France Art & Museums Self-Drive Tours

If you’re an art lover or particularly enjoy visiting museums, we will be happy to suggest itineraries that include art museum tours based on the type of art you like. We can also recommend other museums based on your special interests, such as history museums or war museums

We’ll give you tips on how to skip the lines to get in when possible, and for the larger French art museums (such as the Louvre Museum in Paris) we can recommend self-guided whistle-stop tours that take you to the artwork you most want to see.

Don’t worry; we will recommend just a few museums we think you’ll really like. You won’t be walking around museums for your whole trip! 

We’ll also recommend plenty of other activities, according to your preferences. These might include gourmet food tours, a cooking class, wine-tasting tours, nice hiking routes, a self-guided cycling tour, visits to castles and abbeys, and much more! 

Scroll to the bottom to see some of our sample tours in regions that have a wide range of museums.

louvre museum

The Louvre Museum in Paris - ©Ben Bard

Art Museums in France

Our France art museum tours will help you explore the aspects of art that interest you most. Whether this is Paul Cezanne’s art studio in Aix-en-Provence or the Picasso Museum in Paris, we will help you craft a tour just for you. 

From prehistoric cave art in Dordogne to modern art museums in France or the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon, we will listen to what you want, and give you our best recommendations.

Paris Museum Tours

There are so many art museums in Paris that you’ll be spoiled for choice! So before looking at Paris art tours, we recommend deciding which artists or which kind of art you’re most interested in. 

The Louvre & the Musée d'Orsay

Of course, the Louvre Museum and the Musée d'Orsay will be top of your list of museums to visit in Paris. If you’d like to do a self guided tour of the Louvre, but prefer not to spend a whole day there, let us know. We can recommend a half-day whistle-stop tour that includes the pieces of art you’re most interested in seeing.

Marmottan Museum & the Musée de l’Orangerie

If you’re interested in Claude Monet or Impressionism, we highly recommend a visit to the Marmottan Museum. There you can see a large collection of Monet’s art, as well as pieces by Delacroix, Boudin, Manet, Degas, Caillebotte, Sisley, Pissarro, Gauguin and Rodin. A visit to the Orangerie Museum is an absolute must if you want to see Claude Monet’s water lilies close up.

Centre Pompidou & Modern Art Museums in Paris

If you’re more interested in contemporary art tours of Paris, we recommend the Centre Pompidou, where the building itself is a work of art!

The Museum of Modern Art in Paris showcases 20th century art and contemporary art in the eastern wing of the Palais de Tokyo. Absolutely worth a visit if you’re a fan of modern art.

And if you’d like a guided tour of any of the museums, we can also advise on the best way to do this as part of our art tours in Paris. 

Browse our Paris tours for more inspiration, or contact us!

Claude Monet's waterlily paintings in the Orangerie Museum in Paris - Art tours Paris
Claude Monet's waterlily paintings in the Orangerie Museum in Paris
©

Naomi Dalton

War Museums in France

France played a key role in both the first and second world wars, and as such there are various world war battle sites and military cemeteries you can visit. Many sites also have war museums with artefacts, uniforms, military equipment, maps and more from the war period.

The key regions for visiting battle sites and learning more about what happened during the world wars are ParisNormandySommeVerdun and Champagne

If you want a tour that includes trips to war sites with private guides and visits to the most interesting war museums in France, you may be interested in our World War History Tour of France.

History Museums in France

No matter which period of history you’re interested in, France has something for you! From prehistoric caves in Dordogne (and museums where you can learn more about the prehistoric period) to the Museum of the Battle of Normandy in Bayeux, or museums that teach you about regional history, like the Alsatian Museum in Strasbourg, Alsace

Let us know which period of history or regions you’re interested in, and we’ll craft the perfect tour, just for you!

We invite you to browse our history tours of France.

Replicas of prehistoric cave paintings in Lascaux IV, Dordogne
Replicas of prehistoric cave paintings in Lascaux IV, Dordogne
©

France Just For You

Open Air Museums & Historical Sites in France

If you’re visiting France between late spring and early fall, you’ll want to make the most of the sunshine and won’t necessarily want to be inside museums every day. Here are some outdoor options for continuing to explore art and history in France:

Carrières des Lumières, Provence

This is a digital art exhibitions space, hosted in a former stone quarry near Les Baux-de-Provence. Huge images of famous artworks are projected onto the quarry walls, while music plays in the background. Every year the exhibition has a new theme or featured artist. For example, in 2024, the featured artists are the Dutch Masters, from Vermeer to Van Gogh, and one of the themes is Tintin.

If you’re on one of our Provence tours, we’ll highly recommend a visit to Les Carrières des Lumières.

Roman Ruins and Archeological Sites, Provence

La Maison Carrée in Nîmes, Provence dates back to the 5th century AD and is one of the best-preserved Roman temple façades in the world. The Pont du Gard is the world’s tallest and best-preserved Roman aqueduct and a UNESCO World Heritage site, so it's also well worth a visit.

We can include visits to these historical sites in our Provence itineraries.

Rodin Museum & Sculpture Garden, Paris

The Rodin Museum is located in the heart of Paris, and features the work of renowned sculptor Auguste Rodin. The museum itself is a beautiful mansion and definitely worth exploring. Then, on a sunny day, the garden, which hosts many of Rodin’s sculptures, will be the perfect spot for a picnic!

You may visit the Rodin Museum on any of our self-guided Paris tours.

