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Hours & admission - Plan and book your visit

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Hours & admission Plan and book your visit Visit | Hours & admission

When to visit, ticket prices, visitors eligible for free admission, memberships, musée du louvre, tuileries garden, musée eugène-delacroix.

• 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday
• 9:00 AM to 9:45 PM Friday
• Closed Tuesday

Last entry: 1 hour before closing

Clearing of rooms: 30 minutes before closing

Public holidays: the Louvre is closed on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. It remains open on all other public holidays unless they fall on a Tuesday, the museum’s day of closure.

• 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM April, May and September
• 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM June, July and August
• 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM January, February, March, October, November and December

Visitors will be asked to vacate the premises 30 minutes before closing

• 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM Closed on Tuesdays, on 1 January, on 1 May and on 25 December.

Evening opening until 9 p.m. on the first Thursday of the month (except 1 August, closing at 5:30 p.m.) (Last entry 15 minutes before closure)

Louvre-Delacroix combined ticket:  A ticket gives you access to the permanent collections and temporary exhibitions of the Louvre, as well as to the Eugène-Delacroix National Museum the same day and the day after your visit of the Louvre museum.  

Temporary closure : The Musée Delacroix will be closed from 24 to 25 April 2024

See website of Musée National Eugène-Delacroix  

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A ticket gives you access to the permanent collections and temporary exhibitions of the Louvre, as well as to the Eugène-Delacroix National Museum the same day and the day after your visit of the Louvre museum.

Tickets may be purchased on site when museum attendance is low (subject to availability).

Admission and exit

Think ahead of everything you would like to do at the museum as any exit is final.

Tours & activities

Payment methods.

The payment methods accepted at the museum ticket office are cash, bank card and 'Chèques-Vacances' holiday vouchers.

Time-slot bookings are recommended, including for free-admission visitors.

Admission is free for the following visitors:

Under 18s Proof of ID required.

18-25 year-old residents of the European Economic Area (EU, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein) Proof of ID and residency required.

All visitors On the first Friday of the month after 6 p.m. (except in July and August)

Disabled visitors and the person accompanying them Art teachers (plastic arts, archeology, applied arts, architecture and art history only)  Present proof of subject taught.

Artists affiliated to the Maison des Artistes (in France) or the AIAP (Association Internationale des Arts Plastiques) Present valid membership card or certificate.

ICOM and ICOMOS members Present valid membership card.

Journalists Present national or international press card.

Job seekers Present proof of entitlement (dated within the last year or indicating a period of validity).

People on income support Present proof of entitlement (dated within the last year or indicating a period of validity).

Free admission

The Louvre is free for all visitors on the first Friday of the month after 6 p.m. (except in July and August) and on 14 July!  

Become a member of the Amis du Louvre

The Amis du Louvre offers a range of membership programmes (youth, solo and duo, family), with prices ranging from €15 to €120.

More information (in French only)  

Your One Stop Shop For Travel Planning

The ultimate guide to the louvre museum.

There is an overwhelming amount of history and famous artwork in the Louvre that it would take months to actually look at everything. Obviously if you are on a short vacation in Paris, that is simply not feasible!

The Louvre is enormous and you can easily get lost if you don’t have a general plan on what you would like to see. Lucky for you, I have put together this handy guide covering everything you need to know about visiting The Louvre Museum. Be expecting details on where the Louvre is located, ticket prices, best time to go, top things to see at the Louvre, and tips on how to not get lost in this gigantic museum!

I don’t know about you, but famous artwork just isn’t fun to look at unless you know why it’s famous! The Louvre has history plaques, but they only cover VERY general things (sooo… nothing to get excited about or make you really remember a piece of art) . Not only will I give you all the highlights of the Louvre, but what makes them famous and worth seeing!

This is a completely self-guided tour of the Louvre and will take roughly 3 hours to complete. If you prefer to take a guided tour, there are endless tour options to choose from! You can browse pricing and tour options here .

ALSO, if you are traveling to Paris soon, be sure to check out my other France guides here:

• 10 Day France Itinerary
• Guide to Champagne tasting in Champagne, France
• Ultimate guide to the Gorges du Verdon in Provence

There’s a chance that this post contains affiliate links. I may receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you), that goes directly towards little Rosie’s dog treats!

What is the Louvre?

I hope you know what the Louvre museum is if you are looking into going, but you can never be too sure!

The Louvre was originally a small castle that over generations of royalty, they continued to add on making it bigger and bigger. It wasn’t until Louis XIV thought the Louvre was too small and built the Palace of Versailles that it became a museum.

After Louis XIV moved to The Palace of Versailles in 1682, The Louvre began it’s transformation into the famous museum it is today. It holds famous art from all corners of the world and has beautiful architecture like the famous glass pyramids of The Louvre.

Louvre Ticket Price

Louvre ticket prices are extremely consistent, regardless of time of day you plan to go. You can book tickets and schedule a timed entry directly from the Tiqets Website (what I recommend)!  Standard tickets are 17 Euros which include entrance to the museum.

