eiffel Tower without waiting in line

Note: The guided tours don’t take place every day. If you want to join one or more of them, check during trip planning to see when each one runs. For some tours, you need to register on the website at least 24 hours in advance.
Examples of tours included in the pass:

• City tour “Street Art & Flea Market”
• Guided tour: Artists’ Quarter Montmartre with a visit to the Basilica of Sacré-Cœur
• Guided tour: Stade de France soccer stadium

How Much Does the Paris City Pass Cost?

The Paris City Pass is available with various validity periods. The longer the pass is valid, the lower the price per day.

The following table gives you an overview of the prices for the Paris City Pass (without the Eiffel Tower):

The following table gives you an overview of the prices for the Paris City Pass (with the Eiffel Tower access option):

Advantages of the Paris City Pass

• Over 60 museums and attractions included
• Hop-on-hop-off bus ride included
• Extensive range of offerings
• Priority entry at select attractions
• Various guided walking tours

Disadvantages of the Paris City Pass

• Public transportation not included

Our Verdict on the Paris City Pass

The biggest advantage of this pass, in our opinion, lies in the guided tours on offer. These aren’t dry history lessons — they’re relaxed, social outings in a fun group setting.

Some of the tour guides speak German, but not all of them. All of them speak English, though, so you don’t need to worry about your French.

With two days of use, you won’t feel a huge price advantage. That said, the Paris City Pass is a convenient and affordable all-inclusive package even for two days.

From three days onward, if you stay busy, you’ll quickly save both money and time with the Paris City Pass.

We really like the fact that you can add Eiffel Tower access as an option. That way you have the choice and can decide which version works best for you.

Our tip: Use our code 22PLACES5 to save 5% on your purchase — don’t worry if you don’t see the discount right away; it’s applied at the very end.

Buy the Paris City Pass

Paris Museum Pass

Note: The Centre Pompidou is closed until 2030 for renovations.

The Paris Museum Pass is a straightforward admission card for attractions, with no additional perks like Metro access or boat rides.

That makes it by far the most affordable option — and like all the other passes, it lets you skip at least some of the lines.

Despite what the name might suggest, the Paris Museum Pass doesn’t only cover museums; it also includes other historic attractions.

If you want to keep your Paris trip as budget-friendly as possible and focus on art and culture, the Paris Museum Pass is the right choice for you.

What Does the Paris Museum Pass Offer?

The Paris Museum Pass includes admission to over 60 museums and attractions, such as:

• Musée du Louvre
• Musée de l’Armée and Les Invalides
• Centre Pompidou (reopening in 2030)
• Musée du quai Branly
• Conciergerie
• Musée d’Orsay
• Panthéon
• Musée Rodin
• Sainte-Chapelle

How Much Does the Paris Museum Pass Cost?

The museum pass is available with a validity of 2, 4, or 6 days. The following table shows the prices:

Advantages of the Paris Museum Pass

• Affordable price
• Over 60 museums and attractions included
• Priority entry at select attractions

Disadvantages of the Paris Museum Pass

• No public transportation included
• No additional perks included

Our Verdict on the Paris Museum Pass

The Paris Museum Pass pays for itself very quickly if you visit two attractions per day — even on a trip of just two days.

For a four-day stay, we’d suggest buying a two-day pass. That way, on the days your pass is valid, you can focus on the included offerings, and on the other two days you’ll have plenty of time for shopping, wine, and the Eiffel Tower.

This approach lets you really get the most out of the pass.

If you’re spending six days in Paris, the Paris Museum Pass is even more worthwhile. Even if you only visit one or two attractions per day, you’ll save money with this pass.

Buy the Paris Museum Pass

Paris Passlib'

The Passlib’ comes in four different versions: Mini, City, Explore, and Explore+. From Mini to Explore+, the selection of attractions grows with each tier.

What Does the Paris Passlib’ Offer?

• Varying range of offerings depending on the pass version
• Boat ride on the Seine
• One audio tour of your choice (from nine available)
• Eiffel Tower and Louvre tickets included starting with the Paris Passlib’ City
• Hop-on-hop-off bus Paris included starting with the Paris Passlib’ Explore

How Much Does the Paris Passlib’ Cost?

The Passlib’ gives you several options to choose from.

