Notre-Dame Cathedral Tours

Tours to Explore Notre-Dame Cathedral

For over 800 years, Notre Dame Cathedral has stood as the beating heart of Paris. Its enduring spirit has weathered revolutions, wars, and even fire, a timeless testament to faith and human ingenuity. Join us to explore the profound story of this global icon—a story of survival, restoration, and incredible beauty that continues to unfold.

Notre-Dame Cathedral Guided Tour with Standard Public Entry

Join a 1.5-hour small-group guided visit of the iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral, led by a licensed expert who brings its remarkable history to life.
From
74.90€
1h
45m
1-5  people
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Notre-Dame Cathedral Guided Tour with Reserved Access

Experience Notre-Dame like never before with a scheduled group visit led by an accredited expert guide, bringing the cathedral’s rich history and remarkable restoration to life.
From
79.90€
1h
45m
1-20  people
Check Availability
See Details

Stories, Symbols, and the Best Views—Without the Stress

To stand on the parvis before Notre Dame is to feel the gravitational pull of history. For centuries, its soaring buttresses and magnificent rose windows were a masterclass in Gothic architecture, designed to draw the eyes—and the soul—upward. Today, a visit offers a uniquely powerful perspective. You will not only witness its timeless beauty but also become part of its next chapter, observing the historic restoration that demonstrates a nation’s devotion to its most cherished landmark. This is a rare opportunity to see resilience being rebuilt, stone by stone.
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Notre Dame Tour Highlights

  • In the square before the cathedral’s entrance, while you’re still outside, you’ll find inscribed stones with odd names such as Venice Street, Saint Christopher Street or the Jerusalem Dead End– these are all that remain of once bustling (and seedy) streets and houses from the Middle Ages torn down to clear a perspective on to Our Lady of Paris. Let us lead you through them!
  • Take a close look outside at the southern doors (the far right) of the façade, and the scenes above. Called the Sainte Anne portal after the mother of the Virgin Mary...

Benefits of a Notre Dame Tour with Memories France

  • Expert Local Guides: Passionate, fully-accredited guides bring the cathedral to life with fascinating stories and insights.
  • Intimate Group Sizes: Small group tours with a maximum of 5 guests on our Standard Entry tour offer an intimate experience with many opportunities to engage with your guide.
  • Headsets Provided: On the Scheduled Access tour, headsets ensure that you never miss a word from your guide.

Versailles Tours for Every Visitor

Touring the Palace of Versailles with Memories France is a journey through time, offering guests a unique opportunity to walk in the footsteps of French royalty. With our knowledgeable guides, exclusive access, and personalized service, you’ll experience the splendor and history of Versailles in a way you can’t do on your own. Book your tour today and let Memories France create an unforgettable experience for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

It depends which tour you choose to buy. On our Reserved Entry tour, we have prebooked group entry times that are timed and allow us to enter through a separate line. On the Standard Entry Small Group tour, we enter with the public line. Your guide is with you and the wait time is perfect for learning all about the magnificent facade. On this tour expect a wait time of 20-60 minutes.
For everyone’s safety, certain items are not allowed inside Notre Dame Cathedral. Weapons of any kind, sharp objects such as knives or scissors, illegal substances, alcoholic beverages, and aerosols are strictly prohibited. Please also note that eating and drinking are not permitted.
Visitors are asked to dress respectfully when entering Notre Dame Cathedral. Men should remove hats inside. To maintain the peaceful atmosphere, please keep conversations quiet, silence your phone, and refrain from making calls. Non-flash photography is generally allowed, except in certain restricted areas, but selfie sticks are not permitted.
All visitors must pass through security screening before entering Notre Dame Cathedral. To ensure a smooth process, please limit personal belongings. Large luggage and suitcases are not permitted inside.

What To Look for in Notre Dame

Saint Marcel

On the outside, look at the statue in the middle of the south doors, you’ll see a bishop holding a dragon. This is Saint Marcel who saved fifth century Parisians from the ferocious fire-breathing lizard, a minion of Satan. The Middle Ages celebrated this victory over the devil with a raucous procession of a huge wicker dragon puppet carried through the very phantom streets marked in front of the cathedral.

The King’s Vegetable Garden, Le Potager du Roi

While you’re outside, coming from the north, look at the profile of the building’s façade, you can see it tilting just a bit from being strictly vertical, caused by building it on the unstable foundations of a river island.

North Façade

Also on the north side of Notre Dame, still exterior to the building, you’ll find a conspicuously painted red door where sleepy clerics would file in for services from their living quarters, all through the night and predawn hours. 

Modern Windows

In the upper windows of the nave, inside, are abstract blue and red windows, modern creations that take their inspiration from the traditional deep primary tones of the medieval stained glass masters.
DID YOU KNOW?