Since the protests in May 2019, The Louvre has mandated time slots. The best time of day slots sell out quick, so be sure you book at least a few weeks in advance if you have a specific time in mind.

If you are on a budget and want to see the Louvre for free, plan to visit on the first Sunday of the month! Everyone get’s free access on this day, but beware it will be extremely busy!

Viator has great options on skip the line tickets, private tour, or audio tours. You can browse through tour options here!

Louvre Museum Hours

The Louvre is open every day but Tuesday from 9am-6pm. On Wednesday’s and Friday’s, they are open extra hours until 9:45pm.

The best time to visit the Louvre is either first thing in the morning (right at 9am) or late evening on Wednesday/Friday. These will be the least crowded and busiest times to visit.

What to pack for a day at the Louvre?

• A book about all the paintings in The Louvre would be extremely beneficial if you are passionate about art and history. You will get the chance to learn about all the paintings before visiting and you can decide for yourself what you would like to see. This would be a great read for the plane ride there! Click here to read reviews and check pricing.
• A good camera that allows you to zoom in without blur is so important for The Louvre! Every famous piece of art will have a crowd of people surrounding it and you might need to zoom in to get your shot. Plus, this might be the only time you will visit the Louvre, so you want to make sure your pictures are high-quality and last a lifetime. The Canon EOS rebel T5 is a great entry level camera and what I have used my entire blogging career so far! It is lightweight, small and takes excellent pictures. Click here to read reviews and check pricing . 
• Walking shoes are crucial to surviving a day at the Louvre! You will be walking miles and sitting rarely, so you will want to make sure you are wearing comfortable shoes. I do not think you could ever go wrong with a pair of white sneakers! Click here for my go-to travel shoes .
• Travel Insurance is something I always get for a trip abroad so I am covered in case something happens. There are a lot of protests in France and reckless drivers, so I think it is super important to cover yourself in case of an emergency. I wrote an entire guide explaining when you do and don’t need travel insurance, you can read it here !

Top things to see at the Louvre

While the Louvre has endless things to see, there are main highlights you won’t want to miss! What I recommend you doing is focusing on seeing all the highlights listed below, and take your time doing so. These are spread out around the museum, so I guarantee you will discover interesting art between walking from one highlight to the next.

There will be signs of the most famous art works like the three ladies of the Louvre (Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, & Winged Victory of Samothrace), and if you get lost there will be plenty of people to help you. They also hand out free maps at the entrance to make it easier to find everything you want to see.

History: The most famous piece of artwork in the Louvre is easily the Mona Lisa. Dating back to 1503, Leonadro da Vinci’s work has people traveling from all over the world to see it in person. It was originally painted for Francesco del Giocondo, a wealthy cloth merchant from Florence, as a gift for his wife. Da Vinci never ended up gifting the painting though, and took it with him when he moved to Paris. He continued to perfect his masterpiece throughout his entire life before selling it to the king of France right before he passed away.

Why it’s famous:  While the Mona Lisa has always been considered a master piece, it became wordly famous in 1911 when a Louvre employee stole the painting and kept it in his apartment for two years. This scandal was constantly playing on the news for years, in awe that the painting was never found. After two years passed, the Louvre employee tried to sell the painting to a museum in Florence because he felt that was the rightful home. This made a masterpiece a world-famous masterpiece in a span of two years.

Another reason why the Mona Lisa is so loved is the debates on whether she is smiling or not and the optical illusion of no matter where you stand, it looks like she is looking straight at you.

Fun Fact: Did you know that the Mona Lisa’s real name is Mia Donna Lisa (meaning My Lady Lisa)? The name Mona Lisa came from a spelling error in English and has been called that ever since!

2. V enus de Milo

History: The Venus de Milo is a Greek statue that dates back to 100 – 130 BC. This statue is so historic that people are still unsure who made it and what it is inspired by. The statue wasn’t found until 1820 in ancient city ruins on a small island in Greece (Milos).

Why it’s Famous: The Venus de Milo is famous mainly because of it’s age and mystery. It was found in pieces in an ancient ruin thousands of years after it’s creation. Separated by the top and bottom half, with the arms broken off. It wasn’t until the 1900’s that they classified a similar, yet younger sculpture a treasure that they re-classified the Venus De Milo as well.

Fun Fact: The Venus De Milo has survived wars and burning buildings, completely unharmed. It was shuttled back and fourth during the many wars of France and remains in great condition till this day.

3. Winged Victory of Samothrace

History: The Winged Victory of Samothrace, also known as the Nike of Samothrace, is another Greek sculpture that represents the goddess of victory. This sculpture was estimated to be made around 200 – 190 BC, but wasn’t discovered until 1863.

Why it’s Famous: It is one of the only known masterpiece from the Hellenistic period and has inspired so many artists since it’s discovery. The Winged Victory is a huge sculpture that holds a dramatic spot in the Louvre museum, sitting at the top of the Daru staircase.

