Louvre Private Tour – Genuinely Private – 2 or 3 hours
We offer a 2-hour private Louvre tour that focuses on the highlights and comprehensively introduces the museum’s architecture and history, from a medieval fortress to a royal palace, and culminates in the world’s most famous and most significant museum. We also offer a 3-hour version of the tour. Our Louvre private tour is led by a postgraduate, licensed guide who curated the content himself. He is an art history lover. This is a genuine private tour for you and your party only.
We are sorry to announce that, since January 14th, the Louvre has restricted private tours to a maximum of 3 hours. Consequently, for now, our 4-hour tours, so popular among art enthusiasts, are no longer possible. Also, full-day tours will now only be possible with two 3-hour tours on the same day, which drastically increases their cost.
💡 Looking for all Louvre tour options? See our complete Louvre Tours guide with highlights tours, themed tours, and evening tours.
Amazing! There is NOW a Louvre gate reserved for Licensed Tour Guides with their Small Group of Guests (up to 6)!
You can access this true skip-the-line privilege via our Louvre Private tours. This privilege is not 100% guaranteed, as the entry can be temporarily closed due to contingencies.
The Louvre pyramid, which 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 2 durations: 2 hours, 3 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
Price does not include museum tickets; the Louvre now requires us to purchase them for you; the rate is € 28 per ticket.
Price does not include the Louvre Museum € 20 “right to speak” fees.
Skip-the-line tickets clarification: These are tickets you purchase online; you skip the line of those who buy their tickets on-site. These tickets are no longer compatible with Louvre tours.
KNOW MORE / BOOK NOW
Louvre Private Tour Prices
These prices are for guiding services only. Since Louvre’s new rules took effect on January 14th, 2026, to these prices have to be added €28 per person for Museum tickets and an extra €20 per tour for Louvre”right-to-speak” fees.
| Group Size | 2-Hour Tour | 3-Hour Tour | 4-Hour Tour |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-2 people |
€179
€89.50 pp. |
€235
€117.50 pp. |
No More.
|
| 3 people |
€219
€73.00 pp. |
€280
€93.33 pp. |
No More
|
| 4 people |
€259
€64.75 pp. |
€325
€81.25 pp. |
No More.
|
| 5 people |
€299
€59.80 pp. |
€370
€74.00 pp. |
No More
|
| 6 people |
€339
€56.50 pp. |
€415
€69.17 pp. |
No More
|
| Group Size | 2-Hour Tour | 3-Hour Tour | 4-Hour Tour |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-2 people |
€179
€89.50 per person |
€235
€117.50 per person |
No More
|
| 3 people |
€219
€73.00 per person |
€280
€93.33 per person |
No More
|
| 4 people |
€259
€64.75 per person |
€325
€81.25 per person |
No More
|
| 5 people |
€299
€59.80 per person |
€370
€74.00 per person |
No More
|
| 6 people |
€339
€56.50 per person |
€415
€69.17 per person |
No More
|
A Glimpse at 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 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 the content of your private tour 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 the 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 more slowly, the tour will be adapted accordingly.
After Tour Recommendations
- Benefit from your guide’s recommendations if you wish to continue exploring the museum on your own 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 you can see the Mona Lisa (with the four other da Vinci paintings), the Venus de Milo, the Victory of Samothrace, and the coronation of Napoléon, among others. We then advise you against booking this tour during the high season or peak hours.
To make the most of your Louvre Private tour, you’d better book the Evening Tour formula (available only on Wednesday or 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.
An alternative strategy is to book the last tour of the day (the one ending at 5.30 PM/6 PM) on other days of the week. Usually, we may expect a “mini evening tour effect” just before closing (fewer people in the Mona Lisa zone).
Last alternative, if you do not like the crowd at all, you can also book our Off-the-beaten-track Tour.
Louvre Private Tour Glimpse: Palace History
Medieval Louvre
Our tour starts at the beginning: the impressive underground remnants of the ancient fortress built by King Philippe Auguste (the rival of English king Richard the Lionheart), and later transformed into a medieval palace by King Charles V.
Etching representing Paris around 1630. On the left, the picture depicts the right bank of the Seine River with the Louvre. The remaining parts of the medieval castle are visible, including the Lescot Renaissance wing and the newly built Great Gallery along 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 and 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, including the first time the most famous French playwright, Molière, performed a play before Louis XIV.
Caryatides of Salle des Caryatides in the Lescot Wing. Built between 1546 and 1551, this is the oldest portion of the Louvre above ground. A Renaissance wing, influenced by Italian Mannerism,
Grande Galerie (Grand Gallery)
Situated in the Denon Wing, it is the most famous room of the Louvre. It was built under Henri IV and was originally 460 meters long (now a third of that).
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 its theme, from the walls to the 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 is a French Baroque (Classical) prototype used as a reference for the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles.
The Gallery reopened in 2020 after a spectacular cleaning, but it has been closed again since October 2025 because it was the site of the Louvre heist. Nevertheless, some French regalia (Jewels of the crowns), others (Joyeuses Sword, Napoleon Crown, etc) are still on display in the Richelieu Wing. If you want to see them, ask your guide. He will go there with you if possible (this gallery is not open every day) on the day of your tour.
The Apollo Gallery: The Sun King Louvre, where the Jewels of the French Crown were before the October 2025 Louvre heist. 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 assigned the room to the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, which held its annual 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.
Even later, the Mona Lisa was on display in that room during the 1911 Louvre heist.
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 in imperial colors (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 Roman collections are vibrant, 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 Roman 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 collections of Italian Renaissance paintings, spanning 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’s 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)
Unfortunately, since the Louvre heist in October 2025, what remains of the Jewels of the Crown that were previously displayed in the Apollo Gallery is under protection at the Banque de France. So you can’t see any of those right now. Nevertheless, a few other regalia (Joyeuse Sword, Crown of Napoleon I, scepter of Charles V, etc. ) are still on display in another Richelieu Wing gallery.
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 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. Its 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 with the 2-hour tour content, but 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.)
- The 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” master of chiaroscuro (he was from Lorraine). 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 museum’s main works of art, helps you understand how the museum is organized, and helps you 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 offer a 3-hour extended tour, and if you want an even more in-depth Louvre discovery, you can email us to request a full-day tour (2×3-hour).
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, and the three-hour one is €230. In other agencies, this is more the price for a semi-private tour. These prices are for guiding services only; to get the final price, you have to add the ticket prices and the €20 right-to-speak fee charged by the Louvre for the tour.
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 works of art and explain their fascinating 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 États room. So, you will see it during the tour. But to admire it closely, there is always a long line that conflicts with the tour duration.
The tour ends not far from the Mona Lisa, so you can easily return there to queue up afterward (if it’s 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 bearers), 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 - Warning from January 14th, 2026, price for visitors outside the European Economic Area (EU, Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein) rises to €32
- Free for all kids under 18 years old
- Free for European Union residents under 26 years old
EVEN IF YOU ARE ENTITLED TO 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 unexpectedly closed galleries, you accept that a tour content substitution will apply.
- Prices do not include transportation, food, drinks, or any other extra services.
Attention Points for the Louvre
- Check the Louvre's gallery closures schedule before planning your visit.
- Tours are on foot in the 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 Louvre Pyramid (detail during booking)
Access: Metro Line 1 or 7 station Palais-Royal - Musée du Louvre
Book your Louvre Private Tour
Just request the date, time, and number of people you want for your Louvre tour on our calendar, then follow the 4 steps below for an easy online process.
(1) Receive our OK email (48h free pre-booking)
(2) Buy your Louvre tickets online (compatible schedule)
(3) Once you have your tickets, pay your tour online
(4) Receive our
confirmation (email)
Nota bene: Step (1) free pre-booking is lost if no step (3) payment is received after 48 hours. Buy your ticket on the Louvre's official website. The Louvre is closed on Tuesdays. Open hours: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m., except Wednesday & Friday: 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. Any exit is final.
Louvre Private Tour (2-hours)
Meeting Point OUTSIDE the MuseumFor 1 to 2 people + €40 for any extra person
A group of up to 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 up to 6 people, exclusively yours
Tickets not included
A 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