Is the Louvre the most impressive art collection in the world? I guess it probably relies upon your definition of “impressive,” which to me indicates breadth across different time periods, and / or depth in one specific time period (for example, the Musée d’Orsay in impressionism).
Off the top of my head as I sit here writing about it in Paris, I can’t think of any other museum that comes close to matching it. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City is one possibility, as is the excellent Prado Museum in Madrid (honestly, that museum is incredible). But neither equal the Louvre in terms of scale or depth, really.
I`ve visited the Louvre three times spread over a decade. Over that decade, I’ve learned a vital lesson.
That experience taught me an important lesson: I struggle navigating large art museums independently. Now I ONLY visit major galleries with a guide, since the guided vs solo outings offer incredibly diverse experiences.
With guidance focusing your attention on important pieces and themes, and depth and richness brought to them, you’ll leave with a more memorable experience where you’ll learn not only about specific works, but also about the concurrent history and culture.
In this guide, I’m going to walk you through my encounter on a guided tour of the Louvre with Take Walks (who I have had nothing but great encounters before) and Anatole, our passionate guide.
We participated in the Closing Time Tour, which occurs in the three hours leading up to when the Louvre closes. This tour allows you to view the Mona Lisa immediately before the museum closes, providing a different experience than other times of the day.
I’ll begin with the fundamentals – how long is the tour, how much does it cost, and what does it cover – and then go through our experience. In the end, I hope it will help you evaluate whether a) you want to take a guided tour or try to explore the Louvre on your own and b) it’s worth the premium in price versus other tours for the smaller group and expert guide (spoiler: it absolutely is, in my humble opinion).
I want to emphasise here how crucial transparency is, as I`ve found reviews can potentially be impacted when tours are provided free of charge (spoiler alert: from experience doing this and later choosing not to, it indeed makes an impression).
I paid in full for this tour (for two people) with my own hard-earned money because it was something I genuinely wanted to experience. No sponsorship or gifted tour here! Just my relatively unfiltered thoughts on the tour, and whether it’s worth the money.
Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post, like hotel links, are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, we make a little bit of money if you click through and book. That being said, we would never recommend something to you that we don’t stand behind 100%.
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Why I Loved the Closing Time Tour at the Louvre with Take Walks
Short on time to read the entire review below? Here’s a brief overview of the highlights of the tour experience.
Overall, I’d strongly advise it. It costs more than other tours, but it`s an hour longer, the guides used by Walks tend to be better than other companies, and the maximum group size of 15 means you won’t be in an undesirable large group of 50 people trying to see everything with only one guide.
- Duration: 3 hours
- Includes: Priority entry to the Louvre (via the group entrance) with a knowledgeable guide experienced in art history
- Max Group Size: 15 people
- Highlights: The fortress within the Louvre that discusses its history, the wrongly labeled Venus de Milo, a few French masterworks, and a view of the Mona Lisa
- Cost: $86 per person (includes entrance fee to the museum)
Our Experience on the Closing Time Tour of the Louvre with Take Walks
Initially, you`ll meet outside the museum where you`ll be introduced to your guide and provided audio equipment.
Now, a word on the whole headphones and radio thing. The first time we were handed one of these was actually on a Walks tour in Rome (the Colosseum tour we did, which you can read about here), and we were highly skeptical.
However, after experiencing it ourselves (and conversing with our guide, who appreciated not having to raise their voice to be heard over other people around), we changed our perspective.
Following a brief introduction, you`ll immediately embark on the experience. Bypassing the protracted queues at the primary entrance, one accesses through the group entrance—potentially preserving approximately one hour depending on timing of arrival in Paris.
Upon entering, you’ll initially learn about the building`s history and how its purposes have changed through time (something we were formerly unaware of, and would have easily overlooked without a guide stopping us to emphasize it).
After a brief stop in the restroom, the true visit will start with sculptures – such as the Greek classics – including the Venus de Milo.
