Visiting hours, registration and events after Notre Dame Cathedral reopens are what visitors need to know when visiting this structure.
Notre-Dame Cathedral, one of the busiest tourist attractions in Paris, reopened on the evening of December 7th after more than five years of restoration following the devastating fire in 2019. A week of special events will take place before it resumes normal operations. French tourism officials estimate that the cathedral will welcome around 40,000 visitors daily—almost twice as many as the Palace of Versailles.
If you’re planning to visit, here’s what you need to know about timings, activities, and getting to Notre-Dame Cathedral:
1. Online Registration
- Admission to the cathedral is free. However, due to the expected crowds, especially in the first few months, visitors may face long wait times. To reduce waiting, pre-register online through the official cathedral website.
- According to Kate Schwab, a spokesperson for the French Tourism Authority, visitors can start booking entry from today or up to two days in advance. The first visiting slots begin on December 9th.
- If you wish to visit the Notre-Dame Museum, tickets cost €10 (~260,000 VND) and are available both onsite and online.
- Guided outdoor tours, offered by the volunteer organization CASA, are also available. Group tours inside the cathedral (for a fee) are set to resume in early 2025.
2. Special Events
Notre-Dame will host several events from now until December 15th, including the official reopening ceremony, attended by many world leaders. Large screens have been set up around the cathedral for the public to watch the ceremony.
Other highlights include:
- Special Concerts featuring 20 international artists, 15 orchestras, and guest choirs.
- Organ Solos: 12 performances with the grand organ will be held through the end of 2025.
Note: The cathedral will remain closed during certain hours for special events until December 15th. From December 16th onward, it will open daily from 7:45 AM to 7 PM.
3. Best Visiting Times
Paris is a year-round tourist destination, and Notre-Dame is no exception. The cathedral can accommodate up to 2,500 visitors at a time.
- Schwab recommends visiting early in the morning or late in the evening when the cathedral is less crowded.
- Summer (July and August) and holiday periods are typically the busiest times.
If it becomes too crowded, visitors can still admire the cathedral’s exterior, as many have done over the past five years.
4. What’s New at Notre-Dame
Notre-Dame has undergone a historic restoration:
- A brand-new roof, restored interiors, and refurbished sections are now open to the public. Over 2,000 architects, engineers, and craftsmen worked on the project, making the interior “more spectacular than before the fire.”
- The 96-meter-high spire, which collapsed during the fire, has been reconstructed true to its original design, with intricate detailing requiring advanced techniques. The roof beams have also been entirely replaced.
- A new visitor flow system has been introduced, with visitors moving primarily from left to right, Schwab noted.
5. Ongoing Renovations
While Notre-Dame is now open, certain restoration projects are still underway:
- Structural supports, stained-glass windows, and surrounding areas, including a nearby park, are still being worked on.
- According to the Paris Tourism Office, some sections of the cathedral, such as the nave and sacristy, will continue to be renovated into 2024.
- The stained-glass windows are expected to be completed by 2026.
- Additional landscaping around the cathedral will include new greenery and underground parking facilities, with work expected to continue for another three years.
Meanwhile, the cathedral bells are fully operational, and new bells have also been installed.
6. How to Get to Notre-Dame
- By Metro:
- Cité or Saint-Michel Station (Line 4)
- Hôtel de Ville Station (Lines 1 or 11)
- La Sorbonne or Maubert-Mutualité Station (Line 10)
- By RER (Suburban Rail):
- Saint-Michel – Notre-Dame Station (Lines B & C)
- By Car:
- Parking is available at Notre-Dame Parking Lot, accessible via Rue de la Cité.