Pedro Szekely from Los Angeles, USA, CC BY-SASainte-Chapelle: tickets, opening hours and what to see
Almost every visitor needs a ticket with a 30-minute time slot, children included. Free first Sundays are the exception. The chapel sits inside the Palais de Justice: sharp objects, glass and luggage are not allowed in.
In short
- Every ticket carries a 30-minute entry slot: come at the time you booked, not earlier.
- Under-18s, eligible 18 to 25s and museum pass holders enter free but still book a slot, with ID for the check.
- On the first Sunday of the month from November to March, entry is free and cannot be booked.
- The chapel is inside the Palais de Justice: sharp objects, glass and luggage are refused, and nothing is stored.
- The combined ticket adds the Conciergerie. Its slot only applies to the Sainte-Chapelle.
- Buy on the Centre des monuments nationaux site: tickets are neither exchangeable nor refundable.
- 1,113Bible scenes in the upper chapel windows
- 670 m²of stained glass in the upper chapel
- 33steps up to the upper chapel
- 75 mheight of the 19th-century spire
Don't miss
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.
The Apocalypse rose
The Flamboyant rose dates from the 15th century and shows the Apocalypse.
The relic tribune
The platform where the relics of the Passion, among them the Crown of Thorns, once stood. It was rebuilt during the 19th-century restoration.
The lower chapel capitals
Before climbing, look at the 140 capitals with Gothic foliage and the small internal flying buttresses.
The apostles and the columns
Twelve statues of apostles in two styles of 13th-century Paris sculpture, among columns decorated with more than a hundred plant motifs.
Sainte-Chapelle tickets: how to get them
Sold by tickets.monuments-nationaux.fr, at the official price.
| Ticket | Adult | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Visit of the monumentTimed entry | €22 Non-EEA visitorsAdult, EEA nationals and residents €16 | Timed slot · Booking required |
| Combined Sainte-Chapelle / Conciergerie ticketCombined ticket | €30 Non-EEA visitorsAdult, EEA nationals and residents €23 | |
| Guided tour: Sainte-ChapelleGuided tour | Price on the official site | |
| Guided tours: Two monuments, a palaceGuided tour | Price on the official site |
Free entry (2026)
- Teachers
- On specific days
- Under 18s (booking still required)
- Under 26s from the EU (booking still required)
- Visitors with disability and one companion
- First Sunday of the month (November to March) (next: Sunday 1 November)
Which ticket is right for you?
You only want the chapel
Visit of the monument
The Sainte-Chapelle alone, with a 30-minute entry slot.
You also want the Conciergerie next door
Combined Sainte-Chapelle / Conciergerie ticket
The slot applies to the chapel only. You see the Conciergerie before or after it.
You want a guide in the chapel
Guided tour: Sainte-Chapelle
Sold on the same ticketing site as the standard tickets.
You want a guide for the whole palace
Guided tours: Two monuments, a palace
A tour of the Palais de la Cité covering both monuments.
You are under 18, or an eligible 18 to 25
Free admission
No charge, but you still book a slot and show ID at the check.
Your visit, step by step
Palais de Justice entrance
Court-building security
A strict check that takes time, then a second one before the monument itself.
Ground level
The lower chapel
The palace staff’s chapel: look at the 140 capitals and the small internal flying buttresses.
Narrow staircase
Climb to the upper chapel
33 steps up. Visitors with reduced mobility can ask for the lift.
Upper chapel
The 15 windows
The Bible told in 1,113 scenes. The stained glass app enlarges the distant panels.
Upper chapel
The rose
Flamboyant glass from the 15th century, showing the Apocalypse.
A 30-minute slot on every ticket
Each ticket comes with a time slot of 30 minutes: your entry is guaranteed within 30 minutes of the time you chose, and you must enter before the slot ends.
Two standard tickets give you a slot, and the price of each depends on where you live (see the ticket table above):
| Ticket | What it covers | Slot |
|---|---|---|
| Visit of the monument | The Sainte-Chapelle | Yes |
| Combined Sainte-Chapelle / Conciergerie | Both monuments | For the Sainte-Chapelle only |
Avoid this mistake
Tickets can be neither exchanged nor refunded. If you bought yours on another website, the monument’s services cannot handle a complaint about it.
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The official site also asks you not to arrive before the time on your ticket, and to keep to your slot because of the number of visitors.
Book on the official ticketing site of the Centre des monuments nationaux, linked above. The Sainte-Chapelle strongly recommends paying in advance: without a ticket, you risk a very long wait, or not getting in at all during busy periods such as school holidays and the Easter weekend.
The lower rate is for nationals of a European Economic Area country and for people who have lived in one for more than four months. Everyone else pays the higher rate. With the combined ticket, you visit the Conciergerie before or after the chapel. Allow between one hour and an hour and a half for it, and check its last entry time.
The same ticketing site also sells two guided tours: one of the Sainte-Chapelle, and one of the Palais de la Cité that covers both monuments.
Free entry still needs a booking
Under-18s and young people aged 18 to 25 who qualify for free entry must still book a slot, and bring an identity card or passport for the check.
The same applies to visitors with a museum pass. Holders of a culture, journalist or ICOM card are strongly advised to book too, or they may wait a long time before security.
Two cases work differently:
- First Sunday of the month, November to March: entry is free and reservations are not possible.
- Partner rates are only applied at the ticket office on site. Book a slot with the option “I already have a ticket” and pay on the day.
