11 Best Tours of the Louvre Museum

The Louvre- one of, if not THE most famous museum worldwide. Located in the epicenter of Paris, the infamous museum houses countless works of art, masterpieces, and priceless artifacts. Oh and not to mention it’s home to the priceless piece Mona Lisa. There are hundreds of interesting things to see in the Louvre- a virtual time capsule full of history, culture, and some of the most beautiful artwork known to man.

However, navigating the museum on your own can be extremely tricky. I’ve lived in Paris for almost three years, and with countless visits to the museum, it still feels like I’ll never see all of it. The museum is an immense and confusing complex institution with different wings, pavillions, and levels. With that in mind, there is one way to make sure you get the best out of your experience at the Louvre – taking a tour with an experienced guide who knows how to bring history alive.

A guided tour of the Louvre will have many benefits once you get there. A private guide will help you understand the secrets of the museum and the history surrounding the iconic pieces. With that in mind, we’ve composed a list of the 10 Louvre tours.

Best Tours of the Louvre

Paris: Louvre Museum Guided Tour with Skip the Line Tickets

If you’re looking for the simple and most effective of the Louvre Tours, then this is it. This Louvre Tour includes a skip-the-line entrance ticket, which is invaluable considering the line which can take more than an hour to get in.

With this tour, you’ll have access to the main highlights of the Louvre, such as The Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and Winged Victory of Samothrace. Your guide will provide exclusive insights into these masterpieces, and you’ll learn the stories behind each iconic piece.

Meeting at the Carousel du Louvre, you’ll start your day heading into the museum with other members of the group. Keeping the classics in mind, here are some of the pieces that you’ll visit: The Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Great Sphinx of Tanis, Dying Slave, and more.

Spread out through the different halls of the Louvre, your tour guide will take you through the halls of great Roman and Greek antiquities, Napoleon apartments, the Royal Palace, and the Apollo Gallery. Once the guide leaves, you’re more than welcome to stick around to continue exploring.

Louvre Museum Timed Entrance Access with Cruise Ticket

Though this tour isn’t given by a physical guide, it’s still one of our top Louvre tours worth mentioning. Essentially, this timed entrance tour includes a ticket to the Louvre Museum and tickets to explore the River Seine with an audio guide. From the Mona Lisa to visiting the riverside of the Left Bank, this tour covers it all.

Why we love this tour is that you still receive a plethora of information about the pieces that interest you most and are in total control. While having actual tour guides is great for questions, sometimes their interests don’t quite line up with your own and you find yourself looking at paintings you have no desire in seeing. That’s why the app is so great: you have access to all the history quite literally at your fingertips.

To participate, you’ll start by receiving a QR code to download the complementary app which will guide you through the museum. Then, the app will provide detailed descriptions of each piece and anecdotes and stories behind them.

After staying as long as you’d like at the Louvre museum, you can head outside to regroup and relax on the water. The tour comes with a complimentary river cruise along the River Seine, where you can admire some of the great Parisian monuments from afar.

Secrets of the Louvre Private Tours

This is, without a doubt, one of the best private tours of the Louvre. Hosted by a knowledgeable guide, this private tour will take you through the highlights of the Louvre while learning all the secrets that cultural experts hide in this incredible museum.

During this private tour, you will learn about the mysteries behind some of the pieces and explore iconic works. Sure, you’ll still visit the classics such as The Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo, but your tour guide will take you to some of the lesser-known works as well.

The Louvre museum isn’t just a museum- it’s an institution of centuries of French history and a significant global cultural center. There’s so much to discover here, which is why the Secrets of the Louvre private tour is your best bet to cover a lot of ground quickly.

See Related: Best Boat Tours in Paris, France

Louvre Museum: Highlights and Hidden Pearls

For those passionate about art history, this Louvre tour will catch your eye. As the name suggests, this Louvre tour combines the museum’s greatest hits and hidden gems that not many people know about or may look past.

Beyond the Louvre’s most famous works, you’ll visit some more discreet- but still awe-inspiring- galleries and masterpieces. There is plenty to appreciate from striking sculptures to ancient artifacts- for art aficionados and history buffs alike.

What makes this tour so great is that it’s led by an experienced tour guide passionate about all the Louvre holds. Not only will they be able to provide you with historical context for the works in the museum, but they will also answer all your questions and give you recommendations for other things to explore.

At the end of the tour, you’ll have seen a fair chunk of both ancient Egyptian relics and Greek antiquities, as well as the works of lesser world-renowned painters that may be overlooked. So no matter your interests, this hidden pearls tour has something for everyone – as long as you are willing to learn and explore!

Paris: Louvre Reserved Access and Boat Cruise

Offered by Mon Petit Paris, this Louvre tour is another way to cover both land and water in one day. As one of our favorite group tours, you’ll get special access to the Louvre museum, jumping past the long queues that usually build up with your skip-the-line tickets.

Marvel your way through the Louvre Museum by visiting the main attractions such as The Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and more. Once there, you’ll enjoy an interactive audio guide (included in the ticket cost) to truly understand the paintings and pieces through a handy app. Go at your own pace, take in the sights, and appreciate the history the museum holds.

Once the Louvre visit ends, the tour heads outside to enjoy a relaxing boat ride along the Seine. It’s important to note that the river cruise starts from the Eiffel Tour, but you’ll be provided a metro ticket to make your way there.