With the Passlib’ Mini, you can choose three of 33 available activities. The Passlib’ City includes 55 attractions, from which you can select five. With the Passlib’ Explore and Explore+, you have a choice of 72 experiences — six with the first and seven with the second.

You’ll find the prices in the following table:

Advantages of the Paris Passlib’

• Multiple price tiers with varying selection sizes
• Valid for 1 year
• Diverse range of offerings
• Guided tours included

Disadvantages of the Paris Passlib’

• Top attractions like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, as well as more unusual offerings, are only available in the pricier tiers
• Public transportation not included

Our Verdict on the Paris Passlib’

The Passlib’ offers an impressive variety. From museum and palace admission to tastings and even a virtual flyover of Paris, the range is genuinely impressive.

Depending on which version you choose, however, you’ll only have access to a limited selection of attractions. With the Mini version, for example, you can’t visit the Eiffel Tower or take part in a workshop.

The cheaper versions are therefore best suited for visitors who prefer to admire the most popular sights from the outside and are more interested in fascinating museums or impressive churches.

One more tip: A ride on the open-top double-decker hop-on-hop-off buses is much more enjoyable in good weather than in rain or a snowstorm. If you end up sitting on the lower deck in the rain, you’ll unfortunately miss out on half the scenery.

Buy the Paris Passlib’

Paris All-Inclusive Pass

The Paris All-Inclusive Pass is essentially the next step up from the Museum Pass and offers you even more. It’s the pass for the ambitious traveler who simply can’t get enough of Paris.

What Does the Paris All-Inclusive Pass Offer?

• All offerings of the Paris Museum Pass
• Boat ride on the Seine
• 1 day hop-on-hop-off bus
• Eiffel Tower access
• 1 wine tasting
• Visit to the Tour Montparnasse
• Visit to the Musée Grévin wax museum
• Guidebook with city map

How Much Does the Paris All-Inclusive Pass Cost?

The Paris Pass is available with a validity of 2, 3, 4, and 6 days. The 3-day pass includes a 2-day museum pass; all other passes include the museum pass for the full duration.

The table below shows the prices for the pass:

Advantages of the Paris All-Inclusive Pass

• Over 60 museums and attractions included
• Eiffel Tower included
• Very extensive and varied range of offerings
• Priority entry at select attractions
• Guided tours included

Disadvantages of the Paris All-Inclusive Pass

• Public transportation not included

Our Verdict on the Paris All-Inclusive Pass

Honestly, we find this pass way too packed for a two-day trip. To make it worthwhile, you’d really have to rush from one attraction to the next.

For four or six days in Paris, it’s a different story. If you want to see as much of the city as possible, this pass offers plenty of options for longer stays without turning into a stressful experience.

Overall, for two or three days, the Paris City Pass tends to be the better choice — it’s a bit cheaper for those time frames and very similar in scope. For four days or more, however, the Paris All-Inclusive Pass is significantly cheaper than the Paris City Pass.

Our tip: Use our code GO22PLACESCITY05 to save 5% on your purchase — don’t worry if you don’t see the discount right away; it’s applied at the very end.

Buy the Paris All-Inclusive Pass

Paris Explorer Pass

The Paris Explorer Pass by Go City offers a wide range of museums, attractions, and tours. The Explorer Pass also includes a day ticket for one of the Disneyland Paris parks (either the Disneyland® Park or Walt Disney Studios®).

What Does the Paris Explorer Pass by Go City Offer?

• Attraction-based pass
• Admission to over 40 museums and attractions
• 1 day at Disneyland Paris
• Hop-on-hop-off bus for one day
• Eiffel Tower access
• Louvre ticket
• Champagne aperitif cruise on the Seine
• Guided tour of Galeries Lafayette

How Much Does the Paris Explorer Pass by Go City Cost?

The price of the Paris Explorer Pass depends on how many attractions you’d like to visit.

The table below gives you an overview of the prices:

Advantages of the Explorer Pass

• Over 40 museums and attractions included in the pass
• Eiffel Tower access
• Access to your Disneyland Paris park
• Diverse selection of attractions
• Guided walking tours of Paris

Disadvantages of the Explorer Pass

• No public transportation included
• There is a limited number of Disneyland Paris tickets available
• The hop-on-hop-off bus counts as a standalone attraction

Our Verdict on the Explorer Pass

With the Paris Explorer Pass, you should take a close look at the included attractions and know in advance how many you’d like to visit. The pass is totally worth it if you choose attractions like Disneyland, the Eiffel Tower, and the hop-on-hop-off bus.