Visitors with disabilities and one companion enter free on showing a valid proof, and they have priority access. The monument still recommends booking a slot online, as it is sometimes fully booked.
Security at the Palais de Justice
The Sainte-Chapelle is part of the Palais de Justice de Paris, and the checks are those of a court building. The official FAQ puts it plainly: security is very strict, and it takes time. A second check is made before you enter the monument itself.
Around the building, two more things can slow you down:
- Police may carry out identity checks around the Palais de Justice.
- For security reasons, the RATP sometimes does not serve the “Palais de Justice” bus stop.
In bad weather or extreme heat, the route can be changed and some areas closed. In hot weather, the monument suggests a hat, water and sun cream.
Nothing is kept for you
If you carry one of the refused items listed under “Before you go”, leave it where you are staying. There is nowhere to store them and anything confiscated is not returned.
Two chapels, one above the other
Louis IX, later Saint Louis, built the chapel in the middle of the 13th century, in less than seven years, inside the royal palace on the Île de la Cité.
It has two levels. The lower chapel served the palace staff. Its sturdy architecture carries the upper chapel. Look at its 140 capitals carved with Gothic foliage, and at the small internal flying buttresses that hold the thrust of the vaults.
To reach the upper chapel, you climb 33 steps, and the same number back down.
With a pushchair or reduced mobility
The staircase is narrow, so pushchairs cannot go up: leave yours in the covered area outside and bring a baby carrier. Visitors with reduced mobility can take a lift to the upper chapel. Ask the staff to accompany you.
The upper chapel and its 1,113 scenes
The upper chapel was reserved for the king and his guests, and it was built to display the relics of the Passion: the Crown of Thorns, bought in 1239 from Baldwin II, and a fragment of the True Cross.
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A gallery once linked it directly to the king’s apartments. The relics stood on the relic tribune, installed in the 1260s and rebuilt during the 19th-century restoration. The shrine was melted down during the Revolution, and the Crown of Thorns went to the treasury of Notre-Dame in 1806.
The walls almost disappear behind 670 square meters of glass, in a single nave of four bays ending in a seven-sided apse. What to look at, from the windows to the columns:
- The 15 windows rise 15 meters in the nave and 13 meters in the choir. Their 1,113 scenes from the Old and New Testaments tell the history of the world according to the Bible, up to the arrival of the relics in Paris. Two-thirds of the glass is original.
- The rose, in the Flamboyant style, dates from the 15th century and shows the Apocalypse.
- More than a hundred different plant motifs decorate the slender columns, and twelve statues of apostles show two styles of 13th-century Paris sculpture.
The official site strongly recommends downloading the “Sainte-Chapelle Stained Glass” app before your visit: developed by F. Margot with the support of the Centre des monuments nationaux, it recognizes the more distant windows and shows them large on your screen. A visit leaflet is available in 11 languages, and a 45-minute guided tour in French, at no extra charge on your ticket, runs every day when an agent is available.
Flour store, archive, then a model restoration
Three periods explain the state of the building you visit:
- 1630 to 1838 Fires in 1630 and 1776, then the Revolution, damaged the building. It was used as a flour store and, from 1803 to 1838, as an archive for the courts. The windows were walled up, and some of the glass was destroyed or taken down, part of it ending up on the art market, notably in England.
- 1840 to 1863 Public pressure, with Victor Hugo among its defenders, saved the chapel. The architects Duban, Lassus and Boeswillwald restored it between 1840 and 1863 to its 13th-century appearance, and the site became a model for the restoration of historic monuments.
- 2008 to 2014 All the stained glass was restored again between 2008 and 2014.
From the courtyard, look up at the spire. The spire you see from outside, rebuilt in the 19th century, is the fifth since the origin and stands 75 meters high.
Opening hours
| Period | Days | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 1 October to 31 December | Every day | 9 am to 5 pm |
| ||
Before you go
- Leave behind any sharp object, however small (scissors, nail clippers, a penknife).
- No glass containers, perfume bottles included.
- No luggage, adult and children’s scooters, and motorbike helmets.
- Free entry for under-18s and eligible 18 to 25s still means a booked slot and an identity card or passport.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair loan
- Yes, on site
Map and nearby sights
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to book the Sainte-Chapelle in advance?
The monument strongly recommends it. Without a ticket you risk a very long wait, or no entry at all during school holidays and the Easter weekend.
Is the Sainte-Chapelle free for children?
Under-18s enter free, but they still need a booked slot and an identity card or passport for the check.
What can’t I bring into the Sainte-Chapelle?
Sharp objects of any size, glass containers including perfume, luggage, scooters and motorbike helmets. There is no left-luggage, and confiscated items are not returned.
Is there a lift to the upper chapel?
Yes, for visitors with reduced mobility, who should ask the staff to accompany them. Pushchairs cannot use the narrow 33-step staircase.
Can I visit the Conciergerie with the same ticket?
Yes, with the combined Sainte-Chapelle / Conciergerie ticket. You visit the Conciergerie before or after the chapel. Allow one hour to an hour and a half there.
Nearby
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The Arc de Triomphe terrace. The ticket includes the terrace, 284 steps up, with a 360° view over Paris.Paris, FranceTemporarily closedSources
- Centre des monuments nationaux official 7 pages
- Wikidata
- Wikimedia Commons 3 pages
- Wikipedia
Facts last checked on 15 October 2026. Prices and opening hours change, often in January: confirm on the official website before you go.