Louvre Private Tour – Genuinely Private – 2, 3 or 4 hours
We offer a 2-hour private Louvre tour that focuses on the highlights and comprehensively introduces the fascinating museum’s architecture and history, from a medieval fortress to a royal palace, and then the world’s most famous and largest museum. We also offer 3-hour and 4-hour versions of the tour. Our Louvre private tour is led by a postgraduate licensed guide, an art history lover who curated the content himself. This is a genuine private tour for you and your party only.
💡 Looking for all Louvre tour options? See our complete Louvre Tours guide with highlights tours, themed tours, and evening tours.
New and Amazing! Till the end of 2025, the Louvre is testing an Entrance Reserved for Licensed Tour Guides with their Small Group of Customers (6 Maximum).
You can access this true skip-the-line privilege via our Louvre Private tours. This should continue until the end of 2025, but there is no guarantee. This is only a test, and the Louvre can decide to stop it at any time.
The Louvre pyramid where is the museum’s main entry.
The louvre Private Tour in a Nutshell
From 179 € for 1 to 2 people + 40 € per extra person
- Louvre Guided Tour in English
- Genuine private tour = your party only (up to 6 persons)
- Available in 3 durations: 2 hours, 3 hours, and 4 hours
- Postgraduate (MPhil) certified French national guide
- Flexible schedule – Evening tours possible on Wednesdays & Fridays
- Not available on Tuesdays, nor on January 1st, May 1st & December 25th
- Skip-the-line tickets not included: to buy online (€ 22€ per adult)
Skip-the-line tickets clarification: These are tickets you purchase online; you skip the line of those who buy their tickets on-site. However, you line up for the security check.
KNOW MORE / BOOK NOW
Louvre Private Tour Prices
Louvre tickets are not included in the prices
2-hour Tour
- 1-2 people: 179 € (89.5 € per person)
- 3 people: 219 € (73 € per person)
- 4 people: 259 € (64.75 € per person)
- 5 people: 299 € (59.80 € per person)
- 6 people: 339€ (56.5 € per person)
3-hour Tour
- 1-2 people: 235 €
- 3 people: 280 €
- 4 people: 325 €
- 5 people: 370 €
- 6 people: 415 €
4-hour Tour
- 1-2 people: 275 €
- 3 people: 325 €
- 4 people: 375 €
- 5 people: 425 €
- 6 people: 475 €
A Glimpse on the Tour Masterpieces
Venus de Milo; Nike of Samothrace; Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss; Michelangelo’s Slaves; Coronation of Napoleon by David; Raft of the Medusa by Gericault; Liberty Leading the People by Delacroix; The Wedding Feast at Cana by Veronese; The death of the Virgin Mary by Caravaggio; La Belle Jardinière by Raphael; The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne by Leonardo da Vinci and for sure Mona Lisa (*) and much more.
What’s in the Louvre Private Tour?
Famous 19th Century French Paintings
Italian Renaissance Masterpieces
French Crown’s Jewels
Ancient Rome & Greece Collections
800 Years of Louvre History
What’s in the Louvre Private Tour Extended 3 and 4 hours Versions?
First of all, more content and more flexibility! Depending on your interests, the open galleries, and how crowded the Louvre is on the day of your tour, your guide will adjust and complete your private tour content to make your discovery experience even more fascinating.
Why Choose Us?
Recognized Customer Satisfaction
- We want you to be happy with your tour with us.
- The quality of our services has been recognized by 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 Tripadvisor Traveler’s Choice Awards.
Original Tour
- Designed by Yves, your Louvre tour guide.
- It is not a scripted tour repeated day after day.
Adaptive Tour
- Don’t hesitate to ask your guide to see some of the works of art that interest you the most, or part of the museum off the beaten track.
Optimized Tour Itineraries
- The tour routes are designed to help you optimize your Louvre exploration.
- Zig-zag strategy to minimize crowd impact at the gallery and work of art level.
Tour Pace Flexibility
- The tour pace is dynamic to maximize your exploration experience, but if you need or want to go slower, the tour will be adapted in function.
After Tour Recommendations
- Benefit from your guide’s recommendations if you wish to continue exploring the museum alone after the tour.
Official Licensed Tour Guide with Amazing Reviews
Certified French national guide
BA, Magna Cum Laude, Heritage Development & Preservation
from Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers (Grande Ecole established in 1794)
Postgraduate from Paris Dauphine-PSL University
Fantastic experience at the Louvre
Yves is a fantastic guide!
