# Paris Landmarks: Which Need Tickets Booked in Advance, Which Are Free (2026)

> Eleven Paris landmarks sorted into timed slots that sell out, free entries resellers charge for and walk-up sites, with 2026 prices from €8 to €36.70.

Source: https://www.paristravelguide.org/paris-landmarks-tickets-guide/ · Paris Travel Guide · Published November 15, 2026 · Updated November 15, 2026 · Checked November 2026

## At a Glance

- Eiffel Tower lift tickets go on sale about 60 days ahead on toureiffel.paris. The summit by lift costs €36.70 for an adult, and the second floor by the stairs costs €14.80.
- The Paris Catacombs sell timed tickets online only, seven days in advance, at €31 for an adult with the audioguide included. The site is closed on Mondays.
- Sainte-Chapelle has charged €22 to visitors from outside the European Economic Area since January 12, 2026, against €16 for EEA residents, and every visitor needs a time slot.
- Notre-Dame Cathedral is free to enter. The optional reservation on notredamedeparis.fr is also free, and the cathedral stays open until 10:00 p.m. on Thursdays.
- The Notre-Dame towers cost €16, are sold online only with a compulsory time slot, and involve 424 steps with no lift.
- The Sacré-Cœur basilica in the 18th arrondissement is free and open daily from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. The dome costs €8 for adults, paid on site, up 280 steps.
- The Arc de Triomphe costs €16 from October to March and €22 from April to September. Its lift is being modernized, so all 284 steps are on foot.
- The Palais Garnier self-guided visit costs €25 for non-EEA adults and €15 for EEA adults, and online booking is mandatory, with no visit tickets sold on site.
- The Montparnasse Tower observation deck in the 15th arrondissement closed on March 31, 2026, for a renovation of several years.
- The Paris Museum Pass costs €85 for 2 days, €105 for 4 and €125 for 6. It covers the Arc de Triomphe, Sainte-Chapelle, the Conciergerie, the Panthéon, the Army Museum and the Notre-Dame towers, but not the Eiffel Tower or the Catacombs.

Most Paris landmarks do not need to be booked weeks ahead, and the few that do sell out fast enough to break a plan. Five sites run timed tickets with real scarcity: the Eiffel Tower lifts, Sainte-Chapelle, the Catacombs, the Notre-Dame towers and the Palais Garnier. Two of the most visited buildings in the city, Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Sacré-Cœur basilica, cost nothing at all. The rest sell tickets at the door or online without much pressure.

Search results blur those three groups into one checklist of "skip-the-line" tickets, and resellers profit from the confusion. Pages still sell paid entry to a free cathedral, recommend a Montparnasse Tower deck that closed in March 2026, quote pre-2026 prices for Sainte-Chapelle and the Palais Garnier, and promise Museum Pass priority that no longer exists. The 2026 two-tier pricing for visitors from outside the European Economic Area is missing from most of them.

This guide sorts eleven landmarks into those three groups, with the arrondissement, metro line, closing day, price, booking window and Museum Pass status for each. Each site links to its own detailed guide, and the what to book in advance guide extends the same calendar to museums and shows. Prices, hours and booking rules below were checked against official websites in November 2026.

## Three Kinds of Landmark, Sold as One

The question "do I need to book?" has three different answers in Paris, and the cost of getting it wrong runs in opposite directions.

**Timed slots that sell out.** The Eiffel Tower, Sainte-Chapelle, the Catacombs, the Notre-Dame towers and the Palais Garnier cap visitor numbers by time slot. The Catacombs hold 200 people underground at once. Sainte-Chapelle sits inside the security perimeter of the Palais de Justice. The towers of Notre-Dame have a narrow staircase and a five-minute limit at the top. For these, the mistake is waiting. A missing booking means a lost day or a reseller markup.

**Free entries that resellers charge for.** Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Sacré-Cœur basilica are working churches, free to everyone. Notre-Dame offers a free optional reservation. Sacré-Cœur has no reservation at all. For these, the mistake is paying. Third-party sites sell "priority entry" and guided packages that add nothing a free reservation or a ten-minute wait would not give.

**Walk-up sites.** The Arc de Triomphe, the Conciergerie, the Panthéon and the Army Museum at Les Invalides sell dated tickets online, but they rarely run out outside the peak summer weeks and the free first Sundays. For these, the mistake is over-planning. Locking a 10:00 a.m. slot at the Panthéon removes flexibility for no gain.

One rule cuts across all three groups. Every site below sells its own tickets on its own website, and any landmark that requires a booking says so on that website. If a ticket is cheaper or easier on the official page than on a reseller, the official page is the only one worth using.

## Group One: Timed Slots That Sell Out

### Eiffel Tower

Worth booking the day your dates are fixed if you want the lift to the summit, not if the second floor by the stairs is enough. The Eiffel Tower stands on the Champ de Mars in the 7th arrondissement. Metro line 6 stops at Bir-Hakeim, line 9 at Trocadéro and line 8 at École Militaire, and RER C stops at Champ de Mars–Tour Eiffel. In November 2026 the tower opens from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., with last ascents at 10:45 p.m. It has no weekly closing day.

