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.
Mona Lisa
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. Venus 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:
- 10 Day France Itinerary
- Guide to Champagne tasting in Champagne, France
- Ultimate guide to the Gorges du Verdon in Provence
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