Stepping into the Paris Catacombs feels like diving into a hidden world beneath the bustling City of Light.
As someone who’s wandered these underground tunnels and passageways myself, I can tell you it’s a fascinatingly different side of Paris. Unlike the bright streets near Notre Dame or the Eiffel Tower, this municipal ossuary—one of the largest on the planet—holds the remains of 6-7 million people.
The ossuaries and quarries stretch out like a rabbit warren maze, and I still remember the chill of those dimly lit corridors when I first went. It’s a unique and spooky place, where bones and skulls are stacked with artful care, turning a sanitation issue from the 18th century into something morbid yet mesmerizing.
The processions of workers who moved these skeletons from overcrowded cemeteries in 1785 to 1860 created a vast network that’s both eerie and respectful. Having explored it with a self-guided tour, I found the designs and decoratively arranged bodies left me staring in awe. It’s ironic that a health problem born from decomposing residents now draws millions of visitors. If you buy tickets and go, expect to feel the solemn weight of history beneath the Left Bank and Louvre.
For me, the experience of visiting was immensely rewarding. The stories and legends of unexplained mysteries whispered through the dark spaces stuck with me long after I left. It’s not just a sight—it’s a deal that offers a peek into real history.
I’ve enjoyed sharing this with friends, and the 22 minutes it took to move through felt like a bold adventure. The center of this moniker—a pretty ridiculous yet popular activity—is worth considering if you stay in Paris and want to find something different.
As a resourceful traveler, I’d recommend arranging your guided or self-guided tour to get the most out of it. The top accommodation options near the metro system make it accessible, and I’ve been twice to explore the creepy depths. Whether you think it’s worth the cheap tickets or not, the human remains interred here are a strange reminder of the long night of residents past. With tips from locals, you can share this experience and know why a horror film came to life—exactly what I enjoyed on my 8 different visits.
The underground tunnels and passageways are open Tuesday to Sunday from 9:45 – 20:30, but last admission is at 19:30, so plan your walking trip wisely. I learned the hard way that buying tickets online is a simple must—online booking is strongly recommended (except for free-rate tickets), and it saved me from long lines.
The address is 1 av. du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy 75014 Paris, easy to find with metro access, which made my stay in Paris even better.
Are the Paris Catacombs Worth It?
Explore the Paris Catacombs, an underground ossuary holding millions of remains, featuring unique sites like the Barrel of Passion and Port-Mahon Corridor. Ideal for history buffs and dark tourism enthusiasts, guided tours offer in-depth insights, while self-guided visits provide flexibility. Expect a 1-2 hour visit, cool temperatures, and a non-claustrophobic experience, though accessibility is limited.
What Are the Catacombs of Paris?
These former quarries turned underground tunnels form a labyrinthine network, and I’ve explored them myself! In the 18th century (1700s), as residents and officials faced overflowing cemeteries inside the inner-city limit, they decided in 1787 to move already decomposed bones and human remains outside, transporting them to small rooms and ossuaries. This massive, deep site, once abandoned, was neatly stacked with deceased people, carefully preserved as the largest ossuary globally, opened later for unforgettable experiences.
Today, this piece of city’s past reflects Paris’s growing history. I felt concerned seeing millions of dead humans filled and piled in this transformed dungeon, a close look at how 20 years of excavation ended the option of it staying original. It became known, around me, literally showing population struggles, offering a portion of the world’s past that came to be today.
Where Can You Find The Catacombs of Paris?
The main entrance is at 1 Avenue Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, and I found it easy to reach—click here to find in Google Maps! The Metro station Denfert-Rochereau is close to the entrance, with access via Metro lines 4, 6, and RER-B. From the Eiffel Tower, take Line 6 to Bir-Hakeim station, or from Notre-Dame Cathedral, use Line 4 to Cité station. For Gare de l’Est or Gare du Nord, hop on Line 4 to Gare de l’Est station or RER-B to Gare du Nord station.
My TOP TRAVEL TIP—be aware that the exit differs, located 700m away at Avenue René Coty from Denfert-Rochereau, which caught me off guard!
