Jeremy Segrott, CC BYMuseums and monuments to visit in Paris
Paris museums in booking order: Catacombs tickets are released seven days ahead and Palais Garnier visits are sold online only. The Musée Rodin and the Catacombs are closed on Mondays, the three national monuments have no weekly closure.
In short
- Sainte-Chapelle, Arc de Triomphe and Panthéon sell on the Centre des monuments nationaux site, but only the Sainte-Chapelle fixes a 30-minute slot on its tickets.
- Two booking windows to watch: Catacombs tickets are released seven days before the visit, and Palais Garnier visits are sold online only, for the next 30 days.
- Closed on Mondays: the Musée Rodin and the Catacombs. The three national monuments have no weekly closure, apart from a few annual closures.
- Free first Sundays in winter at four places, from November (October at the Musée Rodin) to March.
- Travel light: no place here stores a suitcase, and only the Musée Rodin has a cloakroom open during a visit.
- Sleep in the Latin Quarter for the Panthéon and the Sainte-Chapelle, in the 7th arrondissement for Rodin, or near the Opéra for the Palais Garnier.
- 1 kmSainte-Chapelle to the Panthéon, in a straight line
- 7 daysHow far ahead Catacombs tickets are released
- 30 daysPalais Garnier visit sales window, online only
- 5.2 kmArc de Triomphe to the Catacombs, the farthest pair
What to book first
Tickets are sold online only, as timed tickets released seven days before the visit date, with no more than 200 visitors on site. The official site warns that its ticketing can sell out.
Palais Garnier
Booking online is mandatory and no visit tickets are sold on site. Sales are open for the next 30 days only.
Visitors must have a ticket and a 30-minute time slot, free admissions included except on free first Sundays. Without one, you risk a very long wait, or not getting in during busy periods such as school holidays.
The online skip-the-line ticket is valid for one year from purchase.
Places to visit
Cristian Bortes, CC BYCentre Pompidou
Centre Pompidou-Metz. The partner the Centre names first, with free and unlimited access for POP’ members.MuseumTemporarily closed
Shadowgate, CC BYTimed entryMusée Rodin
The Age of Bronze rotunda. A room with eighteenth-century wood trim, antique mirrors and pale parquet, among the museum’s finest.Museumfrom €14
Samsonsol, CC0Timed entryThe Paris Catacombs
“Arrête, c’est ici l’empire de la mort”. The inscription stands over the entrance to the ossuary.Museumfrom €31
Wilfredor, CC0Timed entryArc de Triomphe
Rude’s Departure of the Volunteers. Better known as La Marseillaise: the winged spirit of Liberty shouts and raises her sword over the volunteers of 1792.Landmarkfrom €16
Cheng-en Cheng, CC BY-SAMontparnasse Tower
The Arc de Triomphe terrace. The ticket includes the terrace, 284 steps up, with a 360° view over Paris.LandmarkTemporarily closed
Chabe01, CC BY-SATimed entryPanthéon
The Apotheosis of Saint Genevieve. From the crossing, look up through the open lowest dome to the Gros painting on the second one.Landmarkfrom €13
Pedro Szekely from Los Angeles, USA, CC BY-SATimed entrySainte-Chapelle
The windows of the upper chapel. Fifteen windows, up to 15 meters tall, tell the Bible story in 1,113 scenes, ending with the relics arriving in Paris.Chapelfrom €22How to plan your days
Day 1: the Sainte-Chapelle and the Panthéon
About 1 km apart, both sold on the Centre des monuments nationaux site and both open on Mondays, when Rodin and the Catacombs are closed. The combined Sainte-Chapelle / Conciergerie ticket adds the Conciergerie before or after the chapel.
Day 2: the Catacombs and the Musée Rodin
About 2.7 km apart, and both closed on Mondays, so this day goes from Tuesday to Sunday. Tickets are released seven days before the visit date: book the Catacombs slot then and plan the day around it.
Day 3: the Arc de Triomphe and the Palais Garnier
About 2.7 km apart in a straight line. The Arc is open seven days a week, apart from a few annual closures. The Palais Garnier visit is booked online only, up to 30 days ahead.
