louvre museum masterpieces guided tour

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Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Guided tours Highlights All publics 12 +

Discover the Mona Lisa , the Winged Victory of Samothrace , the Venus de Milo , and other masterpieces of the Louvre with trained guides who take you through the museum’s most impressive spaces, such as the medieval moat, giving you a fascinating insight into the history of the palace.

Available languages and times

Every day at 9.45 a.m. Additional tour at 2 p.m. on weekends and every Friday at 6 p.m and 7 p.m (Except: 1 March, 5 April, 3 May, 7 June and 26 April)

Every day at 9:45am

Every day at 10 am

Booking conditions

Guided tour - Combined ticket The combined ticket (31 €) allows an admission to the museum at the same access time than the selected Guided tour or Atelier, for visitors who do not benefit of a free admission to the museum. Guided tour - Full price Admission ticket for individual visitor  not included In case of tickets unavailability online, it is mandatory to purchase an admission ticket at spot.) Guided tour - Reduced price For visitors benefiting of a free admission to the museum: under-18s, under-26s living in the European Economic Area, membership card holders (Amis du Louvre, Louvre Mécène, Louvre Professionnels) people with disabilities and people on income support. Complete liste of tarif conditions on:  www.louvre.fr . Free admission with no ticket on presentation of proof of eligibility only.  

Louvre Museum Masterpieces Guided Tour with Reserved Access

TICKET PRICES STARTING FROM

Taxes and fees will be calculated at checkout

Take a small group or a private (depending on the option you choose) walking tour of the Louvre Museum in Paris and jump the queue by booking ahead. This skip the line tour helps you explore the collection of paintings, sculpture, and architecture with an expert local guide. Numbers are limited to a maximum of 24 people on this small group walking tour, ensuring you'll receive personalized attention from your guide. Upgrade your ticket for a private tour exclusive to just your group. This tour was specifically designed to highlight the most famous works of the Louvre Museum. Entering the Louvre through the original Medieval structure from the 12th century, join your guide on a journey from one breathtaking gallery to the next as you travel through time visiting works from 450 BCE through to the 1800s.

Ticket Options

3 Options Available

Louvre Semi Private Tour: $89

Small groups of 12 people or fewer.

Louvre Private Tour - English: $55

Private tour guide exclusively for you and your group for a more personalized experience.

Louvre Group Tour - English: $60

Louvre Masterpieces Group Tour with Mona Lisa with a mall groups of 24 people or fewer

Ticket Information

• Mobile or paper ticket accepted
• One per booking

What's Included

• Audio headsets so you can always hear your guide
• Entrance ticket (€22) and reservation fee (€70) for the Louvre
• Reserved Access to the Louvre Museum
• English-speaking expert guide
• The Mona Lisa sighting & other famous paintings and sculptures
• Small-group or private tour (depending on the option selected)

What's not Included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off

Cancellation Policy

• For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Additional Info

• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
• Only very small bags are allowed
• Please note that parties of 7 or more people may be split in different groups on the day of the tour at the meeting point.
• We may experience delays in clearing security checks when entering the venue.
• It is the responsibility of all visitors to be at the meeting point 15 minutes before departure. Guests arriving after departure cannot be accommodated & missed tours or tickets cannot be refunded.
• Visiting terms at the Louvre https://www.louvre.fr/en/visit/museum-rules
• Entrance ticket (22€), and reservation fee (70€ per group) included. Entry at the Louvre is free for visitors from the EU aged 18 to 26 years old.

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2 hours Louvre Private tour - Louvre Masterpieces

Louvre highlights.

The museum of the Louvre is not only an iconic cultural center of the world, it is the highlight of many people’s trips to Paris.

During two hours, we will enjoy a selection of the must-see Art Masterpieces of the Louvre with answers and first-hand fascinating stories.

About our highlights tour of the Louvre

My louvre private guided tour.

We have been giving tours of this city for a decade. 

Time and time again, the people I take with me to explore the City of Lights are blown away by their visit to the Louvre.

On the one hand, that’s because of the extraordinary collection of painting, sculpture, and just about any other art form you can imagine. But, it is also because art is such an enjoyable way to connect.

