Paris Pass vs. Paris Museum Pass: Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Best Tourist Card for Your Trip
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Trying to figure out whether the Paris Pass or Paris Museum Pass is worth your hard-earned money?
You’re definitely not alone in this struggle. It’s one of the most confusing decisions first-time Paris visitors face, especially when you’re staring at several different pass options.
Plus, let’s be honest—Paris is expensive enough without spending money on the wrong tourist pass!
In this Paris Pass vs Paris Museum Pass guide, I’ve crunched the numbers, tested the skip-the-line claims, and figured out exactly when each pass is worth it (and when you should skip them entirely).
Whether you’re a museum enthusiast planning to hit every gallery in sight or someone who prefers a mix of experiences and sightseeing, this complete comparison will help you choose the right pass for your travel style and actually save money, not just feel like you did.
What is the Paris Pass?
With the Paris Pass, created by Go City, you get access to 100+ attractions, including top attractions such as Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, and the Arc de Triomphe.
The Paris Pass comes in two different passes: the Explorer Pass and the All-Inclusive Pass.
With the Explorer Pass, you can choose from a list of 53 experiences, tours, and attractions and then pick which pass based on the number of experiences or attractions you’d like to do.
The All-Inclusive Pass is based on the number of days you want to use it and comes in 1, 2, 3, 4, or 6-day options. It allows access to 47 attractions, tours, and activities.
Travel Tip: If you’re struggling to figure out how many days to spend in Paris, I have a guide that’ll help you figure out what works best for you!
There is also the All-Inclusive Pass Plus, which includes all the All-Inclusive Pass attractions, plus a Paris Museum Pass.
However, with all of these passes, there is a maximum amount you can ‘spend’ using your pass. If the value of your pass is €180, the total entry price for the attractions you choose cannot exceed €180.
What’s Included in the Explorer Pass:
- Top Attractions: Louvre Museum, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Seine River Cruise
- Popular Tours: Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour, Montparnasse walking tour
- Museums: Musée d’Orsay, The Gourmet Chocolate Museum Choco-Story
- Unique Experiences: Fashion Show at Galeries Lafayette, Perfume Mini-workshop
See an interactive map of all the attractions you can access.
Cost Breakdown
| Pass Type | Adult Price | Attractions Included | Cost Per Attraction |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Attractions | €79 | Choose 3 from 53+ options | €26.33 |
| 4 Attractions | €104 | Choose 4 from 53+ options | €26 |
| 5 Attractions | €124 | Choose 5 from 53+ options | €24.80 |
| 6 Attractions | €144 | Choose 6 from 53+ options | €24 |
| 7 Attractions | €159 | Choose 7 from 53+ options | €22.71 |
Prices accurate as of 2025.
Key Benefits:
✅ Clear calculator to see if you’ll save money
✅ Good if you’re selecting expensive attractions or experiences
Important Notes:
❌ No refunds once activated
What’s Included in the All-Inclusive Pass:
- Top Attractions: The Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame, Picasso Museum
- Popular Tours: Seine River Cruise, Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour, Montmartre & Sacré Coeur walking tour
- Museums & Monuments: Picasso Museum, Paradox Museum Paris
See an interactive map of all the attractions you can access.
Cost Breakdown
| Pass Duration | Adult Price | Total Attractions Available |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Day | €89 | 47 attractions, tours, & activities |
| 2 Days | €139 | 47 attractions, tours, & activities |
| 3 Days | €164 | 47 attractions, tours, & activities |
| 4 Days | €184 | 47 attractions, tours, & activities |
| 6 Days | €214 | 47 attractions, tours, & activities |
Prices accurate as of 2025.
Key Benefits:
✅ Non-activated passes are eligible for a refund within 30 days of purchase
✅ Visit as many attractions as you like in a single day
Important Notes:
❌ No refunds once activated
What’s Included in the All-Inclusive Pass Plus:
The All-Inclusive Pass Plus includes all of the All-Inclusive Pass offerings, plus a Paris Museum Pass.
Cost Breakdown
| Pass Duration | Adult Price | Total Attractions Available |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Days | €199 | 47 attractions/tours + Paris Museum Pass offerings |
| 3 Days | €224 | 47 attractions/tours + Paris Museum Pass offerings |
| 4 Days | €264 | 47 attractions/tours + Paris Museum Pass offerings |
| 6 Days | €314 | 47 attractions/tours + Paris Museum Pass offerings |
Prices accurate as of 2025.
What is the Paris Museum Pass?
With the Paris Museum Pass, you get free access to more than 50 museums and monuments in and around Paris. Plus, you’ll get to skip the lines at some attractions!
You can choose how many days you want to use the pass (2, 4, or 6 days), and the cost will be based on that. The more you visit, the more you save—there’s no limit on attractions, just on time.
What’s Included in the Paris Museum Pass:
- Top Attractions: Louvre Museum, Arc de Triomphe, Conciergerie, Sainte Chapelle, Panthéon
- Museums: Musée d’Orsay, Picasso Muséum, Rodin Museum, Musée de l’Armée – Les Invalides
- Day Trip Destinations: Palace of Versailles, Château de Fontainebleau, Chateau de Pierrefonds, Château de Vincennes, Basilica of Saint-Denis
See an interactive map of all the places you can access.
Cost Breakdown
| Pass Duration | Adult Price | Daily Cost | Museums Per Day to Break Even |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Days | €70 | €35 | 2-3 museums |
| 4 Days | €90 | €22.50 | 1-2 museums |
| 6 Days | €110 | €18.33 | 1-2 museums |
Prices accurate as of 2025.
