4-Hour Louvre Itinerary: Icons and Ancient Masterpieces
Four hours is enough for the Louvre’s three headline icons, the strongest nearby French and Italian paintings, one major sculpture gallery and a compact introduction to Egypt and the ancient Near East. The route protects the essential six works and treats the remaining seven as flexible, so a crowded room does not derail the whole visit.
- 13 masterpiecesSix fixed, seven flexible
- Three collectionsPainting, sculpture and antiquities
- About 3 hr 20 minIncluding a short break
How the four-hour route works
The first half concentrates on Denon, where several masterpieces share Rooms 700–711. The second half broadens the visit with Canova, the Venus de Milo, Egyptian antiquities and the Code of Hammurabi. This gives a first-time visitor range without trying to “complete” an entire wing.
Take a 15–20 minute break after the Denon paintings or before the antiquities. Aim to finish the final artwork at least 20 minutes before your planned departure.
The 6 works that stay fixed
- Mona LisaLeonardo da Vinci · Denon 711
- The Wedding at CanaPaolo Veronese · Denon 711
- Winged Victory of SamothraceDaru staircase · Denon 703
- Venus de MiloAncient Greece · Sully 345
- The Raft of the MedusaThéodore Géricault · Denon 700
- Liberty Leading the PeopleEugène Delacroix · Denon 700
Add these 7 major works
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The Coronation of Napoleon Denon, Room 702
One of the museum’s defining large-format French history paintings.
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La Grande Odalisque Denon, Room 702
A short adjacent stop that adds Ingres and the transition from Neoclassicism to Romanticism.
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The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne Denon, Room 710
Use this calmer Leonardo painting to see sfumato and figure composition before the Mona Lisa crowd.
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Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss Denon, Level 0, Room 403
Canova’s marble group rewards a complete walk around the sculpture.
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Great Sphinx of Tanis Sully, Level −1, Room 338
A monumental, immediately legible introduction to the Egyptian collection.
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The Seated Scribe Sully, Level 1, Room 635
Look closely at the unusually alert face, painted body and inlaid eyes.
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Code of Hammurabi Richelieu, Level 0, Room 227
The route’s one deliberate Richelieu detour: a foundational monument of Babylonian law and kingship.
Open the ready-made 4-hour route
The saved plan includes all 13 works, a break and a 240-minute budget. Adjust the priorities or remove a collection to make it your own.