We really enjoyed the storytelling of his tour and the way it was structured. He made it feel easy to understand the details of different periods and styles, it’s clear he is skilled in adjusting the tour and information to your interests. We loved Yves’ enthusiasm and passion, and highly recommend his tours
Warning About the Crowded Galleries of the Louvre
The Louvre discovery private tour itinerary follows the most crowded galleries where are Mona Lisa (with the four other da Vinci paintings), the Venus de Milo, the Victory of Samothrace, and the coronation of Napoléon, etc.. Then we advise you against booking this tour during high season or peak hours.
To make the most of your Louvre Private tour, you’d better book it as an evening one on Wednesday and Friday night.
You can do it on this page; select the Wednesday and Friday evening schedule in the booking calendar.
The advantages of a Louvre evening tour are described in more detail on our dedicated page.
Louvre Private Tour Glimpse: Palace History
Medieval Louvre
Our tour starts at the beginning: the impressive underground remnants of the ancient fortress built by the King of France, Philippe Auguste (the rival of English king Richard the Lionheart), and transformed into a medieval palace by King Charles V.
Etching representing Paris around 1630. On the left part, the picture depicts the right bank of the Seine River with the Louvre castle. The remaining parts of the medieval castle are visible, such as the Lescot Renaissance wing and the newly built Great Gallery alongside the river. View of the Louvre, Jacques Callot, Arts Institute of Chicago.
Renaissance Louvre
The Lescot Wing
Built by architect Pierre Lescot under the reigns of Francois I and Henri II, it is an iconic building of the French Renaissance.
There you will discover the magnificent Henri II grand staircase as the “Salle des Caryatides,” a 6458 ft² reception room, a masterpiece of the Renaissance with its four impressive caryatides by sculptor Jean Goujon.
Many historical events took place in the room, such as the first time the most famous French playwright, Molière, performed a play in front of Louis XIV.
Caryatides of Salle des Caryatides in the Lescot Wing. Built between 1546 and 1551, this is the oldest portion above the ground of the Louvre. A Renaissance wing, influenced by Italian Mannerism,
Grande Galerie (Grand Gallery)
Situated in Denon Wing, it is the most famous room of the Louvre. It was built under Henri IV and was initially 460 meters long (now a third less).
Future King Louis XIII played there as a child. Nowadays, the Grand Gallery houses most of the Louvre’s Italian Renaissance painting collection.
The Grand Gallery houses most of the collection of Italian Renaissance paintings. Credit dat-vo Unsplash.
Sun King’s Louvre
It mainly consists of four of Louis Le Vau‘s works.
Queen Anne of Austria’s Summer Apartments
The apartments of the Sun King’s mother are famous for their magnificent painted ceilings with stucco work. They reopened to the public in June 2024 after 22 months of restoration.
Apollo Gallery
The gallery is named after the theme of its decoration, from walls to ceiling: Apollo glorifies Louis XIV as the Sun King. Designed by the King’s first painter, Charles Lebrun, the magnificent work was continued by many famous French artists, such as Delacroix, with its Apollo Slays the Python.
It reopened in 2020 after a spectacular cleaning. It is a prototype of French Baroque (Classicism) used as a reference for the Hall of the Mirrors at Versailles.
The Apollo Gallery: The Sun King Louvre, where the Jewels of the French Crown are. Credit Dat-vo Unsplash.
Rotonde de Mars and Rotonde d’Apollon
These two rotundas serve the apartments of Anne of Austria and the Apollo Gallery. The impressive list of the Louvre’s most important sponsors and donors is engraved on the walls of the Apollo one..
Salon Carré (Links Great Gallery & Apollo Gallery)
When Louis XIV left the Louvre for Versailles, he attributed the room to the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, which organized its yearly art exhibitions there. They were called the “Salons” after the room name.
Later, in 1810, the religious wedding ceremony between Napoleon I and Marie-Louise of Austria was celebrated in the Salon Carré.
Imperial Louvre of Napoleon III
The Imperial Museum
It was created in 1863 with the vast Daru and Mollien rooms decorated by Alexandre Dominique Denuelle. The two rooms are still under the imperial color (red and gold) and now house world-famous 19th-century French paintings.
Daru Staircase & the Nike of Samothrace
The impressive Daru Staircase was also designed under Napoleon III. It is not only a fantastic setting for the Winged Victory, but it is also the entry gate to five must-see collections of the Louvre:
- Ancient Greece and Rome collections
- Italian Renaissance paintings (including Mona Lisa)
- Sculptures of the Michelangelo Gallery
- The French Crown’s Jewels
- The 19th-century French Paintings Gallery
The Daru Staircase, with, in the background, the Nike of Samothrace. Credit Kazuo-ota Unsplash.