Four standard adult tickets exist in 2026. The second floor by the stairs costs €14.80. The second floor by lift costs €23.50. The summit by stairs to the second floor and then lift costs €28. The summit by lift costs €36.70. Ages 12 to 24 pay half (€7.40 to €18.40), children 4 to 11 pay €3.80 to €9.20, and under-4s need a free ticket. The three floors sit at 57 meters, 116 meters and 276 meters. New fares apply to visits from January 11, 2027, with the summit by lift rising to €37.70 and the second floor by the stairs to €15.20.

The official ticket office at toureiffel.paris releases lift tickets about 60 days ahead. One official FAQ page states up to 90 days for lift tickets and 60 for stairs, so the calendar on the booking page is the real reference for any date. Summit lift tickets go first. Tickets are dated, timed and cannot be exchanged, modified or refunded. A second-floor ticket cannot be upgraded to the summit on site.

The official site states plainly that there is no such thing as a "skip-the-line" ticket for the tower. Third-party versions cost more and give the same access. When online lift tickets are gone, the ticket offices at the foot of the tower sell same-day tickets at the standard rate, depending on attendance, and the stairs kiosk on the esplanade usually has the shorter line.

The limitation: the summit closes in high wind and at peak times, and a summit ticket bought 60 days ahead cannot be moved if the weather turns. The Eiffel Tower tickets guide compares the four formulas, and the best time to visit the Eiffel Tower covers the quiet hours.

### Sainte-Chapelle

Worth booking for a specific hour, because the time slot is compulsory for everyone, including free visitors and Museum Pass holders. Sainte-Chapelle is at 10 boulevard du Palais on the Île de la Cité, in the 1st arrondissement. Metro line 4 stops at Cité, lines 1, 7, 11 and 14 at Châtelet, and RER B and C at Saint-Michel. It opens from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. from April 1 to September 30, and from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from October 1 to March 31, with last entry 30 minutes before closing. It closes on January 1, May 1 and December 25.

Since January 12, 2026, the individual ticket costs €22 for visitors who are neither nationals nor residents of the European Economic Area, and €16 for EEA nationals and residents of more than four months. The combined ticket with the Conciergerie costs €30 and €23. Under-18s and EU nationals aged 18 to 25 enter free, and the chapel is free on the first Sunday of January, February, March, November and December.

Each slot is a 30-minute window. The official page asks visitors to arrive at the booked time and not earlier.

The limitation: the upper chapel is a single room, and it is at its best in bright daylight, so a 4:30 p.m. slot in December buys a dim visit at full price. The Sainte-Chapelle tickets guide covers the light by hour and month.

### Paris Catacombs

Worth booking exactly seven days ahead, the day tickets are released, because the site is small and online sales are the only route. The visitor entrance is at 1 avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, on place Denfert-Rochereau in the 14th arrondissement. Metro lines 4 and 6 and RER B stop at Denfert-Rochereau. The Catacombs open Tuesday to Sunday from 9:45 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., with last admission at 7:30 p.m. They close on Mondays and on January 1, May 1 and December 25.

The full rate is €31 with the audioguide included. The reduced rate for ages 5 to 26 and students is €25, the child rate for ages 8 to 17 is €15, and under-8s are free. The Catacombs are run by Paris Musées, the city's museum body, so the Paris Museum Pass does not apply.

The route is 1.5 kilometers, one way, with 131 steps down and 112 up, and lasts about 45 minutes to an hour at a constant 14°C. The exit is at 21 bis avenue René-Coty, about 700 meters from the entrance. Bags larger than 40 by 30 by 20 centimeters, suitcases, motorcycle helmets and strollers are refused, and there is no cloakroom. Children under 14 must be with an adult.

Visitors entitled to free entry, including disabled visitors and their companion and jobseekers, cannot book online. They get their ticket at the front desk with proof and are guaranteed entry even when the site shows fully booked. Everyone else needs the timed e-ticket. The official site lists the authorized resellers for days that sell out.

The limitation: the site is not wheelchair accessible and is not recommended for visitors with heart or breathing conditions or claustrophobia. The Catacombs tickets guide covers the release time, the stairs and children.

### Towers of Notre-Dame

Worth booking for anyone who can climb 424 steps, and the only paid view over the Île de la Cité. The tower entrance is on place Jean-Paul II, to the right when facing the cathedral, on the Île de la Cité in the 4th arrondissement. Metro line 4 stops at Cité, and RER B and C at Saint-Michel. The towers open from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. from April 1 to September 30 and from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. from October 1 to March 31, with last admission one hour before closing. They close on January 1, May 1 and December 25, and in bad weather.

The individual ticket costs €16, with no separate non-EEA rate. Tickets are sold online only, through the Centre des monuments nationaux, and nothing is sold on site. A time slot is compulsory for everyone, including free visitors and Museum Pass holders, and free tickets are limited per slot.

The climb is 424 steps to 69 meters, with no lift, no water point and no toilets. Time at the top is limited to five minutes.

The limitation: groups are not admitted, and the five-minute cap at the top makes this a short visit for the effort. The Notre-Dame visit guide covers the towers, the treasury and the free cathedral together.

