Louvre Museum & Mona Lisa tour: Small group, skip the line
Two hours inside the Louvre with six people instead of six hundred
A guided tour of the Louvre in Paris's 1st Arrondissement with a maximum of six guests, an English-speaking art historian, and skip-the-line entry. You meet outside the museum, bypass the main visitor queue, and spend two and a half hours moving through a curated route that includes the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Winged Victory of Samothrace, and major works by David, Gericault and Delacroix. Booking at least 48 hours in advance is recommended, as spots fill quickly.
Step-by-step itinerary
Semi-private guided Louvre museum tour
- Meet guide outside the Louvre
- Bypass main visitor line
- Clear security check together
- Follow expert guide through museum
- See Winged Victory and Venus de Milo
- View Mona Lisa and learn theft story
- Explore Coronation of Napoleon painting
- Discover Raft of the Medusa artwork
- Visit Liberty Leading the People painting
- Finish tour in Michelangelo Gallery
- Bid farewell to guide and group
- Pyramide Du Louvre passing by
- 1st Arrondissement Entry included 2h 30m
What’s included
- Skip-the-line group entry and Louvre museum ticket.
- two and a half hours with an English-speaking art historian guide.
- viewings of the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Winged Victory of Samothrace, Coronation of Napoleon, Raft of the Medusa, and Liberty Leading the People.
- small group capped at six guests.
- Monday, Saturday and Sunday 10:30 11:30 12:00 12:30 14:00 15:00
- Wednesday and Friday 10:30 11:30 12:00 12:30 14:00 15:00 16:30 17:30
- Thursday 10:15 10:30 11:30 12:00 12:30 14:00 15:00 15:30
Information
Small-group Louvre tour in the 1st Arrondissement with skip-the-line entry and an English-speaking art historian guide.
Compare the 12 alternatives
Traveler reviews
The experience
You arrive at the Louvre's entrance in the 1st Arrondissement and meet your guide just outside the museum: the exact meeting spot appears on your booking voucher. After a quick introduction to the five other travelers, you skip the main visitor line and clear security as a group, which means you're inside the galleries while the queue outside is still forming. An English-speaking art historian leads the route, and the small size is what makes the day different: you have room to step back from each painting, ask questions without holding up a line behind you, and hear the guide's stories without competing for attention.
The tour moves through a sequence of masterpieces, each one unpacked with context and anecdote. You stand before Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa while your guide explains the 1911 theft that made it famous, then move past the Winged Victory of Samothrace and Venus de Milo: two sculptures that anchor the museum's classical collection. Jacques-Louis David's Coronation of Napoleon, Gericault's Raft of the Medusa, and Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People follow, each with insider stories that bring the work into focus. The tour finishes in the Michelangelo Gallery, so you end on a high note rather than wandering out through the gift shop.
The whole experience runs two and a half hours, which is long enough to absorb the major works without the fatigue of a full-day museum marathon. Louvre entry is included (€32 for non-EEA visitors, €22 for EEA residents), and the skip-the-line group entrance saves the time you'd spend in the main queue. Book at least 48 hours ahead, as the small group size means spots fill quickly.
Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Youth (7 to 17 years); Child (under 7).
What is the Mona Lisa actually like when you stand in front of it on this tour?
The Mona Lisa hangs behind protective glass in a crowded gallery, but because your group is limited to six people, your guide can position you to see it clearly and explain Leonardo's technique, the painting's history, and the 1911 theft that made it the world's most famous artwork: all without the crush of a standard tour group.
Do I have to wait in the main Louvre entrance line?
No. Your group enters together through the skip-the-line group entrance and clears security as a unit, so you bypass the main visitor queue entirely.
Can I ask the guide questions during the tour?
Yes. The small group size, just six guests plus the guide, is designed to give you space to ask questions and absorb each work without the rush of a larger tour, so your guide addresses inquiries throughout the two and a half hours.
What other major artworks does the tour include besides the Mona Lisa?
The tour covers Venus de Milo and Winged Victory of Samothrace, Jacques-Louis David's Coronation of Napoleon, Gericault's Raft of the Medusa, Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People, and works in the Michelangelo Gallery, where the tour concludes.
Is the Louvre entry ticket included in the price?
Yes. Entry is included: €32 for non-EEA visitors, €22 for EEA residents. Free admission applies to visitors under 18 and EEA residents under 26 with valid ID and proof of residency.
How far in advance should I book?
Book at least 48 hours ahead. The small group limit means spots fill quickly, and you'll need to provide your full name and date of birth matching a valid ID at the time of booking.
Operated by The Tour Guy. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.
Prices and times updated today
Louvre Museum & Mona Lisa tour: Small group, skip the line
2h 30m · EN
from € 89.10 per person
≈ US$ 100 in your currency
Next, you choose your date and number of travelers and see the final price.