Notre-Dame de Paris: Reservations, Hours and What Is Open

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This page covers what a visit to Notre-Dame today involves: hours, the optional reservation, security and bag rules, dress and conduct, and getting there. For the ticket question specifically, including the cathedral’s own warning about fake tickets, see Do You Need Tickets for Notre-Dame? Families planning a visit may also want Notre-Dame Facts for Kids

Notre-Dame at a glance

Hours

The cathedral is open year-round, every day. Monday to Friday it opens at 7:50 a.m. and closes at 7:00 p.m., except Thursday, when it stays open until 10:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday hours are 8:15 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Last entry is 30 minutes before closing².

The optional reservation, and how the app works

Booking a time slot is optional. The cathedral’s practical-information page says the free slot exists “solely to streamline entries and minimize unnecessary waiting,” and its Q&A page confirms the cathedral “is free to visit and accessible with or without a booking”¹⁶. Its access page adds that spontaneous visits are welcome, while still recommending a booking “for an optimal experience and to avoid waiting”⁴.

Booking happens on the cathedral’s own reservation site, a six-step flow that starts with the number of visitors, then a date, with an English-language version available⁷. On timing, the cathedral’s own pages disagree: the opening-hours page says a slot can be booked “a few hours or days” ahead, while the reservation app itself says slots “are released progressively, a few hours before each visit,” with “booking available on the same day only”²⁷. The cathedral’s internal regulations back the app’s narrower window⁸. Plan on checking the app the morning of your visit rather than booking a slot days ahead. Standing on the forecourt without a reservation gives no priority; entries are regulated according to the cathedral’s permitted capacity⁸. For the full warning on fake, resold “tickets,” see Do You Need Tickets for Notre-Dame?

Security, bags, and what's prohibited

All visitors go through a security check on entry. Large bags and luggage are not allowed, but a backpack is, up to a maximum of 20 liters³. Also prohibited: weapons, knives, scissors, and other dangerous items; narcotics, alcoholic drinks, and aerosols; animals, except medical assistance animals; and glass and metal water bottles³. There is no cloakroom or left-luggage service⁸. The cathedral’s internal regulations add a few more items not listed on the English security page: folding chairs (cane-seats are the exception), scooters, rollerblades, skateboards, and bicycle batteries⁸.

Dress and conduct

The cathedral states its dress expectation in full on more than one page: “Please wear modest clothing suitable for a place of worship (avoid wearing transparent or tight-fitting clothing, cover shoulders, torso, stomach and thighs, for men remove hats, caps or bonnets indoors)”¹³. The cathedral’s French-language internal regulations add two details the English pages leave out: feet should be covered, and the face should not be concealed⁸. See Dress Code for Paris Churches for how this compares with other churches in the city.

Beyond clothing, “silence is required throughout the cathedral,” and phone calls are not permitted inside; the internal regulations specify that phones should be off or on silent, without vibration³⁸. Smoking, vaping, eating, and drinking are all prohibited³⁸.

Photography

Non-flash photography is permitted, except in a few specific areas, and photography poles are not allowed³. The internal regulations add that tripods and stabilizers are also barred, along with posed, staged, or promotional photography; photography and commentary stop once a service begins⁸.

Restrooms

There are no public restrooms inside the cathedral. Free public restrooms are on rue d’Arcole, and paid restrooms are available on the forecourt, though those are not wheelchair accessible⁵.

Getting there

The cathedral’s address is 6 Parvis Notre-Dame – Place Jean-Paul II, 75004 Paris, and the entrance is via the forecourt, through the Portal of the Last Judgment⁴.

By metro: line 4 to Cité or Saint-Michel; lines 1 and 11 to Hôtel de Ville; line 10 to Maubert-Mutualité or Cluny – La Sorbonne; and lines 7, 11, and 14 to Châtelet. RER B and C stop at Saint-Michel – Notre-Dame. Buses 47 (Cité or Saint-Michel), 87 and 72 (Hôtel de Ville), and 75 (Maubert-Mutualité or Cluny – La Sorbonne) also serve the cathedral. Cyclists can use Vélib’ stations 4001 (10 rue d’Arcole), 4002 (Place Louis Lépine), and 4003 (1 quai aux Fleurs). Drivers have five nearby car parks to choose from: Lutèce – Cité, Lobau – Rivoli, Place Saint-Michel, Lagrange, and Maubert – Saint-Germain⁴.

