Guided tours of the basilica

The tour included in your ticket

It’s the best-kept secret in Saint-Denis, and it annoys me a little. People pay for an audio guide, cross the transept in forty minutes, leave, and the guided tour — human, in French, included in their ticket — was starting a quarter of an hour later. Two reviews say it better than I can. Armande, from Belgium: « A must-see. Thank you to the guide (free, check the times). » And Régis: « Remarkable guided tour. Skip the audio guides and wait for the free tour. » Catherine even names her guide: René, « very clear in his explanations ».

A guide does what no recording can: they respond. In front of the tomb of Dagobert, sculpted in the 13^th century like a comic strip, there’s always someone asking what the scene depicts. In front of the transi of Louis XII, there’s always a child asking why the man is so thin. And in the crypt, there’s always the question that matters: where are the bodies? The answer — mixed in the ossuary since 1817 — is better delivered by someone than read on a sign. The context is on the desecration of 1793.

What the guided tour is not

This is not a private tour, it is not a tour in English, and it is not a booking. There are no numbered seats; you simply turn up and follow along. On Thursday mornings during the school term, several groups of schoolchildren move through the ambulatory, and the acoustics become difficult: if you have a choice, opt for the 3 p.m. tour. The times are provided here because they are stable, but they are confirmed on the day itself — a service, a celebration, a holiday, and the session is cancelled. Closures are listed on opening times and closures.

The other guided tours in the area

Two tours led by a guide, nearby, are worth mentioning because I am often asked what to do at the end of the day. The behind-the-scenes tour of the Stade de France lasts 1 hour 30 minutes with a guide, in French, English, Spanish or German, one tram stop away. It is the most popular guided tour in Saint-Denis, which sums up the city’s relationship with its heritage rather well. And the Montmartre walk, in English, lasts from 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours 30 minutes on the hill where Saint Denis was beheaded.

Book the ticket that includes the tour

The guided tour cannot be booked; the ticket that grants access to it, can. This is the one.

If you are still hesitating between the guide, the audio tour and the self-guided visit, the comparison is available at guide, audio or alone.

Frequently asked questions