### Palais Garnier

Worth booking online before arriving, because the opera house sells no visit tickets at the door. The Palais Garnier stands at the corner of rue Scribe and rue Auber in the 9th arrondissement. Metro lines 3, 7 and 8 stop at Opéra. On the November 2026 day checked, visits ran from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with last admission one hour before closing. Hours vary with rehearsals and performances, so the calendar on the Opéra national de Paris website is the only reliable reference.

The 2026 self-guided visit costs €25 for adults from outside the EEA and €15 for adults from France or the EEA. Ages 13 to 25 pay €20 or €10, and children aged 12 and under enter free. The guided tour, about 90 minutes, costs €35 for non-EEA adults and €25 for EEA adults. A 45-minute flash tour costs €25 or €15. The Paris Museum Pass does not cover the Palais Garnier.

Online booking is mandatory and only the official website and authorized agencies sell visit tickets. Free tickets booked online must be collected at the ticket office.

The limitation: rehearsals close the auditorium often and without notice, and the official page says no ticket guarantees access to it. A visit on a rehearsal day shows the Grand Staircase, the Grand Foyer and the public areas, without the Chagall ceiling. The Palais Garnier visit guide compares the self-guided and guided options.

## Group Two: Free Entries That Resellers Charge For

### Notre-Dame Cathedral

Worth a free reservation from April to October, not worth a cent paid to anyone. Notre-Dame Cathedral stands on the parvis on the Île de la Cité in the 4th arrondissement. Metro line 4 stops at Cité, and RER B and C at Saint-Michel. The cathedral is open Monday to Friday from 7:50 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., until 10:00 p.m. on Thursdays, and on Saturday and Sunday from 8:15 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., with last entry 30 minutes before closing. Hours shift for services and major celebrations, and the official site posts changes.

Entry is free for everyone. No ticket is required. The cathedral's official site, [notredamedeparis.fr](https://www.notredamedeparis.fr/en/), offers a free reservation that shortens the wait, and states that no third-party platform is authorized to sell tickets. Slots are released at short notice, on the day or a day or two ahead depending on the period, so a reservation cannot be made weeks in advance. Without one, the line on the parvis moves continuously and is shortest early in the morning and on Thursday evenings.

The Paris Museum Pass office makes the same point in plain words: admission to the cathedral is always free, and no ticket should ever be bought from a website, a tour operator or a seller on the parvis. The guided "skip-the-line" packages sold by resellers buy a place in a line that a free reservation already shortens.

The limitation: services take priority, and parts of the nave close during Mass, so a Sunday morning visit sees less of the building. The Notre-Dame visit guide has the hours by day and the reservation steps.

### Treasury of Notre-Dame

Worth it for visitors interested in liturgical objects and reliquaries, not for a first quick visit. The treasury is inside the cathedral. It opens Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., until 8:30 p.m. on Thursdays. Tickets are bought at the desk inside, with no online reservation. The cathedral does not publish the price online. Visitor guides updated in 2026 give €12 full rate and €6 for students and children under 12. The Paris Museum Pass does not list the treasury among its sites.

The limitation: it is the one paid area inside a free building, and the price is easy to confuse with the towers, which are booked and paid separately.

### Sacré-Cœur Basilica

Worth visiting at any hour, free, with no booking of any kind. The Basilica of Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre is at 35 rue du Chevalier de La Barre in the 18th arrondissement. Metro line 2 stops at Anvers and line 12 at Abbesses, with line 4 at Barbès–Rochechouart a longer walk away. The Montmartre funicular from the foot of the hill takes a standard metro ticket, €2.55 in 2026.

The basilica is open every day of the year from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., and stays open later on the first Thursday of each month and on major feast days. Entry is free for everyone. The official site warns of a wait of 10 to 15 minutes between 10:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. A security check sits at the door.

The limitation: the steps and the square below the basilica are a known spot for the friendship-bracelet trick and for pickpockets, and anyone who offers "tickets" or "a tour inside" on the steps is selling a free building. The scams guide names the tricks, and the Sacré-Cœur and Montmartre guide covers the quiet way up.

### Sacré-Cœur Dome

Worth the climb for a 360-degree view without booking, not for anyone uneasy in narrow staircases. The dome entrance is outside the basilica, after the security check, down in the moat to the left, with the ticket window about 20 meters to the right at the bottom of the stairs. The dome opens daily from 10:15 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with last admission at 5:00 p.m., and closes at midday for the staff break. Hours vary with the season and the weather, and the official site advises checking the day before.

The financial contribution is €8 for adults from age 16 and €5 for children up to age 15, paid on site at the window or machine. No advance booking is needed or possible. The Paris Museum Pass does not cover it.

The limitation: the only way up is 280 steps on a narrow staircase, with no lift and no toilets at the top. The official site advises against it for people with limited mobility, pregnant visitors and very young children.

## Group Three: Walk-Up Sites Where Booking Is Optional

### Arc de Triomphe

Worth it for the Champs-Élysées axis and the Eiffel Tower on the skyline, especially in winter when the ticket is cheaper. The Arc de Triomphe stands on place Charles de Gaulle in the 8th arrondissement. Metro lines 1, 2 and 6 and RER A stop at Charles de Gaulle–Étoile. The roundabout is not crossed on foot: the entrance is through the pedestrian underpass from the top of the Champs-Élysées or avenue de la Grande-Armée.

