Which Paris Tourist Pass is the Best – A Comparison of All Paris Attraction Passes
Paris has so many attractions and museums. One of the best ways to save money on attractions in Paris is to purchase a Paris tourist attraction pass. This blog will show you the differences between the most popular Paris attraction passes.
Are you visiting Paris for the 1st (or 2nd or 3rd) time and want to see all the famous attractions and museums? Are you trying to plan your Paris trip and want to do everything there? There is so much to see and do in Paris that it can be overwhelming to plan the trip.
Aside from millions of museums and tourist attractions, what’s even more confusing is the number of Paris tourist passes that are on the market.
It is very confusing to understand what all the Paris sightseeing passes offer and how they compare to each other. This blog will show you the most popular Paris attraction passes, what attractions they offer, their price points and limitations and help you decide which Paris attraction pass is the best pass for you.
This blog contains occasional affiliate links, where I receive a small commission on sales of the products/hotels that are linked at no additional cost to you. In addition, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
What Are the Popular Paris Tourist Attraction Passes You Can Buy?
There are numerous Paris sightseeing passes but I will only talk about the top 5 most popular Paris attraction passes that are on the market right now.
These Paris attraction passes each offer something unique and different for visitors and museum lovers:
- The Paris Pass (by Go city)
- Paris Explorer Pass (by Go City) <– the most popular
- Paris Museum Pass
- Paris City Pass (by Turbo Pass)
- Paris Passlib (6 types)
In addition, there is a Paris Visite Card that is a travel only pass (like subway, trains, etc.)
Each of these Paris tourist passes fall under 2 categories:
- All Inclusive Pass
- Build your own attraction-based pass
How do Paris Attraction Passes Work?
All of these Paris tourist passes work similarly by requiring you to purchase the pass upfront. Once you buy the pass you can use the pass to visit either a certain number of attractions/ museums or as many as you can within certain number of days.
You will also need to use the Paris attraction pass you buy to make reservation (pick time slot) at some of the attractions and museums in Paris but you can get skip-the-line perk at some of these attractions.
Since there are so many passes, let me explain in detail how each of these Paris attraction pass works and what they each cover/ does not cover.
FYI: Most museums in Paris is free for children under 18 and free for EU resident under 24. Most museums are also free the first Sunday of every month (or certain months during non-peak season).
Paris All Inclusive Pass vs. Attraction Based Pass
All inclusive pass for Paris
An all inclusive pass is a pass based on the number of consecutive days. If you purchase a 3 day all-inclusive pass then you have 3 days to use the pass. The pass will expire at the end of the third day.
For example: if you have a 4 day all-inclusive pass for Paris and you visit your first attraction at 3pm on a Monday, your pass will be valid for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
You can visit [almost] unlimited number of attractions that are available on the pass (assuming you make the necessary reservations). Each attraction can only be visited twice (no repeating!).
An all-inclusive pass for Paris is best for someone who has only a few days in Paris and wants to see it all! Most importantly it is for someone who can get up early and aims to see as much as possible eacy day.
All inclusive pass include:
Attraction based pass for Paris
As the name implies, an attraction based pass is based on the number of attractions you purchase.
For example, if you buy a 3 attraction pass, then you can visit 3 attractions or museums in Paris. You generally have a much longer period of time to visit these attractions and are not restricted by the number of consecutive days.
These attraction based passes are great for someone who likes to take it slow and not worry about cramming everything in given a certain day. It is also great for someone spending a long period of time in Paris.
Attraction based pass for Paris include:
Are Paris Tourist Passes Legit?
If you are worried the tourists passes are too good to be true then you don’t have to. These Paris attraction passes are 100% legit and can help you save money, if you use them correctly.
Each of these Paris passes has their own unique attributes and no pass is the same. The companies have all been operating for years around the globe so they have negotiated rates with all the attractions and museums.
Therefore if you follow the tips provided in this guide you will save money.
Detailed Paris Sightseeing Pass Comparison
The Paris Pass (by Go City)
The Paris Pass is perhaps the most famous Paris attraction pass on the market. Before I visited Paris and researched into all the attraction passes, the Paris Pass is the name I heard the most frequently.
The Paris Pass is also known as the Go City Paris All Inclusive Pass.
Which company runs the Paris Pass?
The Paris Pass is owned by Go City.
Go City is a travel company that offers city attraction passes for many destinations, including New York City, London, Barcelona, Dubai, Chicago, Bangkok, Sydney and other cities in Asia, Europe, and North America.
How does the Paris Pass work?
The Paris Pass is an all-inclusive attraction pass that provides you access to 80+ attractions based on the number of consecutive days. The Paris Pass offers day passes for 2, 3, 4 or 6 days.
For example, if you are planning to visit Paris for 4 days, you can purchase the 4 day Paris Pass and visit different attractions, tours and museums that are covered under the Paris Pass for 4 days straight.
Once you’ve purchased your Paris Pass, you will receive a confirmation email with details on how to download and activate the pass on the app or you can print out the email confirmation at home.
Paris Pass is activated when you visit any attraction or pre-book an attraction before your visit.
For some of the attractions in Paris, you will need to make reservation ahead of time to pick a time slot (you can’t just show up!). But for other attractions you can get the skip-the-line priority and never have to wait that long.
The Go City Paris Pass includes Paris Museum Pass. You can request the PDF copy using the Go City online reservation page
- 2 or 3 Day Paris Pass include a 2 day Paris Museum Pass
- 4 Day Paris Pass includes a 4 day Paris Museum Pass
- 6 Day Paris Pass includes a 6 day Paris Museum Pass
Paris Pass Purse Value
The Paris Pass is subject to a purse value, which is the max amount you can use based on the standard gate price for each attraction.
You can read more about the purse value on the official website.
Paris Pass Refund Policy
The Paris Pass has a 90 day cancellation period from purchase date. So you can return any non-activated pass.
How much does the Paris Pass Cost?
| 2 Day | 3 Day | 4 Day | 6 Day | |
| Adults (18+) | €159 | €194 | €229 | €269 |
| Children (2-17) | €84 | €99 | €114 | €124 |
*Note that most museums in Paris are free for anyone under 18 years old and EU residents under 24 years old.
Prices of the Paris Pass are subject to change and there are many seasonal promotions and discounts.
What attractions and museums are included in the Paris Pass?
The Paris Pass covers over 80 top attractions in Paris. Since the all Inclusive Paris Pass includes the Paris Museum Pass, you can visit all the museums in Paris as well.
You can see the full list on their website.
But some of the most popular and noteworthy attractions and museums covered by the Paris Pass include the following:
- Eiffel Tower Guided Climb (this is to walk up the stairs to the 2nd floor with a guide)
- 1 Day Big Bus Paris Hop-on Hop-off Tour (2nd day free till April 30th)
- Seine River Cruise
- Louvre Museum
- Palace of Versailles
- Arc de Triomphe
- Notre Dame
- Tour Montparnasse
- Parc Asterix
- Montmartre & Sacre Coeur Walking tour
- Musée d’Orsay
- Sainte-Chapelle
- Pantheon
- Orangerie Museum
- Emily in Paris: The Unofficial Tour
- and many more
What are the pros and cons of the Paris Pass?
Pros of Paris Pass
- Great for first or second time visitors in Paris and you want to see it all.
- It has the most attractions compare to any other Paris attraction passes
- The Paris Pass includes attractions and tours that are not found on any other passes so even if it’s not your first time in Paris, you will still find a ton of things to do.
Cons of Paris Pass
- Paris Pass does not include Disneyland and it does not come with a travel card, so it does not cover public transit or train rides.
- There is a purse value you need to be aware of, so this would require some planning and may limit how many things you can see in a day.
- You only go to the 2nd floor of Eiffel Tower (not the top).
Purchase your Paris Pass here.
Paris Explore Pass (by Go City)
Explore Pass is by the same company as the Paris Pass, but they work very differently.
How does Explore Pass Work? How is the Paris Explore Pass different from the Paris Pass?
Paris Pass is an all inclusive pass that’s based on how many days you purchase whereas Explore Pass is based on how many attractions you purchase ahead of time.
Explore Pass offers 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 attractions for a set price and you do not need to do them in consecutive days. You have 60 days after you activate the pass to finish up the rest of the attractions; therefore making it super flexible and there is no time crunch.
For example, if you buy a 4 attraction Explore Pass, you go to the first attraction on July 1, then you have 60 days including July 1st to go to the other 3 attractions before the pass expires.
In addition, each Explore Pass is subject to a purse value, the maximum amount you can use based on the standard gate price for each attraction. You can read more about the purchase value on their official website.
If you do not use the pass you can refund it within 90 days also.
How much does the Paris Explorer Pass cost?
| 3 attractions | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
| Adults (18+) | €94 | €119 | €144 | €164 | €184 |
| Children (2-17) | €64 | €84 | €104 | €124 | €139 |
*Note that most museums in Paris are free for anyone under 18 years old and EU residents under 24 years old.
Prices of the Paris Explorer Pass are subject to change and there are many seasonal promotions and discounts.
What attractions and museums are included in the Paris Explorer Pass?
Paris Explorer Pass covers 50 attractions, some includes the most popular museums! You can get the full list of attractions on their website.
Paris Explorer Pass no longer includes Disneyland Paris unfortunately.
Some of the most noteworthy attractions the Paris Explorer Pass include:
- Eiffel Tower 2nd floor Guided Climb (this is to walk up the stairs to the 2nd floor with a guide)
- Louvre admission ticket + tour of the surrounding area
- Musée d’Orsay admission + one-hour guided tour of Parisian bridges
- 1 day Big Bus Paris Hop-On Hop-off Tour (2nd Day free until April 30th)
- Montmartre & Sacre Coeur Walking tour
- Tour Montparnasse
- Champs-Élysées Walking Tour and Arc de Triomphe Entry
- Notre Dame
- Seine River Cruise
- Paris Aquarium
- Macaron Pastry Class <– I did something similar and it was really fun
- Emily in Paris: The Unofficial Tour & many more!
Essentially it covers very similar popular attractions as the Paris Pass, but with more tours and admission to the top museums without needing the Paris Museum Pass.
What are the pros and cons of Paris Explorer Pass?
Pros of the Go City Paris Explorer Pass
- Paris Explore Pass gives you a lot of flexibility in terms of what and when to visit these attractions in Paris.
- It includes a ton of really cool tours and activities
- It is one of the cheapest Paris city passes
Cons of Go City Paris Explorer Pass
- You need to follow the purse value, which can somewhat restricted in what you can do and you need to calculate and play around with the combination of attractions to fit within the purse value.
- It does not include public transportation
- It does not include the Paris Museum Pass
Purchase your Go City Paris Explore Pass here.
Paris Museum Pass
The Paris Museum Pass is the only museum pass in Paris. It offers you access to over 50 museums and monuments in Paris and the Paris region.
Paris Museum Pass is an all-inclusive pass based on the number of consecutive days. You have the option to purchase a 2 day, 4 day or 6 day pass.
The pass is activated when you go to your first museum. You get to skip-the-line at many of the museums and monuments with this pass.
If you purchase a Paris Pass or a Paris City Pass, Paris Museum Pass is included with them.
Note that you may still be required to book a time slot or make a reservation in order to visit the museums.
How much does the Paris Museum Pass cost?
| 2 Day | 4 Day | 6 Day | |
| Adults (18+) | € 62 | € 77 | € 92 |
*Note that most museums in Paris are free for anyone under 18 years old and EU residents under 24 years old therefore there is no children’s Paris Museum Pass.
Prices of the Paris Museum Pass are subject to change and there are many seasonal promotions and discounts.
What museums and monuments are included in the Paris Museum Pass?
As you can imagine, this pass covers all major museums and monuments in Paris and around the Paris region. You can find the full list here. But some of the most famous ones include:
- Arc de Triomphe
- Louvre
- Notre Dame
- Musée d’Orsay
- Palace of Versailles
- Centre Pompidou
- Sainte-Chapelle
What are the pros and cons of Paris Museum Pass?
Paris Museum Pass is great for museum lovers, it basically covers everything you can think of and much much more.
Of course, given it is even called the Museum Pass, the pass does not include things like Eiffel Tower, Seine River Cruise, or any public transportation.
In addition, most museums in Paris are free on the first Sunday of the month (usually during off-peak season), so plan accordingly!
Purchase your Paris Museum Pass here or here.
Paris City Pass (by Turbo Pass)
Paris City Pass is an all-inclusive sightseeing pass to experience Paris based on number of consecutive days.
It is owned by Turbo Pass, a German based company that offers attractions passes in major cities of the world, including New York, London, Rome, Barcelona, etc.
Paris City Pass offers 7 attractions/ tours and over 50 museums and monuments in Paris because it includes the Paris Museum Pass.
If you book your City Pass for three or five days, you will receive your Museum Pass with a validity of one extra day. If you book your City Pass for 2 days, you will just get the 2 day Paris Museum Pass.
How does the Paris City Pass work?
The Paris City Pass works exactly the same way as the other all-inclusive pass such as Paris Pass and Paris Museum Pass.
The pass is based on number of consecutive days you want to purchase and you can visit any of the 60+ attractions and museums that are included on the pass (museums are included with the Paris Museum Pass). Paris City Pass offers 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 day passes.
A day is defined as calendar days, starting at 5:30am and concluding at 5:30am the following day.
Once you make the purchase, the Paris City Pass can be downloaded to the Paris City Pass App.
The Paris City Pass is valid for 12 months before you activate, and it is activated the moment you use your pass at the first attraction or tour.
All Passes can be cancelled up to 1 day prior to your departure date. A cancellation fee of 30 € is applied to each Pass.
How much does the Paris City Pass cost?
| 2 Days | 3 Days | 4 Days | 5 Days | 6 Days | |
| Adult (18+) | €139.90 | €169.90 | €189.90 | €219.90 | €229.90 |
| Teen (12-17) | €59.90 | €69.90 | €84.90 | €94.90 | €104.90 |
| Child (2-11) | €29.90 | €39.90 | €49.90 | €54.90 | €59.90 |
*Note that most museums in Paris are free for anyone under 18 years old and EU residents under 24 years old.
Prices of the Paris City Pass are subject to change and there are many seasonal promotions and discounts.
What attractions are included in the Paris City Pass?
Paris City Pass includes over 60 attractions and museums in Paris, because it includes the Paris Museum Pass. For the list of attractions, see the official website.
Some of the most popular attractions include:
- Louvre
- Eiffel Tower 2nd Floor access (costs extra)
- Musée d’Orsay
- Centre Pompidou
- Palace of Versailles
- Arc de Triomphe observation deck
- 24H Paris hop On hop Off Bus City Tour
- Seine River Cruise
- Montmartre and Sacre Coeur Guided Tour
- Ballon de Paris Generali
- Cheese tasting
- Guided tour of Stade de France (football stadium)
What are the pros and cons of Paris City Pass?
Pros of Paris City Pass
- Paris City Pass is a great value since it includes the Paris Museum Pass and a 24H hop on hop off bus. The Paris Museum Pass itself is worth at least 55 Euros (for 2 day one, and worth more for 4 and 6 day pass).
- Paris City Pass also includes some interesting tours like the football stadium tour and cheese tasting
Cons of Paris City Pass
- Paris City Pass does not include Disneyland® Paris
- It costs extra 40 Euros to go up to the 2nd floor of the Eiffel Tower, making it a much more expensive pass compared to Go City Paris Pass
- You need to get the physical Museum pass that comes with the Paris City Pass (the Paris City Pass itself has an app).
- There is a 30 Euro fee associated with cancellation, so no free refunds
Purchase your Paris City Pass here.
Paris Passlib (and Paris PassLib’ Culture)
The Paris Passlib and Paris PassLib’ Culture are a flexible attraction based pass (instead of consecutive days).
There are 4 types of Paris Passlib: mini, City, Explore and Prestige and 2 types of Paris PassLib’ Culture passes.
How does Paris Passlib work?
Paris Passlib’ Mini lets you choose 3 attractions (from a list of 32).
Paris Passlib’ City lets you choose 5 attractions (from a list of 52).
Paris Passlib’ Explore lets you choose 6 attractions (from a list of 71).
Paris Passlib’ Explore+ lets you choose 7 attractions (from a list of 71).
