what time of the day to visit notre dame

UPDATE: Nosotros were heartbroken when Notre Dame Cathedral was devastated by burn down in April 2019, and look forward to the restoration of this magnificent twelfth Century cathedral.

Visit Notre Matriarch's official website at http://www.notredamedeparis.fr/en/ for up-to-date visitor information.

Go along reading to meet photos of what Notre Dame looked like before the fire.

Click the button beneath to read about other Paris destinations for families on my France page.

Hello!

Planning at trip to Paris?

Notre Dame Cathedral is a favorite destination for many visitors. This gorgeous gothic church building on the banks of the Seine has welcomed visitors since the Middle Ages. Its iconic bell towers offering panoramic views of the city.

My family visited Notre Dame Cathedral on a Lord's day morning in June. We arrived during Gregorian Mass – a little later on ten AM. We found a long line into the cathedral and a long await for belfry access, only these inconveniences turned out to be fairly minor and nosotros had a good experience.

Here'south what nosotros learned during our visit to Notre Dame Cathedral.

Touring the Cathedral

It costs zero to walk within Notre Dame Cathedral and tour the nave on your ain. The long line moved steadily and nosotros stepped inside within 10 minutes. I loved the ornate carvings, the stained glass windows, the small chapels and nooks, and the rich history of Notre Dame. It was exciting to meet this famous edifice in person.

Tourists are welcome during worship services. The line of sightseers looped around the edges of the nave, while Mass continued in the centre. Visitors are welcome to participate in worship services. We considered attending Gregorian Mass, but limited ourselves to a walkthrough of the cathedral this time.

Notre Dame Cathedral does not take a posted dress code. Casual attire is adequate every day. Expect a security screening as yous enter Notre Dame. Large numberless will not be allowed within. Flash photography and tripods are not allowed.

Plan to walk all the way around the exterior of the cathedral. You'll want to see it from every angle. In that location is a small park next to Notre Dame, which has a playground for preschool-historic period children.

Dig Deeper

My family unit was satisfied with a simple walk effectually the inside of the ornate cathedral. It was free, and nosotros finished in under 30 minutes, which was about right for my kids (ages 11 and 14). However, I felt that I was missing some interesting information and stories about Notre Dame.

There are several means to learn more virtually the history and architecture of Notre Dame Cathedral during your visit.

• Audio Bout – Pick upward a 35-minute audio bout in eight languages as you enter the cathedral.
• Free Guided Tour – Immature volunteers lead tours in nine languages every calendar week. Acquire more at www.notredamedeparis.fr/visites-ii/visites-offertes-par-la-cathedrale
• Other Tours – Several reputable companies offer skip-the-line private and group tours of Notre Dame with professional guides. These may include tower and crypt access, and may be combined with other acme Paris attractions. Click the red button to see Notre Dame bout options from Viator.

Climbing the Tower

If you have the fourth dimension and free energy to climb to the meridian of Notre Dame Cathedral, definitely practise it. I'grand overweight, and so I was worried about climbing 400+ steps to the top. It was tough, but I'grand glad I did it. My husband and kids climbed with no problem. Some other family with children – probably ages v-eight – climbed it at the same time and seemed to exercise fine.

Tower tours are managed by the National Monuments Center. It currently costs ten Euros per developed to climb the tower. There is no accuse for anyone nether 18 years one-time. Boosted discounts may utilise. Learn more at www.tours-notre-matriarch-de-paris.fr.

Space is limited on the tower, and so you must reserve a tour time on the day of your visit. Tours brainstorm at 10 AM. Tours may fill completely by early afternoon during peak flavor. At that place are two ways to save your place in the virtual line.

• Download the free JeFile/Duck the Line mobile app. This will allow you to reserve your time starting at 7 AM on the day of your visit.
• Reserve your time at a kiosk near the entry bespeak for the tower.

We used the kiosks after we walked around Notre Matriarch – around xi AM. The adjacent available reservations were virtually ii hours away. We picked a time in the afternoon, left for awhile, and returned just in fourth dimension for our tour.

