Private tour of the Musée de l'Orangerie
Who needs a private tour in such a small museum
The Orangerie can be visited in 1 h to 1 h 30. A private guide is therefore a luxury that is justified in three cases. You are a family or a small group that does not want to mingle with strangers. You need a language that the group tour for six does not offer. Or you want to be able to ask your questions without counting, and stay twenty minutes in front of a Soutine if that's what holds you. For everyone else, I repeat, the reserved ticket or the semi-private does the job.
The first private tour: 1 h 30, the belle époque
The meeting point is at 19 place de la Concorde, "near the first tree in the alley to the left before the museum entrance," which is a more poetic address than the average of Parisian meeting points. The guide is an expert, the skip-the-line ticket is included, and the tour lasts 1 h 30. Three languages: English, French, Serbo-Croatian.
What sets it apart is the angle. The guide connects the museum to the Belle Époque, the links between Art Nouveau and the Eiffel Tower, and Picasso's addresses in Paris. It's a reading of the collection through the city that produced it rather than through the history of art alone. The seven reviews give it 5.0. Leonora describes a guide who is "very knowledgeable and patient," and adds that the group "continued to the Louvre" with him. Arul mentions the guide Elizabeth and "her passion for the museum". Booking without immediate payment is possible, which is convenient when planning a stay.
The second private tour: 2 h to 3 h, nine languages
This one meets at the museum entrance. Guide and ticket are included. The announced duration is from 2 h to 3 h, which is long for the Orangerie and assumes you take your time on level -2 and in front of the temporary exhibitions. Languages are its raison d'être: Chinese, German, Japanese, Korean, English, Italian, French, Spanish, Russian. It's the only product on the site to cover Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.
It is wheelchair accessible, which the semi-private is not. Flash is prohibited, as everywhere in the museum. The rating is 4.4 out of seven reviews. Hallie talks about a "good, friendly and informative guide". A Brazilian visitor describes the tour with guide David as a real culture lesson. An Argentine visitor regrets that the guide lingered on Monet at the expense of Picasso. I mention this because you should know: if Picasso or Soutine are your reason for coming, specify it to the guide right from the meeting.
The two compared
What works
- A guide just for you, at the pace of your questions
- Ticket included in both, entry without going through the box office
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
- The second covers Chinese, Japanese, and Korean
To know
- Seven reviews each: the rating changes quickly with so few returns
- The first is not advertised as wheelchair accessible
- The second option can linger on Monet, ask for the balance you want
- For the Water Lilies alone, the single ticket is enough
Ask for the first 9 a.m. slot. A private guide who lets you enter the oval rooms still empty, before the garden fills up, is worth more than the same guide at noon. The opening hours and the Friday evening opening are on their page.
If you are still hesitating between private and semi-private, the page of all tickets lists the six products side by side.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between the two private tours?
Duration, languages and angle. The first one lasts 1 h 30 in three languages with a guide focused on the Belle Époque. The second one lasts 2 h to 3 h in nine languages, with a meeting at the entrance. I detail the first one in its review.
Is the private tour accessible for wheelchair users ?
The second one, in nine languages, is. The first one does not mention it. The museum itself is accessible, with elevators and wheelchair rental. See the accessibility page.
Is the entrance ticket included ?
Yes, in both cases. You have nothing else to buy for the museum. What the price of a tour adds compared to the ticket alone is explained, without figures, on how much it costs.
Where is the meeting point ?
Place de la Concorde, garden side, for the first one, and at the museum entrance for the second. In both cases, you arrive by Concorde metro, lines 1, 8 and 12. The route is described on getting there by metro.