Reasons to visit Catacombs
The underground maze of galleries pulled me into its unique site—a huge ossuary with the remains of million Parisians! This history invites visitors like me on a timeless journey, bringing Parisians’ past to life for all visitors!
Areas of Interest
The Paris Catacombs offer cool things to explore, and I enjoyed the unique bone artworks on my Paris Catacombs tour! Unlike Rome Catacombs with traditional artwork like frescoes and sculptures, Paris Catacombs display elaborate art with skeletons and bones, my superior opinion after years of visits. General admission tickets show interesting sights, while guided tours unlock restricted areas—worth it! This civil engineering project, built over hundreds of years, reflects wealth in art and effort, a top attraction in Paris.
Paris Streets
The dark labyrinth beneath Paris hides a city duplicate, and I loved it! Workers shifted catacombs street names from 1786, but they no longer match the street above with new names. Exploring tied me to Paris’s past!
Rendering Of Citadel De Mahon
The catacombs built by veteran Decuré as a replica of Citadel de Mahon attract tourists to vast tunnels and rooms with bone decorations. I felt a chill knowing falling debris killed visitors, eased by an easy-access staircase. Displays haunts with ghosts!
Barrel of Passion
The Crypt of Passion wowed me with its incredible display of bones shaped into a barrel made of bones, a symmetrical support structure for the ceiling. Quarrymen held an illegal concert in 1897 with 100 guests in that area!
Is a Tour of the Paris Catacombs Worth It?
I’ve been there, and the underground labyrinth is worth visiting! The skip-the-line VIP experience with a guided local expert guide saved me from lines, letting me navigate restricted areas and closed off-limits spots in a small group.
The civil engineering marvel of tunnels with six million buried bodies and bones in the ossuary is an incredible feat, with ghost stories and weird events of vanished people lingering in the vast network, a unique site for tourists over hundreds of years.
The historical context brought to life by the guide helped me understand Paris’s past, from decidedly sparkling tourist attractions to mysterious living movie rooms discovered deeper underground.
- PROS includes a meaningful walking activity on a rainy day or winter, with easy transit and a chance to peek at human remains. I was glad to see them with a flashlight.
- CONS? Not ideal for kids who get freaked by the dark, and mobility challenges with uneven ground can be clumsy. The price might feel steep, but booking a guided tour avoids guesswork, and I absolutely love the kind place, definitely a good next trip for a couple days to explore!
Brief History of the Catacombs
The backstory of the Catacombs in Paris goes back many centuries, starting in the Middle Ages when stone quarrying began in the 1100’s. Paris, smaller and centered on islands of the Seine, used quarries outside to extract mainly limestone for construction of buildings in Paris, creating tunnels that spread throughout the countryside.
As Paris borders expanded and the city grew, limestone quarries became part of the top land, and excavation ended in the 1700’s. I found it amazing to walk these remaining tunnels, reinforced in the mid-1700’s to prevent cave-ins!
By the mid-1700’s, Paris faced a major crisis with cemeteries filling up, cases of overflowing causing bad smells and health issues.
In 1780, the biggest cemetery, Saint-Innocents, was closed, and from 1786, 2 million deceased from Saint Innocents had their bones and remains dumped into unused quarry tunnels.
Other cemeteries followed suit, and above-ground cemeteries were banned in Paris, with most bones transferred in the first two years. The movement of bones continued regularly until 1814, and final bones were deposited in 1859, a history I loved learning on my visit!
Can You Legally Visit the Catacombs?
Beneath Paris, a vast, intricate network of tunnels stretching throughout the city hides a haunting history. Most catacombs are boarded up or closed, and it’s not legal to visit these areas. Visitors can tour one relatively tiny section on the left bank, a safe, fascinating glimpse into the catacombs. My visit today felt like stepping into a forgotten world.
How to Buy Tickets?
To visit the Catacombs, secure tickets in advance since they sell out quickly. I missed on-site tickets once, a tough lesson! They go on sale 7 days ahead, so buy yours when the window opens to avoid resellers.