Combined Louvre and Musée D’Orsay Tour

Kill two birds with one stone with this combined Musée D’Orsay and Louvre private tour! With this tour, you’ll get to experience the history and culture of some of the most famous museums in the world. With skip the line tickets for both museums, you’re sure to make the most out of your day.

The day starts with meeting at the Louvre Museum. There, you’ll get to learn about the history of some of the most iconic works such as the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo. Your tour guide will also take you to some of the lesser-known but still incredible galleries and masterpieces.

Then, after your lunch, you’ll head to the Musée d’Orsay and admire the works of some of the world’s most famous painters. From Monet to Van Gogh to Renoir, you’ll surely be left impressed as you look at some of the most incredible pieces to exist.

This private tour is capped at four people, so you’ll have a more intimate experience that wouldn’t otherwise be had in traditional group tours. Your expert guide will be there for any questions you have, but will also cater the tour to fit your interests.

Must-Sees of the Louvre Museum Tour

This is the best guided tour of the Louvre for those who want to make sure that they get the most out of their visit. You will meet your group at the Arc du Triomphe du Carousel, where your tour guide will come to walk you through the famous masterpieces.

You’ll get to see some of the most significant works of the museum, such as the Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, and Venus de Milo. Your tour guide will answer any questions that come up along the way. This museum tour guarantees that you’re not left with any regrets, by taking you to the most famous masterpieces.

On this must-see tour, you’ll be able to explore the highlights of the Louvre with a knowledgeable, English-speaking guide. The tour will last about one and a half hours – but feel free to stay as long as you’d like once you’ve said your goodbyes. Though the tour isn’t the longest, that’s why we like it- it gets straight to the point so you don’t feel like you’re wasting precious time.

Kids and Family Private Louvre Tour

As the name suggests, this private tour is perfect for those with little ones! The private tour will take you around the Louvre and provide an engaging experience for kids and adults alike. It includes small activities specially tailored to young ones, to keep them engaged. Your guide will also be able to answer any questions your children might have.

This kids and family tour is ideal for families, as it lets you make the most out of your visit without having to worry about getting lost in the museum. It will focus on 2-3 attractions suitable for children, plus it will give adults the chance to explore some of the more famous pieces as well.

The Louvre is not only great to tour with children, but they also offer a variety of workshops and classes targeted at children. Hopefully, this tour will leave you inspired to book one of these creative activities to try yourself.

Louvre Museum Skip-the-Line Guided Tour with Venus de Milo & Mona Lisa

This small group tour of the Louvre offers you a chance to experience one of the oldest and most iconic museums in the world with an experienced guide. This guided tour will let you skip the lines and go straight to the iconic works that everyone knows: Venus de Milo, Mona Lisa, and Winged Victory.

Your guide will provide you with background information on the artwork, giving you a more immersive experience. The Louvre tour also includes an audio headset so that you can always hear your guide no matter where you are in the museum. Needing a bit more intimacy? The company also proposes a private tour to better your understanding, if the small group tour doesn’t suffice.

This is a great Louvre tour if you don’t have a lot of time to explore the museum and want a quick introduction to some of its most famous pieces. The tour lasts three hours, and you’ll get a chance to explore not only the museum itself but the Tuileries gardens out front.

Evening Louvre Guided Tour

This tour is a great way to experience the Louvre in a different light. Instead of being surrounded by hordes of tourists, you’ll have the chance to explore in a quieter, more intimate atmosphere as dusk approaches over Paris.

The tour begins with a toast to the evening with a complimentary drink at your meeting place outside the glass pyramids. Then, your guide will lead you through the Jardin des Tuileries as you begin to soak up the knowledge surrounding you.

After your stroll is finished, you’ll then head into the museum itself, complete with skip the line tickets. You’ll pause in front of many of the most famous works of the museum. Although you won’t see every piece of artwork in the Louvre, you’ll be able to see some of the most notable masterpieces. You’ll also get a chance to visit some of the lesser-known gems, as the tour will take you through the museum’s many hidden corners.

Your tour guide will also give you a chance to learn about the history and architecture of the museum, as well as fascinating facts about the artwork you’re viewing. The Evening Louvre Tour is one of the more unique experiences on our list and extremely worthwhile.

Skip the Line Tickets to Mona Lisa Guided Tour

The Louvre is not a small museum by any means. Although signs are directing you to all of the main halls and wings in the building, it’s still extremely to get lost in there. This guided tour will take you directly to the most prized possession of the museum: The Mona Lisa.

Your skip the line tickets will bump you to the front of the queue for quick entry into the Louvre. Then, you’ll follow and make your way through the museum, heading right to the masterpiece. Your professional guide will fill you in on the history of Da Vinci’s classic painting, as well as the interesting stories that surround its presence. You’ll have the chance to take pictures here as well. Once your viewing of the Mona Lisa with your group finishes, you are welcome to stay in the museum for as long as you like at your own pace.

Bonus: Virtual tour of the Louvre

For those not fortunate enough or able to be in Paris in person, an option for you to still see the masterpieces of the museum is through virtual Louvre tours. Though there’s no professional tour guide, you’ll still get to see the museum’s main works. You’ll be able to explore different galleries and permanent exhibitions of the museum from the comfort of your own home. The best part of the virtual museum tour is that they are all free!

All virtual tours are available on the official Louvre website, which can be found here. So, if you’re interested in learning more about the Louvre and experience the peak of art history, try clicking into one of these virtual tours.

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