tour of the catacombs

The 5 Best Paris Catacombs Tours [2024 Reviews]

Over many centuries, there wasn’t room for more of those who passed away to fit into the already crowded Paris cemeteries. There wasn’t room for more cemeteries and they needed room for housing and services for the growing population.

Starting in 1783, Paris began moving those who had been buried in the city’s cemeteries to the tunnels underground. It is estimated that there are between 6 and 7 million remains in the 200+ miles of tunnels beneath Paris.

Be sure to see our reviews of Day Trips to Normandy , Louvre Guided Tours and Eiffel Tower Tours .

Best Paris Guided Catacomb Tours

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Quick Answer: The 5 Best Rated Paris Catacombs Tours For 2024

• Best Skip-the-Line Tour: 2-Hour Paris Catacombs Small Group Skip the line Tour
• Best Family Tour: Catacombs of Paris Private Tour for Families
• Best Sightseeing Tour: Catacombs of Paris – 2-Hour Tour with Priority Entrance
• Best Semi-Private Tour: Paris Catacombs Special Access Entry Ticket
• Best Small Group Tour: Catacombs of Paris – Restricted Access Tour

We’ve chosen these top rated Paris Catacomb tours because they offer a wide range of experiences and will fit into everyone’s budget.

Paris Catacombs Tour Reviews

1. best skip-the-line tour: skip the line 2-hour paris catacombs small group tour.

• Departure Point : 1 Avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy
• Departure Time : 12:30 PM
• Duration : 2 hours (approx.)
• Includes : Skip-the-line entrance ticket, expert guide, a small group of up to 19 guests

Want to see the doorway over which is inscribed “Beware the Realm of Death”? Your expert guide will take you on a 2-hour tour of the catacombs beneath Paris. These catacombs are now home to over 6 million once-living humans.

Something that makes these catacombs completely unique is that the skulls and bones, and sometimes full skeletons, are neatly stacked along the walls of these tunnels.

The tunnels were used to quarry limestone that was used to build many of Paris’ most iconic buildings and even bridges. You and just 18 other people will follow your guide through a maze of tunnels, pointing out specific locations within them that are notable.

Perhaps a secret society met there? Maybe they still do? Plus, the remains of those who were once well-known, whether famous or notorious. Underneath the beauty and romance of the City of Lights, these tunnels remind visitors of long-ago times when death was rampant in Europe.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience, other experiences you may enjoy:, 2. best family tour: catacombs of paris private tour for kids & families.

• Departure Point : 15 Pl. du Pont Neuf, 75001 Paris
• Departure Time : Variety available
• Includes : Skip-the-line entry to the catacombs, kid friendly local guide

When bringing the family to Paris, you expect them to learn some of the history of the city not to mention their unique culture. After all, Paris is Paris and nowhere else is! However, there is one way you can make the history lessons a bit more fun.

The catacombs in Paris were originally limestone mines. After that, they were used to house the bones of over 6 million people that had been laid to rest in traditional cemeteries. But why?Paris, as with the rest of Europe, was battling against epidemics of many illnesses.

After the catacombs were created, it became much easier for the city to keep streets and houses clean, leading to a huge reduction in sickness and disease. But did they create a macabre reminder of those days with these skull and bone lined tunnels?

Your expert guide will be dedicated to you and your family only. Ask questions and explore. Learn the fascinating history as a family. And ask your expert tour guide to snap some great pictures, too!

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3. best sightseeing tour: skip-the-line paris catacombs special access tour.

• Departure Point : 2 Av. du Général Leclerc, 75014
• Departure Time : 12:30 PM & 5 PM
• Includes : Skip-the-line entry to the catacombs, expert local guide

For centuries, thousands have died in Paris. Many of Paris’ citizens have met their fate during the epidemic of the black plague, the French Revolution, the era of the guillotine, and more.

When cemeteries are full and there’s no room for more cemeteries, what is Paris to do? Their answer was to remove the skulls and bones of many in cemeteries, taking them to the deep, dark limestone quarry tunnels beneath the city.

Who are these people that now call the Paris catacombs their resting place?

Listen to your expert guide tell you of ghost stories, the legends of those lost in the tunnels, and even of secret societies that keep coming back here.

Why? No one knows. But you might get a glimpse into Paris’ underbelly as you view walls and walks of full skeletons as well as skulls and bones used to decorate the tunnels.

Will you feel the chill of a spirit never at rest? Taken from their resting place and used to decorate walls, arches, and even an underground, macabre chapel?

You just might with this skip-the-line access to the catacombs of Paris. Be sure to bring a friend!

Related: Don’t Miss the Eiffel Tower! – Skip the Lines – Find the Best Tour for Your Money With Our Reviews.

4. best semi-private tour: paris catacombs semi-private tour with vip access.

• Departure Point : Café du Rendez-vous
• Departure Time : 10:30 AM, 11:30 AM & 12:30 PM
• Duration : 1.5 hours (approx.)
• Includes : Expert local guide, skip-the-line access, private tour with a maximum of 6 guests

Paris’ underbelly is home to a unique series of tunnels. These tunnels span hundreds of miles. Follow your local guide, an expert in the catacombs of Paris, as you learn about their history before they were made into catacombs.

You’ll also learn about why and how the catacombs were created. The stories and legends of these underground resting places for over 6 million people will give you the chills as you head from tunnel to tunnel.

This private tour will also give you access to areas of the catacomb tunnels that most people can’t see. Gather around the gate as a guard opens it and ushers you inside.

An underground chapel, decorated with skulls and bones, awaits you. And this is only one of the restricted access areas you will be able to see.

There’s no place quite like the Paris catacombs anywhere in the world. This tour allows you to experience it like most people don’t.

Related: See the World Famous Louvre Museum – Skip the Lines – Find the Best Tour for Your Money With Our Reviews.

5. best small group tour: catacombs of paris semi-private vip restricted access tour.

• Departure Point : 1 Av. du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, 75014
• Includes : Admission ticket with fast track entry, expert guide, access to several restricted areas within the catacombs, a small group of up to 7 people

Viewing the catacombs beneath Paris is an experience in and of itself. The winding tunnels lined with remains both ancient and more recent give a macabre feeling, especially when compared to the beautiful city built above them.

With your expert guide, you will also learn the history behind the catacombs and how they were created. There are stories and legends of those who have been laid to rest here, and also of secret societies that still visit the Paris catacombs today.

This restricted access tour will also allow you to see several areas of the catacombs that most who visit them aren’t allowed access to. Your guide will take you to these places and explain why they are so important and have been closed off to general visitors.

Listen to your guide tell you of the gloomy underground of Paris, some more than 65 feet, below the modern streets of Paris. Watch as your guide unlocks gates to areas of the mine tunnels and catacombs with even more macabre legends.

Planning Guide For Your Paris Catacombs Visit

In TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards 2018, Paris was ranked as the #2 Top Destination in the World. While visiting the City of Lights may not be just as you expect after watching An American in Paris, a vacation in Paris is like nothing else.

With so many tourist spots to explore, you may find it difficult to plan everything you’d like to see and experience into just one vacation. I guess that just means you’ll have to come back to see this beautiful city again.

Our travel guide below can help you plan a vacation to Paris whether you are staying for 2 days or 10 and whether it’s your first visit or fifth.

Airports & Entry

When headed to France, you won’t need to apply for a visa so long as your expected stay is less than 90 days. You also need to have at least three months before your passport expires past the date you expect to leave the country.

An emergency passport will not be accepted unless you also have an approved visa, no matter the length of your stay. There should be at least one page available for a stamp when you arrive.

There are three major airports in the area of Paris, France. The one you fly into will most likely be determined by the airline you are using. That airline will fly into the airport it is contracted with. With that in mind, when flying to France you will most likely land at one of the following airports:

• Paris Beauvais Airport
• Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport
• Paris Orly Airport

Planning Tips

Paris is unlike most other vacation destinations. The French, especially Parisians, live life a little differently. This means that while you’re there, you may have to get used to eating at different times and you may need to plan your attire.

On your first day, taking a guided tour of the city will help you zero in on areas you would like to spend more time in will help a lot.

These are our top 5 tips for visiting Paris. Have you been there and have tips of your own? Let us know!

Tip #1: Wear Comfortable Shoes

You will be going down many stairs to get into the catacombs, and the catacombs extend for miles. Even though you won’t be seeing all 200+ miles of them, it is still a pretty long walk. You will also have to ascend stairs to get out.

Most guided tours take 2 hours or so. This means you will be walking for a while. Be sure to pack some comfortable walking shoes for your visit to the Paris catacombs.

Tip #2: Bring a Jacket, and Maybe Gloves Too

It is usually very damp inside the catacomb tunnels. On top of that, the temperature is 15 degrees Celsius year-round. This equates to less than 60 degrees Fahrenheit. For most, this is a bit chilly at the very least. Most visitors are comfortable with a light jacket. However, having a thin pair of gloves won’t hurt either.