The Paris Museum Pass offers a Seine River cruise as an add-on option.
Key Benefits:
✅ Skip-the-line access at most major attractions
✅ 50+ museums and monuments included
Important Notes:
❌ No tours or experiences (just museum entries)
❌ No Eiffel Tower access (separate ticket required)
❌ No temporary exhibitions (permanent collections only)
Head-to-Head Comparison
In a Paris Pass vs Paris Museum Pass side-by-side analysis, the passes are vastly different.
- Price Comparison: The Paris Museum Pass is more affordable.
- Attractions Included: Which pass you should get depends on which type of attraction you’re interested in as there is very little overlap between the two. If you’re more into museums, the Paris Museum Pass is the best pass you can get. But if you want more experiences, then the Paris Pass may be a better choice.
- Skip-the-Line Access: It does not appear the Paris Pass offers any sort of skip-the-line access; however, the Paris Museum Pass has tons of attractions boasting this time saver.
- Consecutive Days: Both passes must be used on consecutive days.
- Transportation: Neither of the passes offers transport, aside from the hop-on hop-off bus with the Paris Pass.
- Advance Booking Required: Both have some attractions that require booking in advance.
- Ease of use: The Paris Pass comes as an app, while the Paris Museum Pass is available digitally, but not yet as an app or Wallet item.
What I Did with the 6-Day Paris Museum Pass
I was in Paris for eight days, so the six-day Paris Museum Pass made sense for me.
If you’re staying for a shorter amount of time, you could purchase the two—or four-day pass.
I squeezed in some non-pass attractions (like the Eiffel Tower) into my trip, so if you focused solely on Pass offerings, you can probably pack in a lot more, making it an even better deal!
A note on Versailles: It takes a while to visit. We arrived early, and Versailles still took up the better part of the day. The only other thing we managed that day was the Eiffel Tower.
The same goes for Château de Pierrefonds. I really wanted to see Merlin’s castle, so it was worth adding it to my Paris trip, to me.
Without the Paris Museum Pass
€135With the Paris Museum Pass
€110 (6-day option)Who Should Consider Buying These Passes
When to Choose the Paris Pass
You should choose the Paris Pass if you are interested in doing experiences and activities.
If you prefer to travel by hop-on, hop-off bus tour.
Or can justify the steep cost by visiting expensive attractions, then it makes the value worth it.
When to Choose the Paris Museum Pass
You should choose the Paris Museum Pass if you are interested in visiting primarily museums, churches, and castles.
Museum and history enthusiasts will save a load, especially if they’re using it for a longer stay or can quickly move throughout Paris.
Who Should Skip these Passes
If you can’t find enough to do on either attraction list, neither of these passes is for you, as it wouldn’t justify the cost.
Or, if you can visit on free museum days or are under 18 or a European Union national under 26, then it is not worth it, as these attractions will mostly be free to visit.
Alternatively, if you’re looking to go beyond museums, Airbnb Experiences is worth exploring for locally hosted activities such as food market tours, street art walks, and private cooking classes that add a different dimension to your Paris trip.
How to Maximize Your Pass Value
- Start early in the day: Since COVID, many attractions now require timed reservations, but for those who don’t, it’s well worth it to show up as early as possible to avoid the crowds.
- Book timed entries in advance: This is a requirement for some attractions, such as the Conciergerie, the Louvre, Sainte Chapelle, and the Palace of Versailles
- Use skip-the-line: If the Pass gives you skip-the-line, make sure to use it! Sometimes I’ve forgotten only to remember after standing about for a while!
Where to Buy the Passes
The Paris Museum Pass can be bought at several locations, such as GetYourGuide, but I recommend buying it directly online—it’s the cheapest option!
The Paris Pass can be bought at several locations, such as GetYourGuide, but I recommend buying it directly online as it’s easier to figure out which version of their pass is most worth it with their interactive elements.
They also have 5% discount if you sign up for their newsletter.
Paris Pass vs Paris Museum Pass: Which is Worth It?
So, Paris Pass vs Paris Museum Pass, which is worth it?
Both will help relieve some stress, if your French isn’t amazing, as you’ll be able to show the pass and avoid doing the awkward dance of buying a ticket at each attraction.
However, neither pass is worth it if you are under 18 or a European Union national under 26.
I’m not a fan of the Paris Pass because I’m more of a museum-goer than anything else so their offerings just aren’t all that alluring to me.
Instead, I recommend the Paris Museum Pass as an excellent way to save time and money while visiting Paris, unless you plan to go super slow or aren’t interested in most of the attractions they offer.
If you follow any of my itineraries, the Paris Museum Pass does save you money.
But even if you don’t follow my guides to the letter, there are use cases where you’d save:
- If your itinerary is packed with things to see
- If some of the attractions you have in mind for Paris are pricey (Versailles is 2-3 times more expensive than Pierrefonds)
- If you’re quick and can accomplish a lot in a short amount of time
Apart from the cost, a major benefit of the Paris Museum Pass is the skip-the-line advantage. So, if you visit during the summer or another busy period, it might still be beneficial, even if you don’t save any money.
But to start answering this question for yourself, check out each of their respective interactive maps, which show all the places you can access with these passes. Then add up what you would spend on buying each ticket.
FAQs
Can You Use Both Passes Together?
Yes, and GoCity even offers that as an option if you purchase their All-Inclusive Pass Plus.
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