Fun Fact: The Winged Victory is meant to be looked at from a three-quarter left view. If you look at the statue, the left side of the body & wing is far more detailed than the right side. This was assumed to be because it was meant to be looked at from one side, and the artist did not want to waste any time perfecting both sides. You can tell the difference in the wings by just looking at the picture below!

4. Egyptian Antiques 

History: Dating back to the prehistoric era of 4000 BC, you can find sarcophagi (stone coffin), sculptures, jewelry, ancient hieroglyphs, sphinxes and so much more! You can explore the large amount of Egyptian antiques in the Sully wing.

Why it’s Famous: The large range of items to look at and how old they are is the main attraction in the Egyptian section. It is crazy, especially being from America where nothing is closely that old, the amount of artifacts are held in such great condition. The history of the Sully section will bring tears to your eyes!

Fun Fact: This entire section is in date order, taking you through time of this amazing countries history!

5. History of the Louvre Room

This was a very cool section of the Louvre that I found was underrated. After you pass the Sphinxes in the Egyptian section, you will see old castle ruins that still remain today. This room takes you through the generations of construction among royalty and modern architecture. You will see the transformation from a small castle along the Seine to the modern Louvre it is today. Walking along the old castle remains was a true highlight!

6. Large-Format 19th Century French Paintings Gallery

This room holds famous paintings of enormous sizes. While the paintings alone were impressive, the size of these paintings is what impresses most. I kept thinking to myself.. how did someone paint this enormous painting?!

7. Cour Marly and Cour Puget Courtyards

These two courtyards are covered by glass domes and bring in a lot of natural light. They hold many sculptures and is a great place to sit down and take a break from the large amount of walking. These were some of my favorite rooms in the Louvre, partially because they were almost empty!

There are obviously so many amazing things to see in the Louvre, but I think these are the most important / stood out the most to me. Like I said before, they are sprinkled around the Louvre, so when you are walking in between the highlights, you will see plenty more! Let me know what your favorite thing is in the comments below 🙂

Click here to buy your tickets & secure your time slot – Which is required before you arrive!

If you are traveling to Paris soon, be sure to check out my other France guides here:

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Awesome post and photos here hun, great article on this amazing museum! ???? I loved visiting there on my first trip to France in 2015 and you’ve mentioned some of the most memorable experiences and artwork there! Great article and thank you for sharing!

Thanks so much Lauren! I am so glad you liked this 🙂

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[…] Let me explain: The 11am time slot will most likely have people from the 9am and 10am time slot still. So if you chose the 11am slot, you have to share the space with your time slot, the time slots before you and guess what? In an hour… another time slot is going to be funneling in. So the earlier you go = less people to share the Mona Lisa with! I go into more detail with this decision on my Guide to the Louvre. […]

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Closing Time at the Louvre with Take Walks (Complete Review)

Is the Louvre the most impressive art collection in the world? I guess it probably depends on your definition of “impressive,” which to me means breadth across different time periods, and / or depth in one particular time period (for example, the Musée d’Orsay in impressionism). 

Off the top of my head as I’m sitting here in Paris writing about it, I can’t think of another museum that even gets close. The Met in New York City is one idea, as is the excellent Prado Museum in Madrid (seriously, that museum is amazing). But neither touch the Louvre in terms of breadth or depth, really. 

The Louvre is massive, and I’ve now experienced it three different times spread across a decade. Over that decade, I’ve learned a very, very important lesson. 

That lesson? I’m terrible at navigating big art museums on my own. For a few years now, I will ONLY visit the big art museums with a guide, because the experience with and without a guide is incredibly different. 

With someone to help focus your attention on the pieces and themes you should care about and who can bring depth and richness to them, you’re going to walk away with a more memorable experience where you’ll not only learn about specific pieces of art, but also about the history and culture that were happening in the world around those pieces. 

In this guide, I’m going to walk you through my experience on a guided tour of the Louvre with Take Walks (who I have had nothing but great experiences with before) and Anatole, our passionate guide.

We did the Closing Time Tour , which takes place in the three hours leading up to when the Louvre closes, and has you visiting the Mona Lisa immediately before the museum closes, which is a different experience from just about every other time of day. 

I’ll start with the basics – how long is the tour, how much is it, 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 price premium versus other tours for the smaller group and expert guide (spoiler: it absolutely is, in my humble opinion). 

I want to make something super duper abundantly clear here, because I get frustrated when I see reviews and later find out that the tour was gifted to the writer, which means their opinion MIGHT be affected by the fact that they got it for free (spoiler: as someone who has done this and since decided never again, it definitely is). 

I paid in full for this tour (for two people) with my own hard-earned money because it was something I legitimately 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%.

Why I Loved the Closing Time Tour at the Louvre with Take Walks

Don’t have time to read the entire review below? Here’s what you need to know about the tour. 

Overall, I’d highly recommend it. It’s more expensive than other tours, but it’s an hour longer, the guides that Walks uses tend to be better than other companies, and the max group size of 15 means you won’t be in a dreaded group of 50 clambering around with one guide trying to wrangle everyone. 