Concerts and the Sunday organ recital

The cathedral holds a concert on Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m., with its programme and prices published separately by Musique Sacrée à Notre-Dame de Paris. Every Sunday at 4:00 p.m., the great organ recital is open to all, with free entry².

The towers: a separate visit

The towers — the climb up the south tower — are not part of the cathedral’s own visit. They are run by the Centre des monuments nationaux, and the cathedral’s own regulations state that the towers fall outside its rules⁸. An individual towers ticket costs €16, is sold online only with no sales at the door, and requires a compulsory booked time slot for every visitor, including those who qualify for free admission⁹. See Do You Need Tickets for Notre-Dame? for the full ticket picture, including the towers’ own hours.

The Treasury

The cathedral has two welcome desks, one at the cathedral entrance and one at the Treasury entrance, plus a sales desk at the south exit⁵. The Treasury is open to visitors as an exhibition, but it remains a place of worship and can close for major celebrations⁸. For the Treasury’s admission price and opening hours, and for Mass times and the Crown of Thorns veneration schedule, the cathedral’s own Q&A page is the place to check⁶.

Exceptional closures

The cathedral does not publish a list of fixed annual closure dates on the pages checked for this article, but its Q&A page shows how it flags temporary changes: on 19 September 2026, a banner there said hours were being adapted for the visit of Pope Leo XIV to Paris⁶. Treat that as a dated example of how the cathedral handles a one-off event, not a standing rule. If your visit falls near a major public or religious occasion, check the Q&A page before you go⁶.

Tours worth considering

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You do not need a tour to see the cathedral — entry is free, and no platform other than the cathedral’s own site can sell you a way in¹⁶. A guided product still earns its price in a couple of cases:

• You want English-language context for the cathedral’s exterior and the surrounding Île de la Cité, rather than reading panels alone. See the Notre-Dame outdoor walking tour with Sainte-Chapelle entry.
• You want the rest of the Île de la Cité with a guide: Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie inside, Notre-Dame from the outside. See the guided tour of Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie, tickets included. For whether that neighboring pair is worth doing on its own, see Sainte-Chapelle or Conciergerie: Do You Need Both?

Skip a paid product if all you want is the free cathedral visit, or if you already qualify for free towers admission — a reseller cannot make either one cheaper than what the official sites already offer.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Notre-Dame's opening hours?

Monday to Friday 7:50 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (Thursday to 10:00 p.m.), and Saturday and Sunday 8:15 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Last entry is 30 minutes before closing².

Do I need a reservation to visit Notre-Dame?

No. A free time slot is optional and exists only to reduce your wait at the entrance²⁶.

Is there a dress code at Notre-Dame?

Yes. The cathedral asks visitors to cover shoulders, torso, stomach, and thighs, to avoid transparent or tight-fitting clothing, and for men to remove hats indoors¹³.

What can't I bring into Notre-Dame?

Large bags and luggage, weapons and sharp objects, narcotics, alcohol, aerosols, and glass or metal water bottles are all prohibited. A backpack up to 20 liters is fine³.

Are there restrooms inside Notre-Dame?

No. The nearest free public restrooms are on rue d’Arcole; paid restrooms are on the forecourt but are not wheelchair accessible⁵.

What is the closest metro station to Notre-Dame?

Cité, on line 4, is closest. Saint-Michel (RER B/C), Hôtel de Ville (lines 1 and 11), and Châtelet (lines 7, 11, and 14) are also nearby⁴.

Can I attend the Sunday organ recital for free?

Yes. It takes place at 4:00 p.m. every Sunday and is open to all at no charge².

Is Notre-Dame ever closed without notice?

The cathedral can adjust its hours for specific events, as it did around the September 2026 papal visit. Check the Q&A page before a trip that coincides with a major event⁶.

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