Private Historical Tour of Notre Dame
Recommended by 93% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Paris, France
- 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
It’s easy to bandy the term “expert” around when it comes to guides, but in the case of this private tour, it’s well merited. Created by academics and guides who have studied Notre Dame extensively, it pairs deep knowledge with a rare passion for the topic. Discover the deeper meaning of statues and reliefs, the significance of Charlemagne in French identity, the different elements that Gothic architecture integrates, and more.
- Delve deep into Notre Dame and the heart of Paris with an art historian
- Learn about Point Zero, the Notre Dame crypt, and so much more
- Private tour means you can ask as many questions as you like
- Huge choice of departure times to book online, exact to within 30 minutes
Why Travelers Choose This Tour
Explore Notre Dame with an art historian, discovering secrets most guides—or solo visitors—miss.
What's Included
- Private tour
- Professional art historian guide
- Notre-Dame Cathedral access
- Food and drinks
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Itinerary
1
Archeological Crypt of the Parvis of Notre-Dame
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
2
Point zero des routes de France
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Equestrian Statue of Charlemagne
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Paris
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Rue du Cloitre Notre-Dame
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
6
Fontaine de la Vierge
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
7
Petit-Pont-Cardinal-Lustiger
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- The entrance to Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris is free and open to all. The services offered are independent of access to the interior of the building.
- cathedral is not accessible on the inside and visit stays on the outside.
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.7
based on 41 reviews
Judith_K, May 2026
I have been on many tours throughout the years and this by far was the best tour I have taken. Pictures I have seen and TV specials do not do Notre Dame justice. It is beautiful both inside and out and is a must see when visiting Paris. The tour guide was excellent. She not only gave the history of Notre Dame both in the making of Notre Dame and the recent fire /restoration, she gave details on the beginnings of the city of Paris and the Catholic Church during that time period. She had past pictures of Notre Dame, of the church after the fire and she was able to present this while explaining the restoration process and why it was so important. It is also recommended that you take this tour with a private group. When going inside Notre Dame they might be having mass because it is an active church, so the tour guide is able to take you through and whisper to you all of the intricacies of the inside of Notre Dame and every piece of artwork and special spots to visit inside. The tour was an hour and a half and time quickly flew by. Without a tour guide, you would not realize all of the history and stories of the making of Notre Dame. Again, this is an absolute must see when you visit Paris.
Lauana_N, Jan 2026
Not very good, your guide very dry and not very friendly. We were about 1 and 1/2 hours, but Stan not very good.
Mary_H, Dec 2025
It was a fantastic tour with a fantastic tour guide! The new, clean Notre Dame was beautiful with light shining through the stained glass windows. Our tour guide was a great teacher with a background in medical history. We can not recommend her more!! She was able to answer all of my daughters and my own historical and silly questions with ease. Thank you so much and please contact us if you see this we would love to tip you as well!
Anna_S, Dec 2025
Allison made the experience so enriching. I really appreciated the thought she put into the tour. It made the experience so much fun and to see Notre Dame with new eyes.
Coretta_A, Dec 2025
Our guide was extremely educated and knowledgeable about the Cathedral. She was able to answer any questions. The majority of the time was spent on the exterior of the cathedral.
paul_l, Sep 2025
How wonderful is it when you find out your guide literally “wrote the book” about Notre Dame? Boris is a true scholar in every sense of the word. He is an expert on classical religions, architecture, history, art, literature and politics. He explained what we were seeing with context and meaning and patiently answered our many questions in a way that was both cogent and thought-provoking. We cannot recommend him highly enough.
Denny_C, Sep 2025
Fantastic; Boris was unbelievably knowledgeable, from both an engineering viewpoint as well as religious. He is the best!
Donna_S, Aug 2025
Our guide was very knowledgeable and provided us with a great perspective on the various aspects of the cathedral. The tour of the outside was quite informative and very interesting. The tour of the inside was filled with lots of interesting information as well. We left having learned lots about the architecture of the building both inside and outside. The stained glass in the building is breathtaking.
