2-Hour Louvre Itinerary: The Essential Masterpieces
This route is for a first Louvre visit with about two hours inside the galleries. It keeps four icons fixed, then adds four major Denon paintings that require very little extra walking. The goal is not to cover the museum: it is to leave having seen its most important works without rushing every room.
- 8 masterpiecesFive compact gallery stops
- Denon + SullyNo distant collection detours
- About 1 hr 50 minExpected at a normal pace
How the two-hour route works
Start in the Denon wing and collect works that share the same rooms or corridor before crossing to the Venus de Milo in Sully. The Wedding at Cana is essential here: it hangs directly opposite the Mona Lisa, so it adds a world-famous painting without adding another room.
Security, lockers and the walk from the Pyramid are not included in the gallery time. Arrive before your ticket slot and keep roughly 10–15 minutes in reserve for the exit.
The 8 works to see
-
Liberty Leading the People Denon, Level 1, Room 700
Delacroix’s defining image of the July Revolution and one of the Louvre’s most recognizable French paintings.
-
The Raft of the Medusa Denon, Level 1, Room 700
A monumental Romantic painting in the same room, so it costs no additional navigation time.
-
The Coronation of Napoleon Denon, Level 1, Room 702
David’s enormous record of imperial spectacle; view it from the centre before looking at its portraits and ceremony.
-
La Grande Odalisque Denon, Level 1, Room 702
Ingres’s elegant, deliberately elongated figure is already beside the large French history paintings.
-
Winged Victory of Samothrace Denon, Level 1, Daru staircase
Pause below the staircase first, then move closer to see the wind-driven drapery and ship-shaped base.
-
Mona Lisa Denon, Level 1, Room 711
Expect the busiest stop. Use the main queue, take a short look, and do not spend the whole visit waiting for the closest position.
-
The Wedding at Cana Denon, Level 1, Room 711
Turn around after the Mona Lisa: Veronese’s vast banquet scene fills the opposite wall.
-
Venus de Milo Sully, Level 0, Room 345
Finish with the Louvre’s best-known ancient Greek sculpture and view its twisting pose from more than one side.
Open the ready-made 2-hour route
The saved route includes all eight works, current room details and a realistic time estimate. You can remove stops and save your own version.