Book your visit to the basilica
What requires a reservation and what does not
I have lived on rue Gabriel-Péri since 1989 and pass by the Basilique de Saint-Denis every day. The question I’m asked at the market on Tuesdays is always the same: “Do you have to pay or not?” The answer is: both. The building is an active church, the cathedral of the diocese of Saint-Denis since 1966, whose nave is open to anyone who pushes the door. It is also a national monument managed by the Centre des monuments nationaux, and that half — the one where the kings are — requires a ticket. The details of who pays and who doesn’t are on how much it costs and on what is free.
In practice, you are not required to reserve anything: you can buy your ticket on the spot, and the crowds are nothing like those at the Sainte-Chapelle. Reserving serves two purposes, not three: arriving with your ticket already in hand on a spring Saturday, and choosing an option — ticket only, ticket with audio commentary, or a pass that also covers Parisian monuments. The rest can be decided on the square. The page should you reserve goes over this point by point.
The six reservations I compare
Here are the six products I track on this site. The first three concern the Basilique de Saint-Denis directly; the last three are nearby visits that fit into the same day or the same stay. The first is the one needed by the vast majority of visitors.
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
The other royal GothicSainte-Chapelle and Conciergerie, combined ticket
One tram stop awayBehind the scenes at the Stade de France, guided tour
Where it all beginsMontmartre on foot: art, vineyard and gourmet delights
Ticket only, audio ticket, or pass?
The real hesitation is between these three. The necropolis ticket is the simplest: it opens the entire paid route, is valid for the day, and grants access to the free guided tour in French that almost no one knows about. The ticket with audio commentary adds a commentary on your phone for those arriving at a time that doesn’t coincide with the guide’s schedule. The Paris Museum Pass is only worthwhile if Saint-Denis is part of a broader Parisian itinerary.
| 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it provides access to | The entire royal necropolis and the crypt | The necropolis, with audio commentary | Saint-Denis and numerous Parisian monuments |
| Duration | Ticket valid for the day | 1 hr 30 min, at your own pace | 2, 4 or 6 consecutive days |
| Commentary | Free guided tour included, in French | App to download beforehand | None : this is an admission ticket |
| La Fabrique de la Flèche | Tuesday to Sunday | Tuesday to Sunday | Tuesday to Sunday |
| Collection | Nothing to collect | Nothing to collect, headphones not provided | Physical collection near the Louvre, 9 am–4 pm |
| Reviews | 4.6 out of 442 reviews | 5.0 out of just 1 review | 4.1 out of 4 575 reviews |
| Book → | View → | View → |
If you can schedule your arrival for 11 am or 3 pm on weekdays, do so : the guided tour in French is included with the ticket and lasts about 1 hour 30. It’s, by far, the best way to see the necropolis, and that’s what one review I quote on guided tours says. Times to be confirmed on the day.
Choose based on your situation
You are visiting for half a day from Paris with no specific plans: the necropolis ticket alone, one hour of self-guided exploration, two if you add the spire restoration site. You want to understand what you are seeing and dislike groups: the ticket with audio guide. You are visiting several monuments over several days: the Paris Museum Pass, while checking that reservations remain mandatory elsewhere. Still undecided between options: I’ve provided an honest comparison on guide, audio or self-guided.
Three other reservations have nothing to do with the entrance ticket but complement the day well. The behind-the-scenes tour of the Stade de France is just one tram stop away, allowing you to kill two birds with one stone in a city people pass through without stopping. The Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie form the perfect counterpoint: Saint-Denis pioneered Gothic architecture in 1144, while the Île de la Cité took it to its peak a century later. And Montmartre marks the other end of the story of Saint Denis, the hill where he was beheaded around 250.
What no ticket can guarantee
The monument closes during religious services. This is the number one reason visits fail on Sunday mornings and public holidays, and no reservation can change that: the site is a cathedral before it is a museum. La Fabrique de la Flèche, the spire reassembly site on the square, is closed on Mondays, even though the necropolis remains accessible that day. The monument also closes on 1st January, 1st May and 25th December. All this is detailed on opening hours and closures.
Another point, less practical but more important: what you will see are funerary monuments, not intact tombs. In 1793, the tombs were opened and emptied; the remains were recovered in 1817 and placed mixed together in an ossuary in the crypt. No one “sees the tomb of Marie-Antoinette”. I prefer you know this beforehand; it is explained on the desecration of 1793 and on the crypt and ossuary.
Book the necropolis ticket
The widget below shows available dates for the entrance ticket, which suits the vast majority of visitors. Before choosing, you can read what reviews say about each of the six options.
These dates don’t work for you?
Browse other tickets and tours available in Saint-Denis and northern Paris, and choose the day that suits you — instant confirmation.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to pay to enter the basilica ?
Not for the nave, which remains freely open like any other church. The ticket covers the royal necropolis: choir, ambulatory, transept with the recumbent figures, and crypt. The distinction is detailed on what is free.
Do you have to book in advance ?
It’s not mandatory: tickets can be purchased on-site. Booking avoids the ticket office on a Saturday and allows you to choose your option. Details are on whether to book in advance.
Which option is best for a first visit ?
The necropolis ticket, aiming for 11 am or 3 pm to take advantage of the free guided tour in French included with the ticket. Allow 1 hour 30, see how much time to plan.
Does the Paris Museum Pass cover Saint-Denis ?
Yes, the basilica is included. You must collect the physical pass near the Louvre, and the activation day counts as the first day. Everything is on the Paris Museum Pass.
Can you see everything in one hour ?
On a self-guided visit, yes: allow one hour for the necropolis, 1 hr 30 with the guide, 2 hrs if you add La Fabrique de la Flèche. See how much time to allow.