the essential
With its thirteen million annual visitors, Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral, after five years of work, will reopen its doors to the public on Sunday, December 8. Schedules, reservations, prices… La Dépêche du Midi answers all your questions about this long-awaited reopening.
After five years of titanic work, Notre-Dame de Paris is preparing to reopen its doors. A jewel of world heritage and an unmissable place in the French capital, the reconstructed cathedral was discovered this Friday, November 29, through a visit by Emmanuel Macron broadcast live one week before its inauguration. This highly anticipated event will be marked by numerous ceremonies and festivities.
When will we be able to visit Notre-Dame de Paris?
From Sunday December 8, the public will be able to pass through the doors of the cathedral. A first mass will inaugurate this historic day, followed by various religious and cultural events throughout the year until June 2025, in connection with the jubilee year for pilgrims. However, the restoration project will not be completed: the work will continue for another 4 to 5 years, according to the experts.
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The first week, Notre-Dame will be accessible from 3:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays, and until 8 p.m. on weekends. From December 16, hours will return to a more traditional rhythm, with openings scheduled from 7:45 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Do we need to reserve?
Faced with the expected influx, a reservation system has been put in place to regulate the flow of visitors. A free application, called “Visit Companion”, will soon allow you to reserve a time slot. Available on Android and Apple, it will offer the possibility of reserving a time slot of one hour or 30 minutes, only the day before, the day before or the same day. The maximum capacity has been set at 3,000 visitors simultaneously, to guarantee a comfortable and respectful experience of the place.
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Groups will have to wait a little longer: their reservations will only be possible from Pentecost 2025. Until then, five thematic routes adapted to different types of visitors – families, pilgrims for example – will be offered in French, English and Spanish.
Is there an entrance fee?
Good news for art and history lovers: entry to the cathedral will remain free, even if there was talk for a time of charging an entrance fee of five euros. However, access to the Treasury, a space dedicated to the presentation of liturgical and historical objects, will be subject to a fee.