Tip #3: Invest in a Guided Tour

Because the number of guests in the tunnels at any one time is just 200, the lines to obtain a general admission ticket are usually very long. By purchasing a priority ticket through a guided tour, you can skip the lines at the entrance and go right in.

Another added bonus is that you will have a tour guide that can tell you much more about the Paris catacombs. Some tours even allow you to see areas of the tunnels that most don’t.

Tip #4: If Not, Arrive Early

If you haven’t planned ahead and purchased a tour with priority access to the catacombs, you will have to wait in line. This line can get quite long so be prepared for it. However, if you arrive 30 to 60 minutes before they open, you most likely won’t have to wait quite as long. Sometimes the wait can be hours, so be sure to get there early.

Tip #5: Are you claustrophobic?

There aren’t many restrictions when it comes to visiting the catacombs, except for a few banned items. Even kids can go inside for a look at the more sinister side of Paris. However, if you are claustrophobic and already know this, the catacombs may not be the ideal attraction for you. The good part is that there are always the famous cabarets of Paris, the Seine River cruises, or even guided tours of Versailles.

Tip #6: Stay in a Central Location

Everywhere you’re going to want to go as a tourist in Paris will be centrally located or have provided travel that leaves this area. Most of the hotels, many museums, and a lot of restaurants are all centrally located.

You’ll also find that the pickup and drop-off locations for many tours are located here. It makes things much easier if you find accommodations close to central Paris.

Tip #7: Always Have Euros on Hand

There are many stores and even restaurants that don’t accept debit or credit cards. Some taxis won’t accept plastic either. If an establishment does accept a card, they often won’t allow you to leave a tip on your receipt.

This means it’s important to always have a few euros on hand. Many ATMs in the city will allow you to use a foreign card to withdrawal euros.

Restaurants & Eating Out

The Ciel de Paris is one of the most romantic restaurants in the city. It is located in the Montparnasse Tower with beautiful views of the city. You’ll also find a well-stocked champagne bar available to you. The Polidor is one of the oldest restaurants in Paris.

It dates back to 1895 and the interior decor hasn’t changed much since. This is one of those restaurants that only take cash, so have a few euros on you.

In Paris, it’s hard to find a truly casual restaurant. Because of this, you’ll want to make sure that you’re dressed for the occasion. If you’re not sure what you could or should wear to a particular establishment, some will list their dress code online or you can always give them a call.

You should consider taking some French cooking classes while you are in Paris . Learn from the best and make the dishes you love at home!

Nightlife & Entertainment

Harry’s New York Bar was actually once located in New York City. The entire bar, just as it was, was moved over to Paris in the early 1900s. This bar is credited with inventing some of the most popular cocktails we know today, including the Bloody Mary and the Sidecar.

Wine and champagne are something most Parisians are very proud of. If you’re looking for an upscale wine bar, you’ll want to try out Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels. You’ll be able to try nearly every wine and champagne local to Paris. However, there are wine bars located in nearly every corner of the city.

From backroom speakeasies to modern nightclubs, Paris has a little bit of everything for everybody when it comes to nighttime entertainment.

Getting Around

There’s no shortage of ways to get around in Paris. The most popular, effective, and affordable way is the Metro. You may find it a bit intimidating at first due to the sheer number of lines and routes, but after a few trips to an attraction or restaurant, you’ll be riding the Metro like a pro.

You can purchase single ride tickets or a batch of 10. If you’re going to be in Paris longer there are also ride passes.

While traditional taxis can be quite expensive in the city, Uber offers some fairly inexpensive ways to get around town if traveling by car is best.

Walking between destinations is very doable in Paris but if you’d like to ride a bike instead, there’s plenty of kiosks that rent them. In fact, this can be a great way to tour the city and do some sightseeing on your own.

Accommodations

You’ll find everything from small and inexpensive hostels too large, luxury resorts in Paris. There are even small boutique hotels with spas and other amenities. Where you decide to stay while visiting Paris will largely depend on the type of experience you’re looking for.

If you wish to spoil yourselves, the Le Roch Hotel & Spa is perfectly located between restaurants, the Louvre Museum, and many tourist pick up spots. If you’re looking to meet other tourists, learn more about the city from those who’ve been here several times, and have a quieter stay, one of the many hostels around town are ideal. We recommend The Generator Hostel Paris.

On average, July is the warmest month in Paris. While the weather is much better during the summer months, there are usually more crowds. If you don’t want to have to fight the crowds and don’t mind cooler weather, traveling in late winter or early spring might just give you the blend of comfortable weather and fewer crowds. January is the coldest month, on average, with temperatures in the low 40s Fahrenheit.

Attractions

Paris is full of attractions. The Louvre Museum is a popular stop for tourists. The Mona Lisa exhibit here can be quite busy, however. Use your limited time at this world-famous museum by taking in the many other exhibits, many of which are quite interesting and just as important to French history.

If you like to visit museums, you might want to try the Musee d’Histoire de la Medecine. You might just learn more about how modern medicine came to be. The Museum of Modern Art is a popular stop as well.

Thinking of taking some day trips?

If you enjoy Champagne, then do yourself a favor and take a day trip to Champagne and do some tastings while exploring the countryside.

Visiting the Palace of Versailles , exploring the Paris catacombs , taking a river cruise down the Seine River , and making it to the top of the Eiffel Tower usually top most tourist’s lists of attractions . Remember that traveling to or visiting these places can be much easier if you go as a group on a tour.

You may get priority access, free souvenir photos, and more, just for traveling with a tour group. This is often the most affordable way and makes it easier to plan the days you’re planning to spend in Paris.

The catacombs beneath the Paris streets are unique, intriguing, and maybe even a little bit creepy. But that’s exactly why they are so popular. If planning on visiting the Paris catacombs during your stay, keep these tips in mind.

Last but not least, while you are in the city of lights be sure to take a walking tour and do a wine tasting tour !

Disneyland Paris

Also outside the city, despite its name, is Disneyland Paris, 20 miles to the east. This famous theme park is the most visited attraction in France. If you’re visiting Paris with children, you’ll probably want to devote two days to Disney because there are two separate parks here: Disneyland Park opened in 1992 and Walt Disney Studios Park opened in 2002. Inside both, you’ll find thrill rides for all ages as well as classic attractions, like actors dressed up as your favorite Disney characters and Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. The easiest way to get to Disney Paris is with a shuttle and entrance ticket deal .

Tour Guides

The Catacombs of Paris: Restricted Access Tour is our Editor's Choice as the best Paris catacombs tour with its combination of expert tour guides and sites seen.

Krysha Thayer

Related articles, the 5 best stonehenge tours from london [2024 reviews], the 5 best florence wine tours [2024 reviews], the 7 best vatican tours ⛪ [2024 reviews], the 5 best seine river dinner cruises [2024 reviews].

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• Best Paris Catacombs Tours

5 Best Paris Catacombs tours to give you Goosebumps

Updated 8 March 2024 by  Leyla Alyanak  — Parisian by birth, Lyonnaise by adoption, historian by passion

Make sure you get your tickets ahead of time for your Paris Catacombs tours – I did this last time and I admit I enjoyed not having to wait...

Descend into the enigmatic depths of Paris and into the hidden world below, where more than 350km (220mi) of underground passages house the remains of six million souls.

You are entering the Paris Catacombs.

NOTE: Pages on this site may contain affiliate links, which bring in a small commission at no cost to you.

NO TIME TO READ EVERYTHING? 🕥

 💀 Choose this  Paris Catacombs Semi-Private Tour with VIP Access ! It gets you to the front of the line and into special hidden areas not open to everyone.

In the 18th century, overcrowded cemeteries led to a daring decision: millions of bones would be transported to a nearby underground quarry. It would take 12 years to complete the task.

Today, you can quietly wander through the subterranean chambers of the Paris Catacombs, past walls of stacked bones and somewhat macabre compositions where history and darkness intertwine.

Visiting the Catacombs was one of my own personal Paris highlights and if you want to avoid the long lines to get into what is often called "The Empire of Death", choose one of the tours below or, at the very least, get a skip-the-line ticket .

1.  Catacombs of Paris Semi-Private VIP Restricted Access Tour

2.  VIP Skip-the-Line Restricted Access Tour

3.  Skip-the-Line Special Access Tour

4.  The Paris Underbelly Walking Tour  (NOTE: NOT AVAILABLE IN 2024)

5.  Skip-the-Line Ticket and Audio Guide

What you should know before visiting the Catacombs

Essentials for France

5 Best Paris Catacombs tours and tickets

Standing outside on a meltingly hot day, with my tour tickets in hand, I was able to whip right past the crowds and believe me, that felt great!

Many attractions can be visited on your own, including the Paris Catacombs, but because only 200 people are allowed in at a time, the lines can be long.

To get the most out of your visit, here are the 5 top-rated Catacombs tours in Paris, packed with history and excitement.

1. Catacombs of Paris Semi-Private VIP Restricted Access Tour

This is a small group tour and provides the best of the best, from excellent guides to private viewings the average visitor won't get to see.

