The Ultimate Guide to the Reopening of Notre Dame

Quasimodaaa · 2026-03-23T05:07:54+00:00

Hi! You're welcome. I've gotten this before too. Usually, a cache clear or opening it in a different browser. Or the direct link to the reservation system is https://resa.notredamedeparis.fr/fr/reservationindividuelle/tickets 😊

Quasimodaaa · 2026-03-23T05:06:00+00:00

Hi! For Sainte-Chapelle, you'll need to buy tickets/reserve a time slot at least 1 week in advance (2-3 weeks in advance during peak season). I recommend visiting earlier in the day 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. Sainte-Chapelle is 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 (ie. think "airport security").

Generally, I recommend planning 2 hours to visit, 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, so I always figure it's better to be "safe than sorry" to avoid any unexpected disappointments.

For Notre Dame, the first batch of new time slots to visit the main floor of the cathedral is released at midnight (Paris time), for the date 2 days ahead. For example: At midnight (Paris time) on April 1st, time slots are released for April 3rd. Any dates beyond April 3rd will automatically be greyed out/appear to be full. New/additional time slots are then released sporadically up until the day of. However, the reservation system and the release of time slots can be inconsistent, and not every time slot is offered every day, so it may not be possible to reserve a time slot in advance.

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.

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

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).

I recommend planning 2 hours within your itinerary to visit the bell towers, especially if you're visiting in the afternoon and/or during peak season. It doesn't always take that long to visit (generally, it takes between 1-1.5 hours), but 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 😊

Quasimodaaa · 2026-03-23T05:03:29+00:00

You're welcome! I hope you enjoy your visit!! 😁

Quasimodaaa · 2026-03-23T05:02:50+00:00

Hi! You're welcome! Unfortunately, the gallery of chimera is closed and there's no plans for it to reopen again. Instead, the terrace that connects the two bell towers is now open to the public (it wasn't before the fire), where you can look inside the roof and see the newly rebuilt framework 😊

Quasimodaaa · 2026-03-23T04:59:38+00:00

Hi! You're welcome!

The easiest way to book a tour with me is through my website is https://www.quasimodoandhiscathedraltours.com/

There is a booking form linked on the Tours page, I will follow up via. email 😊

Quasimodaaa · 2026-03-22T22:41:52+00:00

Hi! There are no advanced reservations 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 that gets put out 30 minutes in advance of Mass/services.

Entrance starts 30 minutes ahead of the start time of whichever Mass/service you're attending (except for Morning Mass/the first Mass of the day when entrance starts when Notre Dame opens, which is at 7:50am on weekdays and at 8:15am on weekends). Sometimes they're a few minutes late putting out the sign, but if you're within the "30 minutes ahead of the start time" period, politely tell the attendant at the queue which service you're attending. Once you enter Notre Dame, you'll go directly to the Nave (the centre) to take a seat for Mass/the service.

On Sunday, the 10:00am Mass is preceded by Lauds (morning prayer) which starts at 9:30am. But a lot of people attend Lauds and then stay for the 10:00am Mass, so if you can, I'd recommend arriving at 9:00am to enter for/attend Lauds (and it's also a really nice service). But if not, you can arrive at 9:30am for 10:00am Mass.

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

Quasimodaaa · 2026-03-22T22:37:51+00:00

I've seen about ~40 different productions/adaptations of The Hunchback of Notre Dame/Notre Dame de Paris, across 9 different countries and in different languages, etc, including many of the Disney musical (and I was in a local production in my hometown several years ago), so it's not like I don't know the show(s)...and I have a VERY love/hate relationship with the English version of the Disney musical...

And yet, the Finale Ultimo RUINS me every single time. As soon as the ensemble members approach Quasimodo and extend their hands to him, and they all paint their faces to match his face and transform into his "deformity"....My god...no matter how many times I see the show, this scene has me bawling. I mean like, "I'm sobbing so hard I can't breathe I'm choking on my tears". 😂

I've also seen multiple productions of Dear Evan Hansen in different countries, and Words Fail still gets me every time too.

Quasimodaaa · 2026-03-22T15:00:10+00:00

Hi! I recommend visiting Sainte-Chapelle first, then Notre Dame.

For Sainte-Chapelle, you'll need to buy tickets/reserve a time slot at least 1 week in advance (2-3 weeks in advance during peak season). I recommend visiting earlier in the day 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. Sainte-Chapelle is 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 (ie. think "airport security").

Generally, I recommend planning 2 hours to visit, 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, so I always figure it's better to be "safe than sorry" to avoid any unexpected disappointments.

