Everything You Need to Know: My Pocket Guide to Visiting Notre-Dame de Paris

Since its reopening on December 8, 2024, Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris has once again become France's most visited monument, attracting between 30,000 and 35,000 visitors daily—surpassing the Louvre Museum.

The reopening of France’s most famous Gothic cathedral—immortalized by Victor Hugo (and, much later, Walt Disney Studios!)—has certainly not gone unnoticed.

From rules to know to scams to avoid during a first visit, here is a handy guide you can consult whenever needed. Follow your guide!

• First golden rule: like all churches and cathedrals in France, Notre-Dame de Paris is free of charge, with no strings attached!

It is important to bear this rule in mind, as many websites—which are actually scams—unfortunately still sell so-called tickets for entry to the cathedral or promise skip-the-line access.

These sites actually exploit a technicality: official skip-the-line tickets do indeed exist! However, they are free and optional, and—most importantly—the only site authorized to make them available to the public is the cathedral's official website: https://www.notredamedeparis.fr/. No third-party platform is authorized to sell access.

Good to know: these free, optional tickets are released online the day before or the day of your visit and grant access to the priority line at the Last Judgment Portal (the central portal). The only official site for booking them is: https://www.notredamedeparis.fr/visiter/reserver-gratuitement/.

Without tickets, expect an average wait time of 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the time of day.

Everything is free, except for the Treasury of Notre-Dame de Paris (located in the cathedral's sacristy)—tickets for which can only be purchased on-site—and the Towers of Notre-Dame de Paris, which are managed by the Centre des Monuments Nationaux.

• Second golden rule: to have the cathedral—or nearly so—all to yourself, it is best to avoid peak hours!

Except for special events (such as a papal visit, ordinations, or Marian feasts), Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris is open to everyone seven days a week: from 7:50 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (Monday to Friday), from 7:50 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (late opening on Thursdays), and from 8:15 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. (Saturday and Sunday). Last entry is 30 minutes before closing time.

Good to know: want to avoid the queue but couldn't book a free ticket on the cathedral's official website? Come early in the morning if you can, or else at lunchtime or on Thursday evenings from 7 p.m. You will experience a different side of the cathedral—much quieter and more comfortable. So, if possible, avoid weekday afternoons and, above all, weekends.

• Third golden rule: Notre-Dame de Paris is not just a historical monument. It is, above all, a place of worship!

A dress code applies for visits to the cathedral, in both winter and summer. In summer especially, visitors are required to keep their bodies covered from the shoulders (bring a light shawl if wearing a dress or tank top) down to the thighs. Out of respect for the site, you are also asked to remove hats or caps while inside and to avoid form-fitting or see-through clothing. Failure to comply with these rules may result in the volunteer staff managing entry denying you access to Notre-Dame de Paris.

Good to know: if you arrive in summer wearing light clothing and don't have anything to cover your shoulders, simply ask to borrow a shawl when you enter through the central gateway. Bins are provided so you don't have to buy an accessory from nearby shops. Just remember to return the shawl to the designated bin on your way out!

• Fourth golden rule: there are various ways to visit Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.

On a guided tour:

Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris does not offer official guided tours, but it permits speaking in the following cases:

• Led by volunteer guides for adults and young people, these are the CASA/Youth Welcome tours: Free of charge and bookable exclusively via the official website, they offer a guided tour focused primarily on the cathedral's spirituality and are available in several languages.

• With external tour guides: for any group—even a single individual—wishing to take a guided tour of Notre-Dame de Paris focused on the monument's history, reconstruction, and architecture, it is necessary to hire an independent, licensed tour guide. The guide must hold official accreditation (see my article on official guides in Paris and France); failure to do so risks the guide and their group being expelled and placed on the cathedral's blacklist. While this type of tour is regulated by the cathedral—requiring a reserved time slot (and the rental of audio headsets)—it guarantees the presence of a professional guide.

• Led by chaplains or volunteers, these are one-hour tours offered by Notre-Dame de Paris for groups involved in social or solidarity-based initiatives, including people facing hardship, isolation, disability, or vulnerability.

Self-guided tour:

• The public engagement department has made various educational resources and booklets available online for teachers and learners of the French language.

• There is also an official free mobile app—compatible with Android and iPhone and available in French, English, and Spanish—featuring several routes (standard, pilgrim, and family).

Good to know: never accept a public guided tour led by someone posing as an official tour guide—that is, someone not wearing a visible professional ID card around their neck. Otherwise, you risk paying a high price for an illegal service and could even be ejected from the cathedral.

Bonus: Notre-Dame de Paris limits guided tours inside the cathedral to one hour, and guided tours are not permitted during religious services.

• Fifth golden rule: open your eyes to the cathedral's treasures!

Once inside, you can appreciate the magnificent restoration work underway since the 2019 fire—a project set to continue until around 2030—including the golden hue of the nave’s limestone, the complete reconstruction of the transept vault, new liturgical furnishings created by contemporary artists, and the restoration of the 19th-century polychrome paintings in the choir chapels. A new version of Notre-Dame de Paris awaits you!

• Sixth golden rule: Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris is accessible to people with reduced mobility or wheelchair users

If you have reduced mobility or use a wheelchair, please note that a priority line is available for you, with or without a free reservation.

Inside Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, a lift located in the north transept arm provides access to the choir—specifically the Chapel of Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs, which houses the Holy Crown of Thorns.

To conclude the visit, however, you must retrace your steps and use the same lift to pass by the high altar and reach the south side of the cathedral, where the tour ends.

Bonus: there are no restrooms inside Notre-Dame de Paris. However, you can find public restrooms on the cathedral forecourt, behind the statue of Charlemagne and his knights. If the line is too long, try the nearby cafés; for the price of a coffee, you can usually use their facilities.

I hope you enjoyed this article.

Feel free to leave a comment or get in touch if you would like to arrange a private guided tour with me—for yourself or for your colleagues!

I would be delighted to introduce you to the cathedral’s history, symbolism, and renovations, as well as its contemporary developments—such as the modern stained-glass windows by Claire Tabouret, scheduled for installation by autumn 2026 in the side chapels along the south side of the nave.