A Notre Dame Cathedral tour matters more now than before the fire, because the story of the building includes its restoration. Entry is free, so the price of every Notre Dame Cathedral tour on this page buys the guide and in some cases a reserved entrance. I compared seven guided tours from $11 to $89 and set out where each meets, what it covers, how long it runs and what reviewers say. If you only want the entry rules, my guide to tickets for Notre Dame Cathedral explains the free route.
Tour
From
Rating
Length
Free cancellation
Book
Notre Dame Cathedral Tour with French-Speaking Guide
Without a guide you can walk in free of charge. The official site describes the cathedral as open to all, with no ticket, and offers a free time slot you can reserve to shorten the wait. A tour adds an explanation of the facade sculpture, the rose windows and the restoration after the 2019 fire, which Wikipedia covers in its Notre-Dame de Paris article. One reviewer said the guide showed pictures from before the fire for reference, which is the kind of thing a plain visit cannot give you.
What a tour does not usually add is the tower. The tower climb is sold by a separate official site at 16 euros, per tours-notre-dame-de-paris.fr, and the listings I read exclude it.
Short Notre Dame Cathedral Tours From $11
Two Notre Dame Cathedral tours are built as quick walks.
Smart City Tour costs $11, the lowest price of the seven, and the guide speaks French only. It runs 45 minutes, starts in front of the Cité metro exit on Place Louis Lépine and covers the exterior or the interior depending on the option. Skip-the-line access is excluded. With 4.6 stars from 651 reviews it has the biggest sample of any tour here. Reviewers praise the guide, one of them for keeping the group in the shade on a hot day, though one French reviewer found the price too high for what was offered.
SMART CITY TOUR
Notre Dame Cathedral Tour with French-Speaking Guide
★4.6 (651 reviews)
45 minutes
Free cancellation
My pick: The best value if you speak French: $11, 45 minutes, 4.6 from 651 reviews, but no skip-the-line.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Qualified live guide
✓ Access to Notre-Dame Cathedral (free of charge)
✓ Guided visit of the exterior and/or interior (depending on option selected)
Not included / not suitable
✕ Hotel pick-ups/drop-offs
✕ Skip-the-line access
✕ Free items
Meeting point: Please meet us in front of the "Cité" metro station exit on Place Louis Lépine. Place Louis Lépine, 75004 Paris, France
Languages: French
Duration: 45 minutes
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Guide très intéressante et qui connaît très bien son sujet !! Plusieurs anecdotes et renseignement sur le trajet en allant à la cathédrale . Un grand merci , nous avons passés un bon moment . Je recommande” – GetYourGuide review
Uncle Sam Tours costs $13 for 45 minutes in English. The guide covers the exterior, and you walk inside on your own. The Interior Guided Tour and skip-the-line access are listed as not included. Reviewers, 4.6 from 49, say the guide pointed out artworks and showed photos from before the fire, and one said they could skip the line.
Uncle Sam Tours
Notre Dame Cathedral Guided Tour
★4.6 (49 reviews)
45 minutes
Free cancellation
My pick: The cheap English option at $13: an exterior-only walk with the inside on your own, 4.6 from 49 reviews.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Expert English-speaking guide
✓ Exterior guided tour
✓ Independent visit inside Notre-Dame Cathedral
Not included / not suitable
✕ Interior Guided Tour
✕ Skip the line access
✕ Food & drinks
✕ Personal expenses
Meeting point: ND Meeting point - At the Charlemagne statue, located right in front of the cathedral. It’s the large statue of Charlemagne on a horse, near the entrance square. 75004 Île de la Cité, France
Languages: English
Duration: 45 minutes
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Our guide, Monte, helped us to learn many new aspects of this marvelous edifice. We had visited previously but because of him we have a much better appreciation for the history of the entire structure.” – GetYourGuide review
Three tours run an hour and meet at the statue of Charlemagne and his guards on the square in front of the cathedral.
Bon Journey Tours is $17, rated 3.9 from 286 reviews. The English guide covers architecture, history and restoration, and the exterior option includes a self-guided interior visit. Despite the free entry in the title, the listing excludes skip-the-line and tower access, and one reviewer said they had misunderstood this. Arrive 15 minutes early and look for the sign that reads Bonjour.
