In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Entry to the cathedral is free. The towers are a separate visit: €16, online only, for a timed slot with no tickets sold on site, and 424 steps with five minutes at the top. The towers are run by the Centre des monuments nationaux and the cathedral by the Diocese of Paris, so the towers ticket does not include the interior. Notre-Dame reopened in December 2024. Or book a tour: the restored Notre-Dame guided tourad (from £8.57, 4.5 stars from 5,069 reviews, 45 minutes) walks the outside, then either takes you inside with headsets or leaves you to go in alone.
The cathedral
Notre-Dame de Paris reopened in December 2024 after the 2019 fire (rebatirnotredamedeparis.fr). Entry to the cathedral is free: both guided tours below say so. The towers’ own FAQ says the cathedral is run by the Diocese of Paris and that a visit is reserved on the cathedral’s official website, notredamedeparis.fr (tours-notre-dame-de-paris.fr, 30 September 2026). One tour operator warns that the cathedral can close at short notice.
The west front of Notre-Dame, with the Gallery of Kings. Photo: Gargarapalvin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The towers
The towers are managed by the Centre des monuments nationaux (tours-notre-dame-de-paris.fr, 30 September 2026).
The towers and the spire of Notre-Dame from Square René-Viviani. Photo: Rémih, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
| Adult price | €16 |
| Free for | Under-18s, 18–25s who are EU nationals or legal residents of France, disabled visitors and one companion, jobseekers, holders of a valid French education pass, and everyone on the first Sunday of January, February, March, November and December |
| Hours | 9:00–23:00 from 1 April to 30 September; 9:00–17:30 from 1 October to 31 March; last admission an hour before closing |
| Closed | 1 January, 1 May, 25 December, and in bad weather |
| Booking | Online only, for a time slot; no tickets on site |
| Paris Museum Pass | On the pass, but the holder books a slot too |
- Free tickets need a slot too, and the free quota for a slot can run out: once it has, only paid tickets can be booked.
- The tour lasts about 50 minutes and passes through the shop.
- No groups, and no tour-operator tickets: tourism professionals may not buy tickets, so the towers are not sold on GetYourGuide. Buy from the towers’ ticket office.
- The free Sundays need a booking, with tickets online a few days before.
The spire of Notre-Dame, with the Seine beyond. Photo: Ibex73, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Guided tours
Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” price on 30 September 2026; each can be cancelled free up to 24 hours before.
The restored Notre-Dame guided tour
From £8.57 · 4.5 stars from 5,069 reviews · 45 minutes · meets at Place Louis Lépine
Paris: Notre-Dame The Restored Masterpiece Guided Tourad starts with a guided walk round the outside: the portals, rose windows, gargoyles and flying buttresses. Option 1 goes into the cathedral with the guide, through a group entrance, with headsets. Option 2 is the exterior only, followed by “assisted free entry”, so you go in alone. It runs in English, Italian, German, Spanish and French.
Interior and exterior in a small group
From £18 · 4.7 stars from 1,733 reviews · 1 hour · 7 guests at most · meets at 11 rue Lagrange
Paris: Notre-Dame Cathedral Interior and Exterior Guided Tourad begins on the Parvis with the three portals and the Gallery of Kings, then enters through the general entry line with the guide; the commentary inside is limited because it is a place of worship. It does not include the towers or the crypt, and it is not skip-the-line. If the interior is closed that day, the tour becomes a one-hour exterior tour and is not refunded.
Food tour round the island
From £103.70 · 4.9 stars from 102 reviews · 3 hours · meets at Pont Marie
The Notre Dame & Latin Quarter Food Tourad passes the cathedral on its way between the two islands and the Latin Quarter; the details are in Paris food tours.
What to see
- Outside: the west front with its three portals and the Gallery of Kings, the rose windows and the flying buttresses, which the walking tours cover on the Parvis.
- Inside: the ribbed vaults and stained glass of the restored interior, as the tour descriptions have it.
- The towers: the climb has viewpoints over the city at several levels, and ends on the South Tower, 69 m up. The tower holds the Emmanuel bell, which has rung there since 1686. Time at the top is five minutes.
- If the queue is long: the outside is free to see whenever you pass; the towers are the part that needs planning.
The restored interior of Notre-Dame, looking up at the vaults. Photo: Cmcmcm1, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
On the day
- Bags: the towers have no lockers or changing rooms. Rucksacks up to 40 × 40 × 20 cm are allowed; luggage, pushchairs (front baby carriers are allowed), scooters, helmets, tripods, glass bottles and sharp objects are not. Flip-flops, stiletto heels and bare chests are not allowed on the circuit, and alcohol and smoking are banned.
- The climb: 424 steps up, with some passages 45 cm wide and low; there is no lift, water point or toilet on the tour, and there are public toilets on the forecourt. Under-18s must be accompanied by an adult.
- Getting there: RER B or C to Saint-Michel, metro line 4 to Cité, or lines 1, 7, 11 and 14 to Châtelet or Hôtel de Ville. The Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie are next door: see Paris Museum Pass and the sights round it.
The 3-day itinerary puts Notre-Dame on the first day, after the Sainte-Chapelle. For the other sights that need a booked slot, and which day each one closes, see what to book before you go.
Common questions
Is it free to visit Notre-Dame?
Yes: entry to the cathedral is free. The towers are a separate visit, run by the Centre des monuments nationaux, at €16 for an adult, sold online only for a timed slot. The towers' FAQ says the cathedral is managed by the Diocese of Paris and that a visit to it is reserved on the cathedral's own website.
How do you book the Notre-Dame towers?
Online only, on the towers' own ticket office: no tickets are sold on site, and no one is admitted without a booked time slot, including children, under-26s, Paris Museum Pass holders and others who go free. The tour lasts about 50 minutes.
How many steps are there to the top of Notre-Dame?
424 steps to the top of the South Tower, 69 metres up. Some passages are 45 cm wide and low, there is no lift, water point or toilet, and time at the top is limited to five minutes. The towers' operator advises people with heart problems or vertigo, pregnant women and young children not to climb.
Is a guided tour of Notre-Dame worth it?
It adds explanation, not entry, because entry is free. The 45-minute tour with an exterior walk is from £8.57 on GetYourGuide, and a one-hour small-group tour of the outside and inside, with at most seven guests, is from £18.