In a single painting, you can begin to talk about the era it was painted, the tragic biography of the painter, the part it played in changing the culture, and all the works it later inspired.  The Louvre Art can be a portal into history. 

And Paris, more than maybe any other city on the planet, has its history completely interwoven with art.

In my bespoke Paris museum tour, you get the inside view of the city's history and Art through the eyes of a passionate native Parisian. 

You can see the sights you’ve always dreamt of visiting, walk the storied streets, and learn about the most beautiful city in the world.

But for now, let’s just drink in the captivating beauty you can see in person on a tour of the Louvre!

if you need a guided tour

I can custom design a shorter or a longer Louvre tour that uses the artworks of the Louvre as a doorway into the fascinating world of Art history.

Let’s take a whirlwind tour of the artwork you can see at the Louvre. When you get the feeling that you just have to see it in person, reach out to me.

The highlights of the tour

The building's history.

Let’s begin with the building itself. The Louvre was built as a fortress then it was transformed into a palace, a residence for the Kings, and then into a museum open for public after the Revolution.

The Louvre is today the Soul of French History. 

The glass pyramid, namely, the Louvre Pyramid, which creates an entranceway and a daring architectural feature was opened to the public in 1984, only three years after then President François Mitterrand announced the project. I.M. Pei, the famous Chinese-American architect , was selected to design the new entrance.

The resulting glass and metal structure has split critics ever since. Some say it clashes with the French Renaissance style of the surrounding building. Others say it reinvigorates the space. Some say it doesn’t engage with French history. Others say it opens the grounds to a more universal perspective. Whatever the opinion, it’s an unforgettable feature of the Louvre.

The masterpieces

We will see all the masterpieces and few of the hidden treasures of the Louvre.

This unique museum is home to rare paintings and singular sculptures that have been selected carefully through the last three centuries to be displayed in its unmatched galleries.

Why these specific art works and not others?

The master artists who made them, left their print on the history of Art. Only few of these artworks will become world-famous or even, iconic.

Today, we can not imagine the world of Art without them. 

We call them : Masterpieces.

So what is a Masterpiece? Why these paintings have so much influence here and over the borders?

I will answer all your questions while we walk right next to these unique must-see icons.

Our trail is flexible

Our trail has few corner stones, but is not fixed: We adapt to your energy level, to your agenda, to your time and pace, and of course, to your interests.

We recommend to see with us: the history of the Louvre, the beautiful sculpture of Venus de Milo and the amazing Winged victory. We will explore the Salon Carré, walk through the Grand Gallery and meet the Mona Lisa.

We can explore Napoleon's Empire of Art, take a peak in Denon Wing to shed some light on the Liberty Leading the People by Delacroix, demystify the Raft of the Medusa by Géricault, and see other famous paintings and sculptures such as the Rebellious Slave by Michelangelo, the lovely Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss and more surprises if we have more time.

If you want to see more, take our extended Louvre tour. It is fully customizable.

Pictures from the Louvre highlights

Our service, the louvre highlights - guided tour during 2 hours.

The spectacular paintings and sculptures above are only a handful of what you can see when you visit the Louvre.  

And with my highlights tour, you can get in-depth information about the art and the history that surrounds it. But, it doesn’t stop there... 

When you feel ready, use the form below to send us a request for a private guided tour at the Louvre.

Our tours are 100% private

We organize only private tours, by email and by phone. 

Your tour guide will be in direct contact with you by email or whatsapp and will answer your questions about your trip to Paris, your Louvre tour and any question about the Art exhibits, the artists, the optional themes in the Louvre and d'Orsay museums.

The tour guide can help you book and buy the timed tickets for all national museums in Paris and Giverny using our company ID, based in Paris, France.

Once we connect, you can ask for advice to better planning and recommendation from your guide. We will be happy to help our visitors interested in enjoying Art in Paris.

No more masks in the Louvre

The Louvre museum does not obligate the visitors to wear masks since March 2022. 

Some visitors choose to keep their masks on during our private tour. You are free to wear or not to wear a mask with your guide.

