Hello all. I’ve asked a few questions regarding my upcoming trip to Paris and London and have another. Paris will be from December 14 and departing 20th. London is from 7th to 14th with Eurostar on 14th. I’m working on activities to do each day and would like to finalize them soon. This question is about guided tours of Musee d’Orsay and Louvre. We do want guided tours in order to make good use of time. I see on the museum websites they offer guided tours directly. I’ve also looked at Paris Muse and Take Walks for guided tours of these museums. Paris Muse and Take Walks are both more expensive but also longer tours. Has anyone done any of these tours, including the museum offers, and if so can you tell me about your experiences? I’m willing to pay a little more money for longer tours and smaller groups but am wondering if it’s worth the extra cost. Thanks everyone!
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
10235 posts
I've taken a lot of Louvre and Orsay run tours/classes, in French, but never a small group tour, though I've seen the very small groups. The large Museum-run tours are more superficial with almost no interaction. A guide will speak and show you the most famous works
The small tours are intimate and allow for interaction.
If you go the small -tour route, check the credentials of the guide to be sure it's an art expert. I've never heard of Take Walks. Context is known for their museum tours. The independent, day-guides have a very, very small limit on the number of people they can lead at a time, sort of small-family size.
Posted by
Alexandria, VA
771 posts
Take Walks is the new name for Walks of Italy, since they cover more than just Italy now. We have used them in Florence for the Uffizi Gallery and a city walk which included the Academia and David. We also used them in Pompeii. All were led by experts in their field, and all were excellent. I think group size is 12 max. They also used the Whisper system, so you hear the guide through headphones.
Recently, we used Tours by Locals in Brussels. With them, you can read about the various guides, correspond with them, and decide which is one right for you. That worked out well for us. Tours by Locals are all over.
Posted by
OP
Chandler, AZ
75 posts
Thank you both for your responses and suggestions. I do think we will go with the more expensive but smaller and intimate tours for both museums. I did not consider these tours when we visited the Uffizi several years ago but it would have been nice. There is so much to see that it can become overwhelming. I’m sure these tours will be worth the extra expense.
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
10235 posts
So, Take Walks is a new name for Walks of Paris, homogenizing the name across cities and countries. It was sold to a corporation not too long ago.
We used Walks of Italy in Florence. The Ufizi guide was a PhD in art history. The guides for these tour companies are often freelancers, giving a tour for Walks of Italy one day and one for Context the next.
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11361 posts
We had a private tour with Paris Muse at the Louvre a few years ago. We were impressed and felt it worth every sou. The guide was excellent and maneuvering through the museum which would have wasted a lot of time on our own. Since we were only 2 on the tour, no headsets, lots of questions answered, no interruptions by other participants. We took the tour late in the day, meeting at 4pm. It was advertised as 3 hours but we didn’t end until 7:30, just in time for our 8pm dinner reservation.