Notre-Dame Tickets & Free Reservations: The 2026 Guide

The single most important thing to know about visiting Notre-Dame de Paris is also the most misunderstood: entry to the cathedral is free. There is no admission ticket, and there never has been. What confuses visitors is that a few specific experiences are ticketed, and that plenty of websites would happily sell you something you can get for nothing. Here is how it actually works in 2026.

Free entry and the reservation system

Anyone can walk into the nave of Notre-Dame free of charge. To manage the crowds since the December 2024 reopening, the cathedral runs a free, optional timed-reservation system on its official website. Booking a slot lets you skip the general queue — a real advantage from April to October, when walk-in waits can stretch from 30 minutes to three hours. Slots typically open only two to three days in advance, so set a reminder rather than trying to book weeks ahead.

What actually costs money

Three parts of the site carry their own, separate tickets:

• The Bell Towers — reopened in September 2025. A 422-step climb to the chimera gallery and the great bells, around €16, booked online in advance through the Centre des monuments nationaux. There is no ticket counter on site.
• The Treasury — the reliquaries, sacred vessels and the Crown of Thorns, around €12, paid at the entrance inside.
• The Archaeological Crypt — Roman and medieval Paris beneath the parvis, around €9, with its own entrance and schedule.

Where guided tours fit in

A guided tour is a paid service, but you are paying for the guide and, on many tours, for reserved or coordinated access — not for entry itself. Because Notre-Dame now restricts spoken guiding inside the cathedral, most tours give you the full story outside on the parvis before taking you in. In peak season, a reserved-access tour can be the easiest way to avoid the queue without gambling on a free slot. See our full rundown of hours, access and getting there on the visiting guide, or compare the options on the Notre-Dame tours homepage.

Avoiding the scams

Because the cathedral is free, the resale market around it is murky. Stick to two things: the official Notre-Dame and Centre des monuments nationaux websites for free reservations and tower tickets, and reputable booking platforms for guided tours. If you are unsure what is and isn't included with a tour, our FAQ page answers the questions travellers ask most.