From April 1 to September 30 it opens from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., and from October 1 to March 31 from 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. On Tuesdays it opens at 11:00 a.m. Last admission is 45 minutes before closing. It closes on May 1, May 8, July 14 and the morning of November 11, closes early on December 24, 25 and 31 and January 1, and may close for official ceremonies.

The individual ticket costs €16 from October 1 to March 31. From April 1 to September 30 it costs €22, or €16 on Wednesdays. There is no separate non-EEA rate. Under-18s and EU nationals aged 18 to 25 enter free, and the Arc is free on the first Sunday of January, February, March, November and December. The Paris Museum Pass covers it.

The lift is being modernized, so the 50-meter roof is reached by 284 steps, including a first flight of 180, with seated landings. The official page advises against the climb for anyone who finds stairs difficult and for young children who are not steady walkers.

The limitation: the roof is busiest at sunset in summer, when the €22 rate applies, and the stairs are the only way up until the lift work ends. The Arc de Triomphe rooftop guide covers the underpass and sunset timing.

### Conciergerie

Worth adding to Sainte-Chapelle with the combined ticket, rarely worth a separate trip. The Conciergerie is at 2 boulevard du Palais in the 1st arrondissement, next door to Sainte-Chapelle. Metro line 4 stops at Cité, lines 1, 7, 11 and 14 at Châtelet, and RER B and C at Saint-Michel. It opens every day from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., with last entry at 5:30 p.m., and closes on May 1 and December 25.

The individual ticket costs €13, with no separate non-EEA rate. The twin ticket with Sainte-Chapelle, €30 for non-EEA visitors and €23 for EEA residents, is sold only on the Sainte-Chapelle website. Under-18s and EU nationals aged 18 to 25 enter free, and the Conciergerie is free on the first Sunday of January, February, March and November. The Paris Museum Pass covers it, and the pass office lists a slot reservation alongside Sainte-Chapelle.

The limitation: the visit is short, about an hour, and its interest is historical rather than visual. The Conciergerie guide explains what the HistoPad adds.

### Panthéon

Worth an hour for the crypt and Foucault's pendulum, but not for the view in 2026. The Panthéon is on place du Panthéon in the 5th arrondissement. Metro line 10 stops at Maubert-Mutualité and line 7 at Place Monge, and RER B stops at Luxembourg. It opens from 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. from April 1 to September 30 and from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. from October 1 to March 31, with last access 45 minutes before closing. It opens at noon on the first working Monday of each month and closes on January 1, May 1 and December 25.

The ticket costs €13 in November 2026 and covers the nave and the crypt. The summer rate in 2025 was €16. The audioguide costs €5. Under-16s with an adult enter free, EU nationals aged 16 to 25 enter free at the desk, and the Panthéon is free on the first Sunday of January, February, March, November and December. The Paris Museum Pass covers it.

The limitation: the panoramic colonnade around the dome is closed to visitors, so the Panthéon no longer works as a viewpoint. The Panthéon guide covers the crypt and how long to stay.

### Les Invalides and the Army Museum

Worth half a day for military history and Napoleon's tomb, no booking needed. The Musée de l'Armée occupies the Hôtel national des Invalides in the 7th arrondissement. The entrances are at 129 rue de Grenelle, on the esplanade side, and 2 place Vauban, on the Dôme side. Metro line 8 stops at La Tour-Maubourg and Invalides, line 13 at Varennes and Invalides, and RER C at Invalides. It opens every day from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., with a late opening from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on the first Friday of each month. It closes on January 1, May 1 and December 25.

The "Museum and exhibitions" ticket costs €17, or €12 at the reduced rate and €10 for the first-Friday late opening. It includes the permanent collections, the Dôme church and the tomb of Napoleon I, the current temporary exhibition, the Musée de l'Ordre de la Libération and the Musée des Plans-Reliefs. EU nationals and residents aged 18 to 25 pay €5. A combined ticket with the Musée Rodin nearby costs €26 and is valid for three months. Paris Museum Pass holders go straight to the entrance with no booking.

The limitation: the collections are large, and visitors who only want the tomb still pay the full €17. The Les Invalides and Napoleon's tomb guide suggests a route for each level of interest.

## Closed in 2026: The Montparnasse Tower Observation Deck

The Montparnasse Tower observation deck, at 33 avenue du Maine in the 15th arrondissement, closed to the public on March 31, 2026, for a renovation that its operator says will last several years. The tower sits above Montparnasse–Bienvenüe, served by metro lines 4, 6, 12 and 13, and the deck used to open on the 56th floor with a rooftop terrace above.

Before the closure, the standard ticket cost €23 online and €19 on site. Many pages still recommend it as the cheaper view that includes the Eiffel Tower, and some resellers still list it. No ticket for the deck is valid in 2026.

The replacements for a view that includes the Eiffel Tower are the Arc de Triomphe roof (€16 in winter, 284 steps), the Notre-Dame towers (€16, 424 steps) and the Sacré-Cœur dome (€8, 280 steps). None has a lift in 2026. The Montparnasse Tower guide tracks the reopening, and the best Eiffel Tower views guide lists free viewpoints at street level.