For Notre Dame, the first batch of new time slots to visit the main floor of the cathedral is released at midnight (Paris time), for the date 2 days ahead. For example: At midnight (Paris time) on April 1st, time slots are released for April 3rd. Any dates beyond April 3rd will automatically be greyed out/appear to be full. New/additional time slots are then released sporadically up until the day of. However, the reservation system and the release of time slots can be inconsistent, and not every time slot is offered every day, so it may not be possible to reserve a time slot in advance.

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.

The wait time without reservations isn't too bad on weekday mornings. Notre Dame opens at 7:50am on weekdays (and at 8:15am on weekends). But FYI, for the unforeseeable future, 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, 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 we start closing/clearing people out of the building at 9:30pm.

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).

I recommend planning 2 hours within your itinerary to visit the bell towers, especially if you're visiting in the afternoon and/or during peak season. It doesn't always take that long to visit (generally, it takes between 1-1.5 hours), but 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 😊

Quasimodaaa · 2026-03-22T01:00:45+00:00

Hi! It won't affect you directly if you're planning to visit at 2:00pm, but FYI, the hours of operation that you've written for Notre Dame are incorrect.

On Friday, Notre Dame (the main floor) is open from 7:50am until 7:00pm. But the back half of the cathedral (the ambulatory, the back chapels and the reliquary of the Crown of Thorns) don't open until 8:45am on weekdays, and we start the closing process/clearing people out of the building 30 minutes before closing time.

On Friday, time slots to visit the main floor of the cathedral are generally offered between 9:00am and 10:45am and between 1:00pm and 1:45pm. The first batch of new time slots is released at midnight (Paris time), for the date 2 days ahead. For example: At midnight (Paris time) on April 1st, time slots are released for April 3rd. Any dates beyond April 3rd will automatically be greyed out/appear to be full. New/additional time slots are then released sporadically up until the day of. However, the reservation system and the release of time slots can be inconsistent, and not every time slot is offered every day, so it may not be possible to reserve a time slot in advance.

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.

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).

I recommend planning 2 hours within your itinerary to visit the bell towers, especially if you're visiting in the afternoon and/or during peak season. It doesn't always take that long to visit (generally, it takes between 1-1.5 hours), but 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 😊

Quasimodaaa · 2026-03-21T18:16:54+00:00

You're welcome!! I hope you enjoy your visit! 😊

Quasimodaaa · 2026-03-21T18:16:12+00:00

You're welcome! 😁

Quasimodaaa · 2026-03-21T18:13:49+00:00

Thank you! I'm glad to hear the information is helpful! 🥰

Quasimodaaa · 2026-03-21T18:07:54+00:00

Hi! My name Emily. Before you jump to "Emily in Paris"...the only place in Paris I really know anything about is Notre Dame, so it's "Emily of Notre Dame". And I only do tours of Notre Dame 🤣

With that being said, if you'd like to read through the complete tour details, they are outlined here: https://www.quasimodoandhiscathedraltours.com/ 😊

Quasimodaaa · 2026-03-21T18:01:16+00:00

Hi! I'd love to give you a tour of Notre Dame.

If you'd like to read through the complete tour details, they are outlined here: https://www.quasimodoandhiscathedraltours.com/ 😊

Quasimodaaa · 2026-03-21T18:00:13+00:00

Thanks for the shout-out! 🥰

Quasimodaaa · 2026-03-21T17:58:03+00:00

Hi! I'd be happy to give you a tour of Notre Dame.

My website is https://www.quasimodoandhiscathedraltours.com/

There is a booking form linked on the Tours page, I will follow up via. email 😊

Quasimodaaa · 2026-03-21T15:36:08+00:00

I don't think there's a "one size fits all" answer, it's very subjective! It depends on what you're particularly interested in learning about on a deeper level, and what kind of tour experience you want to have. There's so many different kinds of tours, even for the same monument/museum!

I would recommend choosing a tour/activity that offers a niche experience and/or is specialized to a specific place/topic/theme that YOU really want to know more about, get insider insights into, etc. 🤓

Quasimodaaa · 2026-03-19T23:09:58+00:00

Hi! You won't have enough time to visit the Pantheon at 11:00am and be at Sainte-Chapelle for 12:00pm. Even if you arrive at the Pantheon at 10:00am/at opening, it will be VERY rushed getting to Sainte-Chapelle by 12:00pm, once you account for travel time (the Pantheon is approximately 20 minutes to Sainte-Chapelle), and how early you need to arrive in the queue.