This is ideal if you're looking for a more intimate experience, and want to be in a position to ask a few questions without having to fight through the crowds.

The fact that the tickets are skip-the-line saves you time, because the lines here can be extremely long – it seems everyone wants to visit the Catacombs (with reason, I'd say!)

⏳  TOUR LENGTH: 2 hours    ✔︎  Fast-track skip-the-line entrance ✔︎  Learn the stories behind the Catacombs ✔︎  Explore the underground's history with an expert English-speaking guide ✔︎  Small group limited to 6 people

🎟️  BOOK YOUR SEMI-PRIVATE TOUR HERE

The Catacombs are an experience, but one thing that makes a visit more memorable is the storytelling that goes with it.

Have you ever heard of the man who wandered down into the Catacombs a couple of centuries ago... and never came back?

He'll be at the heart of some of the "ghost stories" you'll hear on this tour. You'll also learn about illegal parties and raves, and the Catacombs more recent history during World War II.

⭐️  Rating: 5 / 5  ⭐️

This is a really cool experience especially with the extra access that comes with a guided tour. — David_B

Overall --- A++ — Ricardo_A

Leo was wonderful. Her knowledge of the catacombs was vast and had as true sense of passion. I would book again with her in a second! — Elizabeth_B

This tour was a highlight of our trip! — Susan_B  

See more reviews here

2. VIP Skip-the-Line Restricted Access Tour

This VIP tour is sold by a different operator but is basically the same as #1. Choose either one and you can't go wrong.

Here, too, you'll be in a small group with an expert guide, and you'll have access to secret corners of the Catacombs not available to normal ticket-holders.

On both tours, you'll learn plenty of history, especially dating back to the French Revolution (victims of the guillotine are buried here) and World War II, when the tunnels were used both by the Resistance and the Nazis.

⏳  TOUR LENGTH: 2 hours    ✔︎  Fast-track entry into the Catacombs ✔︎  Explanatory visit with an expert, English-speaking guide ✔︎  Access to behind-the-scenes areas ✔︎  Small VIP group with a maximum of 6 people

🎟️  BOOK YOUR VIP TOUR HERE

Part of the special feeling of being on a small group tour is watching as a guard unlocks a gate to let you through  and closes them behind you – hence the VIP label.

Only a tiny portion of the Catacombs are open to the public, about 0.5%, so most of the tunnels are beyond reach. On this small group tour, you'll get a sneak peek at a some of the hidden portions.

⭐️  Rating: 4.9 / 5  ⭐️

"It was excellent having a small guided tour with 6 people, it made it more intimate."  —Rebecca, Australia

"We were able to go in lots of areas the general public couldn’t. Our guide was amazing." — Laurel, USA

"Awesome tour. Unique, interesting history, and a little macabre. Such a great guide as well!" — Nate, USA

"Was a brilliant tour with a brilliant guide!" — Caroline, UK

What do you do with your "stuff" as you're walking around taking pictures of the Catacombs? I use this wonderful infinity scarf  for my keys, ID and cards – no bag to carry, no backpack to hoist. Absolutely perfect for when you travel light.

3. Skip-the-Line Special Access Tour

While the two above tours are small (6 people or less), this is a medium-sized tour that can reach 19 up to 19 people. If you don't mind a larger group and would like to pay less than you would on a smaller tour, this one is for you.

It has many of  the same benefits. You get an English-speaking guide who knows the Catacombs intimately, and you'll have a skip-the-line ticket and avoid the long waits at the entrance.

You'll hear all about the stories and legends of the Catacombs, and about what it took to engineer their move from city cemeteries to these underground tunnels, a move that took 12 years to complete.

⏳  TOUR LENGTH: 2 hours    ✔︎  Fast-track entry into the Catacombs ✔︎  Access to areas off-limits to the general public ✔︎  Local guide to answer your questions and provide context

🎟️  BOOK YOUR SKIP-THE-LINE SPECIAL ACCESS TOUR HERE

And yes, you'll also have access to "hidden" areas not open to the general public.

As you enter areas that aren't normally accessible, you'll visit secret sculptures and even a hidden chapel, and receive personal explanations of how they came to be. Some of these are almost too incredible to be real!

The only significant difference between this tour and #1 and #2 is the size of the tour (this one is a bit more crowded) and the price (this one is cheaper).

⭐️ Rating: 4.8 / 5 ⭐️

"A wealth of information with the right amount of humor. We loved it!!!" — Justin, USA

"If you go on your own without a tour guide you will miss out on the stories and the secret locked spaces that will only be shown on a private tour." — USA

"Definitely a MUST if you are visiting the Catacombs for the first time. Informative and Line Bypass is priceless." — Ron, Canada

4. The Paris Underbelly Walking Tour

NOTE: THIS TOUR IS NOT AVAILABLE IN 2024.

This tour, on the other hand, is quite different because it is private.

You get your own guide, and no one else tags along, only your group of up to 10 people. It's up to you: do it alone, or with your family or friends.

The advantage of this more "personal" approach is that you don't feel constrained by asking too many questions, as you might in a group full of strangers. You can ask away, and no question is too silly or repetitive.

Of course this tour includes everything the others do, from a skip-the-line ticket to access to "behind the scenes" portions of the Catacombs, and if you'd like it as an add-on, Addie (the guide) is happy to take you to some delectable pastry shops afterwards!

⏳  TOUR LENGTH: 2.5 hours    ✔︎  The spookiest of tours ✔︎  The most ghost-centric ✔︎  With peeks at Notre-Dame from the outside

🎟️  BOOK YOUR PARIS UNDERBELLY TOUR HERE

Did you know that the population of the dead whose bones are under the city of Paris is twice the population of the living residents in Paris?

This is just one of the many unusual facts you'll learn about Paris and the Catacombs as you make your way through the underground tunnels.

What I love most about having a dedicated guide is that it allows you to delve more deeply into the history and legends of a place. If something strikes your fancy, you can explore it more in depth and ask plenty of specific questions to intensify your knowledge.

"Addie is the best your guide you can hope for." — Rachel C, USA

"Addie was extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the catacombs. A great tour." — Harold S, USA

"She knew so many details of the catacombs!" — Joseph C, USA

"Our tour was a family group ranging in ages from 13 to 81 and she made it interesting for each of us." — Julie O, USA

5. Skip-the-Line Ticket and Audio Guide

This is the simplest of my five recommendations: a skip-the-line ticket and an audioguide.

The Catacombs are incredibly popular and during the high season, it could take several hours to reach the ticket counter. Unless you want to spend your holiday standing in line, a skip-the-line ticket is the sensible way to go.

Having an audioguide (available in English) allows you stop where you want to and repeat the commentary if you feel you've missed something – perfect if you're an independent-minded traveler who prefers to do things on their own terms.

⏳  TOUR LENGTH:  1 hour    ✔︎  Pre-booked skip-the-line ticket ✔︎  Guided tour with an audioguide ✔︎  Explore at your own pace

🎟️  BOOK YOUR SKIP-THE-LINE TICKET HERE

The audioguide will tell you all about the "Empire of Death" and how (and why) the Catacombs were originally created from ancient quarries.

As you walk along, the recording will point out such landmarks as the "Barrel" and signs related to streets above where significant events took place.

Whenever you feel like silence, you'll be able to switch off the audioguide and get a sense of the eternal stillness of the six million souls that have been buried here for centuries.

⭐️  Rating: 4.5 / 5  ⭐️

"Lots of historical information about Paris via the audio guide. Very impressive." — Alexandra, Germany

"Great self tour!" — Charlene, USA

"Amazing experience not to be missed!!!!" — Tim, USA

"Quite difficult to get into, so grab your tickets as soon as you can!" — David, Australia

Here are a few practical considerations you should consider when visiting the Catacombs.

• Only 200 people are allowed in at a time, but it can still get a bit crowded if everyone is interested in the same "room".
• The tunnels are quite cool and humid all year, around 14°C/57°F, so please dress accordingly. Bring a sweater, and wear good shoes with a bit of tread, because it can get a bit slippery.
• The toilets are only accessible on your way out so make sure you don't need them on your way in.
• No large bags are allowed, only small purses.
• The Catacombs are not recommended for anyone who suffers from claustrophobia. The tunnels aren't particularly narrow but they are tunnels nonetheless, with no daylight.
• Nor are they suitable for people with mobility issues. The Catacombs have 130 steps, which you have to descend on arrival and go up on the way back. There is no elevator access.
• This is one of the most popular attractions in Paris and tickets will sell out quickly, especially at the height of the spring and summer seasons, so make these a priority for advance purchase when you're doing your planning.

ESSENTIALS FOR FRANCE

WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO GET AROUND FRANCE?

🚎 If you're in a city, use the excellent public transportation systems. 🚊 If you're going between cities or to smaller towns, you can usually take the train (I buy my tickets through RailEurope or Trainline ). 🚙 In rural areas, train stations are rarer so you might want to rent a car , which is easy in France ( I use Discovercars ).

