Day 11 of 18 · Paris

The Louvre without dying in it.

Planned 2.5-hr route · the Water Lilies · a classic bistro night

☼ 58°F / 45°FCloudWear: Layers, the most comfortable shoes you brought.

School-holiday week in France · busier than a normal weekday

A planned route through the Louvre, out in 2.5 hours, then Monet in the round. Still at the Marriott tonight, the move to L'Empire is Sunday.

Optional, before the day starts. A 1-hour gym session or a run (nearest option is on the Paris page), and an afternoon nap block is built into the schedule below, take it on the long days.

01Morning

Louvre, the route

09:00

Louvre, pre-booked entry. The route: Winged Victory, the Grande Galerie to the Mona Lisa (and directly behind you, Veronese's vast Wedding at Cana) to Venus de Milo, the French Romantics (Géricault, Delacroix), the Egyptian rooms, out.

Check the live entrance situation that morning: the Pyramid is the primary reserved-entry point; the Carrousel (from the mall) and Porte des Lions can be quicker when they're open, but don't walk to one that's closed. Backup navigation: the official Louvre Masterpieces trail, worth a read before you go.

02Afternoon

Water Lilies

12:00

Lunch in the Palais-Royal gardens / Rue Saint-Honoré. See Meals.

14:00

Walk the Tuileries to the Musée de l'Orangerie, Monet's Water Lilies in the two oval rooms he designed for them. Dr. Leticia: “you have to see that.”

16:00

Back to the Marriott, an hour in the lounge, then out for the evening.

03Evening

19:30

Dinner in the 1st/2nd, a classic bistro. See Meals.

The table

Lunch~$45

Kunitoraya (udon) or a Palais-Royal café

house pick Kunitoraya is a tiny udon counter on Rue Villedo, hand-cut noodles, a Japanese institution in the 1st. A calm, quick, non-touristy lunch two minutes from the Louvre.

Order: Udon in hot broth with tempura; a cold sansai udon in summer.

map

Dinner~$78

La Poule au Pot or Le Grand Colbert

house pick La Poule au Pot (1935, one Michelin star, not expensive for what it is) does the old-Paris classics perfectly. Le Grand Colbert is the big gilded brasserie from Something's Gotta Give, order the same thing Diane Keaton did.

Order: Œufs en meurette, poule au pot (poached chicken, the name dish), île flottante.

map

Tickets and bookings

Item	When	Est.	Link	Status
Paris Museum Pass, 4-day (×2) inbox, search “Museum Pass” €105 each in 2026 plus a booking fee. Reconfirm the price before buying. Covers the Louvre, Orsay, Orangerie, Versailles palace, Sainte-Chapelle, Rodin and more.	starts today	~$235	open	to book
Louvre, timed reservation (free w/ pass, must book slot) inbox, search “Louvre”	09:00	free	open	to book

+ add this day to your calendar

Confirmations and vouchers live in Europe 2026 / Reservations & Vouchers on Google Drive, shared with the two of you. Nothing sensitive is on this page.

Before you leave the door

Insider edge

“You kind of have to walk through it to get to the Mona Lisa anyway” go straight for her at opening (the room is calm before 11:00), then double back slowly. Check which entrances are open that morning, the Carrousel and Porte des Lions are good alternatives to the Pyramid when they're running.

Dr. Trace & Dr. Leticia

Avoid this

Trying to “see the Louvre.” Pick eight things and leave. Skip the Mona Lisa scrum after 11:00.

House pick

Backup move

A strike shuts the Louvre, the Museum Pass walks you straight into the Orsay, the Rodin, the Cluny (medieval) or the Marmottan Monet, no re-booking.

House pick

Ideal window

Louvre at 09:00 opening, Mona Lisa room empty until ~11:00. Louvre is closed Tuesdays; you're going Friday.

House pick

If time, or if a deal lands

Option	Added	Note
Musée d'Orsay (on the pass)	+$0	the day it usually gets squeezed out, add here or Day 13
Sainte-Chapelle evening chamber concert	+$80	the stained glass by candlelight

What today runs

Estimates. Swap in the real figure as you go.

Paris Museum Pass, 4-day (×2)	$235
Lunch, Kunitoraya / Palais-Royal	$45
Dinner, La Poule au Pot / Le Grand Colbert	$78
Coffee, Café Kitsuné, Palais-Royal	$10
Today, Paris	$368

Flights and the places to stay are on the costs page, not counted here.

How it went

Written after the day: what you did, what you loved, what you'd skip, the photographs, a voice note or two. It fills in here and in the album.