We visited Notre Dame not long before the fire and were able to visit it again in late February 2025, just after it reopened. It is magnificent. Notre Dame was always a great cathedral for both national and religious reasons, but in the years before the fire it was sadly in need of some restoration. With the fire, they undertook not only to rebuild it in the same way it was beforehand, but they also did major restoration work that makes it brighter and even more impressive than ever. There has been strong interest in seeing the cathedral since it reopened, and there are two ways to do so. First, you can get reserved, timed tickets online. The times seemed to vary, but it appeared to us that most of the time, they become available after midnight Paris time for two or three days before the date of admission. Those slots fill up quickly. For those in the United States, you will need to log on 5 or 6 hours earlier (e.g., 6:00 or 7:00 p.m.), which is easier for most than midnight. Try logging on about 3 days before your visit for timed tickets. If you don’t get a timed ticket, don’t worry – you can also visit without one, but you will have to wait in line. The line moves very quickly – maybe 15 minutes on a Sunday morning. On that note, you are free to attend mass, but you might want to show up early as that is in high demand and the best seats are taken first. The mass is a beautiful service. Then entrance of the priests is dramatic. The altar is a large bowl with a glass top illuminated from the inside. The result is that the ceboria almost glow during the communion celebration. If you do not intend to go to a mass, you might want to avoid Sunday mornings as they are somewhat crowded due to the combination of tourists and mass-goers. Obviously, if you do go, you will need to be respectful of those attending for religious reasons. The interior renovation is complete, as is the front of the cathedral, but they are still doing work in back. You will see a derrick over part of the church and you won’t be able to see some of the classic views of the flying buttresses on the east (back) end. If you are walking around at night, it’s also worth swinging by as they illuminate the exterior and it is very striking.

April 15, 2019, is a day that conjures haunting memories for many across the world, and the televised images are seared upon the memories of a generation. I can still vividly recall the shrill scream of a woman’s voice as the iconic spire of Notre Dame collapsed amidst the flames that engulfed this cathedral. Although from the broadcast you could tell that she was in no personal danger while observing the unthinkable from across the Seine, the horror portrayed by her voice seemed to fluctuate within a full octave. As with much of the good still left in this world, Notre Dame’s irrepressible spirit has found a way to carry its light forward. While the exterior is still undergoing significant repairs that are estimated to continue into 2027, the interior has been sufficiently restored to permit visitors once again. Although entrance is free, gaining access can be a little complicated. Your first option is to arrive on the day and wait to see if an opportunity to enter becomes available. A second option is to navigate the online portal and seek out a ticketed reservation (of which there are limited opportunities that are in high demand). However, I would recommend that you consider attending a Mass. The service we attended was conducted entirely in French, but the message delivered by the organist and vocalist was worshipful in any language and filled every chamber of the cathedral. The acoustics here are amazing, and even though the walls are made of stone and glass, they seem to absorb, soften, and somehow harmonize the worshipful sounds from within. If you choose to attend a Mass be careful to arrive 30 minutes early and queue up in the correct line (as this one is separate from the others). Even though photography is not expressly forbidden during the service, that felt somehow inappropriate so all of the interior pictures that I’ve included were taken either before or after the Mass. Whether you choose to enter Notre Dame or not, I hope that you make time to at least enjoy the courtyard bells that once again ring out to welcome worshippers from around the world. And that’s…Henry’s Take. #notredame

Third time inside the cathedral. It's all bright and shiny since the fire. Sadly, as of January 2025, you cannot climb up. They say maybe by the summer. It's free and you can reserve a time slot on the cathedral's website no more than 3 days in advance. Even with a crowd inside, you won't need to spend more than an hour and even can walk the interior in 30-45 minutes.

This is a very busy attraction, even in a Wednesday in March so be prepared for crowds. Entrance is free, and the queue moved quickly for us but you can pre-book a fast track entry slot. Inside has been restored amazingly but I do think that the loss of centuries of patina has dented the impact, but that will return in time.

To see the arrow stand upright as before is extraordinary... But inside it is even better! Organs such as the various perfectly restored chapels, the pietà and the brand new stained glass windows will leave you speechless. Plan to arrive early in the morning on weekdays to avoid endless queues. An indispensable visit during a visit to Paris!

The most beautiful cathedral in the world It's like new, you have to visit it. I have never been able to book on the website online, but don’t be afraid of the queue, it moves fast, and you will also benefit from a magnificent viewpoint to take pictures of it. Little suggestion if you have time make the eternal virtual visit our lady, it is barely 2 steps, it costs about 21€, the reservation takes 5 minutes online, you benefit from the reduced rate and it is great. We did it afterwards but I would advise to do it before visiting the cathedral.

Notre Dame is even more magnificent now that it has been restored and centuries of grime have been removed from the stones and marble statues. I strongly recommend booking a time slot in advance which is free. This can be done online two days before you want to visit. There is a charge to go into the chancellery which contains displays of treasures saved from the fire. Given that the cathedral has only recently reopened demand is very high so there are a lot of visitors at any time. Parts of the outside the building are still undergoing restoration.

I had seen Notre Dame Cathedral several years ago before the 2019 fire and was ecstatic Being in Paris at the time of the reopening and having followed the event on television I wanted to review the interior which looks different much brighter with light tones Admission is free until December 2024 unfortunately I could not make the reservation online as it did not give me availability. On Monday 9 December I went outside anyway impossible to enter as many people as there were. The renovations lasted 5 years. Thanks to the contribution of benefactors from all over the world and mobilized workforce, you can admire again this jewel symbol of the city of Paris. C'est la France

After downloading the app and trying to book to see inside the cathedral for several days….we failed. Always sold out. However we went, joined the queue on a busy Saturday morning and after 15 minutes or so you are allowed inside. You have as much time as you like to see the incredible job that has been done since the horrendous fire. Yes it’s busy but it’s so worth seeing the glass and the stone work all cleaned. Don’t be put off by the apps inability to find you a slot.

We arrived at the reopening week on December 10th, 2024 and that's why it was a bit crowded and some parts outside were restricted. But we fully explored the magnificence of the inside of the cathedral. As soon as you are approaching the door, its enormousness and beauty amaze you. There were 5 or 6 vending machines where you could buy special medals designed for reopening. We got one of the last of them since most were already sold out