You can tell us your preference in advance and the guide will adapt to your configuration.

All the guides are fully vaccinated and respect the sanitary norms.

For groups of more than 6 people

For a party of more than 6 people, we will need to ask for a special group reservation from the Louvre . 

The special reservation is obligated by the Louvre museum and it is called the "right to speak" in the Louvre in order to regulate the flow of the visitors. 

We can use our radio headsets for up to 24 people.

* in 2024, this right to speak is often unavailable at the Louvre due to high demand for group tours.

Our booking policy

We are both licensed tour guides, working under the rules of the Guide-Conferenciers of France. We confirm the booking with a pro-format PDF invoice and a secure payment link. 

Our cancellation policy is flexible to ten days.

You can send our coordinator Flore Gurrey a direct email and she will be happy to give you more information : [email protected] or use the form below.

Best regards

Contact us using the form

Request for louvre private guided tour.

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Louvre Private Tour | 2 hours

Louvre Guide Paris, France

+337 87 08 25 77

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Louvre Museum Genius Hack: See 22 Essential Masterpieces in 3 Hours!

No doubt about it, the Louvre Museum is one of the most impressive places to visit in Paris. Housed in the former royal palace of France’s kings and queens, with the striking glass pyramid designed by architect I.M. Pei to mark its entrance, there’s a reason why an estimated 7.5 million people visit every year. But with over 35,000 different works of art spread across roughly 15 acres – oh, and did we mention there are four levels?? – you need a plan. Otherwise, it can be overwhelming and just plain not fun. 

To help you make the most of your time, we gave ourselves a challenge. Could we see a cross-section of important artwork in just three hours? The answer is yes, with a little help from our handy cheat sheet. We did a ton of research to identify 22 works of art that experts consider to be truly significant. You can download the cheat sheet here, and below we’ve expanded on it to give you some insight into why these pieces matter.

In selecting the works, we thought about a whole range of interests and visitors. For instance, every kid we know loves mummies, so we included a sampling from the museum’s vast Egyptian holdings. And, if it’s your first visit, chances are you’ll want to see the Mona Lisa , so she’s here too. And so much more. Armed with this cheat sheet, we think you’ll have a great time exploring the amazing range of art housed at the Louvre and still make it to a great lunch afterwards. Ready? Allez! On y va!

A quick orientation to the Louvre Museum

The Louvre Museum is divided into three wings, each with up to four floors. So we have tried to group the artworks by wing. The wings form a U shape, and the pyramid sits in the middle of the U. You might want to study a map on the Louvre Museum’s website , and also pick one up once you enter. The maps show the different wings and levels, and also the numbered galleries (rooms), which is especially helpful when you’re looking for a specific masterpiece.

These are the wings: 

• Denon: If the Mona Lisa is a must-see for you, then head over to the Denon wing. This section houses many other masterpieces and for that reason, we recommend starting here. 
• Sully: This is the oldest part of the museum, where you can see the Medieval walls of the original fortress. It’s also where you’ll find Egyptian mummies, Greek and Roman sculpture, and the famous Venus de Milo sculpture.
• Richelieu: If you’d like to see what the Louvre looked like when it was a palace, you’ll want to see the Napoleon III apartments located here. But for our three hour tour, note that none of the artworks on our list are in the Richelieu wing.

The exterior of the Louvre Museum

When you enter the courtyard of the Louvre – which you’ll have to do to get inside the museum – take a minute to look around you. There’s a lot to see just outside! 

Colonnade: Along the eastern side of the Louvre you can see a stately lineup of columns, called a colonnade. It was built between 1667 and 1674, during the reign of Louis XIV.

Masterpieces of the Louvre’s Denon wing 

Ok, we’re in! To start your three hour tour, head to the Denon wing, which houses many of the most famous works, and one of our favorite pieces in the museum. Use your map to find the gallery number, which helps you pinpoint exactly where each piece is. 

Gallery 403: In this gallery we’ll admire three sculptures. 