Bon Journey Tours
Notre Dame Cathedral Guided Tour with Free Entry
★3.9 (286 reviews)
1 hour
Free cancellation
My pick: A one-hour English walk at $17, but check that skip-the-line is excluded: 3.9 from 286 reviews.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Professional English-speaking guide
✓ Guided walking tour of Notre-Dame Cathedral
✓ Expert insights into the cathedral’s architecture, history, and restoration
✓ Self-guided interior visit with the exterior option
Not included / not suitable
✕ Access to the cathedral towers
✕ Skip the line
✕ Food and beverages
✕ Transportation
Meeting point: Please arrive 15 minutes before your selected start time at the Statue of Charlemagne and his Paladins (large green statue in front of Notre-Dame Cathedral). Your guide will be holding our sign that reads 'Bonjour'. 75004 Île de la Cité, France
Languages: English
Duration: 1 hour
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Tatiana the guide for our trip was very knowledgeable and was clear” – GetYourGuide review
Italypasstours sells the next two. The $36 Notre Dame Cathedral Guided Tour has a licensed guide, headphones and a skip-the-line option, and it holds 4.5 stars from 65 reviews. Arrive 20 minutes before your entry time. Reviewers call the guide knowledgeable and one praised the explanation of the paintings and how they survived the fire.
italypasstours
Notre Dame Cathedral Guided Tour
★4.5 (65 reviews)
1 hour
Free cancellation
My pick: The mid-priced English tour: $36, licensed guide, headphones and an optional skip-the-line, 4.5 from 65 reviews.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Guided tour of Notre-Dame Cathedral
✓ Professional licensed guide
✓ If Option Selected: Skip the Line
✓ Headphones for clear audio
Not included / not suitable
✕ Transportation to the cathedral
✕ Food and drinks
Meeting point: Meeting Point: Statue de Charlemagne et ses leudes
75004 Île de la Cité, France
Please meet your guide at the statue of Charlemagne and his guards, located just next to Notre Dame Cathedral.
The statue is in the square behind Notre Dame. Look for the large statue with a horse and riders.
Please arrive 20 minutes before your scheduled entry time so the guide can organize the group and take you inside the Cathedral. 75004 Île de la Cité, France
Languages: English
Duration: 1 hour
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“the guide was very knowledgable. i really liked him. he did a fantastic job (and even delt with the rude Americans that were nasty to him with grace and firmness)” – GetYourGuide review
The $45 small-group version lists skip-the-line entrance and headphones, but its evidence is thin, at 4 stars from 3 reviews. One reviewer reported that the guide did not appear, which would be a serious failure for the price. I would book the $36 listing or a tour from the next section over this one.
italypasstours
Notre Dame Cathedral Small Group Guided Tour
★4.0 (3 reviews)
1 hour
Free cancellation
My pick: Not my pick: $45 small group, only 3 reviews, and one reports that the guide never came.
What you get, where you meet
Included
✓ Guided tour of Notre-Dame Cathedral
✓ Professional licensed guide
✓ Skip the Line Entrance
✓ Headphones for clear audio
Not included / not suitable
✕ Transportation to the cathedral
✕ Food and drinks
Meeting point: Our Host will be standing infront of Statue 75004 Île de la Cité, France
Languages: English
Duration: 1 hour
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Reserved-Access and Semi-Private Notre Dame Cathedral Tours
The two dearest Notre Dame Cathedral tours sell a reserved entrance, and they are the ones I would book for a first visit.
Memories France costs $89 for 1.5 hours with a licensed English-speaking guide and headsets. It has the best score of any tour with real volume, 4.8 from 433 reviews, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours ahead. The meeting point is the Paris Today agency at 2 Quai de Gesvres, a few minutes from the cathedral, and the listing says not to go to the cathedral entrance. A reviewer said the guide gave context for the history and the recent renovation after the fire.
Memories France
Paris Notre Dame Cathedral Guided Tour with Scheduled Access
★4.8 (433 reviews)
1.5 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: My first pick: $89, 1.5 hours, reserved access and headsets, 4.8 from 433 reviews.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ 1.5-hour guided tour
✓ Reserved access to Notre Dame Cathedral
✓ Expert, fully licensed English-speaking guide
✓ Headsets so you can always hear your guide
Not included / not suitable
✕ Hotel pickup and drop-off
Meeting point: Meet your guide at the Paris Today agency. We are a few minutes’ walk away from the cathedral.
The nearest metro is Hotel de Ville.
