Notre-Dame in a nutshell
Notre-Dame stands on the Île de la Cité in the middle of the Seine. The visitor address is 6 Parvis Notre-Dame, Place Jean-Paul II, 75004 Paris. The cathedral reopened with a ceremony on 7 December 2024, and general visits resumed on 8 December 2024 at 5:30 p.m.
This site covers what you need to plan a visit: free entry and the optional reservation, opening hours, the tower climb, guided visits, the fire of 2019 and the restoration, history, architecture, Mass, the archaeological crypt, Sainte-Chapelle, the island itself, the Latin Quarter and where to stay. It is an independent guide. It is not run by the cathedral, the Archdiocese of Paris or the Centre des monuments nationaux, and it is not connected to a tour operator or a hotel. Prices are in euros, as listed in 2026, and they change.
To get there, take Métro line 4 to Cité or the RER B or C to Saint-Michel-Notre-Dame. The Métro station Saint-Michel on line 4 is closed until 19 December 2026.
What to know in autumn 2026
Where older guides are out of date.
Entering the cathedral is free
There is no entry fee for the general visit, at any age. A free reservation is optional. You can also enter without one, but the queue can be longer. No wait time can be promised.
Tickets and reservation →The towers are a separate visit
The tower climb reopened on 20 September 2025. It has its own ticket, €16 for adults, and you must book a time slot online, even if you enter free or hold a Paris Museum Pass. There is no sale on site.
Towers →Métro Saint-Michel is closed
Line 4 does not stop at Saint-Michel from 14 September to 19 December 2026. Line 4 otherwise serves Cité, and the RER B and C serve Saint-Michel-Notre-Dame. Check the current timetable before you go.
Opening hours and access →The works are not over
Reopening did not end the building work. The Square de l'Île-de-France has been closed since 24 August 2026, and restoration work on the east end of the cathedral has been under way since 2025.
Restoration →Sainte-Chapelle has two price groups
Since 12 January 2026 the adult ticket costs €16 for citizens or residents of an EEA country and €22 for everyone else.
Sainte-Chapelle →Gargoyles are not chimeras
Gargoyles carry rainwater off the roof. Chimeras are decorative figures. Many of both were renewed in the 19th century.
Architecture →Our picks: Notre-Dame and the Seine
A short guided visit, the Île de la Cité with two monuments, and a cruise on the river.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in euros (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Île de la Cité with Sainte-Chapelle and Conciergerie
Two hours with a local guide in a group of up to eight, with pre-booked Sainte-Chapelle and Conciergerie tickets. Notre-Dame is seen from outside only.
Check availability →
One-hour Seine sightseeing cruise
Departs from Pont de l'Alma with an indoor and an upper deck and a multilingual web app. The ticket has no fixed time or date; snacks are for sale on board.
Check availability →
Short guided visit of restored Notre-Dame
A qualified guide for 45 to 75 minutes. The cathedral entry is free anyway; inside and outside with a headset applies to option 1 only, and skip-the-line is not included.
Check availability →Notre-Dame and Île de la Cité tours
Guided visits, tower tickets and Sainte-Chapelle entry, with live prices and availability. Entry to the cathedral itself is free.
Plan your visit
Start with tickets and hours, then pick the pages you need.
Notre-Dame tickets
Free entry, the optional reservation, tower tickets and the other paid sites.
Opening hours
Daily hours, the late Thursday opening and the last entry.
Tours compared
Free guidance, the audio guide and guided visits side by side.
The towers
424 steps, a timed ticket and the view over Paris.
Mass at Notre-Dame
The weekly schedule and how to behave as a visitor.
The archaeological crypt
Remains of old streets and houses under the square.
History, the fire and the island
Background, neighbouring sights and where to sleep.
The fire of 15 April 2019
What burned and what was saved.
Rebuilding Notre-Dame
The new spire, the costs and the next phases of work.
History of Notre-Dame
From 1163 to the reopening.
Architecture
Rose windows, buttresses, gargoyles and the bells.
Sainte-Chapelle
Stained glass of the 13th century, prices and the combined ticket.
Île de la Cité
The Conciergerie, Pont Neuf and a walk around the island.
The Latin Quarter
Shakespeare and Company, the Panthéon and the left bank.
Where to stay near Notre-Dame
The 4th, 5th and 6th arrondissements compared.
Which visit costs what
Adult prices as listed in October 2026. The cathedral, the towers, the treasury and the crypt are four separate offers.
| Visit | Adult price | Booking |
|---|---|---|
| Cathedral | €0 | Optional and free |
| Towers | €16 | Timed slot required |
| Treasury | €12 | – |
| Archaeological crypt | €11 | – |
| Sainte-Chapelle | €16 or €22 | Timed slot required |
Details, free groups and the Paris Museum Pass are on the tickets page. The Sainte-Chapelle price depends on whether you are a citizen or resident of an EEA country.
The building in numbers
A few figures to read the cathedral by.
| Feature | Figure |
|---|---|
| Start of construction | 1163, by tradition |
| Restored spire | 96 m |
| Two west towers | 69 m each |
| Rose windows | 3: west, north and south |
| Bells in the towers | Emmanuel since 1686, Marie since 2013 |
The history page and the architecture page explain these in context. The restored spire is not the same as the two west towers, so keep the two heights apart.
Beyond the island
Other sights that have their own guides.
The Louvre is a separate museum visit, and the Louvre guide covers it. Boat trips on the Seine, with commentary of about one hour from the Square du Vert-Galant, and the basilica of Sacré-Cœur in Montmartre, which is free and open daily from 06:30 to 22:30, get only a short mention on this site. This guide stays with Notre-Dame and the streets around it.
More independent guides to Paris
Separate guides from the same team, each focused on one Paris landmark.
Louvre Museum
Tickets, opening hours, the Mona Lisa and the best route through the museum.
The Seine
River cruises, the bridges, the riverbanks and swimming in the Seine.
Sacré-Cœur
The basilica on Montmartre: the dome climb, opening hours, Montmartre walks and the Moulin Rouge.
Notre-Dame: frequently asked questions
Is Notre-Dame free to enter?
Yes. The general visit costs €0 for every age. You can book a free time slot online, but you can also enter without a reservation. See the tickets page.
Do I need a ticket for the towers?
Yes. The tower climb is a separate visit with a €16 adult ticket and a mandatory time slot booked online. Children and Paris Museum Pass holders need a slot too. See the towers page.
When is Notre-Dame open?
The cathedral is open every day. Hours are 07:50 to 19:00 from Monday to Wednesday and on Friday, 07:50 to 22:00 on Thursday and 08:15 to 19:30 on Saturday and Sunday. The last entry is 30 minutes before closing. See opening hours.
How do I get to Notre-Dame by Métro?
Line 4 stops at Cité, and the RER B and C stop at Saint-Michel-Notre-Dame. The Métro station Saint-Michel on line 4 is closed from 14 September to 19 December 2026, and trains do not stop there.
Can I see the restored interior and the spire?
The interior is open to visitors. The restored spire rises 96 m over the crossing and is seen from outside. Work on the east end and the surroundings continues, so scaffolding and closed areas are still possible. See restoration.
Is notre-dame-cathedral.com the official website?
No. This is an independent travel guide with no link to the cathedral, the Archdiocese of Paris, the Centre des monuments nationaux or any tour operator.