Private Louvre Museum Tour with Expert Guide & Fast Entry

5.00

(6 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

Rain or shine, there’s always a line outside the Louvre—but not for us. Our guide, Camille, waved us through a side entrance I’d never noticed before. The marble floors felt cool underfoot, and you could smell old stone mixed with a hint of someone’s croissant from earlier. First stop: the medieval foundations. It’s easy to forget this place was once a fortress until you’re standing in that shadowy hall, stones rough and almost damp to the touch. Camille pointed out marks left by 13th-century builders—tiny details I’d have missed on my own.

We wound our way past the Sphinx of Tanis—its gaze is oddly calm—and into Greek antiquities. The Venus de Milo draws a crowd, but if you stand just to the left, you catch her profile against the pale gallery light. In the Caryatides room (it used to be a ballroom!), Camille spun a quick tale about gods and jealousies that made everyone laugh. The Italian gallery is long enough that your feet start to notice; we paused halfway for a look at Caravaggio’s shadows before joining the quiet Mona Lisa crowd. She’s smaller than you expect, but there’s something about those eyes.

French paintings are massive—“Sacre de Napoleon” could swallow my whole apartment. We ducked into Mesopotamian halls next; those Khorsabad Bulls are so big they make you feel tiny. By the time we reached Rubens and Vermeer in the Dutch rooms, it was quieter—almost peaceful compared to the buzz around Mona Lisa. Camille answered every question (even my odd one about ancient pigments) without missing a beat.