Louvre Museum: Guided Tour at Closing Time with Mona Lisa
Description
This is the Louvre at its calmest. Late afternoon is the sweet spot for visiting the world's largest art museum, and this small-group, timed-entry tour is built around it. You'll bypass the long ticket lines through a dedicated group entrance, then follow an expert, English-speaking guide on a curated route designed to hit the icons without the chaos. In just two hours, you'll stand in front of the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and the Winged Victory of Samothrace, then walk through Greek and Roman antiquities most visitors rush past. Your guide weaves the museum's history together, from medieval fortress to royal palace to public museum, with insider stories about each masterpiece. With a small group, you'll have the room to see, listen, and ask questions. It's perfect for art lovers, first-time Paris visitors, and anyone who wants the Louvre's highlights without the morning rush.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Meet your guide just outside the Louvre and head straight for the dedicated group entrance, bypassing the long lines at the main pyramid. After a quick security check, you'll step inside the world's largest art museum to start your visit. Over the next two hours, you'll follow an expert guide on a curated route in a small group, taking advantage of the late-afternoon hours when the crowds begin to thin.
Inside, your guide leads you straight to the icons: Leonardo's Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory of Samothrace at the top of a grand staircase, and the armless Venus de Milo in the Greek halls. You'll hear how the building grew from a medieval fortress into a royal palace and finally a public museum, with insider stories about the artists behind each masterpiece. The small group keeps the pace personal, with room to see every work and ask questions you'd never get to in a packed morning crowd. Your visit wraps up at Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss in the Michelangelo Gallery, when late-afternoon light has the museum at its most peaceful.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Free admission applies to visitors under 18 and EEA residents under 26, upon presentation of valid ID and proof of residency
- We recommend booking this tour at least 48 hours in advance, as spots fill quickly.
- All guests must supply their full name and date of birth matching a valid ID at the time of booking
- Unfortunately, this tour is not wheelchair accessible
Reviews(97)
We had a wonderful tour! Our guide Z took us to all the highlights in the museum, and we learned so much. We could hear all of his great information through the headphone and greatly enjoyed the experience.
Thank you for your fantastic review! We're so pleased to hear that Z guided you through the Louvre highlights in an engaging and informative way, and that the audio system helped enhance your experience.
The guide was very knowledgeable. He provided a detailed explanation and description of the various artifacts and paintings.
Thank you for your kind review! We're glad to hear that your Louvre guide provided detailed and informative commentary that helped enhance your understanding of the artworks and artifacts.
The meeting point, and providing of the hand held units were spot on. Then we were turned over to a different person to guide us through. He had a small since of humor, but he was totally focused on teaching the group all about art. Our group felt as if we were enrolled in art 101.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. I'm glad to hear that the meeting process and audio equipment distribution were well organized and helped get the tour off to a smooth start. That said, I'm sorry the guiding style wasn't quite what your group was looking for. Our guides are passionate about bringing the history, art, and culture of each site to life, but we understand that every guest has different interests and expectations. It sounds like you were hoping for a broader sightseeing experience, whereas the tour focused more heavily on the artistic and educational aspects of the visit. We genuinely appreciate this perspective, as it helps us better understand how our tours are experienced by different travelers. I'll be sure to share your comments with our team as we continue to refine our experiences and set clear expectations for future guests. Thank you again for joining us, and we hope to welcome you on another adventure in the future. Warm regards,
The tour was excellent and extremely informative! If you book on Friday, the tour is still during operating hours and of course, busy.
Dear Greg, Thank you for your review! We're delighted to hear that you found the tour informative and enjoyable. We appreciate your helpful note regarding Friday visits and are glad you had a great experience at the Louvre. Warm regards,
Anna was great. Lots of info knew alot about art. Was prompt and had a great personality. Would use this service again
Dear Christine, Anna will be so happy to hear this! Her passion for art history and her energetic personality really do make our closing time tours special. We can't wait to have you back for another tour.
Chose this tour because the crowds around the Mona Lisa are described as lighter at that time of day. We were hoping our niece, who was on the trip with us, would get an unobstructed photo with ML in the background. Wrong. This is the 2nd time we've toured The Louvre. First time was a private tour. I wouldn't recommend one over the other. Both show the same pieces and I'm thinking no matter what time you go, our private tour was early morning, it's always going to be crowded, especially in the ML room. What was different on this tour though was that we got to see where the recent theft of the crown jewels happened and saw the window the thieves came through to pull it off. Sad, but unique and memorable.
Dear Kevin, Thank you for sharing your perspective on the museum atmosphere. We understand how disappointing it is that the closing time did not offer the unobstructed moment you were hoping for with your niece. While we always aim to find the quietest pockets, the Mona Lisa remains a consistent draw for crowds regardless of the hour. It is fascinating that you were able to see the site of the recent jewelry heist. Witnessing a piece of living history like that certainly adds a unique layer to the tour. We appreciate your balanced view on the private versus group experience and hope your niece still walked away with some wonderful memories of the masterpieces. We would love to host your family again—perhaps for a day at Versailles where the open gardens provide a bit more breathing room!
With 35,000 works of art, you can’t see it all. Sid did a great job navigating through all the crowds and allowing us to see not just the greatest works of art, but also lesser known works.
Hi Kirsten, Thank you for your thoughtful review! You’re absolutely right—the Louvre can feel overwhelming, so we’re delighted to hear that Sid helped you navigate it in a meaningful and enjoyable way. It’s wonderful that you were able to experience both iconic masterpieces and hidden gems. We hope to see you again for another enriching tour!
Very informative and interesting. You do stand in one place for a long time so if you have problems with standing, beware of that.
Hi Jill, Thank you for your feedback! We’re glad to hear you found the tour informative and interesting. We also appreciate you highlighting the standing time—this is very helpful for future guests to keep in mind. We’ll continue working to ensure expectations are as clear as possible. We hope to welcome you again soon!
Informative tour with knowledgeable guide; children under 18 should bring ID for entry. I’ve visited the Louvre multiple times but having a guide was by far the best visit!
Thank you for sharing your experience! We’re thrilled to hear that your guided visit made such a difference, especially after multiple visits to the Louvre. That’s exactly the kind of experience we aim to provide. We also appreciate the helpful tip for future guests!
Heline was very knowledgeable, but not overwhelming. The tour was a great fit for our group. I would happily sign up again
Thank you for your great review! We’re so pleased to hear that Heline struck the right balance with her knowledge and made the experience enjoyable for your group. We’d love to have you join us again!
