Things to do on the Île de la Cité and around Notre-Dame

The Île de la Cité is the small island in the Seine where Paris began, and it holds three monuments within a few minutes' walk of each other: Notre-Dame de Paris, the Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie. Notre-Dame reopened on 7 December 2024 after the 2019 fire; entering the cathedral is free, though booking a free time slot in advance is worth doing to skip the queue.

Climbing the towers is a separate, paid visit that runs on its own booking system, and its current status is worth checking before you plan around it rather than assumed. The island sits between the Louvre and the Latin Quarter, so it works as a stop on foot rather than a destination needing its own metro trip.

It is also one of the most crowded corners of central Paris, and pickpockets work the queues here and on the nearby RER B, so keep bags closed and be wary of anyone getting too close.