The Conciergerie is open every day from 9:30 am to 6 pm, for €13 at the full rate, with no mandatory booking. The tip: the combined ticket with the Sainte-Chapelle (€23 or €30 depending on your residency) is sold through the Sainte-Chapelle ticket office and saves you €5 to €6. A former palace of the kings of France turned revolutionary prison, where Marie-Antoinette was held, the monument now sits within the Palais de Justice complex.
Using the official rules, we worked out the free days and closing days of the two monuments, which do not coincide. For the rest of your stay, see our guide to visiting Paris.
Our travel deals for Conciergerie
Affiliate links: we earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
FlightsKiwi.comCompare flights and airline combinations to Conciergerie.Compare flights- Tickets and toursTiqetsEntry tickets and guided tours to book online; compare with the official price.See tickets
- City passGo CityMulti-attraction pass at a fixed price: worth it only if you visit a lot.See passes
Conciergerie: key facts
- Hours: 9:30 am–6 pm all year, last entry 5:30 pm; closed on 1 May and 25 December; HistoPad tablets handed out until 4:15 pm — checked on 16 October 2026 on paris-conciergerie.fr
- Standard price: €13; Sainte-Chapelle + Conciergerie combined ticket €23 (EEA nationals and residents) or €30 (other visitors) — checked on 16 October 2026 on paris-conciergerie.fr
- Booking: not mandatory but recommended; tickets are neither exchangeable nor refundable — checked on 16 October 2026 on paris-conciergerie.fr
- Time needed: 1 to 1.5 hours according to the official FAQ
- Works: the Salle des Gardes is no longer accessible because of archaeological excavations, according to the practical information page
- Prices recorded on 16 October 2026 and subject to change: check before you go.
Tickets: official vs resellers
| Ticket | Official price | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|
| Conciergerie only | €13 | Conciergerie online ticket office or on site |
| Combined ticket (EEA nationals/residents) | €23 | Sainte-Chapelle online ticket office (or at the desk, subject to availability) |
| Combined ticket (other visitors) | €30 | Same |
| Partner rates (Vedettes de Paris, TGV Inoui, Intercités, Navigo culture, Kiosque…) | €11.50 (Grand Voyageur: €10) | At the desk only |
Destination de Voyage calculation: the Sainte-Chapelle alone costs €16 (EEA) or €22 (others). The combined ticket therefore costs €23 instead of €29 (a €6 saving) or €30 instead of €35 (a €5 saving). It books a time slot for the Sainte-Chapelle only: you visit the Conciergerie before or after, at no set time. The FAQ recommends buying it online, because at the Conciergerie desk there may be no places left for the Sainte-Chapelle.
Free admission: under 18; 18–25-year-olds who are EU nationals or legal residents of France (US and UK passport holders without French residency do not qualify); a disabled person and their companion; job seekers; Pass Éducation (French teachers’ card). On the first Sundays of January, February, March and November, entry is free for everyone and cannot be booked. Resellers: the monument only handles orders placed through the official ticket office; for a ticket bought elsewhere, contact the seller.
Hours, free days and closures: Conciergerie vs Sainte-Chapelle
The two neighboring monuments have different hours, different closing days and different free Sundays. We applied their official rules to the calendar.
| Rule | Conciergerie | Sainte-Chapelle |
|---|---|---|
| Hours | 9:30 am–6 pm all year | 9 am–7 pm (April–Sept.), 9 am–5 pm (Oct.–March) |
| Last entry | 5:30 pm | 30 min before closing |
| Annual closures | 1 May, 25 December | 1 January, 1 May, 25 December |
| Free first Sundays | January, February, March, November | January, February, March, November, December |
- Free Sundays for both monuments (Destination de Voyage calculation): Sunday 1 November 2026, Sunday 3 January 2027, Sunday 7 February 2027, Sunday 7 March 2027.
- Sunday 6 December 2026: free at the Sainte-Chapelle only; the Conciergerie charges admission that day.
- 1 January 2027 (Friday): the Conciergerie is open, the Sainte-Chapelle is closed.
- 1 May and 25 December: both are closed.
- October to March: the Sainte-Chapelle closes at 5 pm, before the Conciergerie (6 pm): visit the Sainte-Chapelle first.
Free days draw crowds and booking is not possible: they are rarely the best days for a quiet visit. A free guided tour (45 minutes, in French) is offered every day at 11 am and 3 pm, subject to a staff member being available.
Best time to visit
The Conciergerie is an indoor visit: the weather matters little, except for the security-check queue outside. Since the hours are the same all year, late in the day is the most flexible option: for example, combine the Sainte-Chapelle (afternoon slot) and then the Conciergerie before 5:30 pm. In winter, when the Sainte-Chapelle closes at 5 pm, save the Conciergerie for last.
| Month | Paris max °C (°F) | Rainy days | Sunset (15th) | Sainte-Chapelle closing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7.6 (46) | 9.9 | 5:21 pm | 5 pm |
| February | 8.8 (48) | 9.1 | 6:10 pm | 5 pm |
| March | 12.8 (55) | 9.5 | 6:55 pm | 5 pm |
| April | 16.6 (62) | 8.6 | 8:41 pm | 7 pm |
| May | 20.2 (68) | 9.2 | 9:25 pm | 7 pm |
| June | 23.4 (74) | 8.3 | 9:55 pm | 7 pm |
| July | 25.7 (78) | 7.4 | 9:49 pm | 7 pm |
| August | 25.6 (78) | 8.1 | 9:06 pm | 7 pm |
| September | 21.5 (71) | 7.5 | 8:04 pm | 7 pm |
| October | 16.5 (62) | 9.5 | 7:01 pm | 5 pm |
| November | 11.1 (52) | 10.4 | 5:10 pm | 5 pm |
| December | 8.0 (46) | 11.4 | 4:54 pm | 5 pm |
What to see: suggested route
- The Salle des Gens d’armes, a vast Gothic hall of 1,800 m² (19,375 sq ft), the area quoted by the official accessibility page.
