Egypt Through the Ages
From the first pharaohs to the last dynasties, a chronological journey through one of the world's greatest Egyptian collections.
The Louvre holds one of the most important Egyptian collections in the world, and this tour follows it in order: from the earliest traces of the civilisation through the Old, Middle and New Kingdoms, and on to the Late Period and beyond.
Taken chronologically, the collection reveals the extraordinary continuity of ancient Egypt, a civilisation that lasted more than three thousand years and left behind an art instantly recognisable across every one of them.
What you will see
We move through the full sweep of Egyptian history, from the archaic period to the age of the Ptolemies: sculpture, painted coffins, stelae, the small objects of daily life, and some of the most remarkable funerary art ever made.
This is the more in-depth of our two Egyptian tours, a historian's account that follows the civilisation as it actually unfolded, period by period. It is open to everyone, though families with younger children often prefer our thematic tour, which explores Egypt through the great themes of life, death and the temple. If a particular period or object draws you, mention it when you enquire.
Old Kingdom · Middle · New · the Late Period
Pépin's advice
Start at the beginning. The chronological thread is what makes this tour click. Arriving without a fixed agenda lets the story unfold as Egypt itself did, in order.
Pair it with Mesopotamia. The two great ancient collections sit in the same wing, and certain ideas echo across both, such as the Master of Animals, the figure shown mastering two beasts, who turns up in each. Together they give the fullest picture of the world before Greece and Rome.
Good to know
The Louvre does not open every gallery every day. The museum is closed on Tuesdays, and the rooms for this tour also rest on Thursdays. Any other day works well, which is why we steer your visit there. Very occasionally a room opens late, or not at all, for operational reasons the museum does not announce in advance. If that happens it is beyond anyone's control, and we simply turn to another part of the collection so your time is never lost. With more than thirty-five thousand works on display, the Louvre is never short of something remarkable, and a private guide can reshape the visit on the spot in a way a fixed group tour never could.
