Booking choice: The Montmartre highlights walk, from $27 per person. Check dates Compare the options below
The basilica sits on top of Montmartre, a hill 130 m high in the 18th arrondissement. From Square Louise-Michel at the bottom of the gardens you have two choices: climb 222 steps, or ride the funicular that runs beside them.
This guide covers the fare and the tickets that work, the hours, whether it is worth it, the nearest metro stations, and how far the Sacré-Cœur is from the Louvre, Notre-Dame, the Moulin Rouge and the Eiffel Tower.
The quick answer
No, the Montmartre funicular is not free: a ride costs €2.55. Métro-Train-RER tickets, Paris Visite, Navigo and contactless passes are valid, and you can tap a contactless bank card (CB, Visa, Mastercard). It runs every day from 6:00 to 0:45, the ride takes about 1 min 30 s, and it replaces the 222 steps from Square Louise-Michel to the basilica.
Is the funicular in Montmartre free?
No. A ride costs €2.55, but it is included in a Navigo or Paris Visite pass.
- Single ride: €2.55.
- Tickets that work: Métro-Train-RER tickets, Paris Visite, Navigo and contactless passes.
- Bank cards: contactless CB, Visa and Mastercard are accepted.
Those are the RATP's own terms, from a page updated in July 2026. If you already carry a pass for the metro, the funicular costs you nothing extra. If you do not, a single ride is the same €2.55 whether you tap a card or use a ticket, so there is no need to queue at a machine if your bank card is contactless.
What are the Montmartre funicular hours?
Every day from 6:00 to 0:45. The ride takes about 1 min 30 s.
That covers early starts and late evenings: the basilica opens at 6:30 and closes at 22:30, so you can ride up for an early visit or come down after dark. If you want to see the hill before the day gets going, the best time to visit has the details.
Ride up, then start a top-rated walk at Place Saint-Pierre, right beneath the basilica.
Check dates for the Montmartre highlights walkHow many stairs are there to Montmartre?
222 steps from Square Louise-Michel to the basilica, the climb the funicular replaces.
If you go on up to the dome, add nearly 300 more steps by a narrow staircase, with no lift. The dome costs €8 for adults at the on-site office; the dome tickets guide has the hours and rules. The hill as a whole rises 130 m, and the lanes around it are steep in places.
Is the Montmartre funicular worth it?
If you are tired, carrying a bag or have a pass anyway, yes. If you are fit and paying per ride, the stairs are free.
The ride saves 222 steps for €2.55, or for nothing if a Navigo or Paris Visite pass is already in your pocket. Going down, the stairs cost nothing. Keep your energy for the dome if you plan to climb it: that is nearly 300 steps on its own.
Short on time after the climb? A 1.5-hour walk in a small group, in English, starting at Blanche metro.
Explore the 1.5-hour guided walkWhich metro station is closest to Sacré-Cœur?
Anvers (line 2) and Abbesses (line 12) are the usual approaches, each about 600 m from the basilica.
From the basilica down to either station is about a 7-minute walk, downhill; going up takes longer. Several walks meet at metro stations too: the early-morning walk at Anvers, the 1.5-hour walk and the food walk at or near Blanche (line 2).
Can you walk from Montmartre to Sacré-Cœur?
Yes: the Sacré-Cœur is in Montmartre, on top of the hill, and most sights are a few minutes' walk from it.
People often ask this because “Montmartre” sounds like a separate place you travel to. It is the neighbourhood around the basilica, so once you are at the top you are already in the middle of it. Place du Tertre, the square of the street artists, is about 200 m away, roughly 3 minutes. The Musée de Montmartre and Dalí Paris are about 5 minutes; the Bateau-Lavoir, where Picasso worked, and the Mur des je t'aime about 6.
Coming from the metro, it is about 600 m from Anvers or Abbesses. Going down that takes about 7 minutes; going up takes longer, and that is where the funicular or the 222 steps come in. Distances from the basilica, on foot and rounded:
| From the Sacré-Cœur to | On foot (about) |
|---|---|
| Place du Tertre | 200 m, 3 min |
| Musée de Montmartre; Dalí Paris | 300 m, 5 min |
| Le Lapin Agile | 400 m, 5 min |
| Bateau-Lavoir; Mur des je t'aime | 500 m, 6 min |
| Anvers (line 2) or Abbesses (line 12) metro | 600 m, 7 min (downhill) |
See the hill with someone who knows the stories: the art lovers walk is from $11.
Check dates for the art lovers walkCan you walk from Montmartre to the Louvre?
Yes, but it is a long walk: about 3.8 km from the Sacré-Cœur to the Louvre Pyramid, about 50 minutes.
These are estimates from map distances, rounded, so treat them as a guide rather than a promise. The hill makes the way up slower than the way down, and the first stretch from the basilica is all steps and slopes. The Louvre Pyramid is about 2.9 km away as the crow flies, but streets stretch that to about 3.8 km. Notre-Dame is further again, about 4.9 km, roughly an hour on foot. If you want to see more of Paris on the same day, walking down to the metro at Anvers or Abbesses and riding across town saves your legs for the sights.
| From the Sacré-Cœur to | On foot (about) |
|---|---|
| Moulin Rouge | 1.1 km, 15 min |
| Gare du Nord | 1.4 km, 20 min |
| Louvre (Pyramid) | 3.8 km, about 50 min |
| Notre-Dame | 4.9 km, about 1 hour |
| Eiffel Tower | 6.2 km, about 1 h 20 min; take the metro |
What is the distance between Montmartre and the Eiffel Tower?
About 6.2 km on foot from the Sacré-Cœur, roughly 1 h 20 min. The metro is the sensible way.
The straight line is about 4.7 km, but streets make it longer. Spend the walking on the hill instead and ride across town: Anvers is on line 2 and Abbesses on line 12, both about 600 m below the basilica. Gare du Nord is closer than you might think, about 1.4 km or 20 minutes on foot, if you are arriving or leaving by train. The Moulin Rouge, by contrast, is only about 15 minutes from the basilica: the Moulin Rouge guide covers tickets and the dress code.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Montmartre funicular?
€2.55 a ride. Navigo, Paris Visite, contactless passes and Métro-Train-RER tickets are valid, and contactless bank cards are accepted.
How long is the funicular ride?
About 1 min 30 s.
What time does the Montmartre funicular open?
Every day from 6:00 to 0:45.
Can you walk from the Moulin Rouge to Sacré-Cœur?
Yes: about 1.1 km, roughly 15 minutes, uphill in that direction, so allow a little longer.
Ready to book
Choose your Montmartre visit
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on each option below. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Montmartre Highlights Walk
- Walking tour with a local guide
- Photos taken by the guide at different spots
- Starts at Place Saint-Pierre, right beneath the basilica
Montmartre for Art Lovers Walk
- Experienced local guide and a trivia walk
- A sketching session on a small canvas
- Montmartre cemetery on the route (free to everyone)