DO I NEED TRAVEL INSURANCE FOR FRANCE?

It depends. If your travel insurance already covers you in France, then you're all set. If not, head for VisitorsCoverage for everything travel.

WHAT ABOUT IDENTITY THEFT AND ONLINE SECURITY?

That's easy! Just get a VPN, which cloaks your online presence (I use ExpressVPN everywhere).

WILL MY PHONE WORK IN FRANCE? WHAT ABOUT MY CHARGER?

You can use your roaming plan in France. If you don't have one, you can do one of several things (just make sure you have an unlocked phone).

📲 You can order a SIM card before you get to France. 🤳 You can buy a SIM card from a shop in France. ⚡️ You can buy an e-SIM .

WHAT SHOULD I PACK FOR FRANCE?

Here are a few essentials you should NOT leave home without: 👟 Comfortable walking shoes . You'll be on your feet a lot, and... cobblestones. 🔌 Plugs are different in France . 👜 An anti-theft purse ( this is the bag I use ). 🧣 An infinity scarf , for evenings when you don't want to carry a purse. In Paris and other major cities, there isn't much violent crime but  there are plenty of pickpockets .

WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO BOOK A PLACE TO STAY IN FRANCE?

✓ I use booking.com for my own travels around France. Listings are extensive, including apartments, and cancellation policies generous.

Paris Catacombs tour: FAQ

Is the Paris Catacombs tour worth it?

Yes it is. The wealth of stories and legends around the Catacombs is best discovered with the help of a seasoned, expert guide who can answer your questions.

How long is the wait for Paris Catacombs?

It depends on the season, the time of day, and pure luck. It can be as quick as five minutes but can also last several hours.

Can you tour the Catacombs on your own?

Yes, you can. You can buy a ticket, enter and wander around, or get an audioguide for a bit more structure.

How much of the Paris Catacombs are open to the public?

Only a tiny portion is open to the public, about 0.5% of the total.

What are the visiting rules of Catacombs tours Paris?

They're common-sense rules for tight places: no large bags, and wear decent shoes. Otherwise, the Catacombs are not advisable for visibly pregnant women, people with claustrophobia, anxiety or mobility issues.

Do I have to take a tour to visit the Catacombs?

No. While a tour will allow you to see much more than you would on your own, at the very least you should  get a skip-the-line ticket  and you'll waltz right past the 199 people standing in line waiting for their time slot.

Are the Catacombs haunted?

Many people think so, and they're often referred to as the haunted Catacombs . Remember, the remains of more than six million people are buried there.

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Bonjour! I’m Leyla, born in Paris, I now live in the bucolic mountain foothills of Eastern France. My days are spent exploring my country. 

As a journalist and former diplomat, I spent years living abroad and now, it’s time to rediscover my own back yard.

Passionate about history and culture, I’ve created Offbeat France to seek out my country’s mysteries and legends, less-traveled destinations, with plenty of food stops and many castles – I am French, after all!  Read more here .

Bonjour! I’m Leyla! I was born in Paris and now live in the bucolic mountain foothills of Eastern France between Lyon and Annecy. 

I'm rediscovering my own back yard after years of living abroad in Canada, Spain and Switzerland as a journalist and a diplomat － and I'm loving every minute.

Passionate about history and culture, I’ve created Offbeat France to seek out my country’s mysteries and legends, less-traveled destinations, along with plenty of food stops and many castles － I am French, after all!

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Paris Catacombs Underground Tour

Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice Award: Top 25 Experiences – Worldwide

• Delve deep below Paris’ Metro lines to discover the City of Light’s darker side. With Skip-the-Line Access , descend into Paris’ eerie past as you explore the city’s Catacombs . Made up of a series of intricate tunnels, these somber Catacombs are the resting place of over six million people.
• Our tour includes privileged access to restricted areas of the Catacombs that are closed to the general public, such as; Port Mahon Gallery, Quarryman's Footbath, Sacellum Crypt, Sepulchral Lamp and Gilbert's Tomb.
• Explore the dark underworld of Paris as you venture below ground to these truly captivating Catacombs, in the company of an expert, English-speaking guide .
• Choose between a Semi-Private tour with 6 or fewer people , or a normal tour with  group size limited to 19 people or fewer , this tour promises to be a highlight of your vacation in Paris.

Tour Description

What's included.

• Special access to restricted areas closed to general public
• Expert, English-speaking tour guide
• *Small groups of no more than 19 people or Semi-Private group of 6 people or less
• Entrance ticket and reservation fee for the Paris Catacombs

Sites Visited

• Paris Catacombs
• Restricted areas: Port Mahon Gallery, Quarryman's Footbath, Sacellum Crypt, Sepulchral Lamp and Gilbert's Tomb

Discover the Underside of Paris

Beneath the sun-soaked streets and stunning architecture lies a darker side to Paris. Descend deep below Paris’ Metro lines and into a parallel city, a city that over 6 million skeletons call home on a tour of the Paris Catacombs. Stretching across an area of 200 miles of former quarry and made up of an intricate series of tunnels, this macabre site is one of the most fascinating places you’ll visit during your stay in Paris.

One of Paris' Most Popular Must-See Attractions

Explore the City of Light’s darker side on our Paris Catacombs tour.  Lurking below the city’s romantic tree-lined boulevards, public gardens, and cafés, this mysterious sight has become one of Paris’ unmissable tourist attractions.

Make the most of your precious vacation time on our Paris Catacombs tour. With Skip-the-Line Access you’ll be whisked straight passed the long lines waiting outside and marveling at Paris’ dark, yet alluring, underbelly within minutes.

Top-Rated City Wonders Guide

In the company of an expert, English-speaking guide and in a small group of either 19 or 6 people*, you’ll embark on your journey into Paris’ underworld. With your guide’s help you’ll navigate your way 65 feet below street level, below Metro lines and sewers and into the Catacombs.

As you cross-over into the city’s dark side, you’ll be greeted by the words “Arrête! C’est ici l’empire de la mort”, or "Stop! Here lies the empire of death". This inscription is a fitting warning for the eerie sights that lie within.  Explore tunnels and macabre galleries decorated entirely with skulls and bones on your journey through Paris’ colorful past. Watch as these spine-chilling remains are brought back to life before your eyes, as your expert guide recants the tales of a Paris gone-by and a dark past time wishes we forgot.

Tour Benefits

Our tours benefit from the privilege of special access to parts of the Paris catacombs that are closed to the general public. Gates to two halls will be opened especially for you to marvel at the devastatingly captivating sculptures chiseled out of the rock in the Port Mahon Gallery, where a quarry worker spent five years in secret toil from 1777, until a cave-in crushed him to death.

Other restricted areas you’ll visit on your tour include the Quarryman's footbath, the Sacellum Crypt or altar, where bones were blessed before being "archived," the Sepulchral Lamp, which constantly burned to show there was enough air in the tunnels, and the elusive Gilbert's Tomb.

Get ready to "rub bones" with the likes of Rabelais and Robespierre on this intimate voyage into a Paris’ dark underbelly, a voyage that few have experienced.

Thousands of 5-Star Reviews

Tripadvisor, know before you go, meeting point.

Place Denfert Rochereau - Open in Google Maps

Important Notes

• Please note that Paris will host the 2024 Olympics from July 26th to August 11th, followed by the Paralympics from August 28th to September 8th. This may have an impact on our travel plans. While we are committed to minimizing any sort of inconvenience, please be aware that unforeseen issues may arise. We will make every effort to navigate challenges and ensure a smooth experience for you.
• Due to increased security measures at many attractions some lines may form on tours with 'Skip the Line' access.
• Please note that Special Access areas may be closed on some days.

Cancelation Policy

This tour is subject to a 24-hour cancelation policy. If you wish to cancel or amend your booking, you can do so without charge by contacting us up to 24 hours in advance of your expected departure time.

• Book with Confidence: Free cancellations up to 24 hours before the experience begins (local time).
• Multilingual Customer Service: Talk to us, we are here to help.
• No Hidden Costs: All taxes and fees included.

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Paris tours, paris catacombs tours, get to know city wonders.

A City Wonders tour is the product of meticulous research, detailed planning, and a passion for providing customers with travel experiences they will cherish forever.

With City Wonders it's not just facts, our passionate guides tell you the stories that bring the sights to life.

• All of our guides are experts in their field
• We only hire fluent English-speakers so nothing is ever lost in translation
• We focus on the little details and anecdotes that make City Wonders so special

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Visiting the Paris Catacombs: The Complete Guide

Put simply, the Paris catacombs are a winding maze of tunnels that stretches deep underneath one of the most famous cities in the world and plays host to roughly 6 million artfully arranged human skeletons… and with a description like that, is it any surprise that the idea of visiting the Paris catacombs has fascinated visitors for centuries?

This is a place where centuries worth of Paris’ dead have come to rest, a place that has been the sight of many an illicit party, and a place where rumors of deaths and disappearances of impetuous explorers are never far away.

