Four ways to see Notre-Dame
You can visit on your own, with free help from the cathedral, with an audio guide or with a paid guide. They are different services, and it helps to keep them apart. A walk around the outside is not the same as a guided visit inside, and neither is the tower climb, which has its own operator and rules.
The cathedral offers a free spiritual visit with volunteer guides. No language or hour can be promised for a given day. It also has a free multilingual app and lends an audio guide in French, English and Spanish for €5 (2026). Group visits resumed in June 2025.
A paid tour is a guiding service from a provider that is independent of the cathedral. It is never needed to enter. Prices and what is included differ by provider, so read each offer closely and do not assume a tour goes inside.
The options compared
What each one is, what it costs and what it does not promise.
| Option | Who runs it | Price 2026 | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free spiritual visit | The cathedral, volunteer guides | €0 | No language or time guaranteed |
| Visitor app | The cathedral | €0 | Android and iPhone, several languages |
| Audio guide loan | The cathedral | €5 | French, English and Spanish |
| Tower visit | Centre des monuments nationaux | €16 | Timed slot; regular groups and guiding are not allowed on the route |
| Paid guided visit | Independent providers | Varies | Not needed for entry; check what is included |
| Group visit | The cathedral | – | Resumed in June 2025 |
Tickets for the cathedral, the towers, the treasury and the crypt are explained on the tickets page.
Our picks: tours compared
Guided walks around and inside Notre-Dame, plus a cruise on the Seine.
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.
Guided walk around Notre-Dame
An English-speaking guide on a 45 to 60 minute walk around the outside, with the history and the restoration. Towers are not included, and the cathedral itself is free to enter.
Check availability →
Notre-Dame inside and out with a guide
A certified guide, up to seven people according to the includes, on architecture, history and the restoration. You join the regular queue with the guide; towers and crypt are not included.
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 →Notre-Dame and Île de la Cité tours
Guided visits, walks around the island and tickets for nearby sights, with live prices and availability. Entry to the cathedral itself is free.
What to check before you book
The wording matters more than the title.
Inside or outside
Some offers walk around the cathedral and the island, others include the interior. Read the description to see which one you get. Do not assume a guaranteed inside guide.
Is any entry ticket included
The cathedral is free. If an offer lists an "entry ticket" for it, you are paying for the tour or a service, not for admission. The towers and Sainte-Chapelle have their own tickets, so see whether they are part of the price.
Towers →Meeting point and time
The cathedral stands at 6 Parvis Notre-Dame, Place Jean-Paul II. The Métro station Saint-Michel on line 4 is closed until 19 December 2026, so plan the way to the meeting point.
Hours and access →Language and group size
Check the language of the guide and how many guests join. Public pages do not show free seats on your date, so confirm availability before you plan around a tour.
Cancellation
Terms differ by provider and cannot be carried over from one tour to another. Read them before you pay.
During services
Visits continue on a separate route during services, but some areas can be closed on the day. Mass is for worshippers, so a tour group should not expect to stop in the nave during a service.
Mass →What to look for on a visit without a guide
Five things you can find on your own.
The west facade portals
On the west front the left portal is the Marian portal, the centre one the Last Judgement and the right one Sainte-Anne.
The three rose windows
There is a west rose and one each in the north and south transept. The west rose dates from about 1220 and is 9.60 m across, according to the cathedral's teaching dossier. The north and south roses are 12.90 m.
The spire
The restored spire stands 96 m high over the crossing. It is not one of the two west towers, which are 69 m.
Gargoyles and chimeras
Gargoyles drain rainwater from the roof. Chimeras are decorative figures. Much of both was renewed in the 19th century.
Architecture →The bells
The bell Emmanuel has hung in the tower since 1686 and the bell Marie since 2013. Do not expect a bell demonstration on every tower slot.
Tours beyond the cathedral
The island has more to offer.
Sainte-Chapelle
Stained glass, prices and the combined ticket.
Île de la Cité
The Conciergerie, Pont Neuf and the island walk.
The Latin Quarter
Across the river, with the Panthéon nearby.
If you plan a museum day as well, the Louvre tours guide compares the options there. Boat trips on the Seine last about one hour from the Square du Vert-Galant and are a separate service.
Notre-Dame tours: frequently asked questions
Do I need a tour to enter Notre-Dame?
No. Entry is free, and a reservation is optional. A tour only adds a guide. See the tickets page.
Is there a free guided visit?
The cathedral lists a free spiritual visit with volunteer guides. No particular language or time can be promised for a given day, so ask on site.
Can a guide take me up the towers?
Not as a guide of your own. On the tower route, regular groups and the right to guide are not allowed. Exceptions for educational and social groups go through the tower operator's own service.
How much is the audio guide?
The loan costs €5 in 2026, in French, English and Spanish. A free app with several languages is also available.
Does a tour save time in the queue?
Do not count on it. The queue can be longer without a reservation, and the free reservation is the tool meant to shorten it. No waiting time can be promised.