- Arc de Triomphe
- Palais Garnier
Three national monuments, three ways of handling time
The Sainte-Chapelle, the Arc de Triomphe and the Panthéon sell their tickets on the same site, the official ticketing of the Centre des monuments nationaux, but each handles time and free entry in its own way:
| Monument | What your ticket fixes | Young visitors who enter free |
|---|---|---|
| Sainte-Chapelle | A 30-minute slot on every ticket, free admissions included (except on free first Sundays, when booking is not possible) | Under-18s and eligible 18 to 25-year-olds still book a slot and bring an identity card or passport |
| Arc de Triomphe | No specific visiting day, and ticket holders enter in their order of arrival | Under-18s are advised to get tickets online, while eligible 18 to 25-year-olds collect theirs at the on-site ticket office |
| Panthéon | An e-ticket for individual visitors, and groups book by email | Under-16s with an adult skip the cashier, while eligible 16 to 25-year-olds go through it |
At the Sainte-Chapelle, entry is guaranteed within 30 minutes of the time you chose, and you must enter before the slot ends.
Avoid this mistake
The general terms of sale of the Centre des monuments nationaux let it refuse entry to anyone holding a ticket bought from a third party not authorized to resell it. At the Sainte-Chapelle and the Arc, tickets can be neither exchanged nor refunded.
Paris museums on free first Sundays, and closed Mondays
Four places on this page are free for everyone on some first Sundays, and the months are not the same:
| Place | Free first Sundays | What changes that day |
|---|---|---|
| Sainte-Chapelle | November to March | Reservations are not possible |
| Arc de Triomphe | January, February, March, November and December | Free for everyone |
| Panthéon | January, February, March, November and December | No need to go through the cashier |
| Musée Rodin | Every month from October to March | No advance booking is required |
Monday works the other way. The Musée Rodin is open Tuesday to Sunday, and the Catacombs are closed on Monday. The three national monuments open every day of the week:
- the Sainte-Chapelle and the Arc de Triomphe, seven days a week apart from a few annual closures (check the hours on their pages)
- the Panthéon, every day except a few annual closures, with a later opening on one Monday a month (its pages say the first Monday, or the first working Monday).
On a Monday, the national monuments are therefore the open option. Rodin and the Catacombs need a day from Tuesday to Sunday.
Six bag rules, and where to leave a bag
Each place sets its own limit, and only the Musée Rodin keeps anything for you during a visit:
| Place | What is refused | Where to leave it |
|---|---|---|
| Sainte-Chapelle | Bulky luggage, scooters, motorbike helmets | Nowhere: refused items are confiscated and not returned |
| Arc de Triomphe | Bags over 40 x 40 x 20 cm | No left-luggage office |
| Panthéon | Bags over 20 x 40 x 40 cm | No luggage locker or cloakroom |
| Catacombs | Suitcases, large bags, motorcycle helmets | No cloakroom, because the exit is far from the entrance |
| Musée Rodin | Suitcases of all sizes and large bags | A free cloakroom takes backpacks and small luggage |
| Palais Garnier | Suitcases and travel bags | Cloakrooms are not open during visiting hours |
At the Catacombs, bags no larger than 40 x 30 x 20 cm are allowed, carried on the front or at your side. On a day that pairs it with Rodin, pack for the Catacombs.
Stairs and lifts, from the crypt to the terrace
Four places involve a climb, and each offers something different to visitors who cannot take the stairs:
| Place | Stairs | Step-free access |
|---|---|---|
| Arc de Triomphe | 284 steps up to the terrace | The official site reports the elevator under maintenance. Wheelchair users reach the forecourt only through a drop-off point on the Grande-Armée side |
| Catacombs | 243 steps, 131 down and 112 up | Not accessible to wheelchair users |
| Panthéon | 41 steps down to the crypt | An outside ramp and an inside lift give access to the entire nave |
| Sainte-Chapelle | 33 steps up to the upper chapel | A lift for visitors with reduced mobility |
The Musée Rodin has ramps and an elevator that give access to the whole collection, and the Palais Garnier tour is accessible to wheelchair users, with a lift to the visiting areas.
What is closed, or may close on the day
Two places on this page cannot be visited:
- The Centre Pompidou building is temporarily closed to the public for renovation. The official site gives 2030 as the year of the reopening. Meanwhile, its collection goes on the road to partner venues, in a program the Centre calls Constellation.
- The Montparnasse Tower observatory is closed to the public for renovations that will last several years. Its official FAQ says there is no set date yet.
Good to know
At the Panthéon, the viewing platform is closed for renovation work, and at the Palais Garnier, rehearsals cause frequent and unpredictable closures of the auditorium: no ticket guarantees access to it. For a view over Paris, the Arc’s rooftop terrace gives a 360° view of the city.
