Guided, audio or self-guided tour
What works
- The included guided tour: 1 hour 30, in French, with a human guide who answers questions
- The audio guide: available at any time, you proceed at your own pace
- Self-guided tour: a well-signposted route and touchscreens
- All three provide exactly the same access to the monument
Good to know
- The guided tour depends on a schedule, which is confirmed on the same day
- The audio guide requires an app to be installed beforehand and your own headphones
- The self-guided tour may miss the essentials if you don’t know what to look for
- No option changes the times of religious services
Why the choice matters here more than elsewhere
In most monuments, visiting alone costs a bit of context. At Saint-Denis, it can cost the meaning of the entire visit. The reason can be summed up in one sentence: what you are looking at is not what you think you are looking at. The recumbent figures do not cover any bodies. The tombs were opened in 1793 to recover the lead from the coffins, the remains thrown into two mass graves, retrieved in 1817 and deposited mixed together in an ossuary. An uninformed visitor walks past the plaque in the crypt without knowing it is the true collective tomb of the kings of France. This is explained in the crypt and the ossuary.
Second reason: the building itself is a key argument in the history of art, and it does not reveal itself to the naked eye. The choir consecrated on 11 June 1144 is the birth certificate of Gothic art: pointed arches, ribbed vaults, radiating chapels opening onto one another, and glass where there was once wall. Without being told, it is just a beautiful chevet among others. With explanation, it is the first. See Suger and the birth of Gothic art.
The comparison, without embellishment
| Our choiceAdmission ticket to the royal necropolis of Saint-Denis | Basilica ticket with audio tour on smartphone | Paris Museum Pass, 2, 4 or 6 consecutive days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commentary | Lecturer in French, at fixed times | Pre-recorded audio, whenever you want | None |
| Flexible timing | Limited: 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. | Full, during opening hours | Full |
| Pace | That of the group | Your own | Your own |
| Possible questions | Yes, out loud | No | No |
| To prepare beforehand | Nothing | App and headphones | Collecting the pass |
| For whom | A first visit, with family or alone | Off-peak hours, allergy to crowds | A monument-packed stay |
| Book → | View → | View → |
Three concrete examples
You’re visiting on a Saturday afternoon with two children: guided tour at 3 p.m. A lecturer explaining the transi of Louis XII — the naked, emaciated body sculpted beneath the clothed recumbent figure — holds the attention of a nine-year-old far better than a screen. In fact, it’s the detail they’ll talk about that evening, as I describe in visiting with children.
You get off the metro at 1:45 p.m., you have an hour and a half ahead of you, and you don’t want to wait until 3 p.m.: audio guide. You came for the architecture and you’ve already read what you needed to: self-guided tour, the route is well signposted, and FREMINET, in the reviews, appreciates the “fun interactive screens” and the stained glass. In any case, one hour is enough for the tour, 1 hour 30 with the guide, 2 hours with the spire works: see how much time to allow.
Whatever the option, read before you come about what happened in 1793. It’s the only prerequisite that truly changes the visit, and it takes just five minutes to read on the desecration of 1793. The rest is learned on site.
Book the chosen option
The ticket below is the one that grants access to the necropolis and includes the guided tour in French; the audio guide version is on its own page.
The complete list of the six bookings is on the booking hub.
Frequently asked questions
Which option to choose for a first visit?
The guided tour included in the ticket, if your schedule falls at 11 am or 3 pm. It lasts 1 hour 30 and costs nothing extra: see the guided tours.
Is the self-guided tour enough?
It is enough if you already know what you are looking at. The route is well signposted, but nothing will tell you that the tombs are empty. Read the desecration of 1793 beforehand.
Is the audio guide worth it?
It is especially worthwhile if your schedule does not coincide with the guided tour. One review even advises waiting for the free tour rather than taking an audio guide. Details on the audio tour.
Do all three options provide the same access?
Yes: same necropolis, same crypt, same La Fabrique de la Flèche from Tuesday to Sunday. Only the commentary differs. See the necropolis ticket.