The island at a glance
Notre-Dame stands on the Île de la Cité, at 6 Parvis Notre-Dame / Place Jean-Paul II, 75004 Paris. The island is small, and four of its main sights lie within a short walk of each other: the cathedral, the archaeological crypt under the forecourt, the Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie. At the western tip, the Pont Neuf and the Square du Vert-Galant close the island.
For boat trips, the bridges and walks along the river, see our separate guide to the Seine.
The sights are run by different bodies and are not sold as one ticket. The cathedral is free, the towers, the crypt and the Sainte-Chapelle each have their own price, and only the Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie come as a combined ticket. This site is an independent guide and has no connection to any of them. All prices below are as listed for 2026.
Sights on the island compared
Prices and hours as listed for 2026. Each row is a separate visit.
| Sight | Price (adult) | Hours | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notre-Dame cathedral | Free | Thursday 07:50–22:00, Monday to Wednesday and Friday 07:50–19:00, weekends 08:15–19:30 | Free reservation is optional |
| Notre-Dame towers | €16 | 1 April to 30 September 09:00–23:00, 1 October to 31 March 09:00–17:30 | Timed slot required |
| Archaeological crypt | €11, reduced €9 | Tuesday to Sunday 10:00–18:00, closed Monday | Check before you go |
| Sainte-Chapelle | €16 or €22 | 1 April to 30 September 09:00–19:00, 1 October to 31 March 09:00–17:00 | Timed slot |
| Conciergerie | Combined ticket €23 or €30 | Check the current timetable | Combined ticket uses the Sainte-Chapelle slot |
| Pont Neuf, Square du Vert-Galant | Free | Outdoors | – |
The last entry to the cathedral is 30 minutes before closing. The towers admit their last visitors one hour before closing, and their autumn hours are shorter than in summer, so check your booked slot before planning an evening climb. More on each sight: opening hours, towers, crypt and Sainte-Chapelle.
Our picks: Île de la Cité
A guided walk on the island, a tour around Notre-Dame and a Conciergerie ticket.
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.
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Notre-Dame outside and Île de la Cité tour
A one-hour guided tour outside. Crypt entry and the island walk depend on the option you choose; a guided tour inside the cathedral is not included.
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Conciergerie visit with HistoPad
A self-guided visit with a HistoPad showing 3D reconstructions, in six languages. Sainte-Chapelle is not included.
Check availability →Tours around the Île de la Cité
Guided visits, Seine cruises and combinations around Notre-Dame, with live prices and availability.
Conciergerie
The Conciergerie is the preserved part of the royal Palais de la Cité. It later served as a prison and tells the story of the Revolution. Marie-Antoinette was held here from the night of 1 to 2 August 1793 and executed on 16 October 1793. Today a memorial chapel stands on the site of her former cell, so the room is not an unchanged prison cell.
The Conciergerie shares the palace complex with the Sainte-Chapelle. With the combined ticket, the booked time applies to the Sainte-Chapelle, and you visit the Conciergerie before or after within its opening hours. Check the current timetable, the last entry and which rooms are open before you go.
Sainte-Chapelle: price groups and security
The tariff changed on 12 January 2026.
Two price groups
Adults who are EEA citizens, or who have lived in an EEA country for more than 4 months, pay €16. Adults who are neither pay €22. The combined ticket costs €23 or €30 by the same rule. Under 18 is free, and so are some other groups with proof, such as young adults aged 18 to 25 who are EU citizens or legal residents of France.
Book a time slot
Slots are needed for children, free groups and Paris Museum Pass holders as well. The free first Sunday of the month in January to March and November to December cannot be booked in advance.
Security at the law courts
The Sainte-Chapelle sits inside the Palais de Justice. Expect extra checks and possibly an ID check. Sharp objects, glass containers and large bags are not allowed, and there is no cloakroom. A booking does not skip the check, so arrive on time.
Audio guide
An optional audio guide costs €4 and is also available in German.
Works and closures on the island
The cathedral reopened in December 2024, but building sites around it continue.
Square de l'Île-de-France
The garden behind the cathedral has been closed since 24 August 2026. The city's works list runs to June 2027, and other pages say spring 2027, so no reopening date is guaranteed. Do not plan a continuous garden walk behind the apse. Secured footpaths are planned.
Restoration and works →Forecourt
A small part of the forecourt was finished at the end of 2025 and the Rue du Cloître-Notre-Dame in summer 2026. The next large forecourt phase is planned from summer 2027 to the end of 2028, with further areas to 2030.
Getting there
Métro line 4 trains do not stop at Saint-Michel until 19 December 2026. The Métro line 4 station Cité and the RER B and C station Saint-Michel Notre-Dame are the other listed ways in; check current status on the day. The Île de la Cité is outside the central Paris traffic-limited zone, but that does not make every island street open to cars.
Pont Neuf and the western tip
The Pont Neuf was built from 1578 to 1607. Below it, the Square du Vert-Galant forms the western end of the island. Commentated Seine cruises of about one hour leave from here; they are a separate service from the cathedral. This site mentions them only briefly.
Keep the tip for the end of the day. It is a good place to sit after the queues at the Sainte-Chapelle. High water or safety measures can close the riverside area, and no opening is guaranteed.
A sample day on the island
Four stops in a sensible order.
Morning
The cathedral opens at 07:50 on weekdays and 08:15 at weekends. Without a reservation the queue can be longer.
Midday
The crypt under the forecourt at 7 Place Jean-Paul II, open Tuesday to Sunday.
Afternoon
Sainte-Chapelle at your booked slot, then the Conciergerie.
Evening
Pont Neuf and the Square du Vert-Galant.
Beyond the island
Where to go next.
Sainte-Chapelle
Tickets, slots and the 13th-century stained glass.
Archaeological crypt
Roman and medieval remains under the forecourt.
Notre-Dame towers
424 steps, a timed slot and views across Paris.
The Latin Quarter
The left bank across the river.
The Louvre is a separate visit on the right bank, with its own guide: see Louvre opening hours. Montmartre and the Sacré-Cœur are a different part of Paris and are only a side trip from here.
Île de la Cité: frequently asked questions
What is on the Île de la Cité?
Notre-Dame, the archaeological crypt, the Sainte-Chapelle, the Conciergerie, the Pont Neuf and the Square du Vert-Galant. They are separate visits with separate prices.
Is there a ticket for all the sights on the island?
No. The cathedral is free, and the towers, the crypt and the Sainte-Chapelle are sold separately. Only the Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie have a combined ticket, at €23 or €30 in 2026.
Do I need the Paris Museum Pass?
Not for the cathedral, which is free. The pass lists towers and Sainte-Chapelle, with a timed reservation needed for both. A 2-day pass costs €85, a 4-day pass €105 and a 6-day pass €125. Whether it pays off depends on how many paid sights you visit.
Can I walk around the back of the cathedral?
Not through a continuous garden. The Square de l'Île-de-France has been closed since 24 August 2026, with reopening listed for spring or June 2027. Secured footpaths are planned, so follow the signs on site.
Which Métro station is closest?
Cité on line 4 and Saint-Michel Notre-Dame on the RER B and C are the listed stations. Métro Saint-Michel on line 4 is closed until 19 December 2026.