Choose between a guided tour or self-guided visit. I’ve done both and can break down the pros and cons. A guided tour includes a spot secured farther in advance, with extra bonuses like hidden sections and history, which I found amazing. A self-guided tour lets you go yourself but lacks some aspects and significant differences compared to the guided type. Both types of visits shine, but reserving a guided tour spot, as mentioned in the intro, feels special.
Paris Catacombs Tour
A Paris Catacombs Tour is a unique experience, plunging you into the darkness of the City of Light. My visit felt interesting yet scary, descending a spiral staircase to the depths where millions of dead residents rest. A local guide enlightens me with mystical folklore and paranormal tales, easing the creepy vibe.
The VIP tour, lasting 1.5 hours, grants privileged access to secret rooms when a guard unlocks a gate for your group, letting you discover restricted areas with mesmerizing bone displays, neatly stacked and packed tightly in patterns on walls.
Skip-the-line tickets let you avoid long, visible wait times at this high-demand megamonument, a solid reason to join a guided tour and not get lost in the labyrinth.
Navigating the dimly lit, increasingly narrow tunnels with rough, uneven ground and damp air feels strange, but odd street name signs and cemetery signs show how this maze was created to find a way through.
Information boards at the entrance share the history, like Madame Elizabeth, sister to King Louis XVI, buried near her husband and Marie Antoinette, making you think everyone’s equal in death. It’s thought-provoking, and posted rules remind you to respect the bones: no touch allowed.
The huge attraction draws crowds, so booking a ticket in advance avoids stressful purchasing worry at the correct entrance.
Proceeding further, you see carved stone crypts, and the tour ends at a gift shop with macabre designs and books. Pair this with an Opera Garnier Entry Ticket, Moulin Rouge Cabaret Show Ticket with Champagne, or Fondation Louis Vuitton Premium Access Ticket to make your vacation time valuable. The 3 extra bonuses of a guided tour, like key sections and famous stories, are endless reasons to benefit over a self-guided option.
Guided Tour vs Self-Guided Tour: Which Option is Better?
I’ve visited the Catacombs both ways, and guided and self-guided tours are excellent options with unique vibes.
- A self-guided tour allows you to go faster, taking less than an hour – which is super helpful if you’re pressed for time in Paris. You see the main catacombs area with informational placards from start to end of the tunnels, sharing history, and can choose an audioguide for details.
- A guided tour, though, is a comprehensive experience, letting you explore exclusive sections and hear in-depth history lessons with plenty of fun stories and anecdotes. I thought it was fascinating to learn the backstory and see extra parts of the catacomb, making the guided tour absolutely worth the two hours. With 550 5-star reviews from travelers, check reviews to pick your favorite.
What a Self-Guided Tour of the Paris Catacombs is Like
A self-guided visit to the catacombs is a strange, eerie adventure under Paris. I descended the 131-step, tight spiral staircase to reach the underground tunnels, feeling the historical significance.
With timed-entry tickets bought online, only 200 people enter at once, avoiding long queues. The pathway starts plain, no bones, but the adventure begins in dimly lit passageways, clearly marked with twists, turns, and alcoves in a winding maze.
Arriving at skull-lined walls, I saw neatly stacked femur and tibia bones, 3-4 feet high, with skulls used for decoration, artfully creating hearts. Smaller bones were haphazardly thrown back, while large ones displayed prominently in a grid lineup with tombstones and inscriptions on symbolic altars.
The 1.5-kilometer route takes 45–60 minutes, and informational placards at the beginning share history of notable interred figures like Moliere, famed French playwright and poet, Lavoisier, the chemist who discovered water’s two elements and contributed to the periodic table, Jean de la Fontaine, Robespierre, leader of the Revolution’s Reign of Terror with beheadings, and Nicholas Fouquet, the nobleman who built the beautiful Vaux le Vicomte chateau far from Paris.
“I rented an audio guide for €5, helpful for insights, though you can explore without it.”
