Notre-Dame de Paris: Opening Hours, Free Entry and Towers (2026)
Notre-Dame de Paris is free to visit every day, from 7:50am on weekdays and 8:15am on weekends; only the tower climb is paid (€16). Reopened in December 2024 after the April 2019 fire, the cathedral can be visited with or without a free online time-slot booking, while the towers can only be visited with an online booking. The cathedral welcomed more than 11 million visitors in its first year back open, confirming its place among Paris's most-visited religious monuments. Completed in the 14th century after two centuries of construction, it was once one of the largest cathedrals in the world. Here are a few tips to help you plan your visit to Notre-Dame de Paris and its famous gargoyles.
Highlights
Notre-Dame Cathedral from the outside
Notre-Dame Cathedral is best discovered from its forecourt. From there you get a view of its main west facade, its three portals, its two towers, and its famous 9.60-meter-diameter rose window. Above the doors sits the Gallery of Kings of Judah and Israel. On the south facade, you'll find the Saint-Etienne portal and its 13-meter-diameter rose window, as well as the presbytery garden. To the east lies the chevet with its flying buttresses. Finally, the dark north facade is best seen from the always-lively rue du Cloître Notre-Dame.
Inside Notre-Dame Cathedral
Inside the cathedral, start your visit with the nave and its massive pillars, then the side chapels. Take note of the superb paintings donated by the Goldsmiths' Guild in the 17th century. Continue on to reach the cathedral's choir. Finally, don't miss Notre-Dame's great organ with its 8,000 pipes!
The Cathedral Treasury
Accessible from a chapel on the right side, the cathedral's treasury holds numerous relics such as Christ's Crown of Thorns, manuscripts, cameos bearing the likenesses of popes, and precious goldsmithing pieces, all displayed in a neo-Gothic setting.
The Towers of Notre-Dame Cathedral
Access to the towers is via the North Tower, on rue du Cloître. The only way up Notre-Dame's towers is the 424-step staircase. It leads you past the gallery of chimeras and the Emmanuel bell, a 13-ton bell, before rewarding you with a stunning view over the rooftops of Paris.
The Archaeological Crypt
Archaeological digs beneath the forecourt of Notre-Dame Cathedral uncovered numerous Gallo-Roman remains. These traces of ancient Paris can be explored in the archaeological crypt, whose entrance is located near the police headquarters.
Practical info
Tips
- Since the reopening, visiting the towers requires mandatory online booking (no on-site sales); entry remains free for under-18s, though booking is still required. On the Île de la Cité, the Sainte-Chapelle and the archaeological crypt are a few minutes' walk away. To trace the origins of Gothic architecture, the Basilica of Saint-Denis, at the gates of Paris, launched the style in the 12th century and houses the necropolis of the kings of France. Facing the cathedral across the Seine, the bookshop Shakespeare and Company is an ideal stop for browsing books in English.
How to get there
It's easy to reach Notre-Dame by metro, at the Cité or Saint-Michel stations. Buses 21, 38, 47, 58, 70, 72, 74, 81, 82, 82 also stop near the cathedral. For somewhere to sleep nearby, see the hotels on the Île de la Cité on Booking.
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