## The 2026 Non-EU Price Rises

Since January 2026, a handful of state-run sites charge visitors from outside the European Economic Area more than EEA nationals and residents. The EEA is the 27 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Residents of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia pay the higher rate.

Among the landmarks in this guide, the change hits two. Sainte-Chapelle went to €22 for non-EEA visitors and €16 for EEA residents on January 12, 2026, and its combined ticket with the Conciergerie to €30 and €23. The Palais Garnier charges non-EEA adults €25 for the self-guided visit against €15, and €35 for the guided tour against €25. The Louvre, covered in the [museums guide](https://www.paristravelguide.org/paris-museums-guide/), lists a full rate of €32.

The Arc de Triomphe, the Conciergerie on its own, the Panthéon, the Notre-Dame towers, the Eiffel Tower, the Catacombs and the Army Museum kept a single price in 2026. The Arc's summer increase to €22 is seasonal, not a nationality rate. The non-EU ticket prices guide tracks every site with two tiers.

At the door, the lower rate requires proof: a passport or ID card for EEA nationals, or a residence document of more than three months. Only the non-EEA adult rate at the Palais Garnier is sold without proof. Buying the cheaper EEA ticket online without qualifying risks paying the difference at the entrance.

## The Paris Museum Pass at the Landmarks

The Paris Museum Pass costs €85 for 2 days (48 hours), €105 for 4 days (96 hours) and €125 for 6 days (144 hours), counted from the first visit. It allows one entry per site, excludes temporary exhibitions, and is neither refunded nor exchanged. It is sold on [parismuseumpass.fr](https://www.parismuseumpass.fr/en) and at participating sites.

Among the landmarks in this guide, the pass covers the Arc de Triomphe, Sainte-Chapelle, the Conciergerie, the Panthéon, the Army Museum and Napoleon's tomb, and the Notre-Dame towers. It also covers the archaeological crypt under the Notre-Dame parvis. It does not cover the Eiffel Tower, the Catacombs, the Palais Garnier, the Sacré-Cœur dome or the Notre-Dame treasury. The cathedral itself is free, so the pass adds nothing there.

The pass is not a skip-the-line card. Sainte-Chapelle, the Conciergerie and the Notre-Dame towers require pass holders to reserve a free time slot, within the limits of available places, on each site's own booking page. The pass office states that it cannot intervene in those bookings. At Sainte-Chapelle, pass holders go through the same Palais de Justice security line as everyone else.

The math for landmarks alone is tight. A two-day route through the Arc (€16 in winter), Sainte-Chapelle (€22), the Conciergerie (€13), the Panthéon (€13), the Army Museum (€17) and the Notre-Dame towers (€16) costs €97 at full price, €12 more than the two-day pass. Using the €30 combined Sainte-Chapelle and Conciergerie ticket brings the total to €92. The pass pays when landmarks are mixed with the Louvre (€32) or Orsay. The Museum Pass guide runs the numbers by itinerary.

## Free Entry Rules: Under 18, EU Under 26, First Sundays

Three rules make many landmarks free, and each has limits that resellers do not mention.

**Under 18.** Under-18s enter free at Sainte-Chapelle, the Conciergerie, the Arc de Triomphe and the Notre-Dame towers, whatever their nationality. At the Panthéon, under-16s with an adult enter free, and EU nationals aged 16 to 25 enter free. The Eiffel Tower, the Catacombs, the Palais Garnier and the Army Museum charge children, with their own reduced rates. A free ticket still needs a time slot where one is compulsory.

**EU nationals aged 18 to 25.** EU nationals and regular non-European residents of France aged 18 to 25 enter free at Sainte-Chapelle, the Conciergerie, the Arc de Triomphe, the Panthéon and the Notre-Dame towers. The Army Museum charges this group €5. American, British, Canadian and Australian students on a short trip do not qualify.

**First Sundays.** The Arc de Triomphe, Sainte-Chapelle and the Panthéon are free on the first Sunday of January, February, March, November and December. The Conciergerie is free on the first Sunday of January, February, March and November. The next dates are December 6, 2026, and January 3, February 7 and March 7, 2027. Lines are long on those mornings, and Sainte-Chapelle still requires a booked slot.

The free things to do guide adds the free churches, viewpoints and museums beyond these landmarks.

## When to Book What

| Landmark | Booking rule | When tickets open | Sold on site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eiffel Tower (lift) | Timed ticket, strongly advised | About 60 days ahead | Yes, same day, if available |
| Eiffel Tower (stairs) | Timed ticket online, or kiosk | 60 days ahead | Yes, blue kiosk |
| Sainte-Chapelle | Time slot compulsory for all | Official ticket office | Slot needed |
| Paris Catacombs | Online only, timed | 7 days ahead | Free-entry visitors only |
| Notre-Dame towers | Online only, slot compulsory | Official ticket office | No |
| Palais Garnier | Online booking mandatory | Official ticket office | No |
| Notre-Dame Cathedral | Free, optional free reservation | Same day or a day or two ahead | No ticket needed |
| Sacré-Cœur basilica | Free, no reservation | Not applicable | No ticket needed |
| Sacré-Cœur dome | No booking | Not applicable | Yes, only on site |
| Arc de Triomphe | Optional online ticket | Official ticket office | Yes |
| Conciergerie | Online advised | Official ticket office | Yes |
| Panthéon | Optional online ticket | Official ticket office | Yes |
| Army Museum | Optional online ticket | Official ticket office | Yes |

For the sites marked "official ticket office," the window is set by the operator and changes by season. For Sainte-Chapelle and the Notre-Dame towers, booking as soon as travel dates are fixed removes the risk, and July, August and school holidays fill first.

