Visiting the Louvre will cost extra for Canadians in the new year. If you’ve been wanting to visit France’s iconic museum, then you might want to do it before 2026 rolls around as a significant price hike is coming to its entrance fee for most non-European visitors.
The decision came last Thursday by the museum’s board, a little over a month after a bold heist that cost the Louvre over $120 million in jewelery.
The Louvre Prices
The Louvre is the world’s most-visited museum for a good reason. It contains a number of masterpieces, such as the beautiful Mona Lisa, Winged Victory, Liberty Leading the People, among many, many others. For many, it’s a bucket-list location when they visit France.
Normally, the cost to enter the museum is €22 (CAD$36). But by January 14, guests will face a 45% increase to the price (CAD$16), bringing the fee up to €32 (CAD$52). These prices are specifically for visitors outside the European Economic Area (EEA), such as Canada, the U.S. and the U.K.
These price hikes also apply to non-EU visitors in groups with accredited guides.
Why Is The Louvre Increasing Entrance Fees?
According to a spokesperson that CNN spoke with, the raised prices are to help with “modernizing and upgrading the Louvre to address structural issues facing the museum.” The fee increase also comes after October’s brazen heist, where a gang of four people broke into the second story of the Louvre and stole away with a number of France’s crown jewels. The jewels have yet to be recovered.
While the Louvre’s increase to entrance fees may be to address heavy foot traffic and strained security, culture is also a concern. In a 2024 interview with French culture minister Rachida Dati with Le Figaro, Dati said (in French), “I want non-EU visitors to pay more for their admission tickets, and for this additional cost to fund the renovation of our national heritage… The French people shouldn’t have to foot the entire bill. This represents a real shift in the pricing policy of our cultural institutions.”
But France is far from the first country to introduce higher non-resident fees to visit major landmarks. Just recently, the U.S. announced that it would be charging non-American visitors increased prices to visit the country’s national parks, similar to the fee hikes for the Louvre.
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