• The Dying Slave and the Rebellious Slave , both by Michaelangelo, were commissioned in 1513 for the tomb of Pope Julius II. They were intended to be architectural ornaments, but were not included in the final mausoleum. They came to the Louvre in 1793. Just look at how he expresses the longing for freedom in these bodies. Truly gorgeous. 
• Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss , another sculpture, is one of our favorite pieces! It was created by Italian artist Antonio Canova in 1787. Hailed as a classic of the Neoclassical style, we love it because it conveys so much emotion and tenderness. It’s simply lovely!

Gallery 700: We’re here to see a painting called the Raft of the Medusa , painted by French artist Théodore Géricault in 1819 – when he was just 27! This larger than life painting depicts a true life disaster at sea, when a French ship called the Méduse (the Medusa) ran aground off the coast of what is now Mauritania in 1816. Members of the 147-person crew made a raft from the ship’s broken wood, and in less than two weeks, only 15 people remained to be rescued. The painting exemplifies the French Romantic style, and trust us, it’s very dramatic! 

Gallery 702: If you like art on a grand scale, you’re going to love this room, where we’ll zero in on two paintings that are huge, but just barely big enough to tell the stories they contain. 

• Coronation of Napoleon by Jacques-Louis David is an imposing canvas measuring 33 by 20 – feet, that is! Started in 1805, it took three years to complete. It depicts the coronation of Napoleon as emperor of France, which was quite a shift from his roots as a military leader in the French Revolution. To make sense of this sprawling scene, look at it first vertically, from the cross up and down, and then horizontally, from the Pope to the empress. One fun detail is that Napoleon’s mother enjoys a prime seat right in the center of the composition. In real life, she wasn’t even there, but when you’re emperor, you can have your mother painted in! 
• Intervention of the Sabine Women , also by Jacques-Louis David, started with a visit from his wife while he was in jail in 1796. She inspired him to paint a rendition of a story from ancient Rome, when Hersilius, married to the first king of Rome, rushes between her husband and her father, bravely placing her babies between them to end a conflict. Set amid a tumultuous backdrop, the painting is widely viewed as a plea for unity following the pain and bloodshed of the French Revolution. 

Gallery 703: We want to highlight two wonderful works here.

• Winged Victory of Samarthrace is a masterpiece of sculpture from ancient Greece’s Hellenistic era, about 190 BCE. This victory is a tall one, too, standing a little over 18 feet high. The statue depicts the goddess of victory, Nike, with her wings flung back as she lands on the prow of a warship. She’s been in the Louvre since 1884. Check out the fineness of her tunic. 
•   Liberty Leading the People is an iconic painting by Eugène Delacroix. Dating from 1830, it shows Liberty, personified as a woman, leading the people over a barricade and the bodies of their fallen comrades. Sometimes she is called Marianne and she is considered a symbol of France. Interesting to note, the hats people wear in this painting tell a lot about their social standing. You’ll see a top hat on a well to do person and a student wearing the “bicorne.” Marianne herself is wearing a phrygian or liberty cap, which symbolizes the French Revolution. Liberty is for all, the painting seems to say. 

Gallery 705: Let’s look at one more by Eugène Delacroix – but this time you’ll need to look up, because Apollo Slays Python is the magnificent ceiling in this, the Galerie d’Apollon (Gallery of Apollo). Apollo is the Sun God in Greek mythology, and this room was originally going to be a tribute to Louis XIV, who called himself the Sun King. But before that original work could be created, Louis decided to move his court to Versailles. Flash forward 172 years, and Delacroix was commissioned to paint the ceiling after a fire. He chose to represent the triumph of intelligence – the light of the Sun God – over ignorance, represented by the python. We think he did a pretty good job. 

Gallery 710: As you’re admiring Delacroix’s ceiling, you can wander down to this gallery and be dazzled by the glittering crown jewels of France. Included here is Napoleon’s coronation crown, the personal crown of Louis XV, and well, a whole lotta bling. 

