Paris Catacombs

Avoid the hassle of ticket counters. Simply show your voucher, start your self-guided tour and explore the 'City of Lights' at your own pