The world looked on in horror in 2019 as Paris’ grand dame went up in flames. Severely damaged by the blaze, Notre Dame only reopened to the public in December 2024. Remedial work is still ongoing.
For those who visited Notre Dame before the fire, the interior will feel much lighter and brighter. The stained glass has all been repaired and cleaned and light shines through, particularly through the famed rose windows.
What’s inside?
Surprisingly, there is little information within the church about the blaze or the 5-year reconstruction. There is also scant detail on its history.
You can get an audio guide which presumably delves into this. We didn’t bother as our boys don’t have hugely long attention spans for churches, however impressive. Plus, we were going to do the VR experience, and I knew this would cover the history and the fire.
Instead, we just wandered with the masses (it was too crowded!). Highlights for us were the carved reliefs around the altar / choir stall area (telling the life of Jesus), the rose windows and the Crown of Thorns. We spent around 45 minutes getting in and exploring.
And outside?
When you emerge from Notre Dame, climb the steps of the raised platform opposite to get good photos of the outside. Kids will enjoy spotting the gargoyles and the ornate portals.
Look out for Paris Point Zero (near the main entrance on the western front of the church). The French measure all distances in France from this bronze plaque on the ground.
If you have time and are travelling with kids, I recommend then visiting Eternelle Notre Dame.
Eternelle Notre Dame
This is a fantastic VR experience at the opposite end of the square to the church. Wearing a VR headset, you follow a virtual guide (in your language) to experience the church from its original creation, through various enlargements, and the fire and reconstruction.
It does feel very realistic. I was genuinely suffering a level of vertigo when our avatars were raised on a platform to see the works to the exterior (despite my actual feet being firmly on the ground).
You did learn a lot about the history of the church and key figures associated with it. You virtually meet Viollet le Duc, the architect who renovated Notre Dame in a 25 year project from 1844. Walking around with your virtual guide, you see the additions to the church over the years.
The immersive experience includes the 2019 fire and ends with the recent remedial works.
My only slight gripe was that people in other groups sometimes got a bit too close to me / bumped me. Although virtual red zones should protect each person, some individuals were walking too close when trying to keep up with their virtual guide.
Tickets / entry
Notre Dame
The first batch of timed entry slots for the church are released at midnight (French time), 2 days before the day of entry. So midnight on Friday night for entry on Monday. These slots do go quickly so set a reminder on your phone and stay up to book.
More time slots will be released throughout the day on the day of entry, starting from around 7am French time for morning slots. Many visitors don’t realise that any slots are released on the day, so these don’t book up quite as quickly.
Tickets for timed slots are free through the official website.
Don’t despair if you’ve been unable to book. You can just queue for entry and the queue does move quickly. Try to visit early in the morning or late afternoon / early evening and you shouldn’t wait too long to get in. We arrived at around 9.30am on a Monday in April and walked in within 5 minutes. There’s only a very cursory bag search here so security doesn’t hold things up like it does at places such as Sainte Chappelle.
Eternelle Notre Dame
Do book ahead for Eternelle Notre Dame. The nature of the experience means that only a very limited number of people can take part at any one time so it will sell out. You can book tickets here.
How to get to Notre Dame
If you are staying in central Paris, you should be able to walk to Notre Dame. For those staying further out, the closest stations are St-Michel Notre Dame (on RER lines B and C) and Cité (metro line 4). You can also walk from the transport hub of Chatelet-les-Halles in 10-15 minutes.
If you are visiting the Eiffel Tower on the same day, you can hop back on RER line C at St-Michel Notre Dame. From there, it is just 4 stops.
Check out my post on how to get around Paris.
