Skip-the-line private tour of the Orangerie: my review
Verdict: an hour and a half with a guide for your group only, a precise meeting point at Place de la Concorde and a clear focus, the Belle Époque, rather than the catalog. Only seven reviews, all five stars, which is too few for statistics but enough for a trend. I recommend it to those who know why they want a guide just for them.
How does the tour go
The meeting point is at 19 Place de la Concorde, "near the first tree on the left before the museum entrance," according to the operator's phrase, which has the merit of being verifiable on site. The guide lets you in through the fast-track entrance and first takes you to the Water Lilies, then to level -2. His angle isn't that of an art history course: he talks about the Belle Époque, the links between Art Nouveau and the Eiffel Tower, Picasso's Parisian addresses. It's a story about Paris as much as about the museum.
Three languages are offered, French, English, and Serbo-Croatian, which is a short but unusual list. Booking can be done without immediate payment and can be canceled free of charge up to 24 hours before, two flexibilities that the reserved ticket does not offer.
Included
- Expert guide for your group only
- Skip-the-line entry ticket
- Fixed meeting point at Place de la Concorde
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before, booking without immediate payment
Not included
- Languages other than French, English, and Serbo-Croatian
- Meals, drinks, transfers
- Extension to the Louvre (to be seen with the guide)
- Audio guide
What reviews say
Seven reviews, which means you have to read them one by one rather than just count them. Leonora (Malaysia) describes a guide who is "very knowledgeable and patient," and adds a detail that isn't in the offer: her group "continued to the Louvre" with him. I quote him for what he says about the guide, not as a promise; the sold visit lasts an hour and a half and ends at the museum exit. Arul (Australia) names his guide, Elizabeth, and appreciates "her passion for the museum." The other reviews are brief and go in the same direction. I haven't read any reservations, but seven reviews don't rule out that there might be one day.
What works
- Your group only: the pace is yours
- A precise meeting point, easy to find from the Concorde metro
- A Belle Epoque angle that connects the museum to Monet's Paris
- Booking without immediate payment, free cancellation
To know
- Only seven reviews, the 5.0 rating is based on a small number of people
- Three languages, but only two for the majority of visitors
- One and a half hours: the basement goes by quickly
- Nothing is planned for temporary exhibitions
Who it's for, and who it's not for
For whom: families with school-age children, who follow a guide who speaks to them and not to a group. Couples or small groups of friends who want to ask questions without bothering anyone. Those who love the history of Paris at least as much as painting.
For whom not: those who want a close analysis of the paintings, who will be better served by the guided tour for six, longer and more in-depth on the collection. Those who need another language or an accessible route, for whom the private tour in nine languages is the answer. Those who come alone, for whom the reserved ticket at opening remains the best possible hour and a half. The two private tours are compared on the private tour page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the meeting point exactly ?
At 19 Place de la Concorde, near the first tree of the alley on the left before the museum entrance. From the Concorde metro exit, lines 1, 8, and 12, count two or three minutes. The route is described on access and metro.
Is one and a half hours enough with a guide ?
For the Water Lilies and a selection from the -2 level, yes. To see the 146 paintings of the collection one by one, no, but no tour does that. The time required for each part of the museum is on how much time to plan.
What's the difference with the other private tour?
This one is shorter, in three languages, with a meeting point at Place de la Concorde and a Belle Époque focus. The other lasts two to three hours, is available in nine languages, starts at the museum entrance and is wheelchair accessible; its review is on the multilingual private tour.