Louvre Family Tour: Private Visit with Kids and Reserved Entry

What ages the tour is designed for

The tour is designed for families with kids up to 15, and the operator says so twice in the listing. It asks you to give each child's age when you book so the visit can be adjusted. If any of your kids is over 15, the listing itself recommends booking the private masterpieces tour with reserved entry instead, which follows a commentary written for adults. The pace is relaxed and the guide uses interactive storytelling, according to the listing, to keep kids engaged for the full 2 hours.

Private, semi-private or group: the three options

When you book you choose between three formats, and only one is truly private. The private option is for your family alone, with a maximum of 6 people per guide because that is the Louvre's rule for small private groups; if you are 7 or more, you need to book a second guide. The semi-private option takes up to 6 people and the group option up to 20, and both run in English only. If you want a guide in another language, choose the private option: it is the one offered in 9 languages.

• Private — Your family only, up to 6 people per guide, in 9 languages including English.
• Semi-private — Maximum 6 people, shared with other families, English only.
• Group — Maximum 20 people, English only.

What you pay for kids if entry is free

Kids do not pay for Louvre entry: the museum is free for under-18s of any nationality who carry ID, and for EU/EEA residents under 26 with proof of residence. Adults pay €22 if they are EU/EEA nationals or residents and €32 otherwise. This tour costs from $110 per person and includes the adult and child tickets, so for each child what you pay for is the guide and the organization. Keep in mind that the museum's free entry applies when you go in on your own: on a guided tour every participant needs a place on the tour, and the listing gives no separate child price.

How entry works and what you can't bring

Reserved entry saves you the ticket-office line, but not the security check, which the listing warns can take more than 15 minutes in high season. Suitcases, large bags and bulky luggage are not allowed. Remember that a Louvre ticket allows a single entry: if you leave the museum mid-morning, you cannot go back in on the same ticket. With young kids, it pays to visit the restroom and have a snack before the 2 hours begin.

Which days and times work best with kids

The Louvre is closed on Tuesdays, so there is no tour that day. It opens 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, and until 9:00 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays; last admission is 1 hour before closing. The tour's exact times appear when you check availability. One of the 10 recent reviews recommends the Wednesday afternoon session because the rooms are less hot, and 2 others mention the summer heat inside the museum.