Tour Details
Duration
3 hours
Product Type
Tour
Venues
Musée d'Orsay
Photos & Highlights
- Discover highlights of Impressionism, Realism, etc. on a captivating journey through a former grand train station.
- Explore iconic works and hidden gems to gain a deeper appreciation of 19th-and 20th-century art.
Select a date
Tour Description
The Musée d’Orsay, with its rich and fascinating history, is a must-see for any visitor to Paris. On this 3-hour tour, your expert guide will showcase how this former train station was transformed into a world-renowned museum while tracing the evolution of artwork through the 19th and early 20th century.
With your expert by your side, you’ll uncover the history behind iconic works by artists like Claude Monet and Pablo Picasso, who shaped movements such as Impressionism and Cubism. You’ll learn to see, interpret, and speak about art with confidence, connecting past movements to the artistic movements of today.
Choose this tour if…
- It is your first time in Paris and you’re seeking a comprehensive and engaging tour that will help you understand the d’Orsay’s collections.
- You want to grasp the artistic and cultural significance of 19th-century movements like Realism and Impressionism.
- You don’t want to worry about navigating the crowded spaces. Your expert will take you to the museum’s most important works.
- If you’re traveling with children under the age of 12, we recommend our family-oriented Musée d’Orsay Tour for Kids.
Experts
"Educational, entertaining, and fascinating"
Pauline was very knowledgeable of the art and thoughtfully guided my daughter and me through the Musée d’Orsay while providing excellent context of the evolution of the artworks, and various reception of them within the social constructs of the time, and the important current events of the time period represented by the museum. Educational, entertaining, and fascinating for myself and for my teenager!
"Marveled at the range of information"
Fantastic, educational and engaging walk through, not only the history and art of the Musée d'Orsay, but with Lindsay's tales, French history and culture as well. Our group of 6 adults - older and younger, all marveled at the range of information - art history, architecture, French society and history, and the artists--their lives, their works, and their commentary.
"It'll be an experience of a life-time"
We spent four of the best hours of our trip to Paris in the Musée d'Orsay (and only regret that we didn't have four more). We were accompanied on private tour by our exceptionally knowledgeable and passionate guide, Thibaud. Thibaud's faculty level knowledge about art and the history of art in Paris brought the Musée d'Orsay to life for us. His sense of humor and personal warmth made our time pass by so quickly, that we felt as if we'd just arrived....His text-book knowledge and story-telling abilities brought each period and artist to life in ways that we lingered in each room engaging in conversation about the art before us. The masterpieces in this museum are mind blowing and the viewers proximity to them are intimate and engaging....Do not miss the Musée d'Orsay and if you are lucky enough to take a private tour with Thibaud, count yourself blessed! It'll be an experience of a life-time.
You’ll start your journey discussing the history of what was once a bustling train station, now transformed into a beloved art museum. As you stand beneath the iron arches, your expert guide will bring to life the fascinating history of Gare d’Orsay, tracing its transformation from a symbol of industrial progress to its rebirth as a museum. You can begin to picture the arriving trains and the bustling passengers as you enter the museum.
Starting on the ground floor of the galleries, you’ll be guided through the 19th-century art movements in chronological order. View the groundbreaking works of the Barbizon School and naturalist paintings of artists like Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot. Your expert guide will highlight how these artists’ works were a radical break from tradition, laying the foundation for a shift in artistic vision for future artists.
From there, you’ll explore the Realist movement, where artists like Gustave Courbet and Édouard Manet built upon the shift with their novel conventions of contemporary life. Stand before Manet’s Olympia as your expert guide unpacks the technique behind its creation and the controversy and reaction it created at the time. Dive into its significance, reflecting on the social conventions of the day and how art challenged them.
As your journey continues, you’ll explore the Impressionist movement and discover how it inspired artists like Paul Cézanne and Vincent Van Gogh. You will see Portrait de l’artiste (1889) up close as your expert guide helps reveal the nuance of its expressive and vibrant style. From there, explore the world of later schools like Neo-Impressionism, Fauvism, and Pointillism, discussing important works by Henri Matisse, Paul Gauguin, and others who influenced modern art. By the end of your tour, you’ll have gained a deeper understanding of the differing art movements and their continued role in shaping modern art.
Sites Visited
- The Musée d’Orsay - Housed in a former Beaux-Arts railway station, the museum showcases masterpieces of 19th-and early 20th-century art, including Impressionist, Realist, and Post-Impressionist movements.
General Information
- There will be a break in the tour to stop and use bathroom facilities as well as opportunities to stop and rest along the way if needed. Please communicate any mobility needs or concerns with our team at the time of booking.
Tickets
- Includes timed admission tickets to the museum
- Our skip-the-line tickets will get us to a special lane where our group will have to stand in line due to security and crowd control measures.
Headsets
- Depending on your group size, we may be required by the venue to order headsets, in which case you’ll see a “Headset Fee” added to your order.
- If you would like to guarantee headsets for your tour regardless of your group size, please email us and we’ll do our best to get them reserved for you
Transportation
We currently offer an optional private transfer service from your hotel to the meeting point.
We understand that some of our valued guests may have mobility concerns, and we want to ensure you have a comfortable and enjoyable experience throughout your tour. If there are any accessibility concerns that your tour guide will need to be aware of, please let our team know at the time of booking.
Wheelchair accessibility
Wheelchairs are accessible for all wheelchair users.
Service dog accommodations
Service dogs are welcome and can be accommodated on this tour.
For more information about Context tours, please visit our FAQ page.
There are 7 in my group but your website won't allow me to include more than 6 participants. Can't you make an exception?
No, unfortunately, due to venue reservation restrictions, we cannot accommodate groups larger than 6 people. If your group is larger, we recommend you split into multiple groups.
When is the best time to visit Musée d’Orsay?
The Musée d’Orsay is very busy and not as spacious as the Louvre. We recommend visiting the museum when it is open late on Thursday evenings.
Book with confidence — see Context's flexible cancellation policy here.
Where You'll Start
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553 Reviews
Reviews can only be left by Context customers after they have completed a tour. For more information about our reviews, please see our FAQ.
Thanks so much to Celia, my wonderful guide, who led me through an interactive art history course with particular attention to my interest in the impressionism movement. Prior to the tour, I had expressed a desire to understand the impact of European artists on the works of Canada's Group of Seven landscape artists. Celia had done additional research on this topic before we met, and integrated this research into our tour. I left this beautiful museum with a deeper understanding of the hierarchy reflected in the works she presented. Celia's effective communication style, her professionalism, and her client-focused approach sets her apart in the tour guide sector. She is a tremendous representative and ambassador of the Context team. Thanks again.
Katherine
Reviewed on:
Jun 8, 2025
This was a wonderful tour and both my husband and I learned a lot about the transition from the old formal salon art to the modern impressionism. We both felt that our guide was able to show us things that we otherwise would not have understood. This included the old school paintings downstairs to the impressionist paintings upstairs. We totally enjoyed our time with the guide.
Kathleen
Reviewed on:
Jun 5, 2025
Wonderful. Education, informative and fun. So very accommodating to my 88 year old mom's first visit to Paris
Randall
Reviewed on:
Jun 1, 2025
