Paris Museum Time Budgeting

Army Museum does not have to take 4 hours unless you're really into that stuff. You do get to see Napoleon's stuffed horse, or dog, I forget which.

Some people choose to make pretty much a day of it at the Orsay, but the collection is a fraction the size of the Louvre so you can do Rick's tour of the Orsay in whatever time he says. The restaurant at the Orsay is not to be missed, if you're hungry half way through your tour.

You could go by Rick's time to see the highlights of the Orangerie. It's not a large museum.

90 minutes is fine for Ste. Chapelle.
I think 2 hours will be rushed for the Orsay with Rick's audioguide. Do you like Impressionist art? If so, give yourself time to linger and enjoy it.
90 minutes will be plenty for the Orangerie.
I myself would feel rushed doing all of these on the same day. Relax!

Don't know about the Army Museum. As the other poster said, depends on if you enjoy that stuff.

Make sure they're all open if the Yellow Jackets are still doing their thing....

Here is what timing would work for me in each of these:

Sainte-Chapelle: Yes, 90 minutes is a gracious plenty. If it's sunny and you spend a lot of time looking at the card descriptions for each set of windows maybe 90 minutes, otherwise, I'd say 45-60 and I'm slow. The longest time is getting thru security which is the screening for everyone going into the courts in the Halls of Justice. I've had good luck here on the weekends when court is not in session by getting here before opening time.

Orsay: I'd say this is not enough time. I have completely run out of steam in this museum by trying to see too much. If you are interested in the Impressionists, head there first. I don't know how Rick has things sorted but my RS Best of Paris guide taught us to walk directly to the back of the museum, take the escalators (they are hidden behind a wall so go toward the cafe) up to the top floor, do the Impressionists first then work your way back down. I'd say 3 hours for the basics.

Orangerie: Yes, 90 minutes to 1.5 hours. The 2 big rooms with the waterlilies are on the entrance level, then you go downstairs for the rest of their permanent exhibition. There is also often a temporary or special exhibition. Sometimes that is of interest to me, sometimes not so add time if it looks like something good.

I'd day you can do all 3 in one day, in that order. That way if you get tired you an cut the Orangerie for that day. It's small and maybe you can pick it up later. There are nice benches in the waterlily rooms so you can sit and stare for a bit.

Army Museum: I love this museum. I'd start in the WWI and WWII galleries. That probably took me 3 hours alone. Then fit in whatever else you can that looks interesting to you. It's huge. I actually did myself in here. After 5 hours I made myself leave because I was reaching burn out.

I'd also feel rushed, as does Dorothy, doing all in the same day. Relax and have a glass of wine on a café terrace and people watch! :-)

I generally agree with Pam and Dorothy. Ste. Chapelle and Orangerie can be done fairly quickly. I happen to love the Impressionists, so Orsay for me should be at least 3 hours. And the café there is pretty decent. Peter

You guys are wonderful. Thank you so much.

Our plan was Ste Chappelle when it opens to see the sun come through as it rises. Sunrise that day is about 845 AM.

Neither of us are big art fans. The visits to Orsay and Orangerie are more “check the box” visits. Water Lillies a must of course. Doing the RS Orsay audio tour because I assume it’s the highlights. Very much appreciate the recommendation to eat there. Never would have crosssed my mind (in a similar vein, the cafe at St Paul’s in London is very good).

Our plan, assuming no interruptions and decent security times is Ste Chappelle at open, walk to Orsay, lunch there, Orangerie and then 6 PM mass at Notre Dame.

I too am a history/military nerd. Thank you for the idea regarding the WW1 and WW2 sites to start with.

Our plan was Ste Chappelle when it opens to see the sun come through
as it rises. Sunrise that day is about 845 AM.

Hopefully you can see the sunrise as you've planned, but I'm not sure whether you'll be able to see much of it as there's a tall structure (Justice Bldg) right up against Sainte Chapelle on its northeast side, and the Justice Bldg is tall. Maybe you can get a partial view of the sunrise, I don't know.

