
A Room-by-Room Guide to the Paris Catacombs for Tourists
Paris is one of the great medieval cities of Europe. Like Rome, it has vast underlying passageways and quarries, called catacombs. This labyrinth…
Journey below the city streets of Paris to learn the secrets of the world’s largest catacombs — the darkest part of the City of Light.
Meet your guide at the street-level entrance for skip-the-line entry to the Paris Catacombs. Then, descend more than 60 feet underground to the land of ...
Journey below the city streets of Paris to learn the secrets of the world’s largest catacombs — the darkest part of the City of Light.
Meet your guide at the street-level entrance for skip-the-line entry to the Paris Catacombs. Then, descend more than 60 feet underground to the land of the dead. Even the sign warns you, “Arrête! C’est ici l’Empire de la Mort” (Stop! Here is the Empire of Death).
Hear how millions of souls found their way to this subterranean burial ground due to overcrowded cemeteries. Journey through corridors piled with bones, carefully and often artistically arranged, preserved for centuries in the ossuaries.
We’ll walk some of the most fascinating parts of the 200 miles of tunnels, including special-access areas closed to the general public. You’ll follow in the footsteps of 18th and 19th century French royals as you hear about the legendary struggles and triumphs buried here.
Macabre and sacred, the Paris Catacombs are the city’s most unusual must-see attraction!
A guided descent into the historic ossuary below Paris, including areas off limits to regular tourists
Warning you to stop as you enter the Empire of Death (“Arrête! C’est ici l’Empire de la Mort”)
The underground burial chambers for millions of Parisians
Portions of the Paris Catacombs not open to the public without a guided tour
Where you can pick up that perfect Paris Catacombs souvenir
Your entry ticket to the Catacombs is included in the price of the tour and allows access to exclusive areas available only during guided tours.
The average temperature at the depth of the Catacombs is around 57 degrees Fahrenheit (14 degrees Celsius). We recommend wearing layers!
When we arrived at the catacombs for our tour, the line to get in wrapped around the building. We were very grateful we had a scheduled tour so we could avoid waiting for hours. Amber was an excellent tour guide, she provided several interesting facts we wouldn’t have known otherwise. We were even able to tour restricted areas of the catacombs others were not allowed to enter. Amber has a great respect for the catacombs and the people laid to rest there. This was our favorite tour during our visit to Paris. Highly recommend!
StephHow to get to the meeting point:
From Metro station Denfert Rochereau (line 4 or 6), use Exit 1 to reach the street level. You’ll see the Catacombs entrance, with glass doors and a sign, across the street, located to the right of the small green building that was the former entrance.
Your guide will be waiting for you with an orange sign that says “ExperienceFirst” 15 minutes before the start of your tour.
We recommend this tour for those with at least a moderate physical fitness level. You should be comfortable descending stairs underground (about 130 steps), but don’t worry — your guide will lead the way. We don’t recommend this tour for those with anxiety in closed spaces or limited mobility since the Catacombs aren’t wheelchair accessible.
Taking photos inside the Catacombs is permitted but some areas prohibit the use of flash photography.
Due to the nature of this attraction, all purchases are final.
Plan to show up 15 minutes early. The tour starts promptly, and you may not be able to catch up if you arrive late.
Our tours run rain or shine, so please check the local forecast to plan. In rare cases when we have to cancel for extreme weather, we’ll offer you the chance to reschedule or give a full refund.
Tips are always appreciated but never expected. They’re a great way to tell your guide they did an awesome job and show your appreciation.
Paris is one of the great medieval cities of Europe. Like Rome, it has vast underlying passageways and quarries, called catacombs. This labyrinth…
There’s nothing quite like the Louvre. It’s the largest museum in the world, and the glass pyramid marking the entrance has become a…