If y'all discover yourself with extra time before your tower climb, there are lots of interesting things to do nearby. Centre Pompidou and Sainte Chappelle are both a couple of blocks away. Yous can get gelato at Amorino or Berthillion. Yous might relish walking forth the Seine or riding the Batobus. In that location are many shops, cafes and creperies in the neighborhood.

You'll climb the belfry in three stages, then you don't accept to have on all 400 steps at in one case. At that place are a couple of additional places with space to stop, but non many. They are enclosed circular staircases, which is mentally challenging as well every bit physically. Once you reach the meridian, you'll get a skilful expect at the gargoyles and enjoy panoramic views of Paris. Information technology was absolutely worth it – especially on our get-go mean solar day in Paris.

Touring the Catacomb

The crypt under Notre Dame Cathedral preserves more than two,000 years of archeological history under the streets of Paris. It is managed past the City of Paris. Family and youth tours are available. Tickets are currently eight Euros for adults and gratis for children under historic period 18.

My family unit did non tour the crypt, but it looks like a fascinating feel. Acquire more almost touring the catacomb nether Notre Dame Cathedral at www.crypte.paris.fr.

Ways to Relieve

Since touring the nave is gratis, and kids tin can tour the belfry for free, Notre Matriarch Cathedral is pretty affordable. Nonetheless, there are notwithstanding ways that you tin can save on your tower tour.

• Costless First Sundays – In that location is no charge to visit the towers of Notre Dame (and many other museums) on the first Sundays in the off-flavour, Nov-March. Wait crowds.
• Paris Museum Pass – The Notre Dame towers are included in the Paris Museum Pass. Skip-the-line admission is not included, so y'all will however need to reserve a tour time. If you lot plan on visiting other museums during your stay in Paris, the Paris Museum Pass may save you coin on admissions. Learn more at www.parismuseumpass.com.
• Paris Pass – The Notre Dame towers are included in the Paris Pass, which includes a few more attractions than the Paris Museum Laissez passer. Skip-the-line access is non included, so you lot must nevertheless reserve a bout fourth dimension. If you are interested in a Big Bus Tour and other summit Paris attractions, the Paris Laissez passer can save you money. Larn more than at www.parispass.com.

My family unit enjoyed our visit to Notre Dame Cathedral. The Cathedral was cute and the climb to the bell towers was truly memorable in (generally) good ways. We recommend this family-friendly destination. Happy travels!

Expert to Know

Where: half-dozen Parvis Notre-Dame – Pl. Jean-Paul Ii, Paris. Notre Dame is easily accessible by Metro, bus and taxi.

When: Notre Dame Cathedral is open up every day of the year. The tower and crypt are airtight on select holidays. Go details on hours and closures at world wide web.notredamedeparis.fr/en/visites-two.

How Much: It costs nothing to enter Notre Dame Cathedral. Tower and catacomb tours will price 8-10 Euros per developed. There is no charge for children nether age 18.

How Long: Our visit was about ii hours. Yours may vary depending on how much time you spend inside the cathedral, and whether yous bout the tower and crypt.

Civilities: A few souvenirs are sold near the cathedral'due south exit. There is a souvenir shop in the tower, in the same place you purchase your ticket. No food is sold, only there is plenty of dining nearby. There are no public bathrooms at Notre Dame Cathedral, but there were several free public restrooms nearby. We found that wait times for these can be long.

Website: http://www.notredamedeparis.fr/en/

How else can I help?

Demand a place to stay? Click the push to check rates and reviews for top Paris hotels at TripAdvisor.com.

Want more than tips for your Paris trip? Click the Next push button to read my tips for a start trip to the Eiffel Tower or visit my France folio to come across all my Paris manufactures.

Hi there! I am the founder of Tips for Family Trips. I am a married mom of 2 children, ages 14 and 17, living about Salt Lake Metropolis, Utah. We took our first child on a ii-week route trip when she was four weeks old and we have been traveling every bit a family e'er since. We love to get out of the business firm to see and do fun things, both far away and in our ain neighborhood.

beambetation.blogspot.com

Source: https://tipsforfamilytrips.com/notre-dame-cathedral-in-paris/