We have enjoyed a beautiful view of the sunset during a Ste. Chapelle evening concert, through the opposite windows pointing west. But in January the evening concert may be too late to give a sunset view.

The knyou, curious. I did not know that.

We’re going to do Sunrise at the Trocadero the following morning. One sunrise is probably enough for me.

Kevin, one of my favorite displays in the WWI exhibit at the Army Museum is the Parisian Taxi which supposedly ferried soldiers to the front lines during the Battle of the Marne. I've read elsewhere this was not a true story but I'm gonna believe it!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_Taxi_de_la_Marne

Since you are interested in military stuff, if you are there on the right day, I'd try to take the Paris Walks program on Paris during the Occupation. I found this so interesting I've taken it twice. I loved the guide pointing out the various swanky hotels where the Germans installed themselves including the Hotel Meurice which faces the Tuileries Gardens and which was occupied by the military governor of Paris - the one that ignored Hitler's order to burn Paris.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Meurice
www.paris-walks.com

As you walk around by the Seine River and nearby streets also look for plaques on the walls, memorials to those who fell during the liberation of Paris. The easiest ones to spot are on the wall right beside the Concorde Metro stop and positioned just to the NE of the Place de la Concorde.

https://goo.gl/maps/AZdikUgMhX42

Just following on what CuriousTraveler mentioned. Here's a googlemaps image of Sainte-Chapelle. You don't get a good sense of how the Justice building really surrounds the chapel because you can't really see the heights of the roofs.

https://goo.gl/maps/wYgn4QSUvgp

I suggest that you not be concerned about how much you see but how well you look at what you see. Instead of seeing 100 paintings in 30 minutes, spend 5 minutes each with 5 or 6 paintings. Really look at one- up close, farther back. Where does your eye naturally move on it at first, and then what do you pick up on later. You can still stroll past most of them, but when something moves you a bit, slow down and find out why.

(And for the love of art, please do not be one of those who use their tablet to take a picture of painting and the description. If they don't want to spend time looking at it in person, when will they look at their tablet?)

OK, art rant is over. Now for some practical advice. I've wanted to go to the Orsay cafe but found the line to be terribly long. I prefer to pick up a sandwich and fruit in the morning and keep it in my bag. When I need a break from visual stimulation I go outside and eat lunch. I usually go back in.

Even though I love art museums, especially the Impressionists, I find that I can't enjoy more than one a day, but that will depend on you and how many days you have to spread out your museum visits. I agree with the advice above that your times are about right, except for a recommendation for more time at the Orsay--we went twice to avoid burnout in one visit.

I tend to do a quick walk through, using something like Rick's tour, and then go back for a longer visit at 5-10 pieces that I really like.

Well I’m not a Army / war nerd , but I’ve always enjoyed the Army museum , it’s a peaceful interlude to the more crowded museums , so I’d allow 3 hours at least .

At Chapelle is “ wow “ but for me - it’s a one hour wow - I don’t read every description of every window , and it’s not a huge place , so I “ wow “ and go .

Orsay for me can range from 2-5 hours ( I’ve been 4-5 times now by with different companions , so how long we spend is flexible according to tastes , I am not a huge impressionist fan , however I love the decorative arts and furnishings sections .

Museums like the Orsay and Louvre are one a day sights to me - but you could combine some of the other ones .

Do consider a visit to the Shoah memorial museum - about 2 hours - it’s fascinating and of course very moving .

Personally when I am outdoors I like to have my back to the rising or setting sun so I can appreciate how it lights up the Eiffel Tower (l'Opera, etc.). So the Trocadero just before sunset would be my choice. Photographers call this the Golden Hour. Then cross to the east side to appreciate the colors of the sky against the tower.

As others have said 90 minutes was sufficient for the Orangerie - I saw the water lilies and spend the rest of the time in the fabulous gift shop.

