Basilique de Saint-Denis & the Paris Museum Pass 2026

Last updated: May 2026 · Prices and details verified

Is the Basilique Cathédrale de Saint-Denis included in the Paris Museum Pass?

Yes — the Paris Museum Pass covers entry to the Basilique de Saint-Denis, saving you €17 per person on a full visit. No reservation required. The basilica is 25 minutes from central Paris by Metro Line 13.

Basilique Cathédrale de Saint-Denis — Fast Facts

Address	1 Rue de la Légion d’Honneur, 93200 Saint-Denis
Nearest Metro	Basilique de Saint-Denis (Metro 13) — 2 min walk (Metro 13)
Bus	153, 239, 253, 274 · T1 tram
Opening hours	April–September Monday–Saturday: 10am–5:45pm Sunday: 12pm–5:45pm October–March Monday–Saturday: 10am–4:45pm Sunday: 12pm–4:45pm Fabrique de la Flèche closed Mondays — royal necropolis only Closed: 1 January, 1 May, 25 December Subject to closure during religious services
Closed	Mondays: Fabrique de la Flèche closed (necropolis open, €11) Religious services: check before visiting Public holidays: 1 January, 1 May, 25 December
Individual ticket	€17 (2026) — €11 on Mondays (necropolis only)
With Museum Pass	Free — included

What to Know Before You Visit

The Basilique Cathédrale de Saint-Denis is simultaneously the most historically significant church in France and one of the most undervisited. It was here in the 12th century that Abbot Suger designed the first truly Gothic building — pioneering the use of pointed arches, ribbed vaulting, and large stained glass windows to create a new architecture of light. Every French monarch from Dagobert in the 7th century was buried here, and the royal necropolis holds the finest collection of medieval and Renaissance funerary sculpture in the world. Currently undergoing restoration of the tower and north spire — an active construction site visitors can observe as part of the Fabrique de la Flèche experience.

No reservation required. The basilica is open daily — note Sunday opening is at noon, not 10am. Check saint-denis-basilique.fr before your visit as the royal necropolis is subject to occasional closures during religious services.

The tower and north spire reconstruction is currently underway — an extraordinary active Gothic construction site visitors can observe through the ‘Fabrique de la Flèche’ guided experience (check saint-denis-basilique.fr for availability and booking). Note: the Cité de la Musique Philharmonie de Paris offers a combined ticket (Panthéon + Saint-Denis, €19) which the Museum Pass makes unnecessary.

Collection Highlights

The royal necropolis holds 70+ funerary monuments spanning the 12th to 16th centuries — the history of French sculpture in concentrated form.

Highlight 1
The recumbent effigies (gisants)
life-size marble lying figures of French kings and queens from the 12th to 16th centuries, including Louis IX (Saint Louis), Charles V, and Henri II with Catherine de Médicis

Highlight 2
The Gothic choir and ambulatory
Abbot Suger’s original 12th-century choir, the first fully Gothic space ever created, where the manipulation of light through stained glass was first used as architectural theology

Highlight 3
The crypt
the oldest section of the building, housing the ossuary containing unidentified royal remains, and the burial chapels of the Carolingian dynasty including Pépin le Bref and Charles Martel

Visitor tip: Visit on a weekday morning to avoid school groups and tourists. The royal necropolis closes during religious services — check the schedule on arrival. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours for the complete visit including the Gothic choir, the crypt, and a thorough look at the funerary sculpture.

Getting There

Take Metro 13 northbound to the Basilique de Saint-Denis terminus — the basilica is a 2-minute walk from the station exit. Total journey from central Paris: approximately 25 minutes. Alternatively, RER D from Gare du Nord to Saint-Denis station, then Tramway T1 or a 15-minute walk.

Is the Saint-Denis Trip Worth It on a Museum Pass?

At €17 for the full visit (royal necropolis + Fabrique de la Flèche), Saint-Denis is one of the higher-value pass inclusions outside central Paris. The 25-minute Metro 13 journey makes it best suited as a dedicated half-day rather than a quick stop between central Paris venues.

The most logical pairing: visit Saint-Denis in the morning (open from 10am), then head back south on Metro 13 to the Panthéon in the afternoon — both are royal and state burial sites, and the contrast between the two is genuinely instructive. That combination saves €28 on a single day. Avoid Mondays if you want the Fabrique de la Flèche — the spire construction experience is the most distinctive element of the current visit and is unavailable that day.

Ready to Visit Basilique Cathédrale de Saint-Denis?

€17 entry included with the Museum Pass. Plus 50+ more venues across Paris.

Buy the Museum Pass → Calculate your savings → Book Ticket →

Frequently Asked Questions

Take Metro Line 13 northbound from central Paris (serves Saint-Lazare, Montparnasse, Invalides, Châtelet) to the Basilique de Saint-Denis terminus — the basilica is 2 minutes walk from the station exit. The journey from central Paris takes approximately 25 minutes. RER D also serves Saint-Denis station, then Tramway T1 or a 15-minute walk.

For anyone interested in French history, medieval architecture, or funerary sculpture, it is essential — and massively undervisited compared to its historical importance. The royal necropolis holds more than 70 funerary monuments from the 12th to 16th centuries, representing the entire arc of medieval and Renaissance sculpture. The Gothic choir by Abbot Suger is the founding monument of an architectural movement that spread across Europe. Most visitors spend 90 minutes to 2 hours here.

The Fabrique de la Flèche (‘Spire Factory’) is an innovative heritage project that allows visitors to observe and understand the ongoing reconstruction of the basilica’s medieval tower and north spire — demolished in 1846 and now being rebuilt for the first time in nearly 200 years using medieval techniques. It is a rare chance to witness Gothic construction methods in practice. Check saint-denis-basilique.fr for current visitor access to the construction site.

Nearby Museums Also Covered by the Pass

Palace · Outside Paris

Château de Chantilly

France’s second greatest art collection — 40 min by TER from Gare du Nord. Pass-covered.

Monument

Panthéon

France’s secular mausoleum in the Latin Quarter — a natural complement to the royal necropolis.

History Museum

Musée d’Art et d’Histoire du Judaïsme

Jewish history in the Marais — 25 min by Metro 13 south.

See all 50+ pass venues in our complete museum list →