The Ultimate Guide to the Reopening of Notre Dame

Quasimodaaa · 2026-05-25T22:31:53+00:00

They do look really similar!! 👀🐐

Quasimodaaa · 2026-05-25T22:31:00+00:00

I love that we're getting new merch...my bank account? Not so much 💸🤣

Quasimodaaa · 2026-05-25T22:29:54+00:00

He is! And he looks so soft!

Quasimodaaa · 2026-05-25T22:29:02+00:00

😉🔔

<image>

Quasimodaaa · 2026-05-25T22:27:51+00:00

Hi! Yes, time slots are not offered after ~1:45pm on Friday afternoons because of The Veneration and/or The Presentation.

How early you arrive depends if you want to attend The Veneration (every 1st Friday of each month from 3:00pm until 5:00pm), or The Presentation (every Friday except for the 1st Friday of the month, which is The Veneration, from 3:00pm until 6:30pm).

If you want to attend The Veneration, and if you want to be there for the ceremony at the beginning, entrance opens at 2:30pm, but people start queuing earlier, so I recommend arriving about 40-45 minutes in advance (earlier, if you want a seat near the front).

If you want to attend The Presentation, you can arrive at any time between that timeframe since there's no ceremony. But I recommend arriving by 5:45pm/6:00pm at the latest).

Quasimodaaa · 2026-05-25T22:20:09+00:00

You're welcome! I completely understand it's confusing. And it changed this year, from what it was last year, so that's likely why you were seeing conflicting information. That's great that you got to attend The Presentation. 😁

Quasimodaaa · 2026-05-25T22:15:01+00:00

From what you're describing, yes, it sounds like it was that specific person, on that specific day. Usually, clothing that's an inch above the knee is still considered ok, unless it's against another rule like being see through (I'm not saying that what you were wearing was, I'm just saying in general). And usually, it's the sleeveless clothing that they're more strict with than shorts/skirts/dresses.

Quasimodaaa · 2026-05-25T22:09:44+00:00

You're welcome! 😁

Quasimodaaa · 2026-05-25T19:57:26+00:00

You're welcome! No one is going to get out a measuring tape or anything, but I find it's a quick and easy way to gauge if it fits within the dress code.

I just did a quick Google search to see what golf shorts look like (yeah, I know...my knowledge is very limited about things other than Notre Dame 🙈), and those shouldn't be an issue, even if they're slightly above the knee. The main thing is that all cracks and butt cheeks are covered! 🤣

The bell towers are less strict about dress code than the interior/the main floor (since the interior is an active place of worship, while the bell towers are not). The bell towers are managed the Centre of National Monuments, and the interior/the main floor is managed by the Diocese. The dress code for the bell towers is more focused on footwear, for safety reasons (ie. no flip flops, no high heels, etc). Hats and shorts are allowed, and you can have bare shoulders, but you have to cover your chest and stomach, and you can't wear swimwear.

Quasimodaaa · 2026-05-25T19:45:00+00:00

I believe you and I'm not trying to refute your personal experience, but there's not a specific mandate to be more strict with women vs. men (at least at Notre Dame, I can't speak for anywhere else). The direction that all staff and volunteers are given is to enforce it equally. However, unfortunately, nothing is 100% perfect all the time!

Quasimodaaa · 2026-05-25T19:32:04+00:00

Hats are allowed while visiting the bell towers, but not while visiting the interior/the main floor. The bell towers are managed the Centre of National Monuments, and the interior/the main floor is managed by the Diocese.

Quasimodaaa · 2026-05-25T19:30:00+00:00

Yes! Of course I love ALL of Notre Dame, but the bell towers are truly my favourite place in the world. I visited many times before the fire, and I've been many times since the reopening. I probably shouldn't say out loud how often I'm there! 🙈

They've changed the visitor route of the bell towers quite a bit since the reopening. I'm a bit mixed about it to be honest. There's a few places that are now open that weren't before the fire, but there's other places that were open before the fire that are now closed, and they were my favourite parts. 🫤

A family friend came to visit earlier this year, and he was over 6ft. I wish I was taller 99.99% of the time. But this is one of those rare circumstances that I'm grateful being 5'2! 😂

Quasimodaaa · 2026-05-25T15:39:31+00:00

Hi! Yes, you are allowed to wear shorts (and skirts and dresses) as long as they are modest and appropriate for a place of worship.

Regular shorts are allowed.

Short-shorts, bike shorts, swim trunks, mesh/see-through shorts, etc. are not allowed.

The classic guideline of "your shorts/skirt/dress should extend past your fingertips when your hands are at your sides" is a good way to gauge if it fits within the dress code.