Please do not go to the cathedral entrance! It can get very crowded and we will not be able to find you there. 2 Quai de Gesvres, 75004 Paris, France
Languages: English
Duration: 1.5 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Excellent, so informative and presented in a lively, interesting manner. I highly recommend Carolina!” – GetYourGuide review
The Tour Guy costs $70 for 1.5 hours and is a semi-private tour, with reserved group access and a guide through the interior and exterior. The group meets at the Charlemagne statue on the Parvis Notre-Dame and checks in 15 minutes early. It has a single review so far, 5.0, so I cannot tell you more than the listing says.
the tour guy
Notre Dame Cathedral Semi-Private Guided Tour
★5.0 (1 reviews)
1.5 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: The semi-private option at $70, 1.5 hours with reserved access, but only 1 review so far.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Expert English-speaking licensed guide
✓ Reserved group access to Notre Dame Cathedral
✓ Guided tour of the cathedral's interior and exterior
✓ Fascinating storytelling
✓ Semi-private experience
Not included / not suitable
✕ Guide tips
✕ Hotel pickup and drop-off
Meeting point: Please arrive 15 minutes early to check in for your tour. Look for Notre-Dame Cathedral on the Île de la Cité. The equestrian statue of Charlemagne et ses Leudes is located on the Parvis Notre-Dame – Place Jean-Paul II, directly in front of the cathedral. Parvis Notre Dame - Place Jean-Paul II, 75004 Paris, France
Languages: English
Duration: 1.5 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Die Führung wurde von einem sehr erfahrenen und sympathischen Mann durchgeführt. Hat sich wirklich gelohnt.” – GetYourGuide review
What Reviewers Say About Notre Dame Cathedral Tours
Across the review texts I read for each listing, the guide gets the praise: knowledge, clarity, a feel for the restoration. The complaints are narrower. One reviewer felt the $11 tour was too expensive for what it offered, one misread a skip-the-line claim and one guide did not turn up on the small-group tour.
“She gave a great context to the history of the cathedral, and it's recent renovation after the fire.”
— GetYourGuide reviewer
I take two things from that. The operator with the most evidence, Memories France, is also the dearest, and the cheaper tours trade evidence for price.
Guided Tour or Free Entry?
The price of the cathedral is zero, so a guided Notre Dame Cathedral tour is a pure add-on. The spread across these seven runs from $11 to $89. I read it like this: under $20 buys a short walk and your own entry, $36 to $45 adds headphones and a skip-the-line option, and $70 to $89 buys reserved access and up to 90 minutes. A group of four on the $89 tour pays $356 for a building a walk-in sees for nothing, so I would only pay that when the guide matters to you.
If your priority is the queue and not the commentary, read my page on Notre Dame Cathedral tickets first, since the free reserved slot may solve it.
How I’d Choose a Notre Dame Cathedral Tour
First visit in English: Memories France at $89, for evidence and reserved access.
French speakers: Smart City Tour at $11.
Tightest budget in English: Uncle Sam Tours at $13, knowing the inside is on your own.
Mid-range: italypasstours at $36, with the skip-the-line option.
Small group: the Tour Guy at $70, once it has more reviews.
Climbing the towers: book the official tower ticket separately.
I think so on a first visit, because the building rewards explanation: the fire, the restoration and the facade sculpture. Entry is free, so the whole price is the guide. The best-rated tour with real volume is Memories France at $89, with 4.8 stars from 433 reviews, and the cheapest is a French-language walk at $11.
How long is a Notre Dame Cathedral tour?+
From 45 minutes to 1.5 hours in the seven listings. The two 45-minute tours are the $11 French tour and the $13 Uncle Sam Tours walk, four tours run 1 hour, and Memories France and the Tour Guy semi-private tour each run 1.5 hours.
Does a Notre Dame Cathedral tour include the inside?+
It depends on the option. Memories France and the Tour Guy list reserved access and an interior and exterior tour, and the Smart City tour covers the exterior and or interior by option. Uncle Sam Tours guides the exterior only, and Bon Journey gives you a self-guided interior visit on its exterior option.
Do Notre Dame Cathedral tours include the towers?+
No listing I compared includes the towers. The Bon Journey listing says access to the cathedral towers is not included, and the official towers site sells the climb separately at 16 euros for 424 steps, per the official towers site.
Is there a Notre Dame Cathedral tour in English?+
Yes, six of the seven are in English. Only the Smart City tour at $11 runs in French. Memories France supplies headsets, and the Tour Guy tour is semi-private.
Can I take a Notre Dame Cathedral tour without booking?+
I would not rely on it. Every tour here has a fixed start time and a meeting point, mostly at the Charlemagne statue in front of the cathedral. Memories France meets at its own agency, away from the entrance, and warns that the entrance is too crowded to find the group.