Notre Dame Fun Facts

Notre Dame of Paris was so enormous for its time (and even today) that it beat even the medieval Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome in size.
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  • 2,300 rooms had to house about 7,000 titled courtiers plus workers to keep up with their lifestyle
  • Duchess So-and-So and Marquis What’s-His-Name were crammed into postage stamp-sized apartments. Even the great Madame de Pompadour had to climb 100 steps to hers.
  • Those courtiers spent all their time scrambling for favor, for better digs, or precedence that would decide even what quality candle you could use.
  • The nobles were reduced to drinking and chasing lovers under the King’s eye while his armies were off conquering Alsace and Lorraine. They no longer had the political pull, maybe even the will, to interfere.
Inside and outside the Cathedral was painted, so that the figures would jump out at you, and some were even gilded. Scenes of Hell stood out with burning oranges and reds. You can think of it as medieval special effects!
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  • Zoological gardens held animals from far-off places, like elephants and rhinoceroses, as though the Sun King radiated his sovereignty even into foreign lands. 
  • A whole flotilla of Venetian gondolas offered the nobles rides on the Grand Canal. 
  • The happy few enjoyed dinner parties held in the sculpted copses of the gardens. 
  • Theatrical troupes would regularly come to entertain.
  • When the snow fell, the nobles in all their fine array indulged in sled races down the Allée Royale. 
  • Later, when Marie-Antoinettte had her play dairy built with and populated with perfumed sheep the old king’s wish could not have been more aptly fulfilled.
The clerics of Notre Dame taught students who came from all over Europe to share their wisdom. This gave rise to the University of Paris, one of the first medieval universities, named the Sorbonne in the 13th century.
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  • They were meant to “obey,” not the planet of the sun, but only the ever-rising Sun King himself, around which they were meant to revolve throughout the seasons. 
  • This is one of the reasons French gardens seem so rigorous and exact. Like the ballet the king favored, it was thought that in disciplining our natural penchants, beauty can blossom. 
  • Secretly, the gardeners changed out the flowers every night so that Louis XIV might never gaze upon a wilted bloom. 
  • The garden was not some willy-nilly playground for unruly greenery, but a statement of the King’s absolute authority even over Mother Nature.
In the Middle Ages, the bells were sometimes rung by paid beggars. The southern tower was called Ribald’s Tower for this very reason.
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  • Inhabitants called their palace “in this country,” as though it were a land apart. 
  • Gowns had to be changed three and four times a day.
  • They did not simply walk, they slid – mostly so as not to step on a woman’s train. An essential part of a courtier’s education, the Versailles glide was even taught to Marie-Antoinette before she came to France. 
  • Nor did one knock on doors, as the vulgar might, one scratched with one fingernail kept long precisely for this purpose.
The white glass of the windows was not a replacement for Revolutionary damage but from reformers of just before, who wanted the pious to be able to read their prayerbooks!
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  • They were a fantastic opportunity for all to escape the strict, stiff atmosphere.
  • One time, Louis XV and his closest friends disguised themselves as the gardens’ yew trees, and strolled in their greenery down the Hall of Mirrors. 
  • The whole show looked as though Le Nôtre’s topiary were invited in from the cold.
  • A costume like that allowed the king to flirt discreetly with the woman who would become Madame de Pompadour. 
  • History does not say whether she was fooled.
After it was dedicated to the goddess of Reason during the Revolution, the cathedral fell into disrepair, used to store wine in early 1794. It wasn’t until the upsurge of pride in the medieval past, with the publication of Victor Hugo’s Hunchback of Notre Dame, that the cathedral began its rebirth.
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  • The young Queen preferred to escape into amateur theatrics at the Petit Trianon getaway.
  • In 1785 she even played the maid in the Mariage of Figaro.
  • That was the piece that her royal husband said would bring down the Bastille.
  • Four years later, in 1789, exactly that happened when the people stormed the fortress.
  • On that day, Louis XVI noted in his journal, “Nothing.”
The architect who would eventually restore it, Viollet-le-Duc, attended mass there as a small child and when the organ began its song he thought the rose window was screaming at him. Perhaps he wasn’t wrong.
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  • The young Queen preferred to escape into amateur theatrics at the Petit Trianon getaway.
  • In 1785 she even played the maid in the Mariage of Figaro.
  • That was the piece that her royal husband said would bring down the Bastille.
  • Four years later, in 1789, exactly that happened when the people stormed the fortress.
  • On that day, Louis XVI noted in his journal, “Nothing.”

Reviews

Some say we have the best tours of Versailles.
I had an incredible time on the Notre Dame’s Island tour with our guide, Sylvanie Arnaud! Her enthusiastic and friendly demeanor made the experience truly interactive. The insights she shared about Notre Dame and its history were both entertaining and educational.
David
Rafael (I think that is how you spell it) was an amazing tour guide today and told actually interesting information instead of the normal boring script. He was very nice and made sure everybody was okay and had a great time. He was the best tour guide we could have had.
Sydney
a perfect blend of architecture and history. It's very cost-effective and time-effective. He continued talking and joking even as we found shelter from an unexpected hail storm. He provided a lot of useful and fun info and it was very clear he's passionate about French history.
Alisa

Our communities and heritage
become your lifelong memories.

Let yourself be drawn into centuries of faith, craft, and light. Notre-Dame is awe-inspiring—from the sweep of its nave to the lacework of its flying buttresses—but so much slips past when you’re focused on finding your way, reading plaques, and navigating the crowds.

Booking with Memories means making the most of your precious time. With timed access and smart routing, we keep you out of bottlenecks and inside the story. Our guides bring the cathedral to life—uniting sacred art, Gothic engineering, and living tradition—so stone, glass, and music speak clearly.

As our guest, you’ll soon be caught up in the human tale behind the monument: Bishop Maurice de Sully’s vision, the guilds that raised the vaults, and the daring invention of the flying buttress. You’ll meet Viollet-le-Duc and his 19th-century restoration, hear the voice of Emmanuel—the great bell—and follow the cathedral’s dramatic return after the 2019 fire, when artisans saved the rose windows and rebuilt the spire. 

We delight in sharing knowledge through story, meeting each guest where they are—first-time visitor or lifelong admirer. From the Kings of Judah on the west façade to the play of light in the North and South Roses, from hidden chapels to the echoes of Victor Hugo’s Quasimodo, come be our guest. With Memories, nine centuries of Notre-Dame will hold no secrets for you. À bientôt!
Jérôme, Siobhan, and the Memories France family
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