★★★★★
A family of five on a first visit, on a Wednesday evening: two hours covered a great deal, with the history of France woven through, for ages 11 to 68.
S4768KNdavep · August 2025
Louvre Late Opening Private Tour, Then Stay On Until Closing
Time set at bookingYour party onlyHorse statue by the Pyramid
Two hours with your own licensed guide, then the museum on your own. You meet at the horse statue in front of the Pyramid, follow the story of the two emperors called Napoleon through the palace from Denon to Richelieu, and your guide leaves you inside. Book a Wednesday or Friday evening slot and the time after is yours.
Two private hours, and the evening after them
Ends inside
Your guide leaves you in the galleries, free to stay until the rooms clear.
4.9 from 18 reviews
Seventeen five-star reviews, and every traveller would recommend it.
A Napoleon thread
The route follows the works tied to Napoleon and the Second Empire.
Your party only
Up to six of you, with a route built around what you ask for.
Pushchairs and step-free access
Step-free access, pushchairs and infant seats are all listed.
Nothing to print
The tickets are booked in advance and in the fare.
The horse statue by the Pyramid
You meet beside the horseman in front of the Pyramid, in the Cour Napoléon. It is a copy of a statue of Louis XIV, and your guide holds a blue sign reading "Dayin". If you use a map app, search for the Louvre Pyramid and look for the statue in front of it.
The statue is there for a reason. The palace and the Tuileries do not quite line up, because of the bend in the Seine. So I. M. Pei set Louis XIV on the line where the long view begins, running through the Tuileries and up the Champs-Élysées to La Défense. Stand beside it and look west. Leave extra time for the traffic if you come by taxi, and see the meeting points map for the metro exits.
Two hours from Denon to Richelieu
You go in with tickets already booked, and your guide starts in the Denon wing. The must-sees are on the way: the Mona Lisa in the Salle des États, the Winged Victory of Samothrace on the Daru staircase, and the Venus de Milo in the Greek galleries of Sully. Then the route turns to Napoleon and finishes in the Richelieu wing.
It is private, so the order bends to you. One family said the guide asked about their particular interests and built the two hours around them. Another, a family of five aged 11 to 68 on a Wednesday evening, came away with the history of France woven through the art. If you want to prepare, what to see at the Louvre at night lists the rooms by wing and level.
Useful tip. Galleries can close without notice, and works go on loan or into restoration. Your guide reroutes around a closed room, and the museum's weekly list of closures is linked from what to expect inside.
Napoleon's Louvre
The two emperors called Napoleon left a mark on almost every wing you cross. In 1798 Napoleon's troops took The Wedding Feast at Cana from Venice, and it still hangs in the Salle des États. That room was built between 1855 and 1857 for the legislative sessions Napoleon III presided over. The red marble around the Greek statues dates from Napoleon I, who bought Prince Camille Borghese's collection of antiquities in 1807 and had the gallery enlarged to show it.
The Daru staircase is named after Daru, a minister under Napoleon I. In Richelieu, the Napoleon III apartments show how a minister of the Second Empire lived from 1861: gilded drawing rooms and a salon that turned into a theatre for up to 250 guests. The Ministry of Finance occupied them until 1989, and they have been open to the public since 1993.
Staying on after your guide leaves
This is the part that sets the evening apart. The two hours end inside the museum, so you keep your place and go back to whatever caught your eye. On a late night the museum starts clearing its rooms at 8:30pm and closes at 9pm, so plan the time you have left.
Any exit is final, so leave the cafés under the Pyramid and the shop until last. Everything else about the night inside, from bags to photos, is on what to expect on a Louvre night tour.
Booking a late night, not an afternoon
The listing names no start time, so the slot you pick decides what kind of visit you get. The Louvre stays open until 9pm only on Wednesdays and Fridays. A slot late on one of those days is an evening visit, with a thinner crowd and time to stay on.
A traveller who booked 3:30pm on an ordinary day met the afternoon crowd and a 6pm closing instead. The tour has since been renamed to say what it is: a late-opening visit. The late nights, month by month, are on the visitor guide.
Your two hours, from the statue to the Second Empire
- At your slot. Meet the blue sign beside the horse statue.
- Straight in. Enter on your tickets, booked in advance.
- Denon. The Salle des États and the winged statue on the staircase.
- Sully. The Greek galleries and their red marble.
- Richelieu. Napoleon's era and the Second Empire rooms.
- After. Your guide leaves you inside, to stay until the rooms clear.
Who this suits, and who should book something else
Book it if
- You want two guided hours and then time on your own, without leaving the building.
- You are a family or a couple who want the route shaped around you.
- Napoleon and the Second Empire interest you as much as the famous paintings.
- Someone in your party needs a pushchair, an infant seat or step-free access.
Book something else if
- You want three guided hours and all three wings. The private three hours from 6pm start at the arch and cost $336.54 a person for a party of two.
- Your children are under 12. The private family evening runs games and quizzes from 5:30pm, for $360.90 a person, quoted for two adults and a child.
- You would rather share the guide and pay less. The group of six from the metro exit costs $175.22 a person.
- You want to weigh the private options first: compare the Louvre private night tours.
What $346.98 a person covers, and what it leaves out
In the fare
- Louvre entrance ticket
- Private licensed guide
- Late entrance on an evening opening
- A tour of the highlights
Not in the fare
- Hotel pickup or drop-off
- Tips
- Food and drinks
Know before you go
- Pick an evening slot. Only a Wednesday or Friday slot gives you the late opening.
- Look for the blue sign. Your guide stands by the horse statue with a Dayin sign.
- Leave early. Paris traffic is slow at the end of the working day.
- Under-18s go free. Bring ID for each child; entry for them is free.
- Plan the time after. Rooms start clearing at 8:30pm on a late night, and any exit is final.
- Rooms can close. A gallery or a single work can be shut on the day.
What families said after their two hours
★★★★★
On time, and the guide asked about the family's very particular interests and built the route around them.
892suzannei · October 2025
★★★★★
Hard to imagine the Louvre without an expert guide; an evening the whole family will remember.
67Pitt · June 2026
Frequently asked questions
Which days are late openings?
Wednesdays and Fridays, when the museum stays open until 9pm. The hours for every day are on the visitor guide.
What if a room is closed?
Your guide reroutes, because rooms and single works can close without notice. The museum's weekly list is linked from what to expect.
How long can we stay after the guide leaves?
Until the rooms clear, which starts at 8:30pm on a late night. Any exit is final, so leave the shop until last.
Is there a longer private evening?
Yes: the private three hours from 6pm cover all three wings for $336.54 a person for a party of two. That one ends back outside at the arch.
Can we bring a pushchair?
Yes. Pushchairs and infant seats are listed, and the Pyramid's lift takes prams.
Does the fare cover children?
Children under 18 enter the museum free with ID. The fare covers the guide and the adult tickets.
Other ways to spend a Louvre evening
Ready for two private hours and the evening after?
Check the Wednesday and Friday slots still open, with a full refund up to 24 hours ahead.
Check availability