You’ll wander around the Venus de Milo, spending 15 minutes admiring her beauty while the guide discusses every detail of what is known about her (and what isn’t – you’ll have to use your imagination to envision what the arms were doing, because we have no clue!).
We also learned about the contrast between sculptures made of bronze and those made of stone, which require different poses (or additions) to make sure stone doesn’t break.
Roman sculptures often replicated Greek sculptures, but in stone (rather than bronze) requiring added support at the base to prevent cracking.
As you wandered the many halls of the Louvre, Anatole would draw our attention to pieces he deemed interesting or representative of a broader trend, and spend a few minutes sharing a story to truly bring that work of art to life.
Other noteworthy works include the Winged Victory said to inspire Nike`s logo, French art like Liberty Leading the People and the Raft of Medusa, plus additional pieces by Da Vinci beyond the Mona Lisa.
One of the most fascinating things we learned from Anatole is that all of the immense paintings seen from centuries ago have visible seams, which he pointed out in the Crowning of Napoleon, because canvases large enough for them could not be made from a single piece at that time, so several sheets had to be stitched together.
And, finally, just as you’re looking at your timepiece while the French voice over the loudspeaker tells you that the museum is closing in 15 minutes, you arrive at the Mona Lisa.
During almost every other period of the day, this space is full of tourists, all making an effort to push their way to the front of the room to get a closer view of (perhaps the most overhyped painting globally) the Mona Lisa.
You need to be near the front, as the space is surprisingly limited.
So, Was The Guided Tour of the Louvre Worth It?
Yes, I truly believe this tour was worth the time and financial cost.
In general, I strongly advise guided tours of large museums with massive collections of art spanning centuries. In fact, I basically won’t visit that museum without joining a guided tour, because I just won’t get much from it.
When I say that to some people, they’re skeptical. Like my friend Spencer, who was my plus-one in Paris (Alysha couldn’t make the trip this time) when I did this tour.
After the tour, Spencer concurred that a guided tour is the way to go.
Given there are literally hundreds of different Louvre tour options to choose from, what factors should guide your selection?
The primary consideration is group size.A gathering of 15 is the maximum threshold for what we’d deem suitable. Anything beyond that and you lose all personal interaction with the guide, such as the brief exchanges obtained as you transition between rooms. Most of the remarks in this case were joking references from our guide aimed specifically at me, which I appreciated. We observed gatherings of 40-50 people moving through the museum, and it seemed problematic.
Another significant factor is the expertise of the guides. Having recently taken a disappointing tour of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence where the guide simply led people around rather than providing art history knowledge, it absolutely matters if your guide is well-versed in their subject. Take Walks consistently employs the most qualified guides of any tour company in our experience, such as our guide Anatole who passionately shared insights about the sculptures and paintings we viewed.
The third thing is the amount of allotted time. Some tours last only two hours. After accounting for meetup and entry logistics, roughly 90 minutes are left inside, not nearly enough time. Three hours is still fast-paced but significantly better than two.
The last thing is the time of day. The morning at the Louvre is going to be packed (unless it’s, say, January). That’s the primary reason we selected the Closing Time tour – to be inside the museum during a time where you don’t need to wait 30 minutes to see the Mona Lisa (and we walked right up to her!).
Alert in advance: The Closing Time Tour satisfies these criteria. This is why we booked this tour ourselves beforehand and recommend you do the same if you want to maximize your visit to the Louvre and its comprehensive collection.
Tips for Your Visit to the Louvre
Here are some tips for planning your visit to the Louvre.
Plan your visit for a Friday evening, when the museum is accessible later and the excursion takes place after dark!
No large backpacks – They will not be allowed in the museum, and you will have to miss the tour.
Bathroom breaks only at the beginning and end of the tour – Approximately two hours without a bathroom break in the middle of the tour.
Additional Paris Travel Guides
Planning a trip to Paris? Matt, who speaks French at a level deemed “really well for an American” by various French individuals – his most prideful accomplishment in life – loves Paris.
As you start planning your trip, some other detailed guides we’ve created about Paris may prove useful for reference.