Gallery 711: Ok, it’s the moment you’ve been waiting for… drum roll please! It’s time to see the Mona Lisa . This little painting by Italian master Leonardo di Vinci packs a big punch as the Louvre’s most famous, most visited work of art. People line up to ponder her enigmatic smile and imagine what she’s thinking. Painted between 1503 and 1506, it is believed to be the portrait of Lisa del Giocondo, a noble woman of the Italian Renaissance. The Mona comes as a shortened way of saying Madonna, like saying Ma’am instead of Madam. It has been on display in the Louvre since 1797.  She’s not the only painting in this gallery, however. Also take a look at the Wedding Feast at Cana , by Paolo Verenese, from 1563. Here is the New Testament story of Jesus turning water into wine at a wedding. Note the balance of the composition, and all the fantastic detail of a party that’s about to really get going.

Louvre masterpieces in the Sully wing

Hopefully you stopped for a coffee and maybe a snack in one of the Louvre Museum’s cafes and now you’re ready to explore the Sully wing. We’ll change things up from the paintings and start this part of the tour by taking a look at some remarkable finds from ancient Egypt.

Gallery 321: Much of what we know about ancient Egypt comes to us through the tombs they made to care for their deceased. The ancient Egyptians believed that they would enter the kingdom of the gods after they died, so they had elaborate rituals to prepare the dead for the journey. A body would be mummified (more on that in a moment), then placed inside a coffin that would itself be placed inside what’s called a sarcophagus, which is a big box, often made of stone and carved, if the person inside had been important in life. You can see a very grand one in this gallery, called the sarcophagus of Abu Roash, which is the place where the sarcophagus was discovered, not the name of the person who was buried in it. 

Gallery  322: Now let’s take a look at the mummy covered in cartonnage. Mummification is a process of preserving the body. Inner organs were removed and placed in ritual jars, and the cavity of the body filled with a kind of salt as a preservative. Then it was rubbed with oils, spices and resin, and wrapped in 35 layers of linen cloth. Sometimes masks were placed over the face – and in the case of kings and queens, these could be quite elaborate! Next to the mummy is a case that features jars with lids in the shape of animal heads, which are popular with kids. 

Gallery 336: The Nile river was the source of life for the ancient Egyptians, and in this gallery you can see model boats based on the ones you would have seen on the river back in 2000 BC. These models would have been placed inside tombs to be used in the afterlife as a substitute for a life-sized boat. The detail is fascinating, a window into another time and way of life. 

Gallery 345: We’ll jump from Egypt to Greece for a moment to admire the beautiful Venus de Milo sculpture, believed to have been carved sometime between 160 and 110 BC. Venus is the Roman name of the Goddess of Love, called Aphrodite in Greek. This goddess stands tall at 6’ 7” and though she lost her arms along the way, she is no less beautiful for that. The drapery of her gown, the naturalness of her pose all combine to create a sense of harmony. She has been in the Louvre since 1821. 

Gallery 346: Speaking of Venus, we’ll take a look at another interpretation of this timeless beauty in the fresco called Venus and the Three Graces Presenting Gifts to a Young Woman . It was painted by Italian Sandro Botticelli sometime around 1483-86. A fresco is a kind of mural  painting done in wet plaster. This was originally part of the decoration in a home near Florence, Italy. Botticelli supposedly used the patron’s daughter as the model of the young girl.

Gallery 348: This room was originally a grand ballroom in the old palace, with an upper area where musicians played, supported by four magnificent columns shaped like women, made in 1550. These are called caryatids , a name taken from ancient Greek meaning “maidens of the town of Karyai,” where there was a temple dedicated to the goddess Artemis. 

Gallery 338: In this gallery, we’ll go back to ancient Egypt for a moment, to look at the Great Sphinx of Tanis. With the body of a lion and the head of a person, the sphinx is a bit of a mystery. His job was to guard the temple of Amun-Ra, a divinity connected to the sun.

Gallery 602: Behold the Sun King – Louis XIV. This larger than life portrait painted by Hyacinthe Rigaud in 1701 shows King Louis at the height of his power and grandeur. It’s a fitting place to end our tour of this incredible collection. 

We hope that tour gave you a way to enjoy the Louvre Museum and discover some art that inspired you.

VIP Tour With A Private Guide

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