## Closing Days and Late Openings

The weekly closing day catches more visitors than any sold-out date. Among the eleven landmarks, only the Catacombs close one day a week, on Mondays. The others open daily, with annual closures on a few public holidays.

| Landmark | Weekly closing | Annual closures | Late opening |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eiffel Tower | None | Exceptional only | Last ascent 10:45 p.m. in November |
| Sainte-Chapelle | None | Jan 1, May 1, Dec 25 | 7:00 p.m., April to September |
| Paris Catacombs | Monday | Jan 1, May 1, Dec 25 | 8:30 p.m., Tuesday to Sunday |
| Notre-Dame towers | None | Jan 1, May 1, Dec 25 | 11:00 p.m., April to September |
| Palais Garnier | Varies with performances | Check calendar | None |
| Notre-Dame Cathedral | None | Services take priority | 10:00 p.m. on Thursdays |
| Sacré-Cœur basilica | None | None | 10:30 p.m. daily |
| Arc de Triomphe | None (opens 11:00 a.m. Tuesday) | May 1, May 8, July 14, morning of Nov 11 | 11:00 p.m., April to September |
| Conciergerie | None | May 1, Dec 25 | None |
| Panthéon | None (opens noon first working Monday) | Jan 1, May 1, Dec 25 | None |
| Army Museum | None | Jan 1, May 1, Dec 25 | 10:00 p.m., first Friday of the month |

May 1 is the one date when most landmarks close together. Sainte-Chapelle, the Conciergerie, the Catacombs, the Notre-Dame towers, the Panthéon, the Army Museum and the Arc de Triomphe all close that day. The public holidays and closures guide lists the rest of the year, and Paris on a Sunday covers what changes at the weekend.

## Security Checks, Bags and Queues

Every landmark in this guide runs a bag check, and bag rules are the second most common reason visitors lose a slot. The Eiffel Tower refuses large luggage and has no left-luggage office. The Catacombs refuse suitcases, strollers and bags larger than 40 by 30 by 20 centimeters. Sainte-Chapelle refuses large bags, glass bottles and knives at the Palais de Justice screening. A booked slot shortens the ticket line, not the security line.

Pickpockets work the crowds around Trocadéro, the Eiffel Tower esplanade, the Sacré-Cœur steps and the metro line 1 platforms. The pickpockets guide covers the methods.

## By Situation

### You have three days and want the big four

Book the Eiffel Tower summit by lift as soon as the 60-day window opens, and Sainte-Chapelle a week or two ahead. Reserve Notre-Dame Cathedral for free on the day. Walk up to the Arc de Triomphe at night, when it stays open until 10:30 p.m. in winter and 11:00 p.m. in summer. The [3-day itinerary](https://www.paristravelguide.org/paris-3-days-itinerary/) orders the days around closing times.

### You are traveling with children under 12

The Eiffel Tower charges €3.80 to €9.20 for ages 4 to 11, and under-4s go free with a free ticket. Sainte-Chapelle, the Arc de Triomphe and the Notre-Dame towers are free for under-18s. The Catacombs and the stair climbs are poor choices for young children: the Catacombs are 243 steps and a narrow dark route, and the Arc, the dome and the towers have 280 to 424 steps with no lift. The Army Museum is a better indoor choice. The Eiffel Tower with kids guide covers strollers and timing.

### You want a view and cannot climb stairs

The Eiffel Tower is the only landmark in this guide with lifts to the top in 2026, and its summit is not suitable for people with limited mobility, per the official site. The second floor by lift (€23.50) is the realistic option. The Arc de Triomphe lift is under modernization, the Montparnasse deck is closed and the Panthéon colonnade is closed. The accessible travel guide lists step-free alternatives.

### You are on a tight budget

The Notre-Dame Cathedral and Sacré-Cœur basilica are free every day. The Eiffel Tower second floor by the stairs costs €14.80. The Arc de Triomphe is €16 from October to March and on Wednesdays in summer, and free on winter first Sundays. The Sacré-Cœur dome costs €8. That covers two free interiors and three views for under €40. The Paris on a budget guide builds a full day on similar numbers.

### You only have one afternoon on the Île de la Cité

Book Sainte-Chapelle for the earliest afternoon slot that the light allows, buy the €30 combined ticket if the Conciergerie interests you, and walk under ten minutes to Notre-Dame. Reserve the cathedral for free, and book the towers if you can climb 424 steps. On a Thursday, the cathedral stays open until 10:00 p.m. The Île de la Cité guide maps the walk.