• Duration : 3 hours
• Includes : Skip-the-Line Entrance to the Louvre (through the group entrance) with an expert guide who is well-versed in art history
• Max Group Size : 15 people 
• Highlights : The fortress within the Louvre that tells you about its history, the wrongly-named Venus de Milo, a few French masterpieces, and a look at the Mona Lisa
• Cost : $86 per person (includes entry ticket to the museum)

Our Experience on the Closing Time Tour of the Louvre with Take Walks

First, you’ll meet outside the museum where you’ll be introduced to your guide and get hooked up with your 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, once we experienced it for ourselves (and chatted with our guide, who appreciated not having to yell to be heard over the other people around), we were on board. 

After a brief introduction, you’ll get right into it. You skip the lonnnng lines at the main entrance and enter through the group entrance, which quite possibly saves an hour of your time, depending on when you’re in Paris. 

Once you’re inside, you’ll start with learning about the building, and what purposes it has served over the course of history (something we didn’t know, and would have absolutely blown right by without a guide to stop us and draw attention to it). 

After a short bathroom break, you’ll start the real visit with sculptures – including the Greek originals – which includes the Venus de Milo .

You’ll walk around the Venus de Milo, and spend 15 minutes admiring her beauty while the guide talks through every detail of what we know about it (and what we don’t – you’ll have to use your imagination to picture what the arms were doing, because we have no clue!). 

We also learned about the contrast between the bronze and stone sculptures, which require different poses (or additions) to make sure stone doesn’t break.

Roman sculptures were often copies of Greek sculptures, but in stone (rather than bronze) which meant they had to add support at the base to avoid the stone cracking. 

As you meander the many halls of the Louvre, Anatole would call our attention to pieces he thinks were interesting or illustrative of a broader trend, and spend a few minutes telling a story to really bring that piece of art to life.

The Winged Victory (which is supposedly the inspiration for the famous Nike swoosh), the French paintings (like Liberty Leading the People and the Raft of Medusa), and some of the other Da Vinci works aside from the Mona Lisa were our favorite stops. 

The most fascinating thing we learned from Anatole is that all of the huge paintings you see that were painted centuries ago have visible seams, which he pointed out on the Crowning of Napoleon, because they could not make canvases big enough for them out of a single piece, so they had to stitch several sheets together. 

And, finally, just as you’re looking at your watch while the French voice over the loudspeaker tells you that the museum is closing in 15 minutes, you arrive at the Mona Lisa.

At nearly every other time of day, this room is teeming with tourists, all trying to claw their way to the front of the room to get a closer look at (the most overrated painting in the world) the Mona Lisa. 

You have to be at the front of the room, because it’s surprisingly small. 

So, Was The Guided Tour of the Louvre Worth It? 

Yeah, I truly think this tour was worth the time and money. 

In general, I highly recommend guided tours of big museums with massive collections of art spanning centuries. In fact, I basically won’t do that museum UNLESS I have a guided tour to join, because I just won’t get anything out of 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 agreed that a guided tour is the way to go. 

Now, there are literally hundreds of different Louvre tours to choose from, so what should you look for in a tour? 

The first thing is group size . A group size of 15 is the top end of what we’d consider. Anything over that and you lose all of the personal interaction with the guide, like the brief exchanges you’ll get as you’re moving through the museum from one room to the next. Most of them, in this case, were our guide playfully poking fun at me, specifically, which I enjoyed. We saw groups of 40-50 moving through the museum, and it looked like a nightmare. 

The second thing is the expertise of the guides . Having recently done a tour of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence that was pretty lackluster (the tour guide was just a guide – should have gone with Take Walks!), it absolutely matters whether your guide is an expert in art history. Take Walks has the highest quality guides of any tour company we’ve experienced, and in this particular case, you could feel Anatole’s passion as he waxed poetic about the sculptures and paintings we stopped to admire. 

The third thing is the amount of time . Some tours are only two hours long. After the logistics of meeting and entering the museum, you’ll be left with ~90 minutes inside, which isn’t nearly enough time. Three hours is still fast, but it’s significantly better than two. 

The last thing is the time of day . The morning at the Louvre is going to be a zoo (unless it’s, say, January). That’s the main reason we chose the Closing Time tour – to be in the museum at a time where you don’t have to wait 30 minutes to see the Mona Lisa (and we walked right up to her!). 

Spoiler alert: The Closing Time Tour checks all of these boxes, which is why we booked it in the first place for ourselves, and are recommending you do the same if you want to get the most out of your visit to the Louvre and its extensive collection. 

Tips for Your Visit to the Louvre

Here are some tips for planning your visit to the Louvre. 

Go on a Friday if you can , when the museum is open late and the tour takes place after dark!

No big backpacks – They will not be allowed in the museum, and you will have to miss the tour. 

No bathroom breaks in the middle of the tour – Only at the beginning and end, which is around two hours without a bathroom. 

More Paris Travel Guides

Planning a trip to Paris? Matt, who speaks French “really well for an American” (as multiple French people have told him – it’s his proudest achievement in life), loves Paris.

