Yuven had been dreaming of seeing the Mona Lisa since he first learned about it. When we planned a trip to Paris, visiting the Louvre was a must. We called our visit ‘Just for Jaconde’ (Mona Lisa). Both Mihir and Yuven share a passion for history, so they were especially excited to explore the museum.
The Louvre Museum, located on the Right Bank of the Seine in Paris’s 1st arrondissement, is one of the most famous museums in the world. It houses some of the most iconic works of Western art, including the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and Winged Victory. The museum is situated in the Louvre Palace, which was originally built in the late 12th to 13th century under Philip II. Over the centuries, the building has been expanded multiple times to form the present Louvre Palace. The museum spans three wings (Richelieu, Sully, and Denon) and five floors.
To make the most of our visit, we did some online research. We knew the Louvre could be overwhelming, so we planned our route to see the Mona Lisa quickly before the crowds grew. However, the boys’ fascination with history kept us exploring for hours!
I recommend doing some homework before your visit. The Louvre’s website and this video offer helpful information. The museum is huge, so having a map is essential. They provide maps in several languages at the entrance. You can also book an audio guide online. Booking tickets in advance is advisable, as they often sell out. Our tickets cost 44 euros (22 euros per adult, with free entry for children under 18). We chose the 9:00 a.m. slot to avoid crowds and long queues. The museum has several entrances, with the Pyramid being the main one. There are four queues: visitors without tickets, visitors with tickets, visitors with membership cards, and those with priority access. Other entrances include the Carrousel, Richelieu, and Porte des Lions, depending on your ticket type. The entrance you should use is usually indicated on your ticket.
On the day of our visit, we left the hotel early, around 7:15 a.m., and took bus no. 74 to the museum. After a 5-minute walk, we joined the queue at the Pyramid entrance with about 30-40 people ahead of us at 8:20 a.m. By the time the museum opened, there were over 500 people in line. After going through security, we grabbed a map and headed straight for the Mona Lisa. We managed to see it without too much trouble and spent about 20 minutes admiring it and the other exhibits in the room.
While I wanted to visit the nearby Tuileries Garden, the boys wanted to see more exhibits. So, we followed the directions to view the French Crown Jewels, the Medieval Louvre, Egyptian Antiquities, Roman Antiquities, Greek Antiquities, and Eastern and Egyptian art. We covered many antiques and skipped most paintings, using stairs and elevators to move around the museum.
Our experience was enriching, with lots of information. The museum has 4-5 eateries, a couple of gift shops, clean restrooms, and free wheelchairs and strollers available for use.
We spent almost 3.5 hours inside the museum and after exiting, took some pictures near the Pyramid and caught a bus back to our hotel. On the way back, it started raining heavily for about 15 minutes, so we took shelter for a while. We then visited two boulangeries to buy croissants, macarons, and baguettes, which we enjoyed for lunch. After resting, we left the hotel around 4:00 p.m. to explore Montmartre.
Stay tuned for our next blog on Montmartre!
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