Canadians will have to pay more to get a glimpse of the Mona Lisa in the Louvre next year.
In an email statement, a spokesperson from the iconic museum in Paris told Daily Hive that differentiated pricing for European and non-European visitors at several cultural establishments will come into effect on Jan. 14, 2026.
Price hikes for non-European visitors will be implemented at national cultural institutions, including the Château de Versailles, the Centre des Monuments Nationaux (Sainte Chapelle), the Paris Opera, the Château de Chambord, and the Louvre.
How much will Canadians have to pay to visit the Louvre next year?
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According to the spokesperson, the non-European visitor rate at the museum will be €32 (C$52) for individual visitors starting Jan. 14, 2026. That’s about a 45 per cent (C$16) price hike from the current entrance fee of €22 (C$36).
The entrance fee will be slightly cheaper at €28 (C$45) for groups with accredited guides. The number of participants for groups will be limited to 20 people in order to “maintain the quality of the visit.”
“With regard to the Musée du Louvre, this pricing measure will support the financing of the institution’s investments,” explained the spokesperson.
They added that it would specifically fund the technical master plans launched as part of the “Louvre – Nouvelle Renaissance” project, which aims to “modernize and transform the Louvre in response to the museum’s structural problems.”
“It is expected to increase the institution’s resources by €15 to €20 million per year,” stated the spokesperson.
Reports of a price hike began circulating in July. Sources from France’s Ministry of Culture told French news outlet Le Monde that the hike would be implemented at the Louvre and Château de Versailles.
With non-European visitors accounting for 42 per cent of Versailles’ eight million annual visitors, the increased payments would go towards repairing a cracked pool, restoring a neglected grove, or fixing a leaky roof, reported Le Monde.