Visitors must behave respectfully, avoiding touching human remains or loud, disruptive conversations. It’s not suitable for kids under 5, claustrophobia, or reduced mobility, as you climb 112 steps up a small, circular shaft to return to ground level, with no elevator.
The presence of bones and maze feels fascinating, and I saw the original shaft to look down. Purchase entrance tickets in advance to avoid waste; the cheap option is great, but a guided tour with knowledgeable guides can enhance the experience.
Check the latest information on regulations and availability at Tiqets, as policies change.
What a Guided Tour of the Paris Catacombs is Like
A guided tour of the catacombs offers a deep dive into Paris’ eerie history. I started by meeting my group at a cafe across the street from the entrance, an easy spot to find. We crossed, skipped the line—no queuing—and went straight down the spiral staircase to the underground tunnels.
The guide shared interesting tidbits and stories about the catacombs and Paris, setting the stage for exploration. Compared to self-guided visits with similar aspects, this tour had notable differences, like an iPad with pictures and maps to illustrate history. I enjoyed walking through empty tunnels to the secret Port-Mahon Corridor, an exclusive part regular tours don’t enter. It helped me describe the catacombs’ unique vibe, and I did love this richer exploration.
Port-Mahon Corridor
The Port-Mahon Corridor, an exclusive spot in the Catacombs, felt like a secret treasure when I first saw it. Named after the Port-Mahon fortress in Menorca, Spain, it holds three sculptures created by Francois Decure, a miner and soldier from the Seven Years War. Captured and held as a prisoner, Decure worked secretly during lunch breaks from 1777-1782, crafting intricate recreations of Menorca’s landscapes.
As a hobbyist, his impressive sculptures, set in the dim corridor, stunned me, making a guided tour a must to see this hidden gem.
The Holy Crypt and Altar
The Holy Crypt, a fascinating exclusive part of the Catacombs, gave me chills on a tour. Known as the Sepulchral Lamp Crypt, this consecrated burial ground has a cross and altar where masses were held, the last in 1950.
Near this noteworthy spot, a plaque marking where first remains from Saint-Innocents cemetery were placed. I noticed plaques regularly marking which cemetery bones came from, adding depth to this holy site’s haunting story.
1800’s Decorative Entrance
In the 1770’s, remains from Paris cemeteries were moved to underground tunnels, unceremoniously piled around. In the early 1800’s, Napoleon, inspired by Rome’s catacombs, appointed Inspector Héricart de Thury to clean, organize, and beautify the Catacombs for receiving visitors.
I was amazed by the artfully, carefully arranged with different decorative plaques and markers installed. The beautiful arched entrance, now no longer used, is only seen on a guided tour, so it’s a great option to check availability and make a reservation to walk through this historic marvel.
Key Tips for Visiting the Catacombs
Touch Nothing and Take Nothing With You
In the Catacombs, it’s forbidden to touch or take bones or objects. When you exit the tunnels, a worker will check your bags to make sure nothing is taken. I learned this on my visit: removing bones can lead to a hefty €15,000 fine or even imprisonment. It’s a serious rule, so keep your hands off and come back to the surface with only memories.
Opening Hours
The Catacombs are open Tuesday-Sunday from 9:45 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., but closed on Monday, January 1, May 1, and December 25. I visited on a Tuesday, and it was busy, so check the site for year-round availability to avoid missing out.
How Long Does It Take to See the Catacombs?
Guided tours last 2 hours, with stories and visiting exclusive sections, while a self-guided tour takes 45min-1 hour. The self-guided walking route is 1.5 kilometers (1 mile), but the guided tour route is longer, about 2 km (1.5 miles). My guided tour felt immersive, covering more ground and history.
Entrance and Exit Are in Different Spots
The Catacombs route is one way, so you exit at a different location from where you entered. The entrance is at 1 Avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, but the exit is at 21 bis Avenue René-Coty, a 7-minute walk away. I was surprised by this on my first visit, so plan your return trip accordingly.