Louvre Private Tour Glimpse: The Collections
1. Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome Collections
The Louvre’s ancient Greek and ancient Rome collections are extremely rich, with, for example, some frescoes from Pompeii, some fragments of the Parthenon frieze in Athens, and so on. The tour will mainly focus on the world-famous masterpieces of the collection.
Ancient Rome Sculptures (reproduction of older Greek ones)
- Diana of Versailles (or Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt)
- The Sleeping Hermaphroditus (formerly in the Borghese Collection)
- The Venus of Arles (The favorite of Louis XIV)
The two Louvre’s Original Greek Sculptures from the Hellenistic Period
- The Venus de Milo
- The Winged Victory of Samothrace
Vénus de Milo. Credit Jean Carlo Emer Unsplash.
2. Italian Renaissance Painting
The Grand Gallery and the Salle des Etats house one of the world’s most prestigious Italian Renaissance painting collections, covering the period from Trecento (the early stirrings of the Renaissance) to the High Renaissance and Mannerism.
Beginnings of the Renaissance
- St. Francis of Assisi Receiving the Stigmata by Giotto
- The Maestà by Cimabue
Renaissance
- Madonna and Child with the Young St. John the Baptist by Botticelli
- St. Sebastian by Mantegna
- Saint Anne, Leonardo da Vinci’s ultimate masterpiece
- La Belle Jardinière by Rafael
- The Pastoral Concert, initially attributed to Giorgione, is now considered to be by Titian. The works inspired Manet for his Luncheon on the Grass.
Mannerism
- The Wedding Feast at Cana by Veronese (the biggest Louvre painting)
- The Four Seasons (a set of four paintings) by Giuseppe Arcimboldo
- Daniele Voltera’s two-sided painting of David killing Goliath
3. Michelangelo Gallery
A gallery named after two famous non-finito sculptures by Michelangelo: The Dying Slave & The Rebellious Slave.
Nearby is Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss by Antonio Canova, probably the world’s most romantic sculpture.
Psyche revived by Cupid’s Kiss by Antonio Canova.
4. The French Crown’s Jewels
- Louis XV crown
- Breast star with diamonds of the Holy Spirit Order
- Empresses Josephine and Marie-Louise Jewels (Napoléon’s first and second wives)
- Diadem of the Duchess of Angoulème (daughter of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette)
- The Regent: one of the biggest diamonds in the world (140.64 carats)
Portrait of Louis XVI wearing the blue ribbon and the breast star with the Holy Spirit Order diamonds. Photo, Musées de Paris.
5. 19th Century Large French Paintings
Neoclassicism in Room Daru
- The Coronation of Napoleon by David
- The Grande Odalisque by Ingres
The Grande Odalisque by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres.
Romanticism in Room Mollien
- The Raft of the Medusa by Géricault
- The Liberty Leading the People by Delacroix
There are also many other works, such as Antoine-Jean Gros’s realistic Napoleonic paintings, which mark a transition between the Neoclassical and Romantic styles.
The Raft of the Medusa by Gericault.
The Louvre Private Tour Extended (3 or 4-hours)
What is the Louvre Discovery Tour extended?
This tour is an extended version of the classical 2-hour Louvre discovery tour. Also designed for first-timers, It is made of two parts.
The first part is nothing more, nothing less than the content of the usual 2-hour Louvre discovery tour as presented on this page. The second part comprises one or two extra hours from which the exact content will be decided on-site between the customer and the guide!
What Can be Done During the Extra Time of the Extended Tour?
The extra content of the extended tour is quite flexible.
The first option is to stay on the 2-hour tour content, but do it at a slower pace.
Alternatively, we can dedicate extra time to exploring the main artifacts of other Louvre departments each time the corresponding gallery is open. (The Louvre’s opening galleries are not guaranteed; they can be closed at any time without notice.)
- Throne and crown of Napoleon.
- Napoleon III Apartments (reopened since June 2024 after restoration)
- French paintings of the 16th, 17th, 18th, or 19th centuries
- Dutch paintings (Rembrandt, Vermeer, Frans Hals)
- Flemish paintings (Van Eyck, van der Weyden, Brueghel, Rubens, Van Dyck)
- Cour Marly & Cour Puget (French sculptures 17th to 19th C.)