## What It Actually Costs

All prices are adult rates for a single visit in November 2026, from the official sites.

| Landmark | Adult price | Non-EEA rate | Museum Pass | Not included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eiffel Tower, 2nd floor by stairs | €14.80 | Same | No | Summit, food, champagne |
| Eiffel Tower, 2nd floor by lift | €23.50 | Same | No | Summit |
| Eiffel Tower, summit by stairs + lift | €28 | Same | No | Lift to 2nd floor |
| Eiffel Tower, summit by lift | €36.70 | Same | No | Guided tour |
| Sainte-Chapelle | €16 (EEA) | €22 | Yes, slot needed | Audioguide €4 |
| Sainte-Chapelle + Conciergerie | €23 (EEA) | €30 | Yes, slot needed | Audioguide |
| Paris Catacombs | €31 | Same | No | Audioguide included |
| Notre-Dame towers | €16 | Same | Yes, slot needed | Treasury, cathedral is free |
| Notre-Dame Cathedral | Free | Free | Not needed | Treasury about €12, paid inside |
| Palais Garnier, self-guided | €15 (EEA) | €25 | No | Guided tour €25 or €35 |
| Sacré-Cœur basilica | Free | Free | Not needed | Dome |
| Sacré-Cœur dome | €8 | Same | No | Funicular, €2.55 metro ticket |
| Arc de Triomphe | €16 (Oct–Mar), €22 (Apr–Sep) | Same | Yes | Nothing on site |
| Conciergerie | €13 | Same | Yes | Sainte-Chapelle |
| Panthéon | €13 | Same | Yes | Audioguide €5 |
| Army Museum and Napoleon's tomb | €17 | Same | Yes | Guided tours from €19.50 |

Three costs sit outside the ticket price. Reseller "skip-the-line" packages for the Eiffel Tower and Notre-Dame cost more than the official ticket and buy the same access, or access to something free. Eiffel Tower tickets are non-refundable, so a rained-out summit is a sunk cost. And the 2026 non-EEA rates add €6 per person at Sainte-Chapelle and €10 at the Palais Garnier.

A first-time route through the Eiffel Tower summit by lift, Sainte-Chapelle, the Arc de Triomphe in winter, the Notre-Dame towers and the free cathedral and basilica costs €90.70 per non-EEA adult at full price. Swapping the summit for the second floor by the stairs brings it to €68.80. The [Paris travel budget guide](https://www.paristravelguide.org/paris-travel-budget/) places those figures in a full daily budget.

## What Other Guides Get Wrong

1. **Selling Notre-Dame Cathedral as a ticketed visit.** Many pages and reseller listings sell paid skip-the-line entry to the cathedral. Entry is free, the reservation is free and optional, and the cathedral's official site says no third-party platform is authorized to sell tickets. Only the towers (€16) and the treasury are paid.
2. **Recommending the Montparnasse Tower deck.** The observation deck closed on March 31, 2026, for a renovation of several years. Pages that still call it the best view of the Eiffel Tower, at €19 to €23, send visitors to a closed floor.
3. **Quoting pre-2026 prices at Sainte-Chapelle and the Palais Garnier.** Sainte-Chapelle now charges €22 to non-EEA visitors, and the Palais Garnier €25. Guides still listing a single Sainte-Chapelle price of €13 or €20 are two price changes behind, and none of them explains the EEA proof required at the door.
4. **Promising Museum Pass priority.** The pass allows one entry per site and no longer skips lines. Sainte-Chapelle, the Conciergerie and the Notre-Dame towers require pass holders to book a free time slot, and the Eiffel Tower and the Catacombs are not covered at all.
5. **Listing the Panthéon as a viewpoint and the Arc de Triomphe as having a lift.** The Panthéon colonnade is closed to visitors in 2026, and the Arc's lift is being modernized, so its 284 steps are the only way up.
6. **Calling every landmark a "book weeks ahead" site.** The Arc de Triomphe, the Conciergerie, the Panthéon and the Army Museum rarely sell out. The Catacombs cannot be booked weeks ahead at all, because tickets are released only seven days before the visit.

## Detailed Guides

- Eiffel Tower tickets: which of the four formulas to buy, and what to do when the summit sells out.
- Best time to visit the Eiffel Tower: the quietest hours by season, and the sparkle schedule after dark.
- Best Eiffel Tower views: Trocadéro, Bir-Hakeim and the free viewpoints ranked against the paid decks.
- Eating at the Eiffel Tower: whether the restaurants inside the tower justify their price.
- Notre-Dame visit guide: the free reservation, the towers and the treasury after the reopening.
- Sainte-Chapelle tickets: which time slot gets the best light and when the combined ticket pays.
- Conciergerie: how long the visit takes and what the HistoPad adds.
- Arc de Triomphe rooftop: the underpass, the 284 steps and the sunset timing.
- Sacré-Cœur and Montmartre: the dome, the funicular and the scams on the steps.
- Paris Catacombs tickets: the seven-day release, the stairs and whether it suits children.
- Panthéon: the crypt, the pendulum and how long to spend with the colonnade closed.
- Palais Garnier visit: self-guided against guided, and how to see a performance.
- Les Invalides and Napoleon's tomb: what the €17 ticket covers and how long each part takes.
- Montparnasse Tower observation deck: the 2026 closure and the alternatives for a view that includes the Eiffel Tower.
- What to book in advance in Paris: release dates and sell-out times for every major ticket in the city.