Resellers and museum passes
When the Catacombs’ official ticketing is sold out, many people look to resellers. The Catacombs publish a list of authorized sellers on their individual rates page.
The Opéra lists the travel agencies under convention with it for self-guided tours of the Palais Garnier, and warns that a ticket bought through another agency may expose you to the risk of fraud.
Two of the places publish a rule for museum passes:
- Musée Rodin: Paris Museum Pass holders are on the museum’s list of free admissions.
- Sainte-Chapelle: its FAQ says that with a museum pass you must still book a time slot, and show the pass when you check in. It does not name the Paris Museum Pass.
Where to stay to visit Paris
Latin Quarter
Best for the Panthéon and the Sainte-Chapelle
On the left bank of the Seine around the Sorbonne, across the 5th and 6th arrondissements, and known for its universities. The Panthéon stands in it. Its center point is about 0.5 km from the Panthéon and 0.6 km from the Sainte-Chapelle.
Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Best for the Sainte-Chapelle and the Musée Rodin
One of the four quarters of the 6th arrondissement, around the church of the former abbey, with cafés such as Les Deux Magots and the Café de Flore and many bookstores. Its center point is about 0.8 km from the Sainte-Chapelle, 1.2 km from the Panthéon and 1.4 km from the Musée Rodin.
7th arrondissement
Best for the Musée Rodin
On the left bank, home to the Eiffel Tower, Les Invalides, the Musée d’Orsay and the Musée Rodin, with the National Assembly, ministries and many embassies. Its center point is about 0.5 km from the Musée Rodin.
Montparnasse
Best for the Catacombs
An area in the south of Paris on the left bank, centered where the Boulevard du Montparnasse crosses the Rue de Rennes, and split between the 6th, 14th and 15th arrondissements, with the Gare Montparnasse. Its center point is about 1.1 km from the Catacombs.
8th arrondissement
Best for the Arc de Triomphe
On the right bank, centered on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, one of the main business districts of Paris, with the Élysée Palace and the Place de la Concorde. Its center point is about 1.2 km from the Arc de Triomphe and 1.5 km from the Palais Garnier.
- Arc de Triomphe
- Palais Garnier
9th arrondissement (Opéra)
Best for the Palais Garnier
On the right bank, with the Palais Garnier on the Place de l’Opéra and the Galeries Lafayette and Printemps department stores on the Boulevard Haussmann. Its center point is about 0.8 km from the Palais Garnier.
- Palais Garnier
Map
Exhibitions this month
- Samsonsol, CC029 Sep 2026 to 31 Jan 2027
Nadar: Inventing Paris, from the Depths to the Sky
The Paris Catacombs, Pariscatacombes.paris.fr - 27 Oct 2026 to 20 Feb 2027
Richard Wagner - The Ring revolutions
Palais Garnier, Parisoperadeparis.fr - 1 Apr 2026 to 28 Feb 2027
Creative Challenges - Decorating Costumes at the Paris Opera
Palais Garnier, Parisoperadeparis.fr
Frequently asked questions
Which Paris museums and monuments are closed on Mondays?
Of the places on this page, the Musée Rodin (open Tuesday to Sunday) and the Catacombs. The Sainte-Chapelle, the Arc de Triomphe and the Panthéon have no weekly closure, though the Panthéon opens later one Monday a month and all three close on a few days each year.
Which places are free on the first Sunday of the month?
The Sainte-Chapelle, the Arc de Triomphe and the Panthéon on the first Sundays of November to March, and the Musée Rodin from October to March. At the Sainte-Chapelle, reservations are not possible that day.
Where can I leave a suitcase?
Not at the Sainte-Chapelle, the Arc, the Panthéon or the Catacombs, which have nowhere to leave one. The Musée Rodin refuses suitcases of all sizes, but its free cloakroom takes backpacks and small luggage.
Is the Centre Pompidou open?
No. The building is temporarily closed to the public for renovation, and the official site gives 2030 as the year of the reopening. Its Constellation program takes the collection to partner venues.
Where can I see Paris from above?
From the Arc de Triomphe’s rooftop terrace, up 284 steps, with a 360° view of the city. The Panthéon’s viewing platform is closed for renovation work, and the Montparnasse Tower observatory is closed with no set reopening date.
What do the places say about museum passes?
The Musée Rodin lists Paris Museum Pass holders among its free admissions. The Sainte-Chapelle says that visitors with a museum pass must book a time slot and show the pass at check-in.