Is there time to see the Louve?
We are signed up for Cruising the Seine including London and Paris (12 day tour).. the Louve isn't in the itinerary but we do get an 'afternoon free' in Paris before sailing downstream. Is it enough time to see the Louve? or should we book an extra day at the end of the tour when we return to Paris for departure
Many thanks for any insights
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You need a day and advise buying your tickets as soon as possible.
Certainly you could see part of the museum but certainly not all. Its huge. In general I always recommend adding days pre and/or post tour in places like Paris or London where there is so much to see.
They must have changed the itinerary because in 2023 the Louvre was an after-hours event. We only saw a fraction of the exhibits but it was still wonderful. I have been numerous times and still have not seen everything. I would definitely use a post-tour day so you are not rushed. Enjoy.
I’m not a museum person. I like them but only a few hours at a time. The Louvre would take a long time to thoroughly explore. We have been to the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, and they say that if you observed each display for no more than a minute, and you explored eight hours every day, it would take ten years to see everything. If you are big into museums, I would give the Louvre at least one day.
I just returned from the French Escapade tour last Monday, and the Louvre was included. We were a group of twenty, and mainly saw the big 3, Venus de Milo, Nike, and the Mona Lisa. It was extremely, extremely crowded, which made it very hard for our group to navigate the museum. Perhaps if you get in line before it opens, or probably a couple can move through the mobs more easily, it would be worth the stress. Anyway, it was the least favorite part of my trip.
Wow, I’m surprise they allow backpacks. Paris is the ideal place to go for a week during the winter to hit the museums.
We were on the Normandy, Brittany . . . tour but spent most of one day touring with a private guide. The tour was not scheduled for the after-hours visit to the Louvre. We were on the bus for the relatively brief Tauck morning tour but left it near the end near the Sorbonne to save on time and so we were ideally located to see what we had planned. By careful planning, ticket selection, and having a private guide, we were able to see Sainte-Chapelle, the Conciergerie, and spend three hours + at the Louvre, along with seeing interesting parts of the city as we walked. Notre Dame was still under construction. We did this all by foot. Our tour stayed at Le Maurice which was just a few blocks from the Louvre on Rue de Rivoli. Our guide really knew the Louvre, so even though it was crowded, she knew the best/least-crowded routes to get from attraction to attraction so were able to see much more than the big three. It was also great having a private guide for narration. We did a lot of walking, but it was worth it. We took a similar approach on the last day- we avoided the bus back to the hotel and left the tour after visiting the D’Orsay Gallery, then walked to and visited the Rodin Museum, had lunch, etc. before strolling the Invalides, and to the Champ de Mars before riding to the top of the Eiffel Tower. We strolled along the Left Bank thru the Place de Concorde to the hotel. We had enough time for a short rest and to freshen up before the Farewell Dinner. Another day of much walking, but, again, well worth it.
We did the Bridges Castles and Kings tour a few years ago. Tauck arranged for the group to go to the Louvre before it opened. This was our grandson's favorite part of the trip--he was front and center in front of the Mona Lisa without the crowds!
Went on this tour starting 04/03/25 and we had an after hours tour of the Louve and we had the place to ourselves. They gave tour to visit the main exhibits I.e. Mona Lisa etc. 60-90 minutes (not a long tour) but totally enjoyed as our group of 90+ had the place to ourselves!
90! Wow. Not long enough for me to enjoy such a huge museum.
If you have a short time at the Lourve either book a private tour of the highlights or get Rick Steves Paris book and follow his guide. You can see the biggies in 2-3 hours or wander aimlessly for days on end. We love art and have been to Paris many times. We always return to The l’Orangerie to see the large and beautiful Monet Waterlilies. It is well known but we have not found it to be over crowded. The D’Orsay has a great collection of impressionists. It’s a large museum but the impressionists are the highlight and they are all together which makes it easy to see in a few hours.
I have been to the Louvre multiple times and still have only seen a fraction of the exhibits.
I, too, love the impressionist art form.
I was on the same departure as Raymond_Rowland. What a fabulous intro to the Louvre and a total surprise as it wasn't on the official itinerary. We had great museum guides and it was a pleasure to be there without crowds. I think there were more security guards on hand than there were Tauck travelers! British you are correct - 90 minutes is not long enough to see such a huge museum, but it was a very special evening for those of us lucky enough to partake. Some of us will be back for more.............................
We just got back from the Sept. 7th trip and also had an unannounced after hours trip to the Louvre. There were two Tauck riverboats in Paris so we shared the experience with about 150 people. It was incredible. They divided us into groups of around 20 with the local guides taking different routes so there were never 150 people in the same room. We certainly didn't see as many pieces of art as we would have with more time, but I was very pleased to see what we did. And with the crowds during normal hours, I am not sure we would have been close enough to appreciate the detail. Our local guide shared her expertise which was extensive and certainly added to the experience. It was one of the highlights of our trip.
We got the afterhours Louvre visit on our Normandy Brittany tour back in 2021. Of course we didn't see everything but it was such a unique experience without the distraction of crowds. At some point I'd like to go back for a visit to see more but would try to do so at less crowded times.