Sainte-Chapelle Tickets + Île de la Cité Walking Tour

About this tour

This guided walk through the Île de la Cité, the island at the center of Paris, takes you past Place Dauphine, the medieval Conciergerie and the view across the Seine toward Notre-Dame, with a stop at the Shakespeare and Company bookshop along the way. Your entry ticket gets you into Sainte-Chapelle, the 13th-century royal chapel known for its upper level lined floor to ceiling with stained glass. A live guide leads the walk and fills in the history of King Louis IX's Paris as you go.

Highlights

• See the 13th-century stained glass of Sainte-Chapelle, more than 1,100 biblical scenes rendered in deep color
• Stand in the Upper Chapel, where the stone walls give way almost entirely to glass
• Take in the Rayonnant Gothic design, built to pull the eye upward and flood the space with light
• Hear how King Louis IX built the chapel as a reliquary for sacred relics, among them the Crown of Thorns
• Feel the mix of art, faith and royal history gathered into one small chapel
• Walk through a chapel consecrated in 1248, raised quickly for its era to hold the relics of the Passion
• Spot the large rose window at the western end, added in the 15th century

Places You Will Visit

Included / Excluded

Visiting Sainte-Chapelle: What You'll See, Hours and Getting There

Sainte-Chapelle has two levels. The lower chapel, built for the palace staff, is lower and more modest, with painted decoration. The upper chapel is what most people come for: fifteen tall stained glass windows run from floor to ceiling with scenes from the Bible, and the colored light pouring through them fills the whole room. At the western end there's a large rose window added in the 15th century, showing scenes from the Book of Revelation, and carved detail runs across the walls and vaulting throughout.

The chapel sits at 8 Boulevard du Palais on the Île de la Cité, in the middle of Paris, so it's easy to pair with Notre-Dame or the Conciergerie next door. By metro, take lines 1, 7, 11 or 14 to Châtelet, or line 4 to Cité, the closest stop; RER B and C stop at Saint-Michel, and bus lines 21, 24, 27, 38, 58, 81, 85 and 96 all run nearby.

Opening hours shift with the season. From 1 April to 30 September the chapel is open 09:00 to 19:00, and from 1 October to 31 March it's open 09:00 to 17:00, with last admission 30 minutes before closing. It's closed on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December, and closed all day on Wednesday 21 January.

Weather in Paris

Today 57°F14°C 50°F10°C Rain 88%

Today 58°F14°C 48°F9°C Rain 100%

Tomorrow 62°F17°C 51°F11°C Rain 95%

Mon, Oct 26 59°F15°C 49°F10°C Rain 45%

Tue, Oct 27 65°F19°C 51°F11°C Rain 34%

Wed, Oct 28 60°F16°C 46°F8°C Rain 21%

Thu, Oct 29 61°F16°C 43°F6°C Rain 3%

Local time 5:32 AM, UTC+02:00

Available Days / Times

• Monday
• Tuesday : 10:15
• Wednesday
• Thursday
• Friday : 10:15
• Saturday : 10:15
• Sunday : 10:15

Last updated: Oct 23, 2026