It’s also a place that–done safely and legally–is incredibly simple and interesting to visit.

Here’s how to tour the Paris catacombs, and what you need to know before you go.

Some links in this post may be affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Please see our disclosure policy for more detail.

Table of Contents

A Brief History of the Paris Catacombs

What to know before visiting the catacombs in paris, how to visit the paris catacombs independently, should you take a paris catacombs tour, how to get to the paris catacombs, hours + essential info for visiting the paris catacombs.

The story of the Paris catacombs starts long before there were human skeletons involved, but we’ll try to keep it very brief here.

If your trip to Paris has already taken you to the Louvre, Notre Dame, or the Latin Quarter, then you’ve observed plenty of Paris Stone–the easily identifiable limestone that gives many Parisian buildings their typical charm.

Well, that stone had to come from somewhere, and in the 18th century, it primarily came from quarries underneath Paris.

This wasn’t the first time the area had been quarried–the Romans got that started long ago–but it did eventually lead to a tipping point, because in 1774, the city was horrified when 300 meters of Rue Denfert-Rochereau were swallowed by the now not-so-solid ground.

Fast forward a bit, and King Louis XIV decides to solve two problems at once: he already has people at work trying to reinforce the literal ground beneath Paris’ feet, and he also has a problem with a very dirty city that is overflowing with all manner of unsavory things–including dead bodies.

In a move deeply unpopular with the populace and the Church, the King ordered that bodies be removed from Paris’ unhygienic cemeteries and placed underground, starting with those in the Saints Innocents cemetery that was closed due to overflowing conditions in 1780 and then emptied into the catacombs 1786.

Those of you familiar with French history can probably see what comes next: revolution, which of course interrupted this whole catacombs process for a bit.

Once the dust settled on the revolution, though, the Paris catacombs were cleaned up, with bones being arranged in artful ways and organized in order to allow better access for visitors and mourners.

In 1809, the catacombs were officially opened to the public, and they’ve been attracting visitors ever since, with a whopping 480,000 touring the Paris catacombs in 2018 alone!

Only 200 people are allowed to tour the Paris catacombs at any given time.

While this can make booking tickets in advance practically essential, especially during high season, it pays off in a big way once you’re actually inside the ossuary: the place feels almost deserted when visiting, and you’re likely to have at least a couple of moments without another person in sight if you wish.

Paris is very strict about this rule, and they carefully track people entering and leaving.

On our most recent visit to the catacombs, I actually had to wait a few minutes after entering for Jeremy to join me, since I was the 200th person to enter and he couldn’t come in until someone left.

You should definitely book your Paris catacombs tickets in advance.

Given the strict rule above, it should come as no surprise that the lines for the Paris catacombs get insanely long–I’m talking hours long. 

On our first visit, we waited more than 2 hours to visit the catacombs on a cold day in January, and most recently, we had to book tickets 2 days in advance in order to get a time slot.

Since most of us only have a finite number of days to enjoy Paris, we absolutely recommend booking your skip-the-line Paris catacombs tickets as far in advance as you’re able to commit.

… And don’t expect to get tickets the same day you book.

As I mentioned above, we had to book 2 days in advance in order to get tickets on our most recent visit, which was in mid-September. As of the time of writing, timed tickets are available starting 3 days from now.

If you have your heart set on a Paris catacombs tour, book your tickets ASAP!

Check availability & book your skip-the-line tickets for the Paris catacombs today! Prefer a guided tour? This popular one is an excellent option!

Absolutely can’t book in advance? Get there early.

Like, really, really early. Thirty minutes to an hour before they open is best, and will give you the best chance of getting in early enough to still spend the bulk of your day enjoying other places in Paris.

The catacombs in Paris are not wheelchair accessible.

Visiting the Paris catacombs requires walking down 131 steps, followed by a roughly 1.5km walk on somewhat narrow, uneven, and possibly damp surfaces, followed by an additional 112 steps back up to street level.

If that isn’t something you can comfortably do, the catacombs in Paris probably aren’t the right destination for you.

Dress the part: wear comfortable shoes and bring a jacket.

The Paris catacombs are a cool 14 Celsius / 57 Fahrenheit year-round, and often a bit damp as well, so this isn’t the place for sundresses! 

Opt for comfortable shoes to navigate the slightly uneven terrain, and bring a jacket for comfort.

I tend to get cold, and was comfortable in a cotton dress worn with tights , boots , and a light jacket . Jeremy rarely gets cold and stayed comfortable in slacks , boots , and a t-shirt .

Don’t bring large bags with you.

Anything over 40cm x 30cm isn’t allowed inside, and there is no luggage storage on site.

You also won’t be able to carry backpacks in their usual way, and instead, the catacombs request that you carry them in front of you or by hand.

Should be obvious, but: don’t touch the bones.

I know, I know, this shouldn’t need to be said, but given that I recently witnessed a child hugging a 4000-year-old statue in the Louvre, it’s probably worth noting that just because there’s no barrier between you and 6 million skeletons doesn’t mean you should touch them.

The exit to the Paris catacombs is not in the same place as the entrance.

It’s only a few minutes walk away, so not really a big deal, but if you have someone waiting for you to emerge up top, it’s worth knowing that you won’t pop back up right where you started!

The gift shop is kind of bizarre.

Not super important, but just so you know, if you’ve ever wanted a goblet covered in skulls to add to your decor, this is definitely the place to get it.

… However, there are restrooms there.

If you’d like the chance to use a free (or more accurately, included) toilet before moving on with your sightseeing, exiting the catacombs is a great opportunity to do so.

If you’d like the visit the Paris catacombs independently, we recommend booking a skip-the-line ticket here for your preferred date (though keep in mind that the tickets do regularly sell out days in advance–the earlier you can book your tickets, the better!).

You’ll receive a scheduled time to visit Paris’ catacombs, and when you date and time arrives, you can simply walk past the (often enormous) line of visitors and stroll right into the catacombs.

This is exactly how we visited on our most recent trip, and we can attest that it was way easier and more comfortable than our last visit, which involved waiting outside for more than two hours on a cold day in January.

The skip-the-line tickets linked here do include an audio guide, which is incredibly valuable and adds a lot of context to the visit. Cost of an audio guide onsite if you don’t have it included in your ticket is 5 Euros.

Check availability & book your skip-the-line tickets for the Paris catacombs today!

If you’re particularly interested in the history of the catacombs, or simply want to get behind the scenes and visit rooms and sections that are not open to the average visitor, then a Paris catacombs tour is absolutely the right choice for you!

The catacombs are truly one of the most remarkable underground sights we have ever seen, and the long, torrid history of the catacombs, from religious rituals to illicit parties to the politics of their initial construction, makes this the perfect place for an in-depth tour.

This popular tour from Take Walks is the perfect option, combining small group sizes and compelling guides with behind-the-scenes access that will allow you to see more rooms than you would with a normal ticket.

Book your special-access guided Paris catacombs tour today!

Like most places in Paris, the easiest way to reach the catacombs is by metro.

You can get to the Paris catacombs on Line 4, Line 6, or via the RER B train.

The entrance to the Paris catacombs is located just outside the Denfert-Rochereau metro stop, in a fairly modern-looking, nondescript building that in no way implies what an interesting place lies beneath its feet.

The catacombs are open from 10:00 AM to 8:30 PM, with ticket sales stopping an hour before closing.

They’re closed on Mondays and just a few other days of the year: January 1, May 1, and December 25.

Ready to book your Paris catacombs tour or tickets? Book your skip-the-line tickets here or in-depth guided tour here !

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About Kate Storm

In May 2016, I left my suburban life in the USA and became a full-time traveler. Since then, I have visited 50+ countries on 5 continents and lived in Portugal, developing a special love of traveling in Europe (especially Italy) along the way. Today, along with my husband Jeremy and dog Ranger, I’m working toward my eventual goal of splitting my life between Europe and the USA.

2 thoughts on “Visiting the Paris Catacombs: The Complete Guide”

Good for you! What a wonderful way to live your life! I love traveling and if I wasn’t a mother I think I would be hopping around the globe too!

Thanks, Tara! It has been and continues to be a wonderful journey. 🙂

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How to Visit the Paris Catacombs (and a Bit of History)

Last Updated on April 25, 2024

Few places in the French capital inspire the kind of morbid fascination that the Catacombs of Paris do– and that’s not a surprise. The relatively small section of the vast network that’s open to the public stretches in narrow underground tunnels for around 1.5km/1 mile, carved from limestone and neatly lined with the remains of some six million human corpses.

Amazingly enough, this macabre public exhibition only represents a tiny section of les catacombes . An anonymous memorial to millions of unnamed, deceased residents of ages past, the Paris catacombs are filled with human femurs, skulls, and other bones– piled in oddly ornate, neat displays, and narrated by poems and quotes about death.

Leave it to the French to make even something this dread-worthy artful and philosophical, right?