Half a day at D'Orsay was not enough for me, huge Impressionist fan.

I found the Army museum wonderful but too much to take in in one visit. We were exhausted after three hours but plan to return someday. When I was there we saw a special exhibit on Napoleon for which the signs were in French only, but my husband found he could figure most of it out by guessing. "Bataille" is battle, etc.

You all are wonderful.

I get the sense that D’Orsay and the Musee Army, for a first timer, are great places to do a highlights visit over 3 hours. The thinking is that you will want to come back in the future.

I also get the sense that Ste. Chappelle and the Orangerie are great 90 minute visits and you may never return.

We love art museums but just don't do more than one in a day and in fact we enjoyed for years having Louvre membership so we could dip in for a couple of hours, focus on one collection and then leave and return later for another. With the Louvre by the way you can visit in the morning, leave for lunch and a neighborhood walk or whatever and then come back that afternoon or evening on the same ticket, which makes for us for a better day of art.

As others have noted, I am not sure sunrise at Ste Chapelle makes sense since it is completely surrounded by taller buildings but that doesn't seem to be the OP's plan anyway. Also the museum is not open till 9 am so sunrise seems to be off the table. The sun through the windows is best when it is high in the sky. Unless you are doing a detailed study of each set of windows, this is a quick visit. It is magnificent but the interest is all one room, the upper chapel, so the issue is how much time do you want to stand there surrounded by this beautiful illuminated glass.

Some of the most interesting parts of the Musee d'Orsay are the galleries in the old train station and not the impressionist wing so for an art lover this is one that 4 hours is needed if you only visit once. The Orangerie can be quick or not. I am not thrilled with the water lilies but many people find them a highlight of their visit to Paris. Last time I was there the German tourist next to me muttered, 'a lot of expensive muddy wall paper'. Sort of.

If at all possible mix it up so you are not doing death marches through one museum after another. It does tend to blur after a while.

Interesting points about when it is best to view the stained glass at Ste. Chappelle. Maybe I should rethink and do D'Orsay first and Ste. Chappelle either at midday or end of day?

Ste. Chappelle is known for their slow security line. I went a little before sunset for an evening concert (after checking sunset time that day). If you go during the day, it will pay to arrive at least 30 minutes before opening and see it first thing. It really is beautiful.

Orsay, two hours is about right maybe an extra 30 minutes. The line to get in can be long but isn't as bad as Ste. Chappelle.

I've never had any trouble getting into the Orangerie and an hour to 90 minutes is enough. It's small. If you only want to see the water lily rooms, you can get by with around 30 minutes.

Army museum is huge. I wanted to see medieval armor. I seriously didn't think there was that much armor on the planet, let alone in one building. It's best to pick something that interests you most and focus on that. If you only want to see Napoleon's tomb, you only need about 30 minutes but the whole collection is nearly as extensive as the Louvre.

If you are a war history fan like I am you'll want more time in the Army museum--I spent 3 hours and could have stayed another hour or so. I tend to move quickly through museums as I go solo, but the Orsay took about 3 hours and that included time in a special exhibit on Rousseau; another wing was closed so that evened it out. The Orangerie I spent perhaps 90 minutes. Depending on your museum M.O. you could do the 3 you've proposed in one day, just allow rest stops as needed.

"I also get the sense that Ste. Chappelle and the Orangerie are great 90 minute visits and you may never return."

Well, I guess it depends on the person. I generally go to Orangerie every visit. In 2017 I was there in April and Orangerie was not busy so I dropped in several times with my Museum Pass just to use the bathroom! I also go to Sainte-Chapelle maybe every other time. One visit I had exited at the Cite Metro stop and walked over to see what the line looked like. There was literally no one in line, so I walked across to see if it was even open...it was...so in I went. Could NOT pass up that opportunity.

Brad! Laughing at your experience with the Medieval Armor...yes, unbelievable collection!