Paris Museum Pass review: is the Camondo in it, and does that matter now?
My verdict: the Musée Nissim de Camondo is a Museum Pass site in normal times, and the pass’s own listing says the museum is closed for renovation until 2030. So the pass is not a way into the Camondo, and nobody should buy it hoping otherwise. As a way of doing the Louvre, Orsay, the Orangerie, Rodin and Versailles on consecutive days it works, and it rates 4.1 from 4,572 reviews. The reviews that drag the score down are about two things: the consecutive-day rule and the free time-slot reservations several sites still require.
What it is
A pass valid for two, four or six consecutive calendar days, giving entry to more than sixty museums and monuments: the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, the Orangerie, the Arc de Triomphe, Sainte-Chapelle, the Conciergerie, the Musée de l’Armée, the Rodin and Picasso museums, and out of town Versailles, Fontainebleau and Chantilly. The GetYourGuide voucher is exchanged for the physical pass at an office near the Louvre, open 9:00 to 16:00 every day. Day one begins the moment you first use it, so a pass first scanned at 14:00 has spent half a day by dinner.
The Camondo question first, since it is why you are here. In normal years the house on rue de Monceau is a pass site, and I used to watch pass-holders drift in from Parc Monceau at the end of a Louvre day. The pass’s own listing now says the museum is closed for renovation until 2030, which matches what I know: closed since 4 August 2024, reopening targeted for the end of 2029. The Museum Pass and the Camondo page has the longer version. The sister museum on rue de Rivoli is a different question; check the current pass list before assuming either way.
Usually included
- Entry to 60+ museums and monuments on 2, 4 or 6 consecutive days
- Louvre, Orsay, Orangerie, Arc de Triomphe, Sainte-Chapelle, Conciergerie
- Rodin, Picasso, Musée de l’Armée
- Versailles, Fontainebleau and Chantilly outside Paris
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Not included
- The Musée Nissim de Camondo, closed until 2030 according to the pass
- Time-slot reservations at the Louvre, Orangerie, Hôtel de la Marine and Cité de l’Architecture — you book those separately, free
- Flexible days: they run consecutively from first use
- Skipping security queues
What the reviewers say
With 4,572 reviews the themes are stable. Sandra, from Mexico, called it a “great resource for people particularly interested in art, history and architecture”. Beth, from the United States, said it “saved us having to book individual entry fees”, meaning one purchase instead of a dozen. Audrey, also from the United States, gave the line that separates the happy reviews from the angry ones: “make the reservations to required places way ahead”.
That is the 4.1 in one sentence. The pass does what it says. The Louvre, the Orangerie, the Hôtel de la Marine and the Cité de l’Architecture still need a free time slot booked on top, and a two-day pass that starts on a Monday afternoon is a one-and-a-half-day pass by the time you notice. Neither is hidden. Both are missed.
What works
- One purchase for the Louvre, Orsay, Versailles and sixty-odd others
- Collection office near the Louvre open every day
- 4,572 reviews, so you know exactly what you are buying
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Worth knowing
- Does not get you into the Camondo; the pass lists it as closed until 2030
- Consecutive days from first use — a 14:00 start burns half a day
- Louvre, Orangerie and others still need a separate free time slot
- Poor value if your list is two museums, or if you are under 26 and get in free anyway
Collect the pass the afternoon before you mean to start and do not scan it anywhere that day. Book the Louvre slot the same afternoon. Start at 9:00 the next morning and the two-day version is a real two days.
Who should book it
Visitors with a dense itinerary: Louvre, Orsay, Orangerie, Rodin and a day at Versailles inside four or six consecutive days. Count your own list rather than the sixty. If it comes to three or more paid sites on consecutive days, the pass usually makes sense.
Who should skip it: anyone whose Paris museum plan was the Camondo and one or two other places. Under-26s, who get in free at the national museums anyway. And anyone who wants the Camondo quarter specifically, for whom the Haussmann walk does more than any pass. The all tours page sets the three main options side by side.
Other listings to consider
Same institutionParis: Museum of Decorative Arts Ticket and City Audio Tour
Passes Parc MonceauHaussmannian Paris 2-Hour Private Walking Tour
Small groupParis: Le Marais & Montmartre Jewish History Walking Tour
Frequently asked questions
Is the Musée Nissim de Camondo included in the Paris Museum Pass?
In normal times, yes. Right now, no: the pass listing itself says the museum is closed for renovation until 2030, and the institution’s target is the end of 2029. See is it closed for the timeline and the Museum Pass page for what that means for the pass.
How do the consecutive days work?
Day one starts the first time you use the pass, even if that is at 14:00, and the days run back to back from there. A two-day pass scanned on a Sunday afternoon is finished on Monday night. Many Paris museums close on a Monday or Tuesday, which opening hours explains, so plan the start day carefully.
Do I still need to book anything with the pass?
Yes. The Louvre, the Orangerie, the Hôtel de la Marine and the Cité de l’Architecture need a free time-slot reservation on top of the pass. Audrey’s advice from the reviews is the right one: book those well ahead. The pass is collected near the Louvre between 9:00 and 16:00.