Since the Paris Explorer Pass includes many offerings that would be quite expensive individually, it’s genuinely a great way to save some money.

Our tip: Since Disneyland Paris is very popular, reserve your ticket as early as possible. Note that placing your order activates your pass. Since the pass is only valid for 60 days, you should reserve your ticket no earlier than six weeks and no later than one week before your visit. Your Explorer Pass confirmation email will explain how to do this.

Our tip: Use our code GO22PLACESCITY05 to save 5% on your purchase — don’t worry if you don’t see the discount right away; it’s applied at the very end.

Buy the Paris Explorer Pass

The Differences Between the Paris Passes at a Glance

Now you know each pass individually. So you can compare them directly with one another, here’s a compact summary of what’s included in each pass and where they differ.

These differences come down entirely to what’s included. Aside from that, all the passes work the same way.

Even though the passes share the same core offerings — such as the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe, and the Musée d’Orsay — a closer look reveals that they can actually differ quite a bit in their content.

You can see exactly where those differences lie in this table:

Our tip: Make a list of the museums, sights, and activities you absolutely want to include in your Paris itinerary. Then compare your list with the table to see which pass covers your favorites.

Which Pass Is Right for You?

Unfortunately, there’s no single answer to this question, since everyone has their own idea of the perfect Paris trip. That’s why we’ve broken it down into two motivations that might have led you to look for a Paris pass in the first place:

1. You want to save money
2. You want the all-inclusive, worry-free package

Motivation #1: Saving Money

If you’re looking to make your Paris visit more affordable by purchasing a pass, the Paris Museum Pass, Paris Passlib’, or the Paris City Pass are all worth considering.

If your main goal is simply to save money while exploring the art and culture of Paris, the Paris Museum Pass is perfect for you. With this pass, you get a wide range of offerings at a relatively low price.

Here’s an example: What do you need to visit in two days for the Paris Museum Pass to be worth it?

• Louvre (€32)
• Sainte-Chapelle (€13)
• Musée d’Orsay (€13)
• Musée Picasso (€16)
• Cost of individual tickets: €74
• Paris Museum Pass for 2 days: €70

As you can see, the museum pass saves you a few euros. The savings aren’t huge, but on top of that you’ll also save the time you’d normally spend standing in line.

If you visit more than two attractions or museums per day, the financial savings become considerably greater — though that would also make for a pretty hectic schedule.

Buy the Paris Museum Pass

Motivation #2: The All-Inclusive, Worry-Free Package

You don’t want to stress about tickets for the most famous sights any more than you want to deal with outrageously long lines?

Then rule out the Museum Pass right away, since it doesn’t include anything beyond admission to the museums and attractions it covers.

The other three passes, however, are all strong contenders — so you’ve got plenty of options. All three include many exciting sights and a boat ride on the Seine.

Here’s a sample four-day itinerary with the Paris City Pass for 4 days:

• Four days hop-on/hop-off (€162)
• Day 1: City tour (€19) + Arc de Triomphe (€13)
• Day 2: Centre Pompidou (€14) + Palace of Versailles (€28.50)
• Day 3: Sainte-Chapelle (€13) + Wine tasting (€36)
• Day 4: Louvre (€17) + Boat ride on the Seine (€19)
• Total if bought separately: €321.50
• Paris City Pass for four days: €159.90

With this sample itinerary, you’d save nearly €160 compared to buying individual tickets.

Our tip: Use our code 22PLACES5 to save 5% on your purchase — don’t worry if you don’t see the discount right away; it’s applied at the very end.

Buy the Paris City Pass

Paris Without a Pass

A Paris pass isn’t absolutely necessary — you can just as easily visit everything with individual tickets! It really just depends on how many paid attractions you plan to visit.

That said, Paris is a very popular city and there are often long lines outside museums and attractions, so we strongly recommend booking your tickets online regardless.

That way you can walk right in without waiting and won’t waste any valuable time at the entrance. The table below gives you an overview of what Paris’s attractions typically cost:

Frequently Asked Questions

Finally, here are answers to some commonly asked questions about the Paris passes.