- 18th Century Art of Living (including some of Marie-Antoinette’s furniture)
- Near Eastern antiquities (Code of Hammurabi, The Khorsabad courtyard from the Palace of Sargon II, Remains of the Palace of Darius, Statue of Ebih-Il, superintendent of Mari)
- Ancient Egypt (Seated Scribe, Mastaba of Akhethotep, Great Sphinx of Tanis, etc. )
- Art of Islam in the Cour Visconti (coming soon)
You can have more information about what can be seen in these galleries by checking the Alternative Louvre Tour page.
If you want to go in-depth into some of these galleries, the extended tour is inadequate; please see our Louvre-themed tours (Napoleon, French painting, Italian painting, Dutch & Flemish paintings, Ancient Egypt, etc).
Another possibility for using the extra time is to walk quickly through the Louvre galleries to maximize the number of famous masterpieces we can see.
The Cheat with the Ace of Diamonds by Georges de la Tour, the “French” (he was from Lorraine) master of chiaroscuro. The Caravaggio influence is evident.
Frieze of Archers, decorative Panel from the palace of Darius in Susa (Persia).
FAQS – Louvre Private Tour
Q: How Long Does It Take to Visit the Louvre?
The Louvre is enormous; you would need weeks to see everything. A two-hour private tour takes you directly to the main works of art, helps you understand how the museum is organized, and enables you to find your bearings.
Q: Is a Louvre Private Tour Worth It?
Visiting the Louvre is often a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and the 9 miles of corridors and 38,000 works of art can quickly transform it into an overwhelming experience.
A 2-hour private tour drives you directly to the main works of art.
So, yes, it’s worth it! The problem is finding a good, knowledgeable guide at a reasonable price.
Q: How Long Does the Louvre Discovery Tour last?
The Louvre private tour lasts 2 hours.
We also propose a 3-hour or 4-hour extended tour, and if you want an even more in-depth Louvre discovery, you can email us to ask for a full-day tour of the Louvre.
Q: How Much is a Private Tour of the Louvre?
The usual market price for a two-hour genuine Louvre private tour is 250 € or more per person and 400 € or more for a 4-hour tour. These offers may or may not include a Louvre ticket.
The Broaden Horizons offer is highly competitive. Our genuine private two-hour Louvre tour for two persons is 179 €, the three-hour one is 230 €, and the four-hour one is 275 €. In other agencies, this is more the price for a semi-private tour. At Broaden Horizons, the Louvre ticket is not included.
Q: Why are your Louvre Private Tours much Cheaper Than those of the Other Agency?
For two reasons:
Firstly, because we believe the others are too expensive, we want art to remain accessible. Secondly, Broaden-Horizons is a tiny concern with low structure costs.
Q: Is the Quality of your Louvre Tours Lower Than That of the Much More Expensive Ones of the Other Agencies?
No, Yves, the Broaden Horizons tour guide in Paris, is very experienced in the Louvre. Further, our tours are adaptive. Yves will adapt the tour content to his audience’s desires whenever possible.
Not all the agencies act like that, even the more expensive ones.
Q: Is this Tour for Louvre First-timers?
Yes, the tour was specifically designed for first-timers. Its purpose is to present the museum’s most famous artwork and explain its fantastic history.
Q: I'm Not a First Timer. Do You Have a Louvre Tour for Me?
Our Louvre Discovery Tour may not be suitable if you’re already familiar with the Louvre and prefer a tour that excludes the Mona Lisa, the other Da Vinci paintings, the Coronation of Napoleon, the Venus de Milo, and so on.
However, you can book our Alternative Louvre Tour, specifically designed for guests like you who seek a quieter, off-the-beaten-path experience. Alternatively, you can choose one of our Louvre-themed tours.
Q: Is the Mona Lisa Included in the Tour?
The Mona Lisa is on the tour route in the Salle des Etats room. So, you will see it during the tour. But, to admire it closely, there is always a long line incompatible with the tour duration.
The tour ends not far from the Mona Lisa, so you can easily return there to queue up after the tour (if compatible with the museum’s opening hours).
The Mona Lisa gallery and, to a lesser extent, the one of the Venus de Milo are always incredibly crowded. So, if you can, always prefer a Friday or Wednesday Evening Louvre Tour, which usually offers much better tour conditions.
Louvre Private Tours Reviews
The highlight of our trip!!
“This was the best investment and hands down the highlight of our trip!! We booked a tour of the Louvre with Yves. The Louvre is huge and there is so much to see. In two hours, Yves managed to show us an incredible amount. He is deeply knowledgeable about art history, and it was amazingly helpful to have him contextualize what we were seeing for us. We are already planning to book with him again the next time we are in Paris. Don’t hesitate—this is an experience that is worth every penny!!”
