Pope in Paris: all the info, where to see him? Which hotel is he staying in?

Pope Leo XIV is in Paris this Friday 25 and Saturday 26 September 2026, for the first leg of his trip to France. He is not staying in a hotel but at the Apostolic Nunciature, in the 16th arrondissement. To see him without registration, there is the walkabout this Friday, from 4 pm to 5 pm, then the mass on Saturday at 3 pm on the Champs-Élysées.

☰Contents

1. The Pope’s programme in Paris, hour by hour
2. Where to see the Pope for free?
3. Champs-Élysées mass: how to attend
4. Stade de France: 80,000 seats for young people
5. Which hotel is the Pope staying in?
6. Before Notre-Dame, a table at Les Fous de l’Île
7. After Paris, Lourdes then Metz

The Pope’s programme in Paris, hour by hour

Arriving this Friday at 10 am at Orly, Leo XIV will spend just over thirty hours in Paris before flying to Lourdes. Only two events are open to everyone, without a ticket: the walkabout on Friday and the mass on Saturday.

The times are those of the official programme published on pape-france.fr. Vespers at Notre-Dame are reserved for invited priests, deacons, religious and seminarians, but the ceremony is broadcast online.

Where to see the Pope for free?

The best moment is the walkabout this Friday, from 4 pm to 5 pm. The Pope will travel 2.5 km along pedestrianised streets, from the Notre-Dame-des-Champs church, Boulevard du Montparnasse, to Place Saint-Michel. Access is free and does not require registration.

The route ends a stone’s throw from Notre-Dame, where the Pope will then enter for Vespers at 5:15 pm. The areas around Place Saint-Michel and the quays are therefore the most popular: arrive early, with a small bag, and plan to finish on foot, as several stations will be closed. If you missed him on Friday, there is still the mass on Saturday, which is also open to everyone.

Champs-Élysées mass: how to attend

The open-air mass takes place on Saturday 26 September from 3 pm to 4:30 pm, between Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Élysées. It is the major event on Saturday open to all.

• Access times · opening at 9 am, access points close at 1 pm. After this time, you will not be able to enter.
• Registration · recommended but not mandatory, on the official website.
• On site · the mass is followed standing, by sector. Thermos flasks and water bottles are allowed, pushchairs are accepted for children under 6.
• Bags · less than 25 litres, no suitcases, no cloakroom facilities provided.
• Traffic · the Champs-Élysées perimeter is closed to cars and several metro and RER stations are closed.

Stade de France: 80,000 seats for young people

This Friday evening, the Pope will meet young people aged 17 to 35 in Saint-Denis, in an 80,000-seat stadium. A named ticket is required, obtained upon registration. Doors open at 6:15 pm, a prologue begins at 6:30 pm and the vigil lasts from 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm. Seats are assigned, bags are limited to 15 litres and bottles to 50 cl. Children under 6 are not admitted.

Which hotel is the Pope staying in?

None. As on every trip, the Pope stays at the Apostolic Nunciature, the residence of the Holy See’s ambassador to France, on Avenue du Président-Wilson, in the 16th arrondissement. He will spend the night from Friday to Saturday there, before leaving from Orly on Saturday at 5:45 pm.

The building is not open to visitors. If you are coming from the provinces or abroad for the occasion, our recommendations are in our ranking of the best hotels in Paris and our top 10 palaces. To stay near Notre-Dame, the Cheval Blanc Paris, in the Samaritaine, is a fifteen-minute walk from the cathedral square.

Before Notre-Dame, a table at Les Fous de l’Île

We had lunch there this Friday, the day of the Pope’s arrival, and we recommend it without hesitation. Les Fous de l’Île is a very good brasserie, and one of the friendliest on the Île Saint-Louis. It is at 33, rue des Deux-Ponts, about a ten-minute walk from the Notre-Dame square: perfect for waiting for the procession to pass or meeting up after Vespers.

It is an island institution, taken over by a new team, which combines Parisian cuisine with that of the Aveyron region. The setting is that of a real brasserie: long zinc bar, tiling, banquettes, a glass roof at the back of the room and a neon sign with the house logo. Service is continuous from 9 am to midnight, 7 days a week, which is helpful on busy days.

As for the food, we had beef tartare with homemade fries, pan-fried prawns marinated in coconut milk with jasmine rice (€21.50), crispy goat cheese with honey (€8.50), then a raspberry cheesecake and a café gourmand. Everything was generous and well executed. At lunchtime, the menu offers a set menu at €25 (starter and main, or main and dessert) and another at €30 for all three.

For sharing, the house serves an Aubrac breed rib of beef of about 1.3 kg for €105, with fries and salad, and aligot as a side for €9. In the basement, a vaulted cellar holds a fine selection and hosts tastings: we were shown a 2023 Puligny-Montrachet from the Henri Boillot estate.

After Paris, Lourdes then Metz

On Saturday evening, the Pope lands in Tarbes at 7:05 pm and prays at the Lourdes apparition grotto at 7:40 pm. On Sunday 27 September, he celebrates mass at 11 am in the sanctuary meadow and presides over the torchlight procession at 9 pm. On Monday the 28th, he is in Metz for an interreligious meeting at 10 am, a ride in the Popemobile at 2:30 pm and a mass at Saint-Étienne Cathedral at 4 pm, before returning to Rome in the evening.

Sources: official programme and practical information published on pape-france.fr and by the Paris diocese, consulted on 25 September 2026. Times may change: check the official website before leaving.