Virginia_P, Jul 2025
Wonderful, in-depth discussion of the history and restoration of the Cathedral. An absolute pleasure.
Jennifer_P, Jul 2025
Boris was very knowledgeable about art history architecture and theology. He gave our family an excellent tour of notre dame cathedral and even walked us to the ice cream store we were trying to find afterwards.
Lori_G, May 2025
Shelby was a wonderful guide and very informational on the topic. She gave us much insight to the centuries of history. Splendid tour!
Tonya_W, May 2025
Colorful political history of Notre Dame. Borus was delightful, informative and funny. His political, artistic and literary references made the Cathedral even more fascinating.
Larry_B, May 2025
Isabella was absolutely amazing so smart and answered all our questions was mesmerized by her knowledge and her background best guide ever we loved her and the whole experience she gave us
Teresa_M, May 2025
That the tour does not include going on the inside. You would have thought the price you paid would include a reservation for the inside.
Suzanne_F, Apr 2025
It was such a valuable experience to not only be able to see Notre Dame in person, but our time spent on the tour really brought the whole experience to life. From start to finish, our guide brought us through the evolution of Notre Dame from the ground up, including the development and symbolism of the inside and outer embellishments that have been adapted through the centuries. We were introduced to so many of the characters that are/were part of the story/history of Notre Dame and the impact that each of them had from the beginning of the project to the current rebuilding of this amazing cathedral.
We've enjoyed the tours with Viator in the past, but our private tour and the guide in particular were really above and beyond our expectations. It was such a pleasant experience to be able to have the history come alive with someone who was so clearly knowledgeable and congenial to spend the time with- answering questions and making sure that we were actively engaged!
Stephanie_R, Apr 2025
Our guide (Mira) was incredibly knowledgeable about the cathedral, its history and changes and developments to it over time. Everyone in our private group walked away with new found information.
Karen_G, Mar 2025
Mila was very knowledgeable and gave me a well rounded tour of Notre Dame and the surrounding area. I enjoyed the tour very much.
Elizabeth_C, Feb 2025
Wonderful historical details. Friendly guide. Arrived on time. Super knowledgeable. Ask for Mila, if you can.
Robin_E, Jan 2025
The tour description was erroneous. "The tour is a product of a very long and detailed research, conducted by a PhD scholar ... Therefore, our guides ... are arguably and very likely the foremost experts on Notre Dame in Paris, France, and indeed the world ...The tour is a comprehensive view on the cathedral and its many different aspects." My guide was not a "foremost expert on Notre Dame" nor was the tour a "comprehensive view." My guide, the previous day, on the "Paris Top Sights Half Day Walking Tour," shared the same information about the exterior. The interior information was a very high level overview. I communicated my dissatisfaction with the tour operator and he did nothing. The guide was also late. I will be disputing the charge on my credit card.
BARRY_S, Jan 2025
Did not receive special access, stood in long line with the guide. Guide was not allowed to speak inside of Notre Dame, which would have been nice to know before we booked. Barbara (our guide) was great, but the limitations on tour guides not being able to speak (everyone else inside were talking to each other), and having to wait in the long line with everyone else sort of defeated the purpose of paying a high fee for special treatment. Great history lesson from Barbara while we waited in line, however.
Jason_H, Jan 2025
Fantastic tour and very informative. Enjoyed that we were able to go in and finish in 1.5hrs. Would definitely recommend.
Andrew_P, Jan 2025
Our guide had a vast historical knowledge of the politics and architecture of the cathedral. She was very adaptable to the crowds and helping us navigate and learn.
Karl_R, Dec 2024
Attended Christmas Eve mass then came back on Christmas Day to go through a tour. Bella was our guide. An amazing and knowledgeable woman that gave us so much more insight to complete our experience.
Carrie_B, Apr 2024
We had a wonderful tour extremely enjoyable and knowledgeable. Well worth it!. The history was amazing.
Gregory_W, Jun 2022
We had the best experience. Our tour guide was knowledgeable, patient with our questions and all around best tour we had on our trip to Paris. We highly recommend this tour.
From $298.45
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Private Historical Tour of Notre Dame
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