Rouen for €0

Your ticket didn't cost much, and neither does the city. In Rouen, the cathedral, several museums, the viewpoints and the prettiest streets are all free to visit.

Free in Rouen

Notre-Dame CathedralPhoto : DXR, CC BY-SA 3.0

Half-timbered houses walkPhoto : Chabe01, CC BY-SA 4.0

Saint-Maclou churchPhoto : Chabe01, CC BY-SA 4.0

Aître Saint-MaclouPhoto : Chabe01, CC BY-SA 4.0

Place du Vieux-Marché and Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc churchPhoto : Andy Li, CC0

Saint-Ouen abbey churchPhoto : Bert in England, CC BY-SA 4.0

Le Secq des Tournelles MuseumPhoto : Selbymay, CC BY-SA 4.0

Museum of Fine ArtsPhoto : Chabe01, CC BY-SA 4.0

Côte Sainte-Catherine viewpointPhoto : Giogo, CC BY-SA 4.0

Flaubert Museum and Museum of the History of MedicinePhoto : François Leclercq, CC BY-SA 3.0

Jardin des PlantesPhoto : Arnaud Serander, CC BY 3.0

Left bank quays and presqu'île RolletPhoto : Bodoklecksel, CC BY-SA 3.0

Rouen Armada 2027: From 17 to 27 June 2027, the tall ships moor along the quays.
Free · Half a day · 10 min walk from the Busmandy stop
Opening hours: Site open from 10:00 to 2:00 from 17 to 27 June 2027 (from 7:00 on 27 June); civilian tall ships open to visitors from 10:00 to 17:00 from 18 to 26 June.
Notre-Dame Cathedral: The façade Monet painted again and again, and entry is free.
Free · 45 min to 1 h · 11 min walk from the Busmandy stop
Opening hours: November to March: Monday 14:00 to 18:00, Tuesday to Saturday 9:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 18:00, Sunday 8:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 18:00. April to October: Monday 14:00 to 19:00, Tuesday to Saturday 9:00 to 19:00, Sunday 8:00 to 18:00. Closed on Monday mornings, and on 1 January, 1 May and 11 November.
Half-timbered houses walk: Five half-timbered façades to string together on foot, without spending a penny.
Free · 1 h to 1 h 30 on foot · 11 min walk from the Busmandy stop
Opening hours: Outdoors, always accessible
Cathedral of Light: Every summer, the cathedral façade becomes a giant screen, for free.
Free · About 50 min per show · 11 min walk from the Busmandy stop
Saint-Maclou church: The church of the antiques quarter, a stone's throw from the leaning house.
Free · 20 to 30 min · 12 min walk from the Busmandy stop
Opening hours: Monday, Saturday and Sunday only: 10:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 17:00 (October to March), 10:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 18:00 (April to September). Closed Tuesday to Friday.
Aître Saint-Maclou: A former cemetery with galleries, and skulls carved into the wood.
Free · 30 to 45 min with audio guide · 13 min walk from the Busmandy stop
Opening hours: Courtyard: every day 9:00 to 19:00, except 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. Audio guides: from September to April, Saturday and Sunday 10:00 to 12:45 and 13:45 to 17:30 (Tuesday to Sunday during zone B school holidays); from May to August, Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 12:45 and 13:45 to 17:30.
Place du Vieux-Marché and Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc church: The square where Joan of Arc was burned, and a church with a roof like no other.
Free · 30 min · 16 min walk from the Busmandy stop
Opening hours: Church: 10:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 17:00 according to the City of Rouen (Friday to Sunday); closed on 25 December and 1 January. The square is always open.
Saint-Ouen abbey church: A free abbey church, organ concerts and a restoration project to follow.
Free · 30 to 45 min · 17 min walk from the Busmandy stop
Opening hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday 10:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 17:00 (October to March), 14:00 to 18:00 in the afternoon from April to September. Closed Monday and Friday, 25 December and 1 January.
Le Secq des Tournelles Museum: More than 7,000 metal objects on display in a fifteenth-century church.
Free · 45 min to 1 h · 18 min walk from the Busmandy stop
Opening hours: 14:00 to 18:00, closed on Tuesdays. Closed on 1 January, 1 May, 1 and 11 November and 25 December.
Museum of Fine Arts: Caravaggio, Velázquez, Géricault and a big Impressionist collection, for free.
Free · 1 h 30 to 2 h · 19 min walk from the Busmandy stop
Opening hours: 10:00 to 18:00, closed on Tuesdays. Last entry 30 min before closing. Closed on 1 January, 1 May, 1 and 11 November and 25 December.
Côte Sainte-Catherine viewpoint: 525 steps for a view over the whole of Rouen and the Seine.
Free · 1 h 30 there and back from the centre, including the climb on foot · 20 min walk from the Busmandy stop
Flaubert Museum and Museum of the History of Medicine: Flaubert's birthplace, with surgical instruments and a leech jar.
Free · 1 h · 24 min walk from the Busmandy stop
Opening hours: 14:00 to 18:00, closed on Mondays. Closed on 1 January, 1 May, 1 and 11 November and 25 December.
Jardin des Plantes: A free garden on the left bank, with tropical greenhouses.
Free · 1 h · 30 min walk from the Busmandy stop
Opening hours: November to February 8:00 to 17:30; March to April 8:00 to 18:45; May to August 8:00 to 20:15; September to October 8:00 to 18:45.
Left bank quays and presqu'île Rollet: Two kilometres of riverside walk along the Seine, with a playground at the end.
Free · 1 h to 1 h 30 · 36 min walk from the Busmandy stop
Opening hours: Free entry all day (jardin des rails)