You cannot just choose any attractions however, there are different “categories” of experiences. For example, with the Passlib’ Explorer pass (6 choices), you can only choose 3 experiences from Category A,2 in Category B and 1 in Category C.
How does the Paris PassLib’ Culture Pass Work?
Another 2 passes that fall under Paris Passlib are the PassLib’ Culture passes.
Paris Passlib’ Culture 3 lets you choose 3 activities out of 17
Paris Passlib’ Culture 5 lets you choose 5 activities out of 19, including the Eiffel Tower.
You can see the list of attractions for these 2 culture passes here.
Paris Passlib is valid 1 year from the first time used, giving you a lot of flexibility.
How much does Paris Passlib cost?
| Mini | City | Explore | Explore+ | Culture 3 | Culture 5 | |
| Everyone (incl. booking fee) | €49.5 | €99.5 | €169.5 | €249.5 | €49.5 | €79.5 |
*Note that most museums in Paris are free for anyone under 18 years old and EU residents under 24 years old.
Prices of the Paris Passlib are subject to change and there are many seasonal promotions and discounts.
What attractions are included on the Paris Passlib?
One thing to note is that even when it says you can choose 6 attractions from a long list, the selection is tiered. You can only choose 2 or 3 expensive ones and 2-3 cheaper attractions.
You can check the official website for more information on attractions included and what you are allowed to choose.
Pros and cons of Paris Passlib and Paris PassLib’ Culture Pass
Paris Passlib Mini and Culture 3 passes are probably the cheapest Paris attraction pass you can find. If you are happy with the selection, then Paris Passlib is perfect for you.
However since there are so many options and what you are allowed to pick is not as straightforward, you need to really make some choices in order to plan what you want to see.
These passes are non-refundable whereas some other passes mentioned above have a generous refund policy.
Purchase your Paris Passlib here or here for Passlib City (5 attractions).
Summary of Differences Between All the Paris Tourist Attraction Passes
Here is the summary of the key similarities and differences of all the popular Paris attraction passes.
| Paris Pass | Explorer Pass | Paris Museum Pass | Paris City Pass | Paris Passlib | |
| What does it offer | 2, 3, 4 or 6 consecutive day passes Incl. Paris Museum Pass | 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 attractions within 60 days | 2, 4 or 6 consecutive day pass | 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 consecutive day passes Incl. Paris Museum Pass | 4 types of attraction based pass. Choice of 3, 5, 6 and 7 attractions |
| What it does not include | Public transportation, Disneyland® | Public transportation, Disneyland® | Public transportation, Eiffel Tower, Disneyland®, etc | Disneyland®, Public transportation, Eiffel Tower costs extra | Disneyland®, Public transportation |
| Attractions | 80+ attractions, museums, and tours | 50 attractions, museums, and tours | 60 Museums and monuments | 60+ attractions, museums & tours except Eiffel Tower | 33 to 82 attractions depending on the type of Passlib Pass |
| Refund policy | Free cancellation within 90 days | Free cancellation within 90 days | Free cancellation on Getyourguide | No free cancellation | Non-refundable |
| Other | If you get the free Museum Pass, you will need to physically pick that up in Paris | *choice of attractions restricted by Purse Value | Need to physically pick it up if you purchase from website above | Passes will be mailed to you or you can pick up in Paris. No mobile phone option | Has mobile app Choice of attraction is “tiered” |
Which Paris Attraction Pass is the Best?
Since there are so many options for the Paris attraction pass, which pass is worth it? How do you get the most value out of any Paris attraction pass you buy?
The short answer is it depends (sorry I know that’s the answer for everything). If you can plan properly based on your interest or based on value, any of these Paris attraction passes can be worth it. But you need to do some homework first.
So which Paris attraction pass is the best?
Well this depends on how long you are staying in Paris and what you want to do. But let me address some of the obvious things first.
What you should know before purchasing a Paris sightseeing pass
Eiffel Tower 2nd Floor only. Almost all the passes take you to the 2nd floor of the Eiffel Tower instead of the very top. But if you want to go to the top, you will need to buy your own ticket but it’s not very expensive.
None of the Paris tourist passes take you to Palais Garnier (Opera house). You will need to pay for your own ticket and tours if you want to visit the Opera House.