But however tidily the millions of bones and skulls may be arranged in their towering stacks , they also hit a taboo nerve.

The piles of corpses speak both to our dread of mortality, and to our fascination with how societies manage death, from a logistical standpoint. In the West, where death is rarely confronted directly in daily life, it seems apt that it would be driven deep underground. A bit like Hades, or the ancient Greeks’ subconscious realm of nightmares.

Created in the late 18th century, the Catacombs may seem like an old-fashioned oddity. But they are in fact the result of modern, more hygienic and efficient ways of managing human remains. And their almost poetic curation into a ‘museum’ of sorts is connected to the development of the tourism industry in the 19th century– another distinctly modern phenomenon.

{These Are The Weirdest Museums in Paris}

Keep reading to learn more about the history of this intriguing site, what to look out for when touring the Paris Catacombs, and for my full tips on making the most of your visit.

Explore This Article

A Horrific History: Exhuming the Cimetière des Innocents, an Overflowing Graveyard

The story of the Catacombs begins in the late 18th century, when officials began to recognize that traditional city cemeteries had become putrid, overflowing, deeply un-hygienic catastrophes.

For hundreds of years, the centrally located Cimetière des Innocents had been the postmortem home of generations of Parisians. With origins in the early medieval period, it served as a burial ground for the 5th-century Notre-Dame-des-Bois church. It soon became the city’s main cemetery.

{Related: Take a Self-Guided or Virtual Tour of Medieval Paris}

Located around the corner from the bustling Les Halles animal market (since transformed into a monstrous, confusingly laid-out shopping center), the cemetery was overcrowded and shambolic, with many layers of graves and human remains piled atop one another.

By 1780, conditions had worsened. To create space, the graves of Parisians who had been dead for decades or centuries were exhumed, their skeletal remains tightly packed together into charnier s (mass graves) built in the walls of the cemetery.

The main burial grounds reportedly rose two metres (more than six feet) above the ground compared to surrounding streets, with layers of graves separated only by loose mounds of earth.

16th-century French writer Rabelais alluded to the horrifying conditions at the cemetery in a section of his famous multi-volume work Pantagruel , describing Paris as

“a good city to live in, but not to die in, since the beggars of Saint-Innocent {cemetery} warmed their asses on the bones of the dead.” (« une bonne ville pour vivre, mais non pour mourir ; car les guenaulx  (les gueux)  de Sainct Innocent se chauffouyent le cul des ossements des morts  ». 

And during the mid-18th century, merchants and residents began to complain of fetid, horrifying odors emanating from the Innocents and infecting surrounding buildings. Most famously, in 1780, a restaurant owner named Gravelot was terrified to find that part of a mass grave had collapsed ; the cellars of his restaurant on rue de la Lingerie were “invaded” by corpses.

{More Weird French History: The Strasbourg Dancing Plague of 1518}

Some historians claim this horror-movie-worthy incident was “the” event that pushed local authorities to close the Innocents cemetery in 1785. This necessitated the creation of new burial places, and the Catacombs, of course.

To solve the problem of relocating millions of corpses from Les Innocents, city planners and officials had to get creative. They identified a vast network of underground limestone quarries on the left bank– much of them then outside the bounds of Paris– as an ideal place to store the historic remains of countless Parisians.

Creating the Paris Catacombs: A new site on the left bank

Beginning in 1785 and carrying through the following year, the city undertook a first major “evacuation” of remains from charnel houses and mass graves at Les Innocents. The transfers were completed at night in an attempt to fend off criticism or shock from residents and church officials.

Workers heaped bones into quarry wells, then piled them in the galleries of old subterranean quarries. The site, near modern-day Montparnasse, was deemed the “Paris Municipal Ossuary” in 1786.

{Related and nearby: A Walk Through Montparnasse Cemetery}

In later decades and following the French Revolution, other graveyards and cemeteries in the city center were exhumed, with more remains transferred to the Catacombs. The project significantly picked up after 1840, as Haussmann’s and others’ efforts to modernize the city picked up significant speed.

In 1809, the Catacombs were opened to the general public, but only by appointment. It quickly became a hit with locals and tourists, and even figures such as the Emperor Napoleon III and his son visited the site.

Part of the appeal was its mythical association with ancient Roman catacombs in nearby Italy. Another part of it a nineteenth-century, Romantic interest in the macabre (and the medieval). And by the mid-19th century, early photographers such as Felix Nadar brought worldwide attention to the Catacombs and their “empire of death”.

Today, the Catacombs are connected to and managed by the same team behind the Musée Carnavalet, dedicated to the history of Paris. Of course, I highly recommend a visit to both.

Touring the Paris Catacombs: Highlights & Tips

Touring the Parisian Catacombs is fascinating, but (at least to me) it’s more of an archeological adventure than a creepy attraction fit for a Halloween outing. The 45-minute circuit takes you down a long spiral staircase to enter the old limestone quarries.

{A Few Famous French Ghost Stories & Hauntings}

As you pass through the tunnels– some quite narrow and almost claustrophobic, others wide “galleries”, take note of how the thousands of bones and skulls tightly packed around the sides are have been arranged.

Some form crosses or other recognizable, symmetrical patterns, while others appear to be unceremoniously lumped together in tall stacks and lines, sometimes behind metal grates and under low ceilings.

There’s something overwhelming and moving, but also oddly impersonal, about the spectacle. Who are all these people, and what sorts of lives did they live? We know, as mentioned above, that many were plague victims. But beyond that, their particularity melts away, forming an uncanny sea of anonymous bones, eye sockets and grinning teeth.

It’s a reminder of our smallness, our impermanence, our fragility. It even suggests the limitations of human memory, since many or most of these unnamed people once had graves that marked their lives, differentiating them from others among the dead.

All of those individuating markers were swept away when these remains were exhumed and transferred to the catacombs. Who knows what skull belongs to which femurs?

The only way to distinguish between one cluster of bones and another? You’ll see signs that state the source of a particular set of remains, and the date of their exhuming, such as this one, reading “Bones from the former St-Jean Cemetery (Rue du Faubourg Montmartre, n. 60)/ Deposed in 1846-1847 in the Western Ossuary and transferred to the Catacombs in September 1859”:

If you’re a Buddhist, you might find the erasure of individual lives liberating or even slightly funny. With the exception of the odd tomb for notable Parisian aristocrats, no egos can thrive here, and the bounds between rich and poor, prominent and ordinary have essentially disappeared.

But if the idea of being remembered means something to you, there’s something quietly terrifying, and very sobering, about it all.

Luckily, you’ll be aided in your existential reflections by carefully placed poems and philosophical musings about mortality throughout the circuit– one of my favorite aspects of the displays.

The block above roughly translates as follows:

“What enclosures have opened! What narrow spaces Occupy, between these walls, the dust of races! It is in these places of forgetting, and among these tombs That time and death come to cross their false(hoods), That the dead are piled and pressed under the earth! The numbers here are nothing, the crowd is alone”

Whether you find these poems and musings pretentious or thought-provoking, their presence reminds you that you’re in a carefully constructed and curated space: one that has over the decades become one of Paris’ most popular tourist attractions.

How to Make the Most of Your Visit

The Catacombs can be easily visited year-round (scroll down for practical information on getting there, tickets, etc.) But I do have a few suggestions for making the most of your exploration:

Best time of year to visit: Try to go in the early morning or during low season (roughly, mid-October to March). The crowds will generally be thinner during these times, making for a more relaxed (and less claustrophobic) experience. Believe me, some of the tunnels are narrow enough. You don’t want to feel crowded as you pass through them.

What to wear: Even in the summer, go with long sleeves, closed, sturdy shoes, and possibly a light jacket. The Catacombs are kept quite cool (around 14 C/57 F) to preserve the remains from damage. Also, make sure your shoes have decent traction, as some areas in the passageways can be slippery and even wet.

Use an audioguide : Available in English as well as French, Spanish, and German, the audioguides cost only a few Euros extra and will allow you to gain a better understanding of the site’s history and highlights.

What About the “Secret” Parisian Catacombs? Can I Visit Those?

As documented in Atlas Obscura , BBC , and numerous other outlets, there are some 200 miles of “off-license” catacombs that have periodically been explored by cataphiles : curious residents, squatters, artists and DJs staging (literally) underground parties.

The non-official tunnels, accessed from several secretive points around the city, include swimming holes and pools , cataphile bars, sculptures, “street art”, and even a makeshift auditorium offering clandestine movie screenings and plastered with film references.

Sounds amazing, right? Unfortunately, it’s illegal for the general public to access these non-official parts of the underground network– and likely pretty dangerous. While I understand the appeal (and especially wish I could see the secret cinema myself) I strongly recommend against trying to visit them.

{Book Viator’s skip-the-line tour of the Catacombs with VIP access to restricted areas}

They may be structurally unsound, are reportedly infested with rats and riddled with electrical lines, and you may well not be able to find an exit unless accompanied by a very experienced local guide.