Rouen on the map

Tap a point to see its name. Base map © OpenStreetMap, Protomaps.

Free museums

The Museum of Fine Arts, the Le Secq des Tournelles museum and the Flaubert museum are free. Watch out for closing days: Tuesday for the first two, Monday for the Flaubert museum.

Free buses and metro on Saturdays

Every Saturday, from 5:00 until 5:00 on Sunday, the Astuce network is free: metro, TEOR and buses. You still need to validate. And for under-18s, the 7-day ticket is free all year round.

Flying into Beauvais airport?

Landing at Beauvais airport and heading to Rouen? The Busmandy shuttle, official partner of the airport, takes you there by direct coach, in 1 h 40, with no changes, from €23.90. Beauvais airport to Rouen, by direct coach.

More ideas from Rouen

Frequently asked questions

What can I do for free in Rouen?

Visit Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Le Secq des Tournelles and Flaubert museums, climb up to the côte Sainte-Catherine viewpoint, wander the half-timbered streets or the Jardin des Plantes. It's all free.

Are Rouen's museums free?

Yes for the Museum of Fine Arts (permanent collections and current exhibitions), the Le Secq des Tournelles museum and the Flaubert museum. Other sites, like the Gros-Horloge or the Historial Jeanne d'Arc, charge admission.

Is public transport free in Rouen?

On Saturdays, yes: from 5:00 until 5:00 on Sunday, the whole Astuce network is free, as long as you validate. On other days, a ticket costs €1.80 and under-18s travel free with the 7-day ticket.

Is Rouen Cathedral free?

Yes, entry to Notre-Dame Cathedral is free.

What is Busmandy?

Busmandy is a direct coach shuttle between Rouen and Beauvais airport (BVA), official partner of the airport. The journey takes 1 h 40, with no changes, from €23.90. Busmandy is a Normandy company, based in Rouen, that wants to put Normandy and Europe on the same line: people from Normandy can catch flights at Beauvais airport without going through Paris, and travellers from all over Europe can reach Normandy by direct coach.

Your trip to Normandy starts at Beauvais airport.

The new Busmandy shuttle takes you to Rouen in 1 h 40, by direct coach, from €23.90. Pre-register and we'll let you know about the first departure.

Pre-register