Included with Notre Dame Paris tickets
Timings
RECOMMENDED DURATION
2 hours
Notre-Dame's three rose windows are part of the cathedral interior and are included with all entry to Notre-Dame de Paris. Entry is free and no separate ticket exists. You'll glimpse the west rose above the entrance as you arrive, then meet the larger north and south roses facing each other in the transept midway through. Reserve a free timed slot, or book a guided tour, to skip the walk-up queue.
Aim for a bright weekday late morning or late afternoon. The south rose blazes only when direct sun hits it around midday; flat or grey light leaves all three looking dull. Pick a clear day and the colour transforms.
A self-guided cathedral visit runs 30–45 minutes; the roses reward 10–15 of those. A guided interior tour (about 1¾ hours) decodes panels you'd otherwise walk past. Don't treat the windows as a passing glance: sit and let your eyes adjust.
The west rose greets you at the entrance, but the showpiece transept roses come midway, at the crossing. Pace yourself through the nave so you reach the crossing unhurried. Most people rush it and miss the north rose behind them.
Crowds peak from late morning through mid-afternoon, especially weekends, when the nave is shoulder-to-shoulder and the transept hard to linger in. Arrive at opening or the last hour before closing, and the crossing clears enough to stand and look up.
Head straight to the transept crossing and look both ways: the blue north rose, with the most original glass, and the red-gold south rose, gifted by Louis IX. The west rose is 19th-century — see it last, on your way out.
Most visitors face front and never turn around; the west rose above the entrance goes unseen. Turn back as you enter the nave. The other error is going on a grey day. Without sun, the south rose loses its fire.
| Ticket type | Why choose it |
|---|---|
Small-group guided tour | Best for understanding the windows, symbolism, and restoration without piecing it together alone. |
Exterior history tour with self-paced entry | Useful if you want context outside, then freedom to move through the interior at your own speed. |
Multi-attraction Paris combo | Good if Notre-Dame is one stop in a packed day and you want nearby headline sights organized together. |
Strip away the restorations and the rebuilt spire, and the rose windows are the one thing in Notre-Dame that is still authentically medieval: the cathedral's only surviving 13th-century glass. Here's what most visitors miss: the north rose is almost entirely original, its deep blues made with ground lapis lazuli shipped from Afghanistan. Once you know that, you stop seeing "old windows" and start seeing 800-year-old pigment.
The first you pass, set above the main portal and partly masked by the great organ. At about 9.6 metres it's the smallest and oldest (c. 1225), though most of its glass was remade in the 19th century by Viollet-le-Duc. At its hub sits the Virgin and Child, encircled by the zodiac, the labors of the months, and the virtues battling the vices, painting a medieval calendar in colored light.
Reach the crossing and turn left. The north rose (c. 1250) is the prize: the best-preserved of the three, still mostly its original 13th-century glass. Cool blues and purples dominate because the window faces away from direct sun, so the tones hold their depth in soft light. At the centre, the Virgin and Child are ringed by some 80 panels of Old Testament kings, judges, and prophets.
Directly opposite glows the south rose (c. 1260), the "midday rose" and a personal gift from King Louis IX. Nearly 13 metres across, its warm reds and golds ignite when the southern sun lands on it. Designed by Jean de Chelles and finished by Pierre de Montreuil, its 84 panels across four rings centre on Christ in Majesty among apostles, saints, and martyrs.
Notre-Dame once held roughly 200 stained-glass windows; nearly all were torn out in 17th- and 18th-century "improvements." The three roses are the survivors — and they outlasted the 2019 fire too, saved by the stone vaulting above. Built to teach scripture to a population that couldn't read, they're now protected national heritage, lit each day for the worshippers and millions of visitors who fill the reopened cathedral.
Yes. Access to see the rose windows comes with general cathedral entry. No separate interior ticket exists.
No. All three are inside Notre-Dame and viewed from the cathedral floor after passing through security; there's no exterior or separate viewing point.
The west rose is above the entrance as you arrive; the north and south roses are at the transept crossing, roughly midway through.
Plan 30–45 minutes self-guided, or about 60 minutes with a guide. That gives the space time to register properly.
Yes. Guided interior tours pass the transept crossing and explain the windows' symbolism, and they use the faster reserved-entry queue.
Yes. Modest clothing is required. Shoulders, very short hemlines, and offensive clothing can lead to refused entry.
Yes. Photos are allowed, but flash, tripods, and filming equipment are prohibited. Keep phones discreet during worship.
Yes. The main interior is accessible, wheelchairs are available on request, and accessible restrooms are inside.
Usually, yes if you want context. The cathedral has limited interpretation on-site, so a guide changes what you’re actually looking at.
Dive deep into Notre-Dame’s secrets with an expert-led guided tour of the Cathedral.
Inclusions #
Professional tour guide in English/Italian/Spanish/French/Russian
Entry into Notre-Dame Cathedral (free)
Interior and exterior Guided tour
Intimate small-group for the interior visit (max 5 pax)
Private/ personalized visit with your personal guide in English/French (as per option selected)
Explore Notre-Dame with a group guided tour of the Île de la Cité, available in English, French, or Spanish, before entering the Cathedral at your own pace.
Inclusions #
Guided tour of the Île de la Cité in English/French/Spanish
Entry to Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris (free admission)
Group of 20 max
Cover Paris’s most iconic sites in one day with a guided small-group tour for a seamless experience.
Inclusions #
Entry to Notre-Dame Cathedral
Walking tour of Île de la Cité
Entry to Louvre Museum
Entry to Sainte-Chapelle
Entry to Conciergerie
Entry to Musée de l'Orangerie
Lunch included (as per option selected)
Guided walking tour of Île de la Cité with entry to a top attraction.
Inclusions #
Paris highlights guided tour
Entry to the Sainte Chapelle
Expert English-speaking guide
Group tour of 24 guests
1-hour Seine River cruise (optional)
Uncover 2,000 years of Parisian history beneath Notre-Dame at the city’s largest archaeological crypt.
Inclusions #
Entry to the Archeological Crypt
Access to all exhibitions
Access to the underground ruins of Notre-Dame