## Where to Go Next

For the museums that sit beside these landmarks on most itineraries, from the Louvre's €32 non-EEA rate to the Orsay closing day, the [Paris museums guide](https://www.paristravelguide.org/paris-museums-guide/) applies the same three-group test. The Museum Pass guide decides whether the pass pays for a given route, and the what to book in advance guide gives every release date in one calendar. To decide which arrondissement puts the most landmarks within walking distance, the [Paris arrondissements guide](https://www.paristravelguide.org/paris-arrondissements-guide/) compares all twenty.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Which Paris landmarks do I need to book in advance?

Five need a booking before the day: the Eiffel Tower if you want the lift (tickets open about 60 days ahead and sell out in busy periods), Sainte-Chapelle (time slot for everyone), the Catacombs (online only, released seven days ahead), the Notre-Dame towers (online only, time slot compulsory) and the Palais Garnier (online booking mandatory, nothing sold on site). The Arc de Triomphe, the Conciergerie, the Panthéon and the Army Museum at Les Invalides sell tickets online but rarely run out. The cathedral of Notre-Dame and the Sacré-Cœur basilica are free and need no ticket at all.

### Do I need a ticket for Notre-Dame Cathedral?

No. Notre-Dame Cathedral is free and no ticket is required to enter. The cathedral offers a free optional reservation on its official website, notredamedeparis.fr, which reduces the wait in busy periods, and slots are released a short time before each day. Any site that charges for skip-the-line entry to the cathedral is selling something that is free. The parts that cost money are separate: the towers at €16, booked online through the Centre des monuments nationaux, and the treasury, paid at the desk inside. The cathedral is open from 7:50 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on weekdays, until 10:00 p.m. on Thursdays, and from 8:15 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at weekends.

### How far in advance should I book Eiffel Tower tickets?

As soon as your dates are fixed, within the sale window. The official ticket office opens lift tickets about 60 days before the visit date, and one official FAQ page gives up to 90 days for lift tickets, so check the calendar on toureiffel.paris for your date. Lift tickets to the summit sell out first, especially from April to September and in school holidays. If the summit by lift is gone, the stairs-plus-lift ticket at €28 still reaches the top, and stairs tickets to the second floor at €14.80 are sold online and at the blue kiosk on the esplanade. Tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded.

### Is the Paris Museum Pass worth it for landmarks?

Only if you combine landmarks with museums. The pass costs €85 for 2 days, €105 for 4 and €125 for 6. On landmarks alone, a two-day route through the Arc de Triomphe (€16 to €22), Sainte-Chapelle (€22 for non-EEA visitors), the Conciergerie (€13), the Panthéon (€13), the Army Museum (€17) and the Notre-Dame towers (€16) adds up to €97 to €103, so the two-day pass pays for itself at five or six sites. It does not cover the Eiffel Tower, the Catacombs, the Palais Garnier or the Sacré-Cœur dome, and it never replaces a time slot at Sainte-Chapelle or the Notre-Dame towers.

### Are the Paris Catacombs sold out, and what can I do?

They often are, because the Catacombs release tickets online only, seven days ahead, for a site limited to 200 visitors at a time. Check the official ticket office the moment your date opens. If the day is full, do not buy from a reseller at a markup without checking the list of authorized vendors on catacombes.paris.fr. Visitors entitled to free entry, such as disabled visitors and their companion, cannot book online but are guaranteed entry at the desk with proof, even when the site shows fully booked. The Catacombs are closed on Mondays and open Tuesday to Sunday from 9:45 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

### Can I still go up the Montparnasse Tower in 2026?

No. The observation deck of the Montparnasse Tower, at 33 avenue du Maine in the 15th arrondissement, closed to the public on March 31, 2026, for a renovation project that the operator says will last several years. Pages that still list its 56th-floor deck as a cheaper alternative to the Eiffel Tower are out of date. The closest substitutes for a view that includes the Eiffel Tower are the Arc de Triomphe roof (€16 from October to March, 284 steps), the Notre-Dame towers (€16, 424 steps) and the Sacré-Cœur dome (€8, 280 steps). The Panthéon colonnade is also closed to visitors.

### Why do non-EU visitors pay more at some Paris landmarks in 2026?

Since January 2026 several state-run sites charge a higher rate to visitors who are neither nationals nor residents of the European Economic Area. At Sainte-Chapelle the individual ticket is €22 against €16, and the combined ticket with the Conciergerie is €30 against €23. The Palais Garnier charges non-EEA adults €25 against €15. The Louvre's full rate, listed by the Paris Museum Pass, is €32. Other landmarks have kept one price for everyone in 2026, including the Arc de Triomphe, the Conciergerie on its own, the Panthéon and the Notre-Dame towers. Proof of EEA residence is checked at the door for the lower rate.

### When are Paris landmarks free on the first Sunday of the month?

Only at some sites and only in winter months. The Arc de Triomphe, Sainte-Chapelle and the Panthéon are free on the first Sunday of January, February, March, November and December. The Conciergerie is free on the first Sunday of January, February, March and November. The next dates are December 6, 2026, then January 3, February 7 and March 7, 2027. Sainte-Chapelle still requires a time slot on those days, and queues are long. The Eiffel Tower, the Catacombs, the Palais Garnier and the Army Museum have no free first Sunday. Under-18s enter most state-run landmarks free on any day.