Closing Time At The Louvre: The Mona Lisa At Her Most Peaceful

Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa is one the most famous paintings in the world; and also (famously) one of the most difficult to see. For most of the day, her room in the Louvre is packed to the brim with people jostling to get a peek at her. That's why we've worked out a specially-timed itinerary that allows you to enter the Mona Lisa Room just as is begins to clear out for the night. As everyone else is leaving, you'll be enjoying some more peaceful moments with the mysterious lady and your expert tour guide. Without the crowds, you'll be able to get close enough to see her tiny canvas - and even snap a photo or two with the Louvre's leading lady.

The itinerary of our Louvre tour has been tested over countless visits to get you not just the perfect slot at the Mona Lisa, but a full 2.5 hours inside the galleries. Along with your expert guide you'll enjoy all the highlights of the collection including the Medieval moat and Greek & Roman sculptures like the Venus de Milo, Winged Victory of Samothrace, Cupid & Psyche, and Michelangelo’s Slaves.

Of course this is Paris's greatest art museum, so you'll also visit some of the greatest works created by French artists. Works such as Liberty Leading the People by Delacroix, The Raft of Medusa by Géricault and the enormous Coronation of Napoleon by Jacques-Louis David, Napoleon's official staff painter. These canvases are the perfect jumping-off point into conversations about France's fascinating history. As you admire these stunning artworks, your guide will decode Delacroix's message from the French Revolution and Géricault devastating portrayal of a real-life event. They'll also tell you how the size of Napoleon's canvas says a thing or two about his insecurities.

On your complete Louvre tour you’ll also see France’s old crown jewels and works from the Italian masters Caravaggio, Raphael, and of course, Leonardo da Vinci.

Of course location must not be overlooked. As you move from one stunning room to the next, your guide will give you the history of the building, once a royal residence where one young prince in particular rode his horse up and down the corridors. At times it will be hard to take you eyes off the architecture to focus on the art - just another reason why this is one of the world's greatest art museums.

By visiting in the company of an expert art historian guide and a small group of no more than 15 people, you won't just see some of the greatest masterpieces in Europe, you'll learn the stories behind them: From why the French lied about the age of the Venus de Milo, to who, exactly posed for the Mona Lisa. This is art like you've never experienced it before.