Everything to Know About Visiting Notre Dame Cathedral After Its Official Reopening

Starting Dec. 16, the beloved cathedral will be open to the public for regular visiting hours.

By Alison Fox Alison Fox

Alison Fox is a Travel + Leisure contributor. She has also written for Parents.com, The Wall Street Journal, and amNewYork. When she’s not in New York City, she can be found at the beach or on the slopes. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines Published on December 9, 2024

Close Interior of the newly restored Notre Dame cathedral as people attend mass on the day of its re-opening, in Paris on December 8, 2024. Photo:

LUDOVIC MARIN/Getty Images

Paris’ Notre Dame has officially reopened its doors after suffering a devastating fire five years ago, and is ready to welcome visitors.

The famed cathedral opened on Dec. 7 to much fanfare after being closed since it caught fire in 2019 for extensive renovation work. The celebrations included more than 2,500 guests, world leaders from first lady Jill Biden to Prince William and more, and the rumbling sounds of the church’s great organ, The Associated Press reported.

“Notre Dame of Paris was saved. Disfigured but saved,” French President Emmanuel Macron said, according to the wire service, adding, “We decided to rebuild Notre Dame of Paris even more beautiful than before.”

People arrive to attend a second mass, open to the public, at the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral on the day of its re-opening, in Paris on December 8, 2024.

LUDOVIC MARIN/Getty Images

Now, Notre Dame is once again welcoming visitors, starting with an eight day “octave of reopening” that will last through Dec. 15. During that time, reservations are required and can be booked online for free, but appear hard to come by. Reservations are currently sold out for at least the next three days.

Additionally, the cathedral will host several masses throughout the week, but tickets for those are sold out as well.

However, starting Dec. 16, Notre Dame will resume its daily schedule and open its doors from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day, and until 10 p.m. on Thursdays. Travelers will be able to book free reservations to reduce their wait time when arriving, but reservations are not mandatory.

Notre Dame has also launched a mobile app, which is available in both iOS and Google Play, and includes text and audio tours, a schedule of religious services, reservation information, and more. The app is available in French, English, and Spanish.

Group tours will resume in 2025.

Beyond the cathedral itself, all visitors can see the iconic public plaza in front of Notre Dame’s main entrance, which is free and doesn’t require reservations.