Temperature in the Catacombs
The Catacombs stay humid at 14°C (57°F) year round, not cold but chilly. I brought a sweater and was glad for it, as the damp air can feel cool during the tour.
Are the Catacombs Scary?
The Catacombs are well-lit with clear paths to follow, so I didn’t consider them scary, unlike a haunted house. They feel creepy in a fascinating way, especially with bones around. A tour guide and group helps make it less creepy, but on a self-tour, you might be by yourself in the tunnels at times, which I found a bit eerie but thrilling.
Will I Feel Claustrophobic?
The Catacombs, 65 feet (20 meters) underground, have a small spiral staircase for descending. Passageways are fine to walk through with plenty of room, not a tight cave, but claustrophobia can affect people. On my guided tour, one person felt claustrophobic on the staircase and left immediately. If tight spaces bother you, going down might feel tough.
Accessibility
The Catacombs are not wheelchair accessible. You must go down 131 steps and climb 112 steps on a spiral staircase, with no flat ground for walking. I saw this made access tough for some on my visit.
Catacombs of Paris – Must Know Info
The Catacombs in Paris are a quick, dirty visit, but you need to know key details to get started. The site is VERY POPULAR, so book REGULAR TICKETS (31€) or a tour online in advance—TICKETS are AVAILABLE ONLY WITHIN 7 DAYS of your VISIT, also sold on-site. I kept my Paris itinerary flexible to get secured tickets.
The SITE is NOT ACCESSIBILITY FRIENDLY, needing 131 steps down and 112 steps out. PLAN to SPEND AT LEAST ONE HOUR. Audio guides (5€) are available and I recommend them. CATACOMBS are CLOSED MONDAYS, with Last admission at 7:30pm. An evening tour leaves days free for outdoor activities.
Why Is Dark Tourism So Popular?
People often ask, Are the Canary Islands Expensive, chasing sunny beaches, but I found myself drawn to the unique chill of the Paris Catacombs, where hundreds of years of History sit locked in time. There’s an ancient vibe in that labyrinth, pulling in visitors with a morbid curiosity to wander through bones left untouched for generations. Strolling those dim paths lit by Modern lights, I felt the weight of the past, soaking in a historical POV that’s raw and real. The appeal isn’t just the eerie thrill—it’s about learning and showing Respect for lives long gone. That’s why tickets sell out fast, with the popularity of Dark Tourism soaring as folks skip typical trips for something deeper, something that hits you differently.
What Other Paris Attractions Are Nearby?
The Pantheon, located in the Latin Quarter, is a gorgeous hidden gem in Paris, and my visit felt like uncovering a historical treasure. Its underground crypt houses notable French philosophers, writers, artists, scientists, and military leaders like Marie Curie, which I found captivating. Don’t be fooled; everything usually seems a little further than it looks on a map, so don’t feel guilty about using the Metro to save your feet.
The closest popular attractions, like Jardin du Luxembourg and Père Lachaise Cemetery with its beautiful above-ground tombs and ornate headstones, are lovely to walk through.
Interested in delicious food before or after your visit? I recommend a stroll on Rue Daguerre, a market-like street with yummy stalls, open market, and delightful bakeries offering worldly cuisine.
Try Darkoum Cantine Marocaine for a Moroccan tagine, cooked in a traditional pot that keeps it piping hot, an experience worth the trip alone. Pair it with a Pantheon and Seine River Cruise to glide past the Eiffel Tower and other landmarks.
Faq
Is it worth going to the Paris Catacombs?
The Paris Catacombs are a morbid yet impressive sight, and I found them absolutely worth visiting. With time to explore, the eerie underground isn’t a waste and it’s a hauntingly unique experience.
How long should I spend at the Paris Catacombs?
Spend about an hour in the Catacombs. I took my time with the audio guide, and 45 minutes to an hour was enough to fully navigate the site without rushing.
What is special about the Paris Catacombs?
Twenty meters underground, the Catacombs’ maze of galleries holds an ossuary with the remains of millions of Parisians. This unique site offers a timeless journey through history, unforgettable from my visit.
