We have one tour in France, and it is the Louvre. Rather than dress that up as a national programme, here it is: a guided visit to the museum in Paris, in English, with a Mona Lisa pass, running about an hour and priced at $62 a person. The Louvre is the case where an hour with a guide beats three on your own. It holds more than thirty thousand works on display across three wings, the signage assumes you know where you are going, and most first-time visitors spend their morning navigating rather than looking. A guided route takes you to the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory without the wrong turns, and leaves you inside the museum afterwards to carry on at your own pace. If you want more of Paris than this, tell us. We would rather point you somewhere honest than sell you a page of destinations we do not operate.

Paris

One tour, at the Louvre, in the 1st arrondissement and a short walk from the Palais-Royal and Tuileries metro stations. It is a short visit by design, about an hour, which makes it easy to place in a morning or an afternoon around the rest of your Paris plans. Check the tour page for the meeting point and what the Mona Lisa pass covers.

• Magnificent tour of the Louvre + Mona Lisa pass — 1h — from $62

When to go

Paris is at its best from April to June and from September to October, when the weather is mild and the queues at the museum are shorter than in midsummer. July and August bring the largest crowds of the year to the Louvre and the wait at the pyramid entrance can be substantial, which is precisely when a booked entry time is worth most. The museum closes on Tuesdays, so do not plan this tour for one. Winter from November to March is cold but genuinely quiet inside the museum, and January is the easiest month of the year to stand in front of the Mona Lisa without a scrum. French public holidays also affect opening hours, so check your date with us if it falls near one.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly is included?

An English-speaking guide and a Mona Lisa pass, on a visit of about an hour through the museum’s principal works. The tour page lists the inclusions and exclusions in full. Read them before booking if you already hold a Paris Museum Pass or a separate Louvre ticket, so you do not pay twice for the same entry.

Is one hour enough at the Louvre?

For the highlights with a guide, yes, and that is the tour’s purpose: to get you to the works you came for without the navigation. The Louvre is large enough that most people are tired before they are finished. Many travellers stay on in the museum after the guided section ends and continue at their own pace.

What language is the tour in?

English. If you need another language for a private group, contact us with your dates before booking and we will tell you whether we can arrange it on that date. We will not confirm a language we cannot deliver.

Do you offer other tours in Paris or elsewhere in France?

Not at the moment. The Louvre tour is our only French product and this page shows it. If you want Versailles, a Seine cruise or a day out of the city, write to us with your dates and we will tell you honestly whether we can arrange it or whether you should book it locally.

Can children join?

Yes. There is a reduced child rate shown in the price categories on the tour page. An hour is about the right length for younger visitors in a museum this size, and the guide can angle the route towards the works children respond to if you tell us the ages when you book.

Book the Louvre tour directly on its page, in US dollars. Paris is often one stop on a longer European trip, so if you are also visiting Italy, Spain, London or Amsterdam, send us your dates and we will coordinate the bookings.