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Privileged Access Paris Catacombs Tour with Secret Rooms

Explore the dark side of the city of light

4.9 / 5 See All 48 Reviews · 1.5h 19 max · Paris, France

Discover the darkness beneath the city of light. Leave the crowds behind and let your guide enlighten you with the mystical folklore surrounding the medieval tombs.

Tour Details

Privileged Access Paris Catacombs Tour with Secret Rooms

Skip the Line at the Paris Catacombs
Death's Empire
Underground streets of Paris

Lower Catacombs
Empire of the Dead
Barrel of Passion

What makes our Paris Catacombs Tour the best in Paris? A combination of passionate storytelling, expert local guides, skip the line tickets and a maximum group size of 19 people. Our tour is filled with the facts and folklore that bring the Catacombs of Paris, a place for the dead, back to life! This 1.5 hour tour includes:

- Skip the line Paris Catacombs tickets
- A professional English-speaking guide
- A maximum group size of 19
- Entry to two restricted access areas of the Paris Catacombs

Skip the Line Paris Catacombs Tickets

Wait times to see the Paris Catacombs sometimes last up to 3 hours. Don't waste precious time in long lines during your vacation in Paris. We'll have your Paris Catacombs ticket in advance, so you won't have to bother purchasing one there. Our tour lets you skip the long lines completely and jump right into your tour of the darkness that lies beneath "The City of Light".

Catacombs of Paris - The Gateway to Hell

Our tour starts at the entrance of the Catacombs which is 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 to "The World's Largest Grave". Your guide will explain the creation of the Catacombs and the serious issues that the city used to have with finding places to bury the dead.

On your Catacombs visit, your guide will take you to not just one, but two incredibly eerie areas of the Paris Catacombs that are restricted from public access. These areas are so exclusive that a Paris Catacombs guard will actually open the gates to the areas with a key. How's that for a VIP experience?

Paris Catacombs History

By the 17th century, the cemeteries in Paris were overflowing. And so, the solution became to place the corpses' remains in the tunnels that existed beneath the streets of Paris since the 13th century. Originally, the French Catacombs were mines or ossuaries for extracting the limestone that built Paris.

As the city expanded, it eventually covered areas with mines underneath. Sound like bad planning? That's because it was not planned at all. Many of these mines were abandoned and undocumented. The solution to bury the dead underground fixed more than simply the lack of cemetery space. The estimated six million people buried there actually reinforced the mines.

Catacombs Artwork, Architecture and Bones

The Paris Catacombs are one of the last secrets of Paris and our tour will uncover the mysteries held within their walls. You'll move through a labyrinth of corridors and gates that connect the different underground areas. You'll see artwork and architecture like you have never seen before. 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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48 total reviews

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Average customer rating

4.96 / 5 based on 48 total reviews

5 star 47

4 star 0

3 star 1

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1 star 0

11/11/2019

Too much talking before entering the nitty-gritty part of the Catacombs

Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and fun to be with. I had visited the Catacombs before this tour. The history was interesting but we really wanted to get more involved in the actual Catacombs.

Reviewed by
Barbara Gibbons

10/12/2019

Creepy, fun, historic

My son and I took this tour in late September 2019. Our guide was Eleanor ("Leo") and she was fantastic! Her love of the catacombs and their stories was evident at every stop. Some notes: - you definitely do skip the line! We didn't wait at all despite a huge backup of walk-in visitors; - there are a lot of stairs! you'll end up walking up and down about 10 stories' worth; - the security is tight at both ends, both to protect visitors and the catacombs and to prevent idiots from taking souvenirs; - Again, Eleanor was fantastic. On a couple of occasions she had to gently shoo away non-paying visitors who couldn't resist her great narration.

Reviewed by
Pam

9/22/2019

Canadians in the Catacombes 💀☠

This was such a great tour. Leo was our guide was so enthusiastic about divulging all the information she had on the catacombes including a binder with photos and articles she had collected . She made sure everyone was close by when she had information to share. She is a wonderful Catophile. If you go ask for Leo!!

Reviewed by
Donna, Chrissy And Mary

Frequently Asked Questions

Where to meet?

In front of Café Oz, at the exit of the Denfert-Rochereau Metro. A representative will be there holding a sign with our company name on it.

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!

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

A: On occasion, 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.

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