No one pass includes Disneyland.
Reservation is required for many attractions and museums. You still need to plan ahead of time even with the pass so you can make reservations to enter museums and attractions. If you don’t, you might not be able to get in so don’t wait till last minute especially during peak summer season.
Museums are free for some people. Almost all popular museums in Paris is free for anyone under 18 years old and EU residents under 24 years old.
Most museums are free the 1st Sunday of the month. If you happen to visit the 1st Sunday of the month especially during non-peak season (like November to March), you don’t need any pass to visit museums.
What you should consider to determine the best Paris tourist pass for YOU
- The most comprehensive Paris city pass is the Go City Paris Pass, with the largest number of attraction, museums, and tours. It is also perfect for those with 2 days or 3 days in Paris and want to maximize their days.
- The most popular pass is the Paris Explorer Pass because of the number of attractions it includes and the flexibility it gives you.
- If you want to see museums and monuments in Paris, then the best option would be Paris Museum Pass, Paris City Pass and the Paris Pass (only if you plan to get the 4 or 6 day option).
- If you only have one day in Paris, then you should only consider getting the attraction based pass such as the Paris Explorer Pass or the Paris Passlib’ Mini (instead of getting the passes based on number of days since they all start with minimum 2 days).
- If you are spending a long time in Paris, you should also consider getting the attraction based pass like the Paris Explorer Pass instead of consecutive day all inclusive passes so you can take your time to explore.
How to maximize value (and save the most) of the Paris tourist passes?
In general, the more days or attractions you purchase, the cheaper per day/ attraction it is! For example, a 2 day Paris Pass is €159 (so it means it’s €79.5 per day), whereas a 4 day Paris Pass is €229 (average $57.25 a day).
So if you buy a 2 day Paris Pass, you need to do at least 3 activities to break even; but if you buy a 4 day Paris Pass, you only need 2 activities a day to break even, anything extra you do means you are saving money.
If you are anything like me, you would probably use Google Sheets and Google Map to map out everything you want to do way ahead of time.
When I plan trips, I use 30 minute increments on Google Sheets and I figure out the most efficient way to get from place to place (and how long it takes).
If you need some inspiration on a Paris itinerary, check out my 4 day Paris itinerary.
Personally I think in order to maximize value and save money using Paris tourist pass, you do need to do some advanced planning. Here are some tips:
- Know how many days you have in Paris
- List out everything you want to do and see in Paris and the price of each attraction
- Estimate how long you need to spend at each attraction based on Google and Tripadvisor reviews (like don’t think you can just spend 30 minutes at Eiffel Tower because it can take 3 hours)
- Pin attractions on Google Map and see how long (and how to get to) each location. Can you just walk or do you need to take public transportation (to see if it’s worth it to get the Paris travel card)
- Be honest with yourself. What type of traveler are you? Are you super chill and just wanna hit up 2-3 spots everyday or are you up at 6am and try to see 5-6 things everyday and go home at midnight?
- Do you care to see museums besides Louvre?
- Are you traveling with children? Children get into museums for free
- Are you visiting Paris on a Sunday? Museums are free first Sunday of every month during Nov to March
Once you answer these questions, you can plan out the best Paris itinerary for you and see how much you would spend on attractions without Paris attraction pass. This can help you determine which Paris tourist pass to get!
But in conclusion, Paris Explorer Pass gives you the best value and flexibility. In addition, Paris Pass covers the most number of attractions and it’s a great option if you are staying 4 or 6 days since it is the cheapest day-based pass.
Who should not buy a Paris sightseeing pass?
Paris tourist passes are not for everyone. If you fall under any of these categories then it may not be worth it for you to get a Paris attraction pass:
- If you are a EU resident under 24 years old (most museums are free)
- You are visiting on the first Sunday of the month and only want to see certain museums
- You are in Paris for shopping and eating, not for tourist attractions
- You only want to go to Eiffel Tower and maybe 1 or 2 other attractions (then it’s cheaper to just buy the tickets yourself)
In conclusion, if you are traveling to Paris for the first or second time and want to go to museums and see other famous attractions, then a Paris attraction pass is a great option to save money. Some prior planning is necessary but it can be a huge money saver for your Paris trip!
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