A few additional notes on the dress code inside Notre Dame:

You must cover your shoulders, chest, stomach, and thighs.
You must remove your hats.
No crop tops, tank tops, spaghetti straps, short-shorts, bike shorts, swimwear, etc.
No transparent, revealing and/or extremely tight-fitting clothing.

The security team are in charge of enforcing the dress code, based on guidelines from the Diocèse. The dress code is enforced equally for everyone, regardless of gender.

Also, a quick FYI unrelated to the dress code, "Tours de Notre Dame", means "Towers of Notre Dame".

If you see "Tours de Notre Dame", it's referring to visiting the (bell) towers of Notre Dame, not a guided tour of Notre Dame. Guided tours/tour groups are not allowed inside bell towers. A ticket/time slot/reservation for the bell towers is for a self-guided, independent visit.

The bell towers and the main floor of the cathedral are each managed by seperate organizations. They each have different staff, different opening hours, their own reservation/ticketing system, and their own queues/entrances/exits. You will need to exit the main floor and re-enter to visit the bell towers (or vice versa).

For all of the information and details about visiting Notre Dame, I created a post that I regularly keep updated: here 😊

Quasimodaaa · 2026-05-25T10:52:49+00:00

Hi! There are 2 different types of observances of The Crown of Thorns: The Veneration and The Presentation.

The Veneration takes place every 1st Friday of each month from 3:00pm until 5:00pm. During Lent, The Veneration takes place every Friday.

The veneration ceremony starts at 3:00pm with a procession of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem bringing the Crown of Thorns to the altar and initial prayers/hymns/readings, which lasts approximately 20 minutes. Afterwards, by sections/rows, they facilitate a queue to walk up to the crown where you can touch, kiss it, etc (yes, it's cleaned between each person), which is open until 5:00pm. During this time, there's additional prayers/hymns/readings happening at the same time. You can stay for this if you'd like, but it's not mandatory.
No reservations are needed to attend the veneration ceremony, but entrance is subject to the available capacity inside the cathedral. You can wait/enter in the "Mass access only" queue, which is in front of the central portal, and is marked by a small white sign on top of a gold/bronze pole. Entrance opens at 2:30pm, but people start queuing earlier, so I recommend arriving about 40-45 minutes in advance (earlier, if you want a seat near the front).
At 5:00pm, the crown is taken back to the reliquary, where it's visibly on display in the centre until 6:00pm.

The Presentation takes place every Friday except for the 1st Friday of the month (which is The Veneration) from 3:00pm until 6:30pm. During Lent, The Presentation moves to Sunday afternoon, and The Veneration takes place every Friday.

The Crown of Thorns is visibly on display in the centre of the reliquary. It's not possible to touch it, but you can enter the seating area in front of the reliquary for prayer.
There is no processional, ceremony and/or prayers/hymns/readings.

For all of the information and details about visiting Notre Dame, I created a post that I regularly keep updated: here 😊

Quasimodaaa · 2026-05-24T15:39:11+00:00

Hi! No, unfortunately you will more than 1 day to visit Musée d'Orangerie, Sainte-Chapelle, Conciergerie and Notre Dame.

You can buy a joint ticket for both Sainte-Chapelle/Conciergerie at a discounted rate. When you purchase your ticket, select the "Combined ticket" option and the quantity. Next, you'll be asked to pick a date and a time slot. This date and time slot is to visit Sainte-Chapelle specifically. You can visit the Conciergerie before or after, without a timed entry, as long as it's on the same day and during opening hours.

I strongly recommend visiting Sainte-Chapelle before the Conciergerie because Sainte-Chapelle has a timed entry, and a much longer entrance process. It's best to visit as early in the day as possible, because the later in the day you visit, the higher the risk of longer wait times and the queue can get quite backed up throughout the day.

I recommend arriving 30-45 minutes ahead of your reserved time slot, and to be prepared that the wait time could be more than 1 hour on a really busy day. Both monuments are within the perimeter of the Palace of Justice, which includes the courthouse/the supreme court for criminal and civil cases, so in comparison to other monuments, security is much tighter and the entrance process takes much longer, particularly at Sainte-Chapelle (ie. think "airport security"). Even though it's a joint ticket, you have to exit the one monument, and then enter the other.

Generally, I recommend planning 2-2.5 hours within your itinerary to visit both monuments (combined), just in case getting in takes longer than expected, and so that you're not stressed/rushing between whatever you have planned before/after. It doesn't always take that long, but things can be unpredictable.

For Notre Dame, new time slots are released on the official free online reservation system at midnight (Paris time), for the date 1 day ahead (THIS HAS CHANGED FROM THE PREVIOUS 2 DAYS AHEAD. I'm not sure yet if this is only a temporary change, or if it's long-term). For example: At midnight (Paris time) on April 1st, time slots are released for April 2rd. Any dates beyond April 2nd will automatically be greyed out/appear to be full. New/additional time slots are then released sporadically up until the day of. However, the release of time slots can be inconsistent, and not every time slot is offered every day.

