Basilica: free entry and visiting rules
The basilica's own site states that the visit is free and that it is open every day without exception, from 6:30 to 22:30 (checked 12 October 2026). On the first Thursday of the month it stays open until midnight for an hour of prayer.
The Sacré-Cœur is a working church. The opening hours and access page says at least four Masses are celebrated daily, five on Fridays, and asks visitors to:
- dress appropriately and stay silent
- not take photos in the nave
- enter only the first part of the central nave, which is reserved for prayer
A step-free lift at the back of the basilica, 35 rue du Chevalier de la Barre, is open from 8:30 to 18:30 for visitors with disabilities or reduced mobility, according to the hours and directions page.
Dome climb: price, hours and the 280 steps
The dome tour page sets the terms (checked 12 October 2026):
| Visitor | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult, from age 16 | €8 |
| Child, up to age 15 | €5 |
| Group of 20 or more | €6 per person |
| Children's group of 20 or more | €4 per person |
The page lists no free or other reduced rate beyond these. Tickets are sold only at the on-site ticket office, and the page says it is not necessary to book ahead. A couple pays €16; two adults with children aged 10 and 14 pay €26.
The dome is open daily from 10:15 to 17:30, with last admission at 17:00. The page adds that hours vary with the season and the weather, that the climb closes at midday for the attendant's break (no times given), and that it sometimes closes for maintenance or weather. It asks visitors to check the website the day before.
Finding the entrance
The dome entrance is outside the basilica. After the security check, go down into the moat on your immediate left; the ticket office is about 20 metres to your right at the bottom of the stairs. If there is a queue, the page suggests visiting the interior first and coming back.
Getting up the hill: funicular or stairs
The funicular is run by RATP, the Paris transport operator, and links the bottom of the hill beside square Louise-Michel with the basilica forecourt.
- Hours: daily from 6:00 to 00:45, according to RATP's funicular page and Paris je t'aime (checked 12 October 2026)
- Ride: a little over a minute; each cabin now takes 35 people at most
- Fare: the price of a metro ticket. RATP's Metro-Train-RER ticket page lists the funicular among the modes it covers, at €2.55 full fare from 1 January 2026. Since 9 July 2026 you can also tap a contactless bank card at €2.55.
The Metro-Train-RER ticket is valid for 2 hours without leaving the network. You leave the metro at street level before walking to the funicular, so budget a fresh ticket or card tap for the ride up. Two adults going up by funicular and climbing the dome spend €21.10 in all (€5.10 funicular, €16 dome).
The nearest metro station named by Paris je t'aime is Anvers on line 2. Bus 40 also stops near the lower funicular station (Bonjour RATP), but buses take a different ticket: the €2.05 Ticket Bus-Tram, valid for 1 hour 30 minutes on RATP's bus-tram page, because the Bonjour RATP ticket page says the Metro-Train-RER ticket is not valid on buses.
Walking instead
The stairs beside the funicular are free. Paris je t'aime says the funicular saves you 222 steps; RATP's history page says that before the funicular, visitors climbed "no fewer than 220 steps" to the forecourt. Either way, if you plan the dome as well, walking up adds roughly as many steps again before the climb.
Montmartre's crowded steps are a known spot for street scams; our guide to scams near Paris monuments lists what to watch for. For two more high viewpoints with their own timed tickets, see Arc de Triomphe rooftop tickets and the Notre-Dame towers.