Even if you feel safe and think you can manage them, you can be fined or even arrested if found roaming in tunnels not open to the public.

In short: delight in the many interesting photo essays and podcasts out there on the topic of the secret catacombs, including the ones cited above. But unless you have a taste for breaking the law and putting yourself in danger, don’t try to go explore them yourself.

Getting There, Buying Tickets & Practical Info

The Catacombs are open year-round from Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. The ticket window closes at 7:30 p.m. The attraction is closed on Mondays, and on January 1st, May 1st, and December 25th.

Where is the Entrance to the Paris Catacombs?

The entrance is located at 1, Avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy , on Place Denfert-Rochereau, 75014 Paris ( 14th arrondissement ).

Metro/RER: Denfert-Rochereau (M Line 4, RER Line B)

Exiting the metro at Denfert-Rochereau, look for building with a light-green glass entrance area and ticketing booth, where you can access a long, winding set of stairs down to the catacomb tunnels (131 steps).

Accessibility & Rules for Visitors

Accessibility : Unfortunately, the catacombs are not accessible to wheelchairs, and visitors with other types of physical disabilities or cardiovascular disease may wish to avoid this attraction. This is especially true since you’ll have to climb 112 stairs back up to the street. In addition, visitors with sight disabilities must be accompanied by a guide.

The exit is from 21 bis, Avenue René-Coty. It can be a bit disorienting to exit in a different place from where you entered, so make sure you have a streetmap (whether digital or print) on hand to navigate back to the metro or to your next destination.

Only 200 people are allowed in at a time, so you may have to wait during busy times.

You can only bring a small bag or purse with you during your visit , and the catacombs are not equipped with coat or luggage storage. Leave large bags and other items at the hotel before visiting.

Buying Tickets for the Catacombs (in Advance & on the Day)

You can either buy tickets onsite/on the day at the booth near the entrance ( see current rates here ), or purchase them in advance.

• To save time and hassle, consider purchasing skip-the-line tickets (including audioguide) for the Paris Catacombs here (via Tiqets) .
• You can also opt for a semi-private guided tour in English (also from Tiqets).
• For a more in-depth exploration, you can also consider booking Viator’s skip-the-line tour of the Catacombs (with special access to restricted areas) .

Contact Details & More Info

Visit this page at the official website for more information on conditions and rules for visiting the catacombs, including current health and safety guidelines and up-to-date admission prices. You can write with any inquiries at this address: ca*********************@pa***.fr .

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Editor’s Note: This article contains a few affiliate links. If you reserve tickets or tours through these links, it comes at no additional cost to you, but helps to fund more free, in-depth features like this one at Paris Unlocked. Thank you.

Courtney Traub is the Founder and Editor of Paris Unlocked. She’s a longtime Paris resident who now divides her time (as well as she can manage) between the French capital and Norwich, UK. Co-author of the 2012 Michelin Green Guide to Northern France & the Paris Region, she has been interviewed as an expert on Paris and France by the BBC, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Le Figaro, Matador Network and other publications. Courtney has also written and reported stories for media outlets including Radio France Internationale, The Christian Science Monitor, Women’s Wear Daily and The Associated Press. In addition to going down various rabbit holes of curiosity when it comes to French culture, history, food and art, Courtney is a scholar of literature and cultural history whose essays and reviews have appeared in various forums.

One thought on “ How to Visit the Paris Catacombs (and a Bit of History) ”

The first time I visited the Catacombs, I walked slowly imagining the people, and the lives they might have lead. All remains are from every walk of life.the rich, and the poor, and everyone in between. Some of the remains I was looking at could very well have been victims of the crazy times of the French Revolution. It was one of the tourist attraction I am glad I didn’t miss.

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Paris Unlocked

Paris Catacombs Tour with Secret Rooms & Privileged Access

Skip the line and gain exclusive access to secret parts of the catacombs.

Want see France’s most unusual attraction without the long wait? How about peeping into secret rooms that the general public doesn’t get to see? This VIP skip-the-line tour gets you straight into the medieval underworld of the Paris Catacombs, and you’ll gain privileged access to restricted parts of this vast underground tunnel network. Along the way, your expert local guide will bring the Catacombs to life with stories of their dark history and eerie folklore.

• Meeting point at Cafe Oz
• The Gateway to Hell
• Catacombs tunnels
• Barrel of Passion
• Restricted Areas
• Lower Catacombs
• End inside Catacombs
• The Barrel of Passion
• Secret rooms, off-limits to the public
• Cataphile stories and insights

You'll meet your guide and the rest of your small group near the Denfert-Rochereau Metro Station, just a short walk from the entrance to the Catacombs. The general admission line can be incredibly long, especially during busy times, but you'll be able to breeze past and start exploring straight away with your skip-the-line ticket.

Your guide is an expert in all things Catacombs, and over the next 1.5 hours you'll learn about the dark history of this unique underground tunnel network. You'll see the macabre artwork that adorns its walls, and you'll even gain access to two hidden rooms which are off limits to the general public. There's no better way to see Paris' darkest attraction!

Paris Catacombs Tour Description

Your 1.5-hour tour includes:

Skip-the-line Paris Catacombs tickets

Entry to two restricted areas of the Catacombs

A super-knowledgeable English-speaking guide

A maximum group size of 19

Skip-the-Line Paris Catacombs Tickets

Wait times to enter the Paris Catacombs can be up to 3 hours! That’s time you could spend strolling along the Champs-Élysées, climbing the Eiffel Tower, or watching the world go by in some impossibly stylish Paris café.

We'll have your Paris Catacombs ticket ready when you arrive, and our tour lets you skip the line completely so you can start exploring the city’s dark underworld without the long wait.

Catacombs of Paris - The Gateway to Hell

Your tour starts at the entrance of the Catacombs, just south of the "Barrière d'Enfer" (which means the Gates of Hell!). After entering, you'll immediately descend a staircase deep below the streets of Paris and into the medieval underworld of the Catacombs—often referred to as the world’s largest grave.

As you begin to explore this vast underground tunnel network, your guide will explain the creation of the Paris Catacombs and how it became a burial place for so many of the city’s dead. You’ll also get to see two incredibly eerie areas of the Catacombs that are restricted from public access. These areas are so exclusive that a guard will need to come and open the old gates with a key. How's that for a VIP experience?

Paris Catacombs History

As you explore the various tunnels and rooms of the Catacombs, your expert "cataphile" guide will tell you their history and how they came to be. Tunnels have existed under Paris since the 13th century. They were once used to mine the limestone that helped build the city and also as ossuaries for burying human remains. But it wasn’t until the 17th century that the Paris Catacombs we see today really began to take form.

Paris was expanding rapidly and began to build over the now abandoned tunnels. Sound like bad planning? That's because there was no planning. A few major ground collapses later, something had to be done.

At the same time, the population was growing and the city’s cemeteries were overflowing. So, Louis XVI decided to kill two birds with one stone and approved the reinforcement and extension of the tunnels for use as a burial place for the dead. In an eerie twist, the estimated 6 million bodies buried here actually help to support the structure itself.

Catacombs Artwork, Architecture, and Bones

The Catacombs are one of the last secrets of Paris, and your tour will uncover some of the mysteries held within their walls. You’ll also see some truly unique and macabre artwork as you pass through the labyrinth of corridors and gates, along with a type of architecture not found anywhere else in the world.

And yes, you will see thousands upon thousands of bones, arranged by artists and architects to make the space more "livable."

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What you get with this tour

See what people are saying

116 total reviews

We really enjoyed this tour, and our tour guide Rémy. Very informative and interesting to get to the restricted areas with a professional tour.

An Unforgettable, Macabre, and Timeless Experience !

Our descend into Paris' catacombs, where bones whisper tales of the past, was impressive. We Explored dimly lit tunnels adorned with macabre arrangements, a haunting testament to the city's history. A visit here is a journey through time, a solemn yet mesmerizing experience.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What to bring?

We always recommend comfortable walking shoes on all of our tours. The temperature inside the Catacombs is always around 14°C/57°F, no matter what time of year, so it's a good idea to bring a light sweater. Also, the only bathroom break is at the end so please show up prepared and ready to tour!

I've heard about the Paris Catacombs calling strikes at the last minute. Does this really happen?

On occasion, employees at landmarks in Paris, such as the Paris Catacombs, decide to strike. Often, the intention to strike is not communicated to tour operators until the day of the strike. In the event that the Paris Catacombs go on strike when your tour scheduled, we will do our best to accommodate you on another Catacombs tour the following day. If this is not possible, we will provide you with a full refund.

We always recommend comfortable walking shoes on all of our tours. The temperature inside the Catacombs is always around 14°C/57°F, no matter what time of year, so it's a good idea to bring a light sweater. Also, the only bathroom break is at the end so please show up prepared and ready to tour!

What if I have concerns about my mobility on this tour?

While it doesn't cover a huge distance, you will be on your feet for the length of the tour (1.5 hours). You should also expect some uneven floors and old stone stairways, so please think carefully and make sure this tour is right for you.