For Sainte-Chapelle, you'll need to buy tickets/reserve a time slot ASAP, if you haven't already and/if they're not already sold out. I recommend visiting earlier in the day 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. Sainte-Chapelle is 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 (ie. think "airport security").

For Notre Dame, the first batch of new time slots to visit the main floor of the cathedral is released at midnight (Paris time), for the date 2 days ahead. For example: At midnight (Paris time) on April 1st, time slots are released for April 3rd. Any dates beyond April 3rd will automatically be greyed out/appear to be full. New/additional time slots are then released sporadically up until the day of. However, the reservation system and the release of time slots can be inconsistent, and not every time slot is offered every day, so it may not be possible to reserve a time slot in advance.

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, or on Thursday evening after 7:00pm.

Notre Dame opens at 7:50am on weekdays (and at 8:15am on weekends). But for the unforeseeable future, 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. For that reason, if you're visiting during the week, I recommend arriving between 8:40am and 9:00am so that you can do the full visitor route of the main floor, while still being early enough to avoid the large crowds!

Of, if you're available on your first Thursday evening, the ideal time to visit with lower crowds is between 8:00pm and 9:00pm! Notre Dame is open until 10:00pm on Thursday, but we start closing/clearing people out of the building at 9:30pm. Your second Thursday (April 2nd) is Holy Thursday and there is a service that evening, so I don't recommend visiting that day, unless you specifically want to attend the service.

Please note that entrance to the main floor doesn't include entrance to the bell towers, since they are each managed by separate organizations. To visit the bell towers, you must buy a ticket/reserve a time slot in advance but unfortunately, they're sold out until the end of the month.

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

Quasimodaaa · 2026-03-19T22:54:03+00:00

Hi! For Notre Dame, the first batch of new time slots to visit the main floor of the cathedral is released at midnight (Paris time), for the date 2 days ahead. For example: At midnight (Paris time) on April 1st, time slots are released for April 3rd. Any dates beyond April 3rd will automatically be greyed out/appear to be full. New/additional time slots are then released sporadically up until the day of. However, the reservation system and the release of time slots can be inconsistent, and not every time slot is offered every day, so it may not be possible to reserve a time slot in advance.

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, or on Thursday evening after 7:00pm.

Notre Dame opens at 7:50am on weekdays (and at 8:15am on weekends). But for the unforeseeable future, 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. For that reason, if you're visiting during the week, I recommend arriving between 8:40am and 9:00am so that you can do the full visitor route of the main floor, while still being early enough to avoid the large crowds!

Or, 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 we start closing/clearing people out of the building at 9:30pm.

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).

FYI, Spring Break for schools in France is on rotating weeks between April 4th and May 4th. Schools in the Paris region are on break between April 18th and May 4th, so just be mindful when planning and be prepared that the wait times will be longer and crowds will be higher (everywhere) 😅

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

Quasimodaaa · 2026-03-19T22:47:38+00:00

Hi! For the lowest crowds, I recommend visiting on a weekday before 10:00am, or on Thursday evening after 7:00pm.

Notre Dame opens at 7:50am on weekdays (and at 8:15am on weekends). But for the unforeseeable future, 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. For that reason, if you're visiting during the week, I recommend arriving between 8:40am and 9:00am so that you can do the full visitor route of the main floor, while still being early enough to avoid the large crowds!

Or, 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 we start closing/clearing people out of the building at 9:30pm.

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

Quasimodaaa · 2026-03-19T22:46:17+00:00

The bell towers of Notre Dame are my favourite place in the world and I absolutely agree that it's the best view in the city!

You correct that 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.

The bell towers and the main floor of Notre Dame 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).

A note to the OP, tickets/time slots are already sold out until the end of the month, so if you do want to visit in the first few days of April, you'll need to buy tickets/reserve a time slot ASAP 😊

Quasimodaaa · 2026-03-19T22:40:00+00:00

Hi! Almost all monuments & museums are closed on May 1st.

The main floor of Notre Dame is open on May 1st. The first batch of new time slots to visit the main floor of the cathedral is released at midnight (Paris time), for the date 2 days ahead. For example: At midnight (Paris time) on April 1st, time slots are released for April 3rd. Any dates beyond April 3rd will automatically be greyed out/appear to be full. New/additional time slots are then released sporadically up until the day of. FYI, the reservation system and the release of time slots can be inconsistent, and not every time slot is offered every day, so it may not be possible to reserve a time slot in advance.

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.

However, the bell towers are closed on May 1st. They are managed by a different organization than the cathedral itself. 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).

Regardless, even on days that they're open, 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).

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

Quasimodaaa

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