What is the Conciergerie, and why visit?
The Conciergerie is what's left of the medieval royal palace of the Capetian kings on the Île de la Cité, and later the most feared prison of the French Revolution. It shares one huge complex with the Palais de Justice (the law courts) and Sainte-Chapelle, which was the palace's private royal chapel.
Three things make it worth the €13:
- The Hall of the Men-at-Arms (Salle des Gens d'Armes): a vast vaulted Gothic hall from the early 1300s, built under Philip the Fair. It's one of the largest surviving medieval civil halls in Europe, and it's the first room you walk into.
- The Revolutionary prison: during the Terror of 1793-1794, the Revolutionary Tribunal sat in the building, and thousands of prisoners passed through the Conciergerie on their way to trial and, for many, the guillotine. It was called "the antechamber of death".
- Marie Antoinette: the queen spent the last weeks of her life here, from August to October 1793. A chapel built in her memory under the Restoration stands on the site of her cell, and a reconstruction shows how she lived.
Most visitors come for Sainte-Chapelle's stained glass and walk straight past the Conciergerie's entrance. That's the opportunity: it's on the same island, in the same building, at a fraction of the crowds.
Conciergerie ticket prices
Unlike Sainte-Chapelle, the Conciergerie has one price for everyone: there's no EU/non-EU split on the standard ticket.
The Sainte-Chapelle + Conciergerie combo: is it worth it?
If you're seeing both, yes. The twin ticket is only sold on the Sainte-Chapelle website, and because Sainte-Chapelle charges non-EEA visitors more, the combo price depends on your nationality or residence:
The combo works best if you book a Sainte-Chapelle time slot first and treat the Conciergerie as the flexible half of the day. Read our Sainte-Chapelle guide for how its slots and security work.
Paris Museum Pass
The Paris Museum Pass covers both the Conciergerie and Sainte-Chapelle. It only pays off if you're visiting several paid sites over 2-6 days. It's not worth buying for these two alone. Pass holders still go through the same security, so the pass doesn't skip that queue.
Skip-the-line tickets don't skip security
Resellers sell "skip-the-line" Conciergerie tickets at €15-30. They save you the ticket desk, which is rarely the problem, and nobody skips the security check. Buying the official e-ticket at €13 gets you the same thing.
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How busy is the Conciergerie?
Crowds here follow Sainte-Chapelle's. When the chapel's slots are full and the island is packed, the Conciergerie gets the overflow. Even then, it's far calmer inside than Sainte-Chapelle's upper chapel: the Hall of the Men-at-Arms is so large that 200 people barely fill it.
Crowd levels by time of day
By day and season
How to skip the lines
There are two lines at the Conciergerie: security and the ticket desk. Here's how to beat both.
- Buy your ticket online beforehand. The official e-ticket from the Centre des monuments nationaux costs the standard €13 and lets you walk past the ticket desk. The official site strongly recommends it.
- Arrive at 9:30 am or after 3 pm. The security queue is shortest at opening and late afternoon.
- Use the Conciergerie's own entrance at 2 boulevard du Palais, not the Sainte-Chapelle queue further along the boulevard. They're separate lines.
- Travel light. Large bags and suitcases aren't allowed, and there's no cloakroom. A small bag goes through the scanner much faster.
- On combo days, do the Conciergerie first at 9:30 am, then go to your Sainte-Chapelle slot. Or book a late-morning chapel slot, then come back to the Conciergerie after lunch when it's quietened down.
The ideal combo plan
9:30 am: Conciergerie (75 minutes, HistoPad in hand). 11 am: Sainte-Chapelle slot, ideally on a sunny morning when light comes through the south windows. 12:30 pm: lunch on Place Dauphine, away from the crowds.
The HistoPad: what it is and how to get one
The HistoPad is a tablet guide handed out at the entrance after your ticket is scanned. Point it at each room and it shows the space as it looked in the 14th century or during the Revolution, with interactive scenes and a treasure hunt for kids. It turns bare stone halls into something you can picture, and it's the best part of the visit for many families.
- When: tablets are handed out until 4:15 pm. Arrive after that and you'll visit without one.
- Languages: multiple, including English.
- Return: hand it back at the exit.
- Tip: bring headphones with a standard jack if you want to listen without the speaker, and charge your phone in case you want photos the tablet doesn't take.
Some resellers sell the HistoPad as an add-on. Check what's included before paying extra.
Room-by-room: what you'll see
The route is one-way and takes about an hour at a normal pace.
1. Hall of the Men-at-Arms (Salle des Gens d'Armes)
Four aisles of Gothic rib vaulting, built in the early 1300s as a dining hall for the palace's 2,000 staff. This is the room for photos: early morning, it's often empty. Look for the spiral staircase in the corner and the fireplaces.
2. The Guard Room and the medieval kitchens
The guard room was the antechamber to the king's Great Hall above. The kitchens, at one corner, had huge fireplaces able to roast whole animals. They're sometimes closed or used for exhibitions.