Free 24-hr cancellation on group tours! Learn more

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Skip-the-Line Paris Catacombs Tour with Special Access

640 reviews

Why take this tour?

• Submerge yourself beneath the surface of the city streets
• Explore the intricate network of tunnels which comprise the Paris Catacombs
• Learn more about the events which led to the creation of one of Europe's largest communal burial grounds
• Step inside parts of the Catacombs rarely seen by the public
• Immerse yourself in the 'Empire of the Dead' and hear the story behind the structure
• Choose 1:30 PM, 4:30 PM or 5:30 PM time for a smaller group size (6 guests)
• Sites Visited
• Paris Catacombs
• Tour Includes
• Local English-speaking guide
• Expertly guided walking tour
• Skip-the-line ticket for Paris Catacombs

Take a (special access!) walk through Paris's eerie City of the Dead

Total customer reviews: 640, latest reviews.

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10 Catacombs & Ossuaries Around The World To Visit

• The Sedlec Ossuary in the Czech Republic features works of art made from human bones and is part of the oldest Cistercian monastery in the region.
• The catacombs of Paris are home to an exceptionally large amount of skeletons, with around 6 million skeletons in total.
• The Valley of the Kings in Egypt is a fascinating catacomb that provides insight into the rituals of ancient Egyptian civilization, housing tombs of pharaohs such as King Tutankhamun.

Catacombs and ossuaries can be rather creepy places to visit, but they also tell an important part of a place's culture and history. The most famous catacombs in the world must be the ancient catacombs of Rome , but there are plenty more around Europe and beyond.

Some catacombs are likely still lost to history, waiting to be rediscovered (new underground cities are still being discovered today, like the lost city of Matiate in Turkey ). Here are some of the most remarkable catacombs and ossuaries around the world to visit.

Related: Here Are 10 Roman Ruins & Structures Still In Use

Sedlec Ossuary

The Sedlec Ossuary is one of the greatest attractions to visit outside of Prague in the Czech Republic. The Seldec Ossaury is in the Cemetery Church and is part of the oldest Cistercian monastery in the region (and was founded in 1142).

Here, visitors can see human bones arranged into works of art adorning the church (including a remarkable coat of arms made from human bones).

• Location: Sedlec, Czech Republic (Near Prague)

Paris Catacombs

The catacombs or ossuaries of Paris are some of the most famous catacombs in Europe. The ossuaries occupy only a small part of the vast quarries under Paris and are home to some 6 million skeletons (an exceptionally large amount for any ossuary in the world).

The Paris Catacombs are open to the public, and there are public tours available.

• Location: Paris, France

Related: The Paris Catacombs Are The Final Resting Places Of Six Million People, And You Can Visit Them

Capuchin Catacombs

The Capuchin Catacombs are some of the most remarkable in Europe . Here, visitors can see many fully dressed mummies in the catacombs under the church in Sicily.

The first mummy was placed there in 1599 and the last in 1939, and there are some 8,000 corpses and 1,252 mummies organized into men, women, virgins, children, priests, monks, and professionals.

• Location: Palermo, Sicily

Valley Of The Kings

The Valley of the Kings is a series of rock-cut tombs built during the New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt over a period of 500 years. This is where many of the ancient Pharaohs were built (including King Tutankhamun), and the latest tombs found here were discovered in 2008.

The Valley of the Kings is one of the best catacombs in the world to visit to get a glimpse of the rituals of the ancient Egyptian civilization, and they date from after the Egyptians built the pyramids.

• Location: Thebes (Modern Luxor), Egypt

Related: Everything You Need To Know About Visiting Egypt's Mystical Valley Of The Kings

Mummy Museum Guanajuato

The Mummy Museum Guanajuato is one of the most unusual attractions in Mexico. The Mummy Museum Guanajuato has a number of naturally mummified bodies of people who died in an epidemic in the city in 1833.

Today, there are 59 mummies on display out of a total of 111 mummies.

• Location: Guanajuato, Mexico

Catacomb Of Callixtus

The Catacombs of Callixtus is perhaps the best known of the Catacombs of Rome. It is located along the Appian Way and is home to the Crypt of the Popes (dating from the 2nd to 4th centuries).

The Catacombs of Callixtus was only rediscovered in 1854, and they are open to the public today and are one of the best underground attractions of Ancient Rome.

• Location: Rome, Italy

Catacombs Of San Sebastiano

The Catacombs of San Sebastiano may be one of the smallest of the famous catacombs of Rome, but it is also one of the most accessible of Rome's catacombs. It once had four floors and was a Christian cemetery (although the fourth level is now almost completely destroyed).

It is also located along the Appian Way and is one of the few Christian cemeteries to have always been accessible.

Brno Ossuary

The Brno Ossuary is another remarkable ossuary in the Czech Republic. It was founded in the 17th century and expanded in the 18th century, and then forgotten about. It was only rediscovered in 2001 in the historic center of the historic center of the Czech city of Brno.

It is thought to have around 50,000 people interred (which would make it the second-largest ossuary after the Paris Ossuaries).

• Location: Brno, Czech Republic

Catacombs Of Kom Ash-Shuqqafa

Not all of the ancient historic archeological attractions of Egypt is from the Ancient Egyptian period. The Catacombs of Kom ash-Shuqqafa are located in Alexandria and date from the Roman period.

These are made up of 3 levels and have some 300 bodies. They have a maze of passageways and rooms and represent a blend of Roman, Greek, and Egyptian elements.

• Location: Alexandria, Egypt

Related: See The Ancient Roman Catacombs Of Kom El Shoqafa In Egypt

Old St. Patrick Cathedral's Mini Catacombs

New York City's Old St. Patrick Cathedral offers a rare opportunity to see incredible catacombs in the United States. Old St. Patrick's Cathedral was consecrated in 1815 and is one of the historic attractions of Manhattan.

Underneath the cathedral are mini catacombs currently made up of 35 family crypts and 5 clerical vaults.

• Location: Manhattan, NYC, United States

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Footage of 'lost' man in Paris catacombs has people calling it the 'scariest thing they've ever seen'

There are over six million skeletons interred in the catacombs under the city.

While Paris is many people's idea of an ideal tourist destination, there are some parts of the city which you absolutely should not be in a hurry to visit.

Beneath the beautiful and historic city lies a maze of tunnels filled with the remains of over six million people.

The Paris catacombs sound mightily creepy , and while you can actually take tours down there a majority of the network of tunnels are not part of the adventure.

Miles of tunnels beneath the Parisian streets are best left unexplored, not least because there are actually some people who live down there and they'd really rather not have tourists poking around.

There are claims that people living down in the catacombs will attempt to steal torches and maps from people who attempt to venture in, leaving a person with no light source or ability to pick a path further into the darkness .

There are a number of people who've become lost in the catacombs, though they usually manage to find an exit and eventually return to the surface.

Only one confirmed death has occurred down there, that of hospital worker Philibert Aspairt in 1793 .

It's thought that he lost his light source and couldn't find his way out of the darkness, his body was discovered 11 years later a short distance away from one of the many exits in the catacombs which could have resulted in his survival.

After such a long time down there the only way he could be identified was his hospital keyring and his jacket buttons.

Evidence of other people in peril down in the catacombs has been found from time to time.

In the early 1990s a discarded camcorder was discovered in the Paris catacombs which appeared to show a man exploring the tunnels beneath the French capital.

Then at one point he just starts running, sprinting deeper into the darkness of the catacombs as though being chased by something.

Then he drops the camcorder, which lands on the ground and shows his feet disappearing off down a tunnel.

As you can imagine, the idea of getting lost underground in a maze of tunnels with no idea how to get out had people creeped out.

One person said you could 'add to my anti-bucket list' going into the catacombs, while others guessed that the guy 'panicked because he was lost' and started running.

Before you go expecting that the catacombs have claimed another victim, proving something like this is genuine is hard to do.

Nobody ever came back to claim the found camcorder as theirs, nothing was ever shown to be chasing him and no body was ever found.

It's possible he was a panicked man who got lost under Paris and started running, dropping his camera before eventually finding a way out, or the whole thing is a bit of a hoax.

Topics:  Weird , History , World News

Joe graduated from the University of Salford with a degree in Journalism and worked for Reach before joining the LADbible Group. When not writing he enjoys the nerdier things in life like painting wargaming miniatures and chatting with other nerds on the internet. He's also spent a few years coaching fencing. Contact him via [email protected]

@ MrJoeHarker

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Have you figured it out yet.

Woman defended after mum finds her ‘tea bag pillow' that everyone has

There are two main reasons why your pillow has turned yellow.

• Man who invented 'the most painful torture device' in history became first victim of it
• Why six million skeletons are stuffed into the tunnels underneath Paris
• Real-life exorcist reveals ‘most extreme’ thing he saw while performing exorcism
• Scariest thing in the ocean with photographic proof is freaking people out

Virtual visit

Access the virtual visit of the catacombs of paris.