Should you book your ticket
What really needs booking
Entry to the royal necropolis : the choir, the ambulatory, the transept with the recumbent figures, the crypt, and La Fabrique de la Flèche from Tuesday to Sunday. This is the basic ticket, the one needed by the vast majority of visitors, described on its page. Alongside it, there are other options with their own specific terms : the ticket with audio commentary on smartphone, which must be prepared before arriving by downloading the app, headphones not provided, on its page ; and the Paris Museum Pass, which includes Saint-Denis but must be collected in person and is counted in days, on its page.
What does not require booking at all
The nave. You enter freely, without a ticket, without registration, just like in any church in the diocese : this is covered on the free entry page. The guided tour in French included with the ticket does not require booking either : it leaves at set times, from Monday to Saturday at 11 am and 3 pm, on Sunday at 12 :30 pm and 3 pm, and you just need to be present, ticket in hand, at the starting point. Confirm the time at the reception when you arrive, as it may shift depending on services.
When the ticket office is enough
A Tuesday in February at 10 am, a Thursday in October outside school holidays, a late afternoon in winter : you arrive, buy your ticket, and enter. The monument does not have the visitor numbers of the major sites in central Paris, and this is precisely what makes it the most comfortable visit in the region. If you belong to a category eligible for free entry — under 18s, 18-25s from the European Union or regular residents, and others listed on the prices page —, you still go through the ticket office, with your proof of eligibility.
When I book without hesitation
Three cases. A Saturday or a spring public holiday, when a queue forms on the square and you wait fifteen or twenty minutes outside. When you’ve travelled a long way for just one day and a delay would cost the entire trip. And when visiting with children, because one queue too many on top of the visit is one too many : I discuss this on the page about visiting with children.
What works
- No set time slot : you enter when you arrive
- The pre-booked ticket lets you skip the queue on the forecourt on busy days
- The included guided tour requires no prior registration
- The nave remains accessible even without a ticket
Good to know
- Booking does not protect you from a service that closes the monument
- La Fabrique de la Flèche is closed on Mondays, ticket or not
- The audio ticket requires you to download the app beforehand; headphones are not provided
- Free admission must be proven at the ticket office, not online
Book a time slot for arrival at 10:30 am or 2:30 pm. You’ll enjoy the monument in peace and then catch the guided tour at 11 am or 3 pm without rushing. See guided tours.
The six options, compared
The basic ticket, the audio ticket, the multi-monument pass, the Gothic combined ticket for the Île de la Cité, the stadium backstage tour and the Montmartre walk: they don’t serve the same trip, and I compare them one by one on the booking page.
Most bookedAdmission ticket for the royal necropolis of Saint-Denis
Ticket + audioBasilica ticket and audio tour on smartphone
Saint-Denis includedParis Museum Pass, 2, 4 or 6 consecutive days
Check availability
Reminder: what you’re booking above is entry to the royal necropolis. The nave, however, remains open without a ticket, as in any church in the diocese.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to book to visit the Basilique de Saint-Denis ?
No, it is not mandatory : there is no fixed time slot and the ticket office is open every day. Booking avoids the queue on busy Saturdays. See opening times.
Does the included guided tour need to be booked ?
No. It leaves at fixed times and you just need to be there, ticket in hand : 11 am and 3 pm on weekdays, 12 :30 pm and 3 pm on Sundays. See guided tours.
Does booking guarantee entry ?
It guarantees the ticket, not the opening : the monument closes during services. Allow some leeway on Sundays. See what is free.
What should you book if you want a commentary?
The ticket with audio tour on smartphone, app to download beforehand, headphones not provided. See its page and guide, audio or nothing.