Notre Dame Tickets

No tips, but I wouldn't panic. I was there in April of this year with two of my grandkids and did not have tickets, but we were able to get in a separate line which moved very quickly and got in with no problem. I was really surprised at how quickly the line moved and how soon we were inside the cathedral.

So, hopefully you'll find your tickets, but if not, I'm sure you will be able to get inside.

I wouldn't bother buying tickets at this point. Even if the line is long, it moves very quickly.

I went twice in Sept. I didn’t have tickets either time and waited in line 10 minutes and 5 minutes. Don’t panic if line looks long. It actually moves quite fast.

Are you wanting a time slot for the cathedral or tickets to visit the recently reopened towers? The third week of September it took us about 10 minutes in line to get into the cathedral on a Tuesday morning without a reserved time slot.

The time slots for the cathedral don't open up until a couple of days beforehand. Tickets for the towers can be reserved farther in advance. They are separate admissions. Entrance for one doesn't get you into the other. Also, entrance to the cathedral is free, but there is a fee for entrance to the towers. (Free with certain passes, but you can still use the ticketing platform to book a time. I recommend this, as they allow only 18 people in every 15 minutes.)

A friend is currently in Paris with her family and for several days now they have been unable to obtain tickets online. When they went by the cathedral yesterday during the day, they found the lines prohibitively long. That is the reason for my added concern, even though the website says the wait is only 20 minutes and several of you have said the line moves quickly. They did not witness such.

Re: the tower - I have already booked the tower tour but it's the cathedral inside I most want to tour. For that, it seems I will need to just pack a lunch and book to spend the a great deal of time in line. But maybe there is something is odd / special about this week - and next week may be better ? Since I will be in Paris this coming Friday 10/24 to Wednesday 10/29, next Monday and Tuesday are likely my best bet.

I've been told there are also more expensive private tour options to enter the cathedral though I don't have any exact information but tend to prefer exploring at my own pace.

Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts / experience !

I was in Paris two weeks ago and was easily able to get my entry time a couple of days in advance. Hopefully, you'll have the same experience.

I don't know if this is still true, but I seem to recall that tour groups, or guided tours were not allowed at Notre Dame Cathedral. It is, after all, a church, not a for-profit site. Both it and the tower are owned by the state. The church is allowed to operate as a church and the state runs the tower. I also have read that the church reservations for the same day are available about 2 hours before, but for the early morning slots. This has been discussed on the forum multiple times. Try entering "visiting Notre Dame" in the search bar above, then filter for "forum", and then "one year or less". Lots of info to be found.
Tickets for the church only go on sale two days before. You can't make a reservation earlier. I also wonder if your friends actually stood and watched the line to see how quickly it moved up. If it were me, and I wanted to see how fast it went, I would watch one person while the line moved up. Perception is very persuasive, and a long line is discouraging, even though it might move very quickly. My gut tells me to trust the multiple comments on this forum about the speed of the no-ticket line. I feel sure you will get into the church without too much difficulty.
Re the tower, get your tower ticket as soon as you can because of the limited amount being issued each day. Best of luck!

P.S. I misspoke. Church tickets are not for sale. There is no cost. I meant reservations are available two days before. I have never paid to visit a Catholic church in France, Italy, Spain, or anywhere else in the 25+ countries I have visited. Likewise, mosques, synagogues or other Christian churches I have visited have never charged for entrance. It kind of bugs me that someone would charge people to visit a worship space, and I wonder if these tour groups or leaders are operating legitimately.

As others have said timed tickets for the cathedral open up at midnight Paris time two days ahead. About a month ago we got tickets by logging on then and kept hitting refresh until we got through. I think they were out of tickets by 12:30.

There are more detailed posts on this forum, particularly by emilyofnotredam

The cathedral is magnificent and the most crowded place we visited.

Judy, I have paid admittance to many churches, mosques, and synagogues. None of them have ever charged people who were entering with the intention of worship, but do charge people entering for the purpose of tourism.

Just to add a perspective- when we were there in early June, there was a kind of bleacher at the far end of the plaza facing the entrance to Notre Dame. We were in line at bleachers, the line moved forward, then snaked around several times a la Disneyland (right about where Rue D’Arcole hits the plaza) before entering. It was about a 15 min.process for us. We were there in the early afternoon on a weekday.

Carol, I guess I have been lucky or just hit the right places. Granted, I have visited most Catholic churches for mass, but have also attended some services at Protestant churches on a Sunday when convenient. My mosque and synagogue visits are fewer.

Perhaps your friends were there one of the days the Louvre was unexpectedly closed due to the heist? There may have been more than normal the people at Notre Dame, perhaps.

School holidays in France are currently under way Saturday, October 18, 2025 – Sunday, November 3, 2025. Hence the crowds. Perhaps try a Tuesday night concert at Notre Dame if all else fails.
Or book the towers asap, and then take your chances. Try about 2 hours before closing. When I attended 5:30 pm services a few days, I noticed the crowds were thinning out then.

I was there the same afternoon as your friends, and I had never seen such a line in my life. Yes, school vacation, Louvre closed, beautiful day for waiting outside, and afternoon hours. I left and came back at 10 yesterday on a drizzling, yucky day and was inside in 5 minutes. Yes, your friends were correct: the line went out and over the bridge toward Saint Michel.

Nobody needs to worry about tickets, but do pay attention to the time of day. I knew better but had a free afternoon so tried it.

We went to Mass there last week. It was an 8:00am Mass. Arrived at about 7:45 and was let in at 8:00. You can then stay and tour the Cathedral after Mass.