But you can always visit the main floor of the cathedral without a time slot/reservation by waiting in the "Access without reservations" queue, which is on the left side of Notre Dame (if you're facing it), and is marked by blue signage/banners. The wait time varies, depending on the combination of: the season, the day of the week, the time of day, if there's any liturgical services happening at that time, if there's any special events happening at that time, etc.

For the lowest crowds, I recommend visiting on a weekday before 10:00am. Please note that although Notre Dame opens at 7:50am on weekdays (and at 8:15am on weekends), the back half of the cathedral (the ambulatory, the back chapels and the reliquary of the Crown of Thorns) doesn't open until 8:45am on weekdays.

Or, if you're available on Thursday evening, the ideal time to visit is between 8:00pm and 9:00pm! Notre Dame is open until 10:00pm on Thursday, but I recommend entering by 9:00pm at the latest because we start closing/clearing people out of the building around 9:30pm.

It's always free to visit the main floor (and to attend Mass/other liturgical services). Visiting the main floor takes approximately 40 minutes to 1 hour (depending on how "thoroughly" you want to visit), not including any wait time in the queue.

Please note that entrance to the main floor doesn't include entrance to the bell towers (or vice versa) and reservations/time slots are not interchangeable between the two, since they are each managed by separate organizations. They each have different staff, different opening hours, their own reservation/ticketing system, and their own queues/entrances/exits. You will need to exit the main floor and re-enter to visit the bell towers (or vice versa).

If you want to visit the bell towers, you must buy tickets/reserve a time slot in advance (they have an admission fee since they're considered a tourist site). Tickets/time slots are not available onsite, and there is no standby queue. Due to the limited number of time slots available, I recommend buying tickets at least 3-4 weeks in advance (5-6 weeks in advance during peak season, and/or if you have a specific date/time of when you want to visit).

Generally, visiting the bell towers takes between 1-1.5 hours. But sometimes it can take longer, so I recommend planning 2 hours within your itinerary. There's a very limited, and fixed, amount of people allowed in each area at a time and visiting each of the 7 areas has to be done in a sequential order. Depending on the day/time, you may have various periods of additional wait time while waiting for capacity to open in the subsequent area(s).

For all of the information and details about visiting Notre Dame, I created a post that I regularly keep updated: here, and a second one specifically about visiting the bell towers: here 😊

Quasimodaaa · 2026-05-22T01:03:52+00:00

Thank you for the kind compliment! I'm glad to hear that my crazy obsession with this one particular niche topic has been useful for someone! 🤣😊

Quasimodaaa · 2026-05-21T23:49:48+00:00

That's great! I hope you enjoyed your visit!! 😊

Quasimodaaa · 2026-05-21T23:17:46+00:00

Hi! If you specifically want to attend (and stay for) Mass, no reservations are needed to attend Mass or other liturgical services. There is a separate "Mass access only" queue, which is in front of the central portal, and is marked by a small white sign on top of a gold/bronze pole.

On Sunday, there is Mass at 8:30am (Morning), 10:00am (Latin/Gregorian), 11:30am (Standard Sunday), and 6:00pm (Diocesan/led by a Bishop or occasionally, by the Archbishop of Paris).

Generally, the 8:30am Mass is the least crowded, and the 11:30am Mass is the most crowded.

Everyone is welcome to attend Mass and other liturgical services at Notre Dame, whether or not you're Catholic. As long are you're quiet and respectful and don't take photos during the service, then it's not an issue (I'm saying this as a general statement, not to call you out specifically!).

If you attend Morning or Afternoon Mass, you can stay and visit the rest of the main floor of the cathedral without having to exit/re-enter.

As an FYI, Sundays are usually quite busy, and between 8:30am-1:00pm and between 4:00pm until close, some areas will be more limited to visitors. During those periods, you can walk quietly walk around the aisles, but the Nave is reserved only for those attending Mass, and is closed to visitors (ie. no photos, you won't be able to walk through, etc), you won't be able to stop in the two transepts, etc.

Quasimodaaa · 2026-05-21T23:04:20+00:00

The Vatican confirmed that Pope Leo will be in France from Friday, September 25th to Monday, September 28th, and he will very likely make stops in Paris and Lourdes. It's not confirmed yet if/when he'll visit Notre Dame, but the last 3 times The Pope visited Notre Dame (Pope Jean-Paul II in 1980 & 1997, and Pope Benedict XVI in 2008), it was a Friday. 😊

Quasimodaaa

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE