Louvre Private Tour
The Louvre private tour is a masterpieces selection also designed to give you a comprehensive introduction to the famous museum’s architecture and history. It is a discovery tour aimed at first timers done by a postgraduate licensed guide who curated the tour content himself. This Louvre tour is a genuine private one done by you own Louvre private tour guide for you and your party only.
The Louvre pyramid where is the museum’s main entry.
The Louvre Private Tour in a Nutshell
From 130 € for 1 to 2 people + 45 € per extra person
- Louvre Guided Tour in English
- Genuine private tour = your party only (up to 6 persons).
- Available in 2 durations 2 hours and 4 hours
- Postgraduate (MPhil) certified French national guide
- Flexible schedule – Evening tours possible on Fridays
- Not available on Tuesdays
- Two meeting point options: outside or inside the Museum
- Skip-the-line tickets not included: to buy online (22 € per adult)
Skip-the-line tickets clarification: they are just standard online tickets.
KNOW MORE / BOOK NOW
Your Private Louvre Tour Guide:
Yves
Certified French national guide
BA, Magna Cum Laude, Heritage Developpement & Preservation from Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers
Postgraduate from Paris Dauphine-PSL University
Warning About the Crowded Galleries of the Louvre
The Louvre discovery private tour itinerary follows the most crowded galleries of the museum in the Denon Wing, where is Mona Lisa with all the other da Vinci paintings, the Victory of Samothrace, and the coronation of Napoléon. Then we advise you against booking this tour during high season or peak hours.
To make the most of your Louvre Private tour, you better book it as an evening one on Friday night.
You can do it on this page; select the Friday evening schedule in the booking calendar.
The advantages of a Louvre evening tour are described in more detail on our dedicated page.
What’s in the Tour?
Famous 19th Century French Paintings
Italian Renaissance Masterpieces
French Crown’s Jewels
Ancient Rome & Greece Collections
800 Years of Louvre History
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.
Why Choose Use?
Original Tour
- Designed by your guide.
- Not a recitation of a speech learned from a script and repeated day after day.
Recognized Customer Satisfaction
- We want you to be happy with your tour with us.
- Private also means adaptive; we don’t do rushed or tedious tours.
- The quality of our services has been recognized by 2020, 2022 & 2022 Tripadvisor Traveler’s Choice Rewards.
Optimized Tour Itinerary
- Designed for you to make the most of your tour.
- Ending at Mona Lisa (*) or close to it.
Dual Tour
- An amazing introduction to the Louvre’s world-famous collections.
- Louvre’s architectural history, from the dark-age fortress to the world-famous museum.
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 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 a reference 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 happened in the room, such as the first time 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 (Great 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 when he was a child. Nowadays, the Great Gallery houses most of the Louvre Italian Renaissance painting collection.
The Great Gallery where is the Italian Renaissance paintings collection. Credit dat-vo Unsplash.
Sun King’s Louvre
It mainly consists of four architect 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 and stucco work. [Temporary closed for 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 up. 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 are the Jewels of the French Crown. Credit Dat-vo Unsplash.
Rotonde de Mars and Rotonde d’Apollon
These two rotundas serve the Anne of Austria’s apartments and the Apollo Gallery. The impressive list of Louvre’s most important sponsors and donors is engraved on the walls.
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” in reference to 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 huge 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 of 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.
Tour Glimpse: The Collections
1. Ancient Greece & Rome Collections
The Louvre ancient Greece & Rome collections are extremely rich with for example some frescos from Pompei, some fragments of Athens Parthenon frieze, etc. The tour will meanly 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 preferred 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 Great Gallery and the Salle des Etats house one of the world’s most prestigious Italian Renaissance painting collections, from Trecento (early stirrings of the Renaissance) to 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 from 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 first and second wives)
- Diadem of the Duchess of Angoulème (daughter of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette)
- Three famous diamonds: the Sancy, the Hortensia, and most of all the Regent: one of the biggest diamonds in the world (140.64-carat)
Portrait of Louis XVI wearing the blue ribbon and the breast star with diamonds of the Holy Spirit Order.
5. 19th Century Large French Paintings
Neoclassicism in Room Daru
- The Coronation of Napoleon by David
- The Grande Odalisque by Ingres
The Coronation of Napoleon by Jacques Louis David. Credit The Yorck Project – GNU Free Documentation License.
Romanticism in Room Mollien
- The Raft of the Medusa by Géricault
- The Liberty Leading the People by Delacroix
And many other works, such as Antoine-Jean Gros’s realistic Napoleonic paintings, a transition between Neoclassical and Romantic styles.
The Raft of the Medusa by Gericault. Credit: The Yorck Project – GNU Free Documentation License.
The Louvre Private Tour Extended (4 hours tour)
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 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 2 Extra Hours 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.
Or we can dedicate the extra time to discovering the main artifacts of other Louvre departments each time the corresponding gallery is open. (There is no guarantee about the Louvre opening galleries; they can be closed anytime without notice).
- Napoléon I trône (and other belongings)
- Napoleon III Apartments (closed till May 2024)
- French paintings 16, 17, 18, or 19 centuries
- Dutch paintings (Rembrandt, Vermeer, Frans Hals)
- Flemish paintings (Van Eyck, 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, Palace of Sargon II, Palace of Darius)
- Ancient Egypt
- Art of Islam in 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 the extra time is to walk fast through Louvre galleries to maximize the number of famous masterpieces we will 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. Credit: The Yorck Project – GNU Free Documentation License.
Frieze of Archers, decorative Panel from the palace of Darius in Susa (Persia).
FAQ
How Long Does It Take to Visit the Louvre?
The Louvre is enormous; you would need weeks to see everything. A 2-hour private tour drives you directly to the main works of art and helps you understand how the museum is organized and find your bearings there.
How Long Last the Louvre Discovery Tour?
The Louvre private tour lasts 2 hours.
We also propose a 4-hour extended version of the tour and I you want an even more in-depth Louvre discovery you can email us to ask for a full-day tour of the Louvre.
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.
I’m not a First Timer. Do You Have a Louvre Tour for Me?
Our Louvre Discovery Tour is inadequate if you already know the Louvre and want a tour without the Mona Lisa and the other Da Vinci paintings, the Coronation of Napoleon, the Venus de Milo, etc.
But you can book our Alternative Louvre Tour, dedicated to people like you and for people who want a tour in a quiet off-the-beaten-track environment. You can also go for one of our Louvre-themed tours.
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 non-compatible 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 opening hours of the museum).
The Mona Lisa gallery and, to a lesser extent, the one of the Venus de Milo are always extremely crowded. So, if you can, always prefer a Friday Evening Louvre Tour which normally offers much better tour conditions.
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!!”
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: 17 € per adult
- Free for all kids under 18 years old
- Free under 26 years old for the European Union residents
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
- 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 print your tickets or at least upload them before coming to the Louvre (last minute problem uploading tickets may spoil the tour)
Meeting Point
Easy one Inside or outside the museum (detail during booking)
Access: Metro Line 1 station Palais-Royal
Book your Louvre Private Tour
confirmation (email)
Louvre Discovery Tour (2-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 Discovery Tour Extended (4-hours)
Meeting Point OUTSIDE the MuseumFor 1 to 2 people + 55 € 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.
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