Louvre Museum Tickets Paris

The Louvre Museum and its Pyramid

The Louvre began as a fortress under Philip II around 1190, became a royal palace, and opened as a public museum in 1793. Today it is the most visited museum in the world, with tens of thousands of works on display across three main wings: Denon, Sully and Richelieu. The glass Pyramid in the Cour Napoleon, designed by I. M. Pei and completed in 1989, is the best-known entrance.

A Louvre Museum tour with a guide is the easiest way to handle the size of the place. The guide plans the route, explains what you are looking at and keeps you from spending your energy on the wrong wing. Your ticket to the museum is included in the default option, so you do not queue at the ticket desk.

The Mona Lisa and Italian Renaissance paintings

Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa hangs in the Salle des Etats in the Denon wing behind protective glass, and it draws crowds all day. Your guide explains why the painting is famous, from the soft blending technique to the story of its theft in 1911, and helps you find a good viewing spot rather than fighting for the front.

People often search for a Mona Lisa tour, and this is the direct answer: the express option goes straight there in about one hour, while the longer options place it inside a wider tour of Renaissance and later paintings. Expect crowds near the painting whichever option you choose.

The Venus de Milo and Winged Victory of Samothrace

The Venus de Milo, a Greek marble statue from around 100 BC found on the island of Milos in 1820, stands in the Sully wing. The Winged Victory of Samothrace, a Hellenistic marble figure of the goddess Nike from about the 2nd century BC, dominates the top of the Daru staircase. Both are a highlight of the masterpieces tours.

Your guide describes how these works were discovered and why they survive without arms or a head, so you see beyond the beauty. These stops show why the Louvre is not only about paintings, and they make the shared tours good value for visitors who want the famous sculptures explained.

Antiquities and royal halls beyond the big three

Depending on the option and the day, the tour can go beyond the three headline works into Greek and Roman antiquities, including the imposing Great Sphinx of Tanis, over 4,000 years old, then French Romantic painting, Michelangelo's Dying Slave and Canova's Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss. Longer options allow more time in each room.

The Apollo Gallery and the Napoleon III apartments show the palace side of the building, with gilded ceilings and rich decoration. Because routes can change with room closures, treat the exact order as flexible. The museum is closed on Tuesdays and on some public holidays, and opening hours change by day, so book a date shown in the panel.