The Louvre Inside Out: A Walk Around the Palace, a Self-Guided Paris Walk
1h30. 1.2 miles. Loop walk.
You do not need a ticket to love the Louvre. Circle the palace itself: the silent Renaissance courtyard, the clock pavilion, the pyramids above and below ground, and eight centuries of architecture read from the outside. The best free art walk in Paris.
The local move
Come back after dark. The pyramid lit at night with the palace glowing behind it is the single best free spectacle in the city, and the courtyards stay open late.
Best time to go
Early morning for empty courtyards, or after dark for the lights.
When to avoid it
Midday, when the pyramid plaza is a queue with a fountain.
The stops
Cour Carree
The Renaissance heart of the palace, four facades of sculpted stone around a silent square, near the medieval Louvre's footprint.
Tip: The fountain steps are the spot; face the western facade for the oldest carvings.
Pavillon de l'Horloge
The clock pavilion that stitches the old palace to the new, its dome the model for pavilions across Paris.
Tip: Stand in the archway between Cour Carree and Cour Napoleon: eight centuries in one line of sight.
Grande Pyramide
Pei's 1989 glass pyramid, the entrance that scandalized Paris and became its symbol inside a decade.
Tip: For the classic photo without crowds, come before 9am and shoot from the Richelieu side.
Passage Richelieu
The covered passage cutting through the palace's north wing, with window views down into the sculpture courtyards.
Tip: Free to walk through; the two marble courtyards below are the museum's best free preview.
Statue equestre de Louis XIV
Bernini's king on horseback marks the exact axis that runs from the pyramid to the Arc de Triomphe and on to La Defense.
Tip: Line up the statue, the Carrousel arch, the obelisk and the Grande Arche: one sightline, five kilometers.
Pyramide inversee
The upside-down glass pyramid hanging into the Carrousel mall beneath the palace.
Tip: Enter the Carrousel du Louvre from 99 rue de Rivoli; free to see, quietest at opening.
Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel
Napoleon's rose-marble arch, thegateway to the Tuileries with the whole grand axis beyond.
Tip: Climb the low terrace behind it at sunset; the light runs straight down the axis to the big Arc.
About these walks
This is one of the free self-guided Paris walks written by the Chic Trip team, locals who plan and book full Paris trips for American travelers. Get our free insider Paris guide at chic-trip.com/free-paris-guide, or have us plan your whole trip at chic-trip.com/paris-travel-planner.