- The Revolution trail, upstairs (15 steps): the prison, the Revolutionary Tribunal and the prisoners.
- The memory of Marie-Antoinette, held at the Conciergerie before her execution in 1793.
- The HistoPad, an augmented-reality tablet in 6 languages handed out at the entrance, which recreates the medieval palace; handed out until 4:15 pm (4:30 pm according to the FAQ).
A free visitor app reproduces the texts of the trail, and visitor leaflets are available in 11 languages. The Salle des Gardes was closed for archaeological excavations when we checked.
Getting there and security
- Address: 2, boulevard du Palais, 75001 Paris — checked on 16 October 2026 on paris-conciergerie.fr
- Metro and RER: line 4 (Cité); lines 1, 7, 11, 14 (Châtelet); RER B and C (Saint-Michel) — checked on 11 November 2026 on paris-conciergerie.fr
- Bus: lines 21, 24, 27, 38, 58, 81, 85, 96 stop nearby — checked on 11 November 2026 on the same page
- Security: ID checks are possible around the Palais de Justice, and there is a check at the entrance: allow extra time.
Accessibility
The Conciergerie does not yet have wheelchair access, according to the official accessibility page: the entrance involves 14 steps down on the way in and 20 on the way out, with a ramp, and moving between rooms involves 10 to 20 steps fitted with ramps. Free priority entry for the disabled person and one companion (French « Mobilité Inclusion » card marked « invalidité » or « priorité »); folding seats and a wheelchair are lent for the Salle des Gens d’armes against an ID document. Strollers: small, foldable ones only, and access is by stairs; a baby carrier is recommended.
Common mistakes (official rules)
- Buying the Conciergerie and the Sainte-Chapelle separately: the combined ticket is cheaper.
- Buying the combined ticket at the desk on a busy day: there may be no slot left at the Sainte-Chapelle.
- Assuming the first Sunday of December is free at the Conciergerie: it is free only at the Sainte-Chapelle.
- Bringing a knife, scissors, an aerosol, a glass bottle, a motorcycle helmet, a large bag or a scooter: all are prohibited, and there is no cloakroom.
- Arriving after 5:30 pm: no more entry; and after 4:15 pm, no more HistoPads.
- Looking for a partner rate online: it applies only at the desk.
What to see nearby
The Sainte-Chapelle is 120 m (394 ft) away, within the same enclosure; Notre-Dame is 490 m (0.3 mi) away (as-the-crow-flies calculations). On the Right Bank, the Louvre is about a 15-minute walk along the quays; on the Left Bank, the Musée d’Orsay. Our guide to things to do in Paris suggests itineraries linking these visits.
From royal palace to prison: the history of the Conciergerie
- Late 10th century: the fortress at the western end of the Île de la Cité becomes a palace with the rise of the Capetians.
- 13th century: Louis IX embellishes the palace and has the Sainte-Chapelle built as his palace chapel.
- Philip IV the Fair (1285–1314): reconstruction of a larger palace; the Caesar and Silver towers and the lower halls you visit, including the Salle des Gens d’armes, date from this campaign.
- Late 14th century: the site becomes the prison of the Parlement of Paris.
- The Revolution: the Revolutionary Tribunal moves in; Marie-Antoinette is its most famous prisoner. A memorial chapel was built on the site of her cell during the Restoration.
The trail follows these two high points: first the Gothic halls of the Middle Ages, then the spaces linked to the revolutionary prison.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Conciergerie cost?
€13 at the full rate, according to the official website on 16 October 2026. The combined ticket with the Sainte-Chapelle costs €23 (EEA) or €30 (other visitors).
Do you need to book the Conciergerie?
No, booking is not mandatory but it is recommended. For the combined ticket, the FAQ recommends booking the Sainte-Chapelle slot online.
How long does a visit to the Conciergerie take?
Between 1 and 1.5 hours according to the official FAQ.
Is the Conciergerie free on the first Sunday of the month?
Yes, in January, February, March and November, with no booking possible. In December, only the Sainte-Chapelle is free.
What are the Conciergerie’s opening hours?
9:30 am–6 pm every day of the year, last entry 5:30 pm, closed on 1 May and 25 December.
What is the Conciergerie in Paris?
It is one of the oldest surviving parts of the Palais de la Cité, the residence of the kings of France in the Middle Ages, which became a prison in the late 14th century and again during the Revolution. Run by the Centre des monuments nationaux, the monument is open to visitors.
Our sources
- Centre des monuments nationaux, Conciergerie website (paris-conciergerie.fr): practical information, FAQ, visitors with disabilities page, consulted on 16 October 2026; metro, RER and bus access re-checked on 11 November 2026
- Centre des monuments nationaux, article « Histoire de la Conciergerie » (paris-conciergerie.fr), consulted on 16 October 2026
- Centre des monuments nationaux, Sainte-Chapelle website (sainte-chapelle.fr): prices, hours and closures, consulted on 16 October 2026
- Météo-France: 1991–2020 normals, Paris-Montsouris station, taken from our Paris page
- Destination de Voyage calculations: calendar of first Sundays and closures based on the official rules; sunset (NOAA algorithm, Europe/Paris time zone) at the Wikidata coordinates of the Conciergerie (Q138101)
- Our methodology
Updated November 2026.