3. Revolutionary prison: the registrar and the "Rue de Paris"
Prisoners were registered and stripped of their belongings here. The corridor nicknamed the Rue de Paris was where the poorest prisoners (the *pailleux*) slept on straw. Better-off prisoners could pay for a bed or a private cell (*pistoles*). Reconstructed cells show the differences.
4. The names wall
A memorial room lists the names of those sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Tribunal, among them Marie Antoinette, Danton and, at the end of the Terror, Robespierre himself.
5. Marie Antoinette's cell and the expiatory chapel
A reconstruction shows the queen's cell, separated by a screen from her guards. The chapel built under Louis XVIII stands on the site of the original cell. This is the busiest corner of the visit, so linger in the hall first and come here when a group moves on.
6. The Chapel of the Girondins and the Women's Courtyard
The prison chapel, where the Girondin deputies are said to have spent their last night, overlooks the Cour des Femmes, the women's courtyard with its fountain, where female prisoners washed their clothes and could meet visitors through a grille.
Plans by visitor type
You only have 45 minutes
Hall of the Men-at-Arms, the names wall, Marie Antoinette's chapel and the Women's Courtyard. Skip the HistoPad scenes and the exhibition rooms.
Families
Come before 4:15 pm for the HistoPad: its treasure hunt keeps children busy for the whole route. Under 18s are free. Strollers must be small and foldable to pass security. There's no lift access to all areas.
History lovers
Pair it with Sainte-Chapelle (the palace's chapel) and the Musée Carnavalet in the Marais, which is free and has the best Revolution collection in Paris. Notre-Dame's crypt shows the island's Roman and medieval layers.
Photographers
The Gothic hall is best right at opening, when it's empty and side light comes through the windows. Photography is allowed without flash. Shoot the clock tower and the Conciergerie's riverfront towers from the Pont au Change or the quai de la Mégisserie at sunset.
Limited mobility
The Conciergerie isn't fully adapted for wheelchair users, according to the official site. Disabled visitors and one companion get in free. Contact the monument before visiting to ask which areas are reachable.
Getting there and security
Address: 2 boulevard du Palais, 75001 Paris.
Security: the Conciergerie is part of a working courthouse. Police may check IDs around the Palais de Justice, and everything goes through an X-ray scanner. Banned: large bags and suitcases, motorbike helmets, aerosols, knives and scissors, glass bottles, scooters and skateboards. Confiscated items aren't returned and there's no cloakroom, so leave luggage at your hotel or a luggage service.
Insider tips
- The Conciergerie queue is not the Sainte-Chapelle queue. People often join the long Sainte-Chapelle line by mistake. Check which entrance you're at.
- First Sundays look free but cost time. If you're visiting in January, February, March or November, avoid the first Sunday unless you're on a tight budget and willing to queue.
- The combo price is per nationality, not per age. Under 18s and young EU residents are free at both, so only buy combo tickets for adults who pay.
- Check temporary exhibitions. The Conciergerie runs exhibitions in the Gothic hall. They're included in the ticket and sometimes change the route.
- Last HistoPad at 4:15 pm, last entry at 5:30 pm. These are the two times that matter.
- Lunch off the main drag. Place Dauphine, a 5-minute walk west, is calmer and better value than the cafés facing Notre-Dame.
- Night views are free. The Conciergerie's towers are lit at night and look best from the Right Bank quays.
Mistakes to avoid
- Buying separate tickets when the combo would save €5-6.
- Paying €25+ for a "skip-the-line" reseller ticket that doesn't skip security.
- Turning up with a suitcase on your way to or from a train.
- Arriving at 4:30 pm expecting the HistoPad.
- Visiting on a free first Sunday without expecting a long queue.
- Trying to fit the Conciergerie into the 30 minutes before your Sainte-Chapelle slot.
Is the Conciergerie worth it?
Yes, especially combined with Sainte-Chapelle. For €13 you get the largest Gothic hall in Paris, the most vivid place to understand the Revolution, and Marie Antoinette's last home, usually with a fraction of the crowds next door. If you have to choose only one, Sainte-Chapelle's glass is the more spectacular sight. The Conciergerie is the better story.
FAQs
How much is the Conciergerie ticket?
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€13 for adults. Under 18s are free, as are EU nationals and non-EU residents of France aged 18-25.
Is there a combined ticket for Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie?
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Yes. It's €30 for non-EEA visitors and €23 for EEA nationals and residents, sold only on the Sainte-Chapelle website. It saves €5-6.
Do I need to book the Conciergerie in advance?
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It isn't required, but the official site recommends buying the e-ticket to skip the ticket desk. You'll still go through security.
What are the Conciergerie's opening hours?
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Every day from 9:30 am to 6 pm, last entry 5:30 pm. Closed on 1 May and 25 December, and occasionally for court-related reasons.
Is the HistoPad included?
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The tablet is handed out at the entrance after your ticket is scanned, until 4:15 pm. Check your booking if you bought through a reseller.
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How we research: every guide is written by the BeatTheCrowd team from official sources and recent traveller reports, cross-checked against each other, and dated so you know how fresh it is. Last checked 29 October 2026. Prices and rules change, so always confirm on the official site before you book.
