TOULOUSE, France -- A restored Notre Dame Cathedral, severely damaged in an April 2019 fire, will reopen to individual visitors daily from 7:45 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. beginning on Dec. 16. Continuing previous practice and in accordance with French law, entry will be free to all comers.
In September, the cathedral will accept its first bookings for pilgrimage groups for visits starting in March 2025; it will take bookings for cultural groups as of late February for visits starting in June 2025.
Olivier Josse, secretary general for the cathedral, announced opening details to press in attendance here at the Rendez-vous en France Travel Market, the country's largest international trade show.
Noting that the cathedral has traditionally welcomed 10 million to 11 million visitors per year, he projected about 15 million per year for the restored building, amounting to about 40,000 per day. Such numbers "won't be that easy" to manage, he said.
He added there will be an upper limit of 25 visitors per group, and audio phones will be compulsory. Groups won't be allowed during services or on Saturday afternoons and Sundays. For individuals, queues will be electronic.
Ceremonial opening activities will begin Dec. 7, and the first public access to the cathedral, on the afternoons of Dec. 10 to 15, is meant for all individuals involved in the restoration project.
Josse said the cathedral has been "beautifully restored inside." However, restoration on the exterior will continue into 2028.
Correction: Bookings will be accepted for pilgrimage groups and cultural groups beginning in September and late February, respectively; an incorrect timeline appeared in an earlier version of this article.