Château de Guédelon, Burgundy

Château de Guédelon is a living history project that has been running since 1997 and will be completed in the coming years. The project involves building a medieval castle from the ground up using only tools, materials, techniques and clothing that would have been available in the Middle Ages. 

If you’re interested in medieval history, this is your chance to see what the construction of a medieval castle would have looked like. It will nicely complement any knowledge you’ve learned from books, documentaries and museums over the years!

Carrières des Lumières digital art exhibition in Provence - art tours France
Carrières des Lumières digital art exhibition in Provence
©

Culturespaces, E. Spiller

To filter tours by region, we invite you to visit our France Tour Packages page. Alternatively, you can browse some of our tours below.

Remember: all of our sample tours can be adapted and customized to suit your preferences. Or, we can craft a tour just for you from scratch!

Our self guided tours in regions with lots of art museums

Duration
13 days
Price
US$ 5670
Region
in Paris, Somme, North, Verdun & Alsace

In 13 days, this tour will take you from Paris to the Somme region, and on to Lille at the Belgium border. You will then drive your way south-east to the Verdun area and the surrounding WWI sites. You will end your journey in Alsace, on the border with Germany. A great way to discover Northern France !

WWI & WWII Battlefields
Towns & Villages
Art & Museums in France
Duration
16 days
Price
US$ 5020
Region
in Basque Country, Carcassonne & Provence

From the rugged Atlantic coast to the azur-colored Mediterranean Sea – experience the diversity of the South of France.

Wine Tasting
Towns & Villages
Art & Museums in France
Duration
13 days
Price
US$ 5620
Region
in French Riviera, Provence & Paris

From the colors and fragrances of the South-East of France, to the beautiful monuments, restaurants and concerts in Paris, this trip will awaken all your senses.

Countryside
Art & Museums in France
Duration
16 days
Price
US$ 6250
Region
in Paris, Provence & French Riviera

This itinerary will take you from Paris, the city of lights, to Provence in two different locations, and end in the French Riviera. Perfect to relax & get some sun !

Heritage & History
Gourmet Food
Art & Museums in France
Duration
20 days
Price
US$ 6130
Region
in Paris, Burgundy, Provence & French Riviera

For independent travelers who want to thoroughly explore la belle France - from Paris, through the vineyards of Burgundy, the charming landscapes of Provence, and on to the sunny Riviera!

Gourmet Food
Countryside
Art & Museums in France
Duration
10 days
Price
US$ 3780
Region
in Paris & Provence

Explore two very typical and stunning regions of France and get a real feel for our beautiful country.

Countryside
Art & Museums in France
Duration
13 days
Price
US$ 4780
Region
in Provence, Burgundy & Paris

Explore Eastern France, from South to North . . . colorful Provence, Burgundy vineyards, and of course the city of lights: Paris! We recommend that our travelers fly into Marseille and out of Paris (which is not always more expensive and much more convenient than Paris on both ends).

Wine Tasting
Countryside
Art & Museums in France
Duration
16 days
Price
US$ 4600
Region
in Loire Valley, Dordogne, Carcassonne & French Riviera

Explore French culture and history in three of its most representative regions: the Loire Valley, Dordogne and the Riviera, with a nice stop in Carcassonne.

Wine Tasting
Towns & Villages
Art & Museums in France
Duration
13 days
Price
US$ 4730
Region
in Provence & French Riviera

Enjoy the sweet scents, vivid colors, flavorful tastes, sunshine and warm wind of Provence & the Riviera. To save time and energy, we recommend you fly in and out of Marseille (or Nice) International Airport. Otherwise, we can also help with TGV train tickets.

Gourmet Food
Countryside
Art & Museums in France

Our Travelers’ Reviews

Wendy
I was going to plan a trip for my daughter and I and quickly got overwhelmed. We didn't want to go on those tours that have you going for morning until night. We wanted to be able to take our time and enjoy our trip. That's when I found Emiliee. We wanted to stay for 3weeks and really experience France, and Emiliee did just that. Her guide books …
Debbie
Emilie is amazing. Going to Normandy has always been a dream of my husbands and luckily for us we found Emilie to plan our trip. Our hotel in Paris for the start of our trip was located perfectly. Within walking distance of so much for our first two days before we picked up the rental car she had arranged for us. Then onto Normandy and the Loire …
Ed
This is the third year in a row that we have traveled to France, as part of a two country vacation. Because of our positive experiences with Emilie's help in the past, and our desire to be relatively independent, we chose to have her craft our French trip again this year. In a word, she is incredible! We have such a high level of confidence in her …

Our Travelers’ Photos

Teri, Kennedy & Chris from the US
in Paris !
Peter
from Canada
Truffle Hunting in Dordogne
Patty
from the US
In Villeneuve les Avignon, Provence
Leslie & Family
from the US
A la Tour Eiffel, Paris
Kate & Jake
from the US
On their honeymoon in front of Chenonceau castle
Fred
from Canada
Truffle hunting in Burgundy with Thierry
Stéphanie & Vania
from the US
on the Aiguille du Midi peak in the French Alps (Chamonix)
..& the Oyster Guy !
in Biarritz Food Market with Maureen & Roy
Greg, Laurie, Laura & Jeff
From the US
With their B&B host near Mont Saint Michel
Amy & Louise
Wine tasting....
Patty & Tim
from the US
In front of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris
Carol from the US
Biking in the Luberon