Private Louvre tour was incredible!
You simply must book this private tour. To start, you are swept right inside, in front of the lines of envious people. Then, a whirlwind of expertly described art and history. The guide has a great style of informing in a conversational way. He curated the experience to our interests. You could tell he’s very experienced, with an amazing knowledge of art and history! It was fast-paced, and he fit in so much. It was nice having someone who knew his way around so well. He knew we weren’t keen on the crowds and took us through in a way that avoided people, and at times it felt like we were in our own museum to ourselves. He really went above and beyond. 10/10 would do again!
Tour of the Louvre
What an experience! Yves was so knowledgeable and really made our visit to the Louvre memorable. My partner and I visited the Louvre on the day we arrived to Paris with very little sleep and Yves kept us going the entire time with amazing insight on many of the exhibits throughout the Louvre. We were astonished by the vast size of the Louvre but Yves curated the tour in a way that we were able to avoid the big crowds and incorporate what we were most interested it. Highly recommend this tour and well worth it.
Thanks again Yves!
Things to know before Booking
Clarification: Skip-the-Line Tickets Are Just Standard Online Ones
Louvre website says "All visitors, including those entitled to free admission (including Paris Museum Pass bearer), must book a time slot. Buy your ticket online on www.ticketlouvre.fr... During off-peak times, there may also be a limited number of time slots for same-day visits available for booking at the museum. However ... to guarantee your entry ... we strongly advise booking your time slot in advance online." Conclusion no magic: During your time slot, you are entitled to enter the online booking security line, so yes, you skip the line... of those who come without a ticket!
Louvre Museum Tickets Fare
Museum tickets are not included in the tour price.
- Online Louvre tickets: 22 € per adult
- Free for all kids under 18 years old
- Free under 26 years old for the European Union residents
EVEN IF YOU ARE ENTITLED FOR A FREE ENTRANCE, YOU MUST TAKE A TICKET ONLINE.
Restrictions
- Private tour means a tour for you & your party only, not that the museum is privatized.
- Tour duration & content are purely indicative, they may vary due to contingencies.
- In case of unexpected closed galleries you accept to follow a substitution content.
- Prices do not include transportation, food, drinks or any other extra services.
Attention Points for the Louvre
- Check The Louvre galleries closure schedule before planning your Louvre coming.
- Tour on foot in Louvre's huge galleries, so good health & comfortable shoes are mandatory
- Photos are authorized but without flash. Selfie sticks are not allowed.
- WARNING: proof of ID is mandatory as tickets are nominative!
- WARNING: If you have a free ticket, the corresponding proof is mandatory!
- WARNING: print your tickets or at least upload them before coming to the Louvre (last-minute problem uploading tickets may spoil the tour)
Meeting Point
Outside the museum close to the pyramid (detail during booking)
Access: Metro Line 1 or 7 station Palais-Royal - Musée du Louvre
Book your Louvre Private Tour
confirmation (email)
Louvre Private Tour (2-hours)
Meeting Point OUTSIDE the MuseumFor 1 to 2 people + 40 € for any extra person
A group of maximum 6 people exclusively yours
Tickets not included
Louvre Discovery Tour Extended (3-hours)
Meeting Point OUTSIDE the MuseumFor 1 to 2 people + 45 € for any extra person
A group of maximum 6 people exclusively yours
Tickets not included
Louvre Private Tour Extended (4-hours)
Meeting Point OUTSIDE the MuseumFor 1 to 2 people + 50 € for any extra person
A group of maximum 6 people exclusively yours
Tickets not included
Few of the 86 sculptures of the Illustrious Men on the Louvre Facades. The arts are everywhere at the Louvre, including outside the windows.
Other Louvre Private Tours You May Like
French Paintings 17th Century
2h Private Tour from 179 € for 2
The French call the 17th century “Le Grand Siècle” (the great century), the one of Louis XIV the Sun-king, when France started to dominate arts for more than 250 years.
French Painting Crash Course Tour
3h Private Tour from 235 € for 2
French painting crash course in the Louvre. 500 years of painting from the mid 14th century to the mid 19th century.
Flemish & Dutch Paintings
3h Private Tour from 235 € for 2
From Flemish Primitives to Flemish Baroque painters till Dutch Golden Age.
Unless otherwise noted, images are from The Yorck Project (2002). GFDL