Louvre – Private Tour

I like art. I like art museums. But the Louvre is a monster. It’s HUGE! And it’s CROWDED! All the time! And [spoiler alert!] the Mona Lisa is smaller than you think it should be! After waiting in line for hours, one feels compelled to see as much as possible, which means that by the end of the day you are tired and cranky and probably didn’t understand most of what you saw (unless you studied art history). That is where the Private Tour comes in. Tickets are procured in advance (no waiting in line). The tour edits the museum down to a reasonable amount of art to see in a day. And since the guide explains what you are looking at, you will probably have a much more fun than you would trying to figure it all out for yourself.

The Private Tour I went on put a pop culture spin on the Louvre – it was the DaVinci Code Tour provided by Paris Muse. When I went on this tour, I had already been to the Louvre on three different occasions (experience all three times outlined above) so I was not head-over-heels excited to go again. But I was intrigued by the DaVinci Code part of the tour. Not only did the tour guide show us the sites and debunk some of the details in the book, but also took us on a tour of sacred feminine artwork throughout history. In two hours I had more fun at the Louvre than on my previous three visits combined! This was a good choice and made me a Private Tour convert.

There are many companies that provide private tours with various services or perks. Some, like Paris Muse’s DaVinci Code tour, are short (2.5 hrs) and relatively cheap (about $150). Others are longer, offer after-hours services, or offer many other perks/higher level of access. Generally speaking, the greater the level of access, the smaller the group, and the exclusivity of the activity increases the cost. There is an experience and a price-point for everyone.

Private Tours – recommended.