For them, the slots are already reserved. Nearly 40,000 pilgrims and 8,000 schoolchildren are expected at Notre-Dame de Paris, from December 8, 2024, the date the cathedral reopens to the public. These silent wanderings lasting around thirty minutes include five stations inside the renovated monument. The registration of cultural groups will only begin in March, on a dedicated platform.
Also read: Rebuilding Notre-Dame, a crazy but successful gamble: a look back at 5 years of the construction site of the century.
But it is the faithful and the general public who will make up the majority of the crowds of visitors, deprived of the cathedral since the fire of April 15, 2019. No change for them: the visit remains free. A queue, without reservation, will be maintained on the square.
Online reservation
The big new thing is the online reservation counter, accessible from this Tuesday, December 3, 2024, designed to channel the flow of 14 million visitors expected each year. The 6,000 m² of the building cannot accommodate more than 2,500 people at the same time. It would therefore be better to do “digital reservation” in advance, to avoid waiting. Nothing could be simpler! “It is now possible to reserve a slot, the day before, the day before, or the same day, via the website, the application and the official social networks”, explains the diocese of Paris. Sixty employees and 500 volunteers will be responsible for welcoming, guiding and ensuring the comfort of visitors and the faithful.
“Visiting Companion”
The visit changes direction. Baptistery, Notre-Dame chapel, treasure… It will lead from North to South, on the Seine side, to “to provide a strong cultural and spiritual experience”. Another new feature: in addition to online ticketing and on-site audio guides, a “visit companion” mobile application is now available. Notre-Dame can be visited from Monday to Friday from 7:45 a.m. to 7 p.m. (10 p.m. on Thursday), from 8:15 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Sacred music concerts on Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. Audition at the grand organ Sunday at 4 p.m.