As you get into planning your trip, you might find some of these other detailed guides we’ve written about Paris helpful.

• 4 Days in Paris: How to Plan an Amazing Paris Itinerary
• Wondering Where to Stay in Paris? Here are 6 Perfect Areas
• Gluten Free Paris: A Complete Guide for Celiacs
• A Coffee Nerd’s Guide to the Best Coffee in Paris
• Closing Time at the Louvre: Our Favorite Guided Tour of the Louvre

Matt is the founder and main writer behind Wheatless Wanderlust, which he started back in 2018 as a way to share his gluten free travel guides with his fellow Celiac travelers.

Since then, Matt and his wife Alysha have visited 18 national parks, spent three months in Europe and six weeks in Colombia, and have explored every corner of the Pacific Northwest, which is where Matt grew up.

He writes super detailed guides to the places they visit, bringing together personal experience and historical context to help YOU plan an amazing trip.

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Closing Time at the Louvre: Mona Lisa at Her Most Peaceful

807 reviews

Why take this tour?

• See Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece, the Mona Lisa
• Skip the line and enjoy a peaceful visit without the daytime crowds
• Immerse yourself among the masterpieces housed within the acclaimed museum
• Familiarize yourself with the history of the building with the help of your expert guide
• At 2:45 PM and 6:30 PM only: Join a small group of just six guests for a more intimate experience
• Sites Visited
• Louvre Museum
• Da Vinci's "Mona Lisa"
• Italian sculptures
• Classic Greek art rooms
• French painting galleries
• Medieval Louvre Exhibit (Moat)
• Galerie d'Apollon (Crown Jewels)
• Tour Includes
• Local English-speaking guide
• Expertly guided walking tour
• Skip-the-line ticket for Louvre Museum

Take some time out with the lovely 'Mona Lisa'

Total customer reviews: 807, latest reviews.

Meeting Point

Meeting Point Meet your guide at the statue next to the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel in front of the Louvre Museum. When facing the Arc, meet at the winged statue on the left. (Important: Be careful to not confuse the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel with the Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile up the Champs Elysées Avenue.)

Due to an ongoing renovation of the Arc du Carrousel, the meeting point may be a bit crowded. Your Walks coordinator will be waiting for you with a sign.

Please meet 15 minutes prior to the tour start time.

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Louvre at Closing Time Tour with Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo

See the best of the louvre with fewer crowds and a passionate guide on this late afternoon tour.

Looking for a shorter Louvre tour without the big crowds? This skip-the-line tour lets you explore in the afternoon before closing time, for a more peaceful experience in one of the world’s greatest museums. With the expert insights and stories of an engaging local guide, you’ll see the Louvre’s most iconic artwork, including the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory of Samothrace, Coronation of Napoleon, Venus di Milo, and more. It’s the perfect bite-sized way to see the Louvre!

• Meet your guide at the Louvre Pyramid
• Louvre Pyramid
• Louvre Museum
• Venus de Milo
• Winged Victory
• Liberty Leading the People
• End your tour inside the Louvre

Meet your guide and small group of 18 or fewer people at the equestrian statue of Louis the XIV in front of the Louvre Pyramid in central Paris. Then, enjoy your skip-the-line access through a separate entrance into the Louvre, where you'll follow your passionate guide to the most popular art in the gallery. This late afternoon Louvre tour gets you in before closing, so you can spend just a couple hours here instead of most of your morning like other tours. It's also nice to explore the Louvre with significantly fewer people inside.

Louvre Late Afternoon Tour Description

Your 2-hour tour Louvre includes:

Skip-the-line afternoon access to the Louvre Museum

Explore treasures inside the Louvre with fewer crowds

A fun, English-speaking guide with expertise in art history

A maximum group size of 18 people

Shorter Tour of the Louvre Museum

Follow your expert Louvre guide into the world's largest museum and discover some of the most fascinating art exhibits in the world. Learn about its original purpose as a fortress, and then a palace, as you explore the treasures, art, and sculptures inside.

The Mystery Behind the Mona Lisa

Why is the Mona Lisa so famous? For starters, Mona Lisa’s expression has been often debated since its creation in the 16th century. Is she happy or sad or playful? Another intriguing thing about Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa is that it's the highest insured work of art at a whopping $800 million. With fewer crowds in the afternoon, you should be able to snap a great picture of the Mona Lisa, then continue on with your tour to see more of the Louvre’s greatest pieces.

Sculptures of the Louvre

Although the Louvre houses thousands of paintings, it is also home to many famous statues. Two of the more famous statues include the Winged Victory of Samothrace and Venus de Milo . After exploring the statues, be sure to check out some of the museum’s great Greek and Roman antiquities.

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What you get with this tour

See what people are saying

207 total reviews

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Frequently Asked Questions

What to bring?

This is a shorter walking tour, but comfortable shoes are always recommended.

Can we stay longer in the museum after the tour ends?

This tour ends when the museum closes, therefore it is not possible to remain inside the museum after the tour.

Can I use my Paris Museum Pass to get a discount on our Louvre tour?

