Is Notre-Dame free, and do you need to book?
The cathedral's own opening hours page says Notre-Dame is open to all, freely and without charge, and that you can book a free access slot online to shorten the queue (checked 9 October 2026). There is no ticket to buy for the cathedral itself.
The reservation runs on the cathedral's booking site. It shows €0.00, lets you book up to four visitors at a time, and includes an optional donation step. The key rule is the release pattern: "Time slots are released progressively, a few hours before each visit. Booking is available on the same day only."
So you cannot reserve days ahead. Check the booking site on the morning of your visit. If no slots are left, the free walk-up queue is still the way in.
Opening hours and services
The cathedral's hours page gives:
| Day | Open | Last entry |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Wednesday, Friday | 7:50 to 19:00 | 18:30 |
| Thursday | 7:50 to 22:00 | 21:30 |
| Saturday and Sunday | 8:15 to 19:30 | 19:00 |
Hours may vary for special events or celebrations. Thursday evening is the longest window if your days are already full.
Notre-Dame is a working cathedral. Everyone is welcome at Mass without a reservation, and a separate queue for people attending a service forms 20 minutes before each one. The listed Mass times are:
- Weekdays: 8:00, 12:00 and 18:00
- Saturday: 8:30, 12:00 and 18:00 (anticipated Sunday Mass)
- Sunday: 8:30, 10:00 (Gregorian), 11:30 and 18:00
Sunday at 16:00 there is a free organ recital; Tuesday at 20:30 is a concert with its own programme and prices.
Bags, dress and behaviour
The cathedral's visitor rules apply to everyone, including reserved visitors:
- All visitors go through a security check on entry.
- Luggage and large bags are prohibited; backpacks up to 20 litres are allowed.
- Glass and metal water bottles, aerosols, alcohol, knives and scissors are not allowed.
- No eating, drinking or smoking; animals only if they are assistance animals.
- Modest clothing that covers shoulders, torso, stomach and thighs; men remove hats inside.
- Photos without flash are allowed except in a few areas; no selfie poles; no phone calls.
There is no mention of a cloakroom, so leave suitcases at your hotel or a station left-luggage office first.
The towers: a separate, paid climb
The towers are run by the Centre des monuments nationaux (CMN), not the cathedral. The CMN practical information page gives these rules (checked 9 October 2026):
| Towers | |
|---|---|
| Price | €16 |
| Free (with proof) | Under 18; EU nationals and regular non-EU residents in France aged 18–25; disabled visitor and one companion; job seekers; a few other card holders |
| How to buy | Online only, compulsory time slot, no tickets sold on site |
| Hours 1 October–31 March | 9:00 to 17:30, last admission 16:30 |
| Hours 1 April–30 September | 9:00 to 23:00, last admission 22:00 |
| Closed | 1 January, 1 May, 25 December |
| Climb | 424 steps to 69 m, narrow passages, no lift, toilets or water |
The towers FAQ puts the visit at about 50 minutes, and the practical information page limits time at the top to five minutes. Free visitors also need a slot, and once the free quota for a slot is used up, only paid tickets can be booked for it. The towers are also free for everyone on the first Sunday of January, February, March, November and December, with those tickets released online a few days before.
Paris Museum Pass holders get in without paying but still book: the pass's reservation page says to pick the Notre-Dame Towers self-guided tour on the monuments ticket site and enter places under the pass line.
Planning a Notre-Dame visit
For most visitors the order is simple: check the cathedral booking site on the morning you go, take a same-day slot if one suits you, and otherwise join the free queue. If you want to attend Mass rather than visit, use the separate service queue that opens 20 minutes before. Book the towers separately and earlier, because there is no on-site sale.
If the towers are sold out, the cathedral visit is unaffected. For the next booking decision on the same trip, see Louvre ticket prices and time slots or the Paris Catacombs tickets guide, and for crowds around the main sights, scams around the Paris monuments.