Notre-Dame and the Sainte-Chapelle on the Île de la Cité

What it is

The Île de la Cité is the island in the Seine where Paris was born. In a few hundred metres it brings together three visits: Notre-Dame cathedral, reopened after the 2019 fire; its towers, which you climb on foot; and the Sainte-Chapelle, Louis IX's chapel with 1,113 stained-glass panels. It can be done in a long morning, two to three hours, and it is best to have all three time slots booked.

Notre-Dame

The cathedral can be visited for free, as a place of worship open to all. It opens Monday to Friday from 7:50 to 19:00, on Thursdays until 22:00, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 8:15 to 19:30. Last entry is half an hour before closing.

To avoid the long queue, book a free priority access slot on the cathedral's official website. The cathedral insists: free entry is booked only on its website, and no guide or agency can sell or hand out tickets. There is an official app for the visit.

The towers of Notre-Dame

They are run by the Centre des Monuments Nationaux, separately from the cathedral. The circuit climbs 424 steps to 69 metres, with narrow 45 cm passages and low ceilings, among gargoyles, chimeras and bells. At the top of the south tower you can only stay five minutes.

• Hours: 9:00 to 23:00 from 1 April to 30 September, and 9:00 to 17:30 from 1 October to 31 March. Last entry one hour before closing.
• Price: €16. Free for under-18s and for young people aged 18 to 25 from the European Union, and for everyone on the first Sunday of January, February, March, November and December.
• Booking compulsory: tickets are not sold at the ticket office; you must book a time slot online even if you enter free. You enter on the right of the facade.

There is no lift, water or toilets on the circuit, and no left-luggage. Pushchairs are not admitted (front baby carriers are) and it is not recommended for small children, pregnant women or anyone with vertigo. Under-18s must be with an adult.

The Sainte-Chapelle

Five minutes away, within the grounds of the Palais de Justice, is the chapel that Louis IX had built to house the relics of the Passion. The lower chapel is dark and gilded; above, the upper chapel is almost entirely stained glass, with the Apocalypse rose window to the west.

• Hours: 9:00 to 19:00 from 1 April to 30 September, and 9:00 to 17:00 from 1 October to 31 March. Last entry 30 minutes earlier. Closed on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December.
• Price: €16 for citizens and residents of the European Economic Area; €22 for everyone else. Joint ticket with the Conciergerie: €23 (EEA) or €30. Free for under-18s, young people aged 18 to 25 from the EU and on the first Sunday of January, February, March, November and December.
• Booking: choose a slot at the ticket office and arrive at your time, neither earlier nor later. Audio guide in Spanish, €4.

Because it is inside the Palais de Justice, there is a police and security check: do not bring suitcases, glass bottles, penknives or scooters. Pushchairs must be small and foldable, and are not allowed in the upper chapel. The circuit is accessible to people with reduced mobility.

Getting there

By metro, line 4 to Cité, or lines 1, 7, 11 and 14 to Châtelet; by RER, lines B and C to Saint-Michel. The metro ticket works for everything. From the western tip of the island leaves the Seine cruise, and the Louvre is a stroll across the Pont Neuf.

Recommended order

Start with the Sainte-Chapelle first thing, continue to the cathedral and leave the towers for the last slot you can find. If you have energy left, the Marais is on the other side of the Pont d'Arcole.