We pre-book all of our reservations and admission tickets for the Louvre Museum in advance. While the Paris Museum Pass can bring you inside the Louvre, our tours include pre-booked reservations, so a Paris Museum Passes will not be valid on this tour.

What if I have concerns about my mobility?

Although this tour is indoors and without much tricky terrain, we understand that you may prefer to move at your own pace. If so, take a look at our Private Louvre Tour which can be more easily tailored to your needs.

Free 24-hr cancellation on group tours! Learn more

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Can I get Russian rubles from an ATM at Moscow...

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THIS TRIP IS NOT CURRENTLY SCHEDULED Over the years, Amy has developed and operated trips to a variety of destinations including this one, but not all trips are offered every year. If you are interested in joining a scheduled departure of this trip in the future, please send us an email and let us know. Click to send us an email or use the form at the bottom of this page.

We can organize and operate this trip as a private group departure with a minimum group size of 8 persons. Start organizing your private Russia art adventure here .

Best time to travel: June for the “White Nights” Best gateway city: Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia Moscow and St. Petersburg Slide Show

Experience the art treasures of Moscow and St. Petersburg with guide, Amy Osaki. Begin in Moscow, continental Europe’s largest city, the seat of the government of Russia, and now home to over twenty billionaires! View iconic sites such as the Kremlin (which began as a fortress in the eleventh century), Red Square, and the sixteenth century St. Basil’s Cathedral. Then explore the art masterpieces at the Tretyakov Gallery, the National Museum of Russian Fine Art encompassing works from the eleventh to the twentieth century. Visit the Armory at the Kremlin filled with Imperial treasures including Faberge eggs once exchanged by the tsar and tsarina at Easter. Conclude your Moscow experience at the quiet seventeenth century Novodevichy Convent, one of many World Heritage sites included in the trip.

After a short flight, continue the trip with five days in St. Petersburg where you’ll be immersed in the opulence of Imperial Russia. Established by Tsar Peter I in 1703, St. Petersburg (known as Petrograd and Leningrad for most of the twentieth century) was the capital of the Russian empire for over two hundred years until the Russian Revolution of 1917. The Hermitage—said to be the largest art museum in the world with a collection of over three million objects housed in four main buildings—rivals the Louvre in Paris for both the quantity and quality of its treasures. Founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great, and open to the pubic for over two hundred years the museum is so vast that we’ll spread our visit out over several days and organize it by different themes. Also on the schedule is a visit to the Peter and Paul Fortress—the original citadel above the river founded in 1703—as well as some of the Imperial palaces in and around St. Petersburg such as Peterhof, a World Heritage Site. Peter I hired French architects to work on his many palaces, including Jean Baptiste Le Blond who worked with Andre Le Notre at Versailles. Consider enhancing your Russian experience by purchasing tickets to a performance—perhaps a ballet at St. Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theatre (also known as the Kirov).

Day 1 Overnight in Moscow Arrive in Moscow and transfer to your centrally-located hotel, your base for the next two nights. Enjoy an afternoon and early evening walk through Red Square (Krasnaya Ploshchad) past St. Basil’s Cathedral, and GUM department store all of which are back-dropped by the walls of the Kremlin fortress. Remember that we are here during the fabled “White Nights” when the summer days linger with light-filled evenings.

Day 2 Overnight in Moscow Within the walls of the Kremlin fortress, visit the Armoury Museum, one of Moscow’s oldest museums established at the start of the nineteenth century. The Kremlin Armoury was the royal arsenal; it produced and stored the weapons, jewelry and other regalia of the tsars. The museum’s collection encompasses four thousand items of applied art from Russia and elsewhere dating from the early fourth century to the twentieth century. Later in the day, visit the collection of masterpieces of the renowned Tretyakov Gallery. The Tretyakov collections were begun by the philanthropist Tretyakov brothers in the early nineteenth century. The gallery is recognized by many as a key repository of Russian art spanning the nation’s artistic tradition from early Orthodox icons to art nouveau, impressionist, and avant-garde works.

Day 3 Overnight in St Petersburg Enjoy a morning visit to the sixteenth century Novodevichy Convent named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2004. The convent’s name is sometimes translated as “New Maidens’ Monastery” to differentiate is from the convent within the walls of the Moscow Kremlin. Surrounded by white crenellated walls, this complex of churches has remained essentially intact since the seventeenth century. Here you’ll find the five-domed Cathedral of Our Lady of Smolensk with its spectacular iconostasis and the tall, red and white Gate Church of the Transfiguration which is often cited as a fine example of “Moscow Baroque” architecture. The neighboring Novodevichy Cemetery is the final resting place of the likes of Anton Chekhov, Sergei Prokofiev, Dmitri Shostakovich, and Boris Yeltsin. This afternoon fly to St. Petersburg, Russia’s second largest city situated on the banks of the Neva River where it empties into the Gulf of Finland.

Day 4 Overnight in St Petersburg Start of your exploration of St. Petersburg with a visit to the Peter and Paul Fortress, the original citadel of St. Petersburg. The fortress was built to the designs of the Swiss Italian architect Domenico Trezzini in the early eighteenth century. Trezzini’s Peter and Paul Cathedral dominates the fortress grounds and its iconic golden spire punctuates into the Baltic sky. Later visit the Yusupov Palace on the Moika, acclaimed as an “encyclopedia of St. Petersburg aristocratic interior design.” The palace was the home of the Yusupov family from 1830 and 1917 and was the place where Grigori Rasputin, a spiritual mentor to Tsar Nicholas II and the Royal Family in the early 20th century, was assassinated. A visit to the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood built between 1883 and 1907 rounds out the day. The church was built in “Russian Revivalist” architectural style by Tsar Alexander III in commemoration of his father, Alexander II. The church occupies a conspicuous location on St. Petersburg’s Griboedov Canal and contains 7,500 square meters of mosaics; the interior walls and ceilings are completely covered by mosaics.

Day 5 Overnight in St Petersburg Seeing St. Petersburg’s Hermitage Museum in a day would be like trying to see the Smithsonian in a day! Rather than a forced march through the galleries at a rapid pace, we will slow down and savor the masterpieces. Remember, there are nearly seven miles worth of exhibitions! Today we focus on “Imperial Russia,” touring the rooms decorated for members of the Russian Imperial Family and viewing the art they commissioned and collected. This is the art that influenced the style of the grand palaces of the era. View the Grand Suite of rooms, Peter I’s collection of gold, and the jewelers art owned by the Russian Imperial Family (including Fabergé eggs, gold and diamonds). Here, too, are the rooms of Catherine II and her son Paul I with their fifteenth to eighteenth century French paintings and sculpture (Poussin, Watteau, Fragonard, Chardin, and Houdon).

Day 6 Overnight in St Petersburg Return for a second dose of the Hermitage! Today is dedicated to the famous European masterpieces exhibited at the Hermitage. Feast your eyes on memorable works by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, Tintoretto, Tiepolo, Velazquez, and El Greco. At the Hermitage, you can revel in Rembrandt; there are twenty of his works in the museum’s collection. After lunch, enjoy the eighteenth to twentieth century masterpieces of Monet, van Gogh, Gauguin, Rodin, Picasso, Matisse and Kandinsky. Digest the art and reflect on this unique collection of human creations. Consider an evening performance, possibly at the Mariinsky Theatre.

Day 7 Overnight in St Petersburg Journey by hydrofoil across the Gulf of Finland to experience Peter I’s palace at Peterhof, a series of palaces and gardens that evoke comparisons with Versailles which Peter visited in 1715. Begun in 1714 with the construction of the Monplaisir palace and expanded by later Imperial generations who added Rococo and Neo-classical elements, Peterhof is now a World Heritage Site. The creative mastery of architects, engineers, artists and craftsmen from throughout Europe is on display here and all is choreographed to celebrate water in homage to Peter, the maritime emperor.

Day 8 Overnight in St Petersburg Go behind the scenes with an excursion to the Hermitage Museum’s Staraya Derevnya Restoration and Storage Center on the right back of the Neva River north of Kamenny Island. This vast treasure house is only accessible by private tour. Later, travel to Vasilvesky Island across the river from the Hermitage to visit Menishkov Palace completed in 1721 and now the oldest stone building in St. Petersburg. Enjoy a farewell dinner this evening.

About your guide : Amy Osaki holds a master’s degree from the Winterthur Museum. She studied art at the Louvre Museum in Paris and worked as a museum curator for over a decade including six years at the Portland Art Museum. She is an award-winning art educator who has led art trips around the world for the last fifteen years with Walking Softly Adventures. Many of these trips were offered for graduate credit from Portland State University where she is an Adjunct Professor.

Resources for Further Learning

• Preview part of the collection of the State Tretyakov Gallery at its website.
• Learn more about the Moscow Kremlin .
• Prepare yourself to experience the Hermitage . You can even shop on-line at the museum’s on-line museum store!

We're looking forward to hearing from you! You may contact us by telephone at 503-788-9017, by e-mail ([email protected]) or by completing and submitting the form below. Please enter any questions or comments in the "Message" box. PLEASE BE SURE TO MENTION THE TRIP IN WHICH YOU'RE INTERESTED. You must enter a valid email address in order to submit this form successfully. When you're finished entering information, enter the CAPTCHA code where indicated and click the "Submit" button at the bottom of this page. Art Tours by Amy does not release any of the information you provide us to any third party without your express permission.

Soviet Tour in Moscow

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Description

Highlights:.

• Explore a massive Soviet Park VDNKh (or VVC);
• Experience this special feeling of the good old Soviet times & dark and gloomy Cold War era;
• Get to the highest spot in Moscow city and one of the deepest metro in the world;
• Find out the rough truth about the insane 900-day siege of Leningrad (present St Petersburg);
• Take in the Triumphal Arch;
• Capture an extraordinary sculpture-memorial to the Holocaust;
• Join a guided Bunker-42, Cold War Museum tour (optional, not included in the price).
• See a harmony trio: an orthodox church, a synagogue and a mosque all in one park.

Tour Itinerary

With the 1000-year history, Russia has had a rich portfolio of conflicts, battles, wars. On this Soviet tour, we'll talk about various wars that happened in Russia, focusing on WWII.

Mother Russia has undergone a lot in its long life. Since ancient times, Russian rulers have taken nearly all political power into their own hands. By the beginning of the 20th century, the Russian oppositional movement was deadly set for the total destruction of the ever-lasting tsarist regime. All of Russia got involved in the bloody revolution of 1917 in an effort to abolish the current state of the government and gain freedom for the ordinary people.

You will learn about the every-day life of the Soviet people during the bloody Second World War with the Nazis, including the legendary Battle for Moscow, the 900-day siege of Leningrad, the hardships that local citizens went through, the consequences of the war and the scars it left on the Soviet people, as well as why the Cold War happened and what was the fundamental reason.

Our mission on the Soviet Russia tour is to find out

• - How much this 1917 revolution cost the people;
• - Whether they actually got the freedom they wanted and was it worth it;
• - What happened over the next 74 years;
• - Who were the main political communist leaders of the Soviet Union;
• - Were Russians happy and satisfied with the Soviet Union?

Our tour itinerary will lie in most Soviet areas of Moscow, which are quite spread throughout the city, as very few of them are left. You can choose how much you are ready to live this Soviet life on a 5, 7 or 10-hour tour. Depending on the duration of the tour, you will see part or all of the places below:

If you want to extend the tour, you are welcome to do so by paying $20/extra hour in cash on the tour.

Time stands still in Red Square. The Red Square is the heart of Moscow (and whole Russia). Saint Basil's Cathedral will make your mouth drop. If it is from May-October, have a cocktail on the outside terrace and simply people watch! The massive square offers so much to enjoy.

Lenin's Mausoleum

The burial place of one of the most influential communist leaders in the world.

Revolution Square Metro Station

Rub the Soviet dog's nose for good luck and admire the 76 bronze sculptures, devoted to the passionate, strong-willed and patriotic Soviet people.

Poklonnaya Hill

The highest point in Moscow, where Napoleon waited for keys of the city.

All-Russian Exhibition Center (VVC)

With its giant arch, amazing fountain, and huge pavilions of different Soviet Republics.

Victory Park Metro Station

The deepest undeground station in Moscow and one of the deepest in the world.

Victory Park

For an open-air museum as big as 135 ha (1 350 000 square meters), Victory park sure doens't lack diversity. The park is dedicated to the Russian victory in WWII, and was laid out in 1995 in commemoration of 50-year anniversary of victory.

Stalin had planned for its construction already in 1941, being sure of victory from the very start of the war.

Greeting Hill

The highest points in Moscow (172 meters), where Napoleon waited for keys of Moscow in vain.

Triumphal Arch

Stunning monument consisting of 12 cast-iron columns, each 12 meters high, and weighing 16 tons. Built to mark Russia's victory over Napoleon in 1812.

Museum of the Great Patriotic War

In the city that is as much about wars as it is about victories, there is one essential stopover - the Museum of the Great Patriotic War (that's what WWII is called in Russia). Must-do for those wishing to understand Russia's past and look at the whole war from the different perspective - Russian.

The museum is not for the faint-hearted. Here you can see films about the partisan experience, the scenes that will haunt you forever (no subtitles, but they are not necessary).

Museum of Contemporary History (from outside only)

We'll have a glance at Russian life of the XX century in the  Museum of Contemporary History , which houses bits of everything from Russian history of XXth century: from English club to a storage of Stalin's presents.

Memorial to the Holocaust,

devastating and breath-taking!

Unleash your inner spy. Highly recommended  Bunker-42 ,  Cold War Museum , explore the place where Khrushchev lived during the Cuban Crisis. Go down 18 floors to a gigantic bunker under Moscow that was designed to withstand a nuclear attack. Watch a short film about the severity of the Cold War. If you lived through the Cold War, you will hardly believe it is possible that you are in Bunker 42!

Wander through  Sparrow Hills  and climb up to the highest observation deck of Moscow with stunning views of all seven Stalin’s skyscrapers, including  Moscow State University . After that, experience the excitement of taking a  river cruise  on the Moscow river and catch the views of the Kremlin and Soviet times.​

What you get:

• + A friend in Moscow.
• + Private & customized Moscow tour.
• + An exciting tour, not just boring history lessons.
• + An authentic experience of local life.
• + Flexibility during the tour: changes can be made at any time to suit individual preferences.
• + Amazing deals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the very best cafes & restaurants. Discounts on weekdays (Mon-Fri).
• + A photo session amongst spectacular Moscow scenery that can be treasured for a lifetime.
• + Good value for souvenirs, taxis, and hotels.
• + Expert advice on what to do, where to go, and how to make the most of your time in Moscow.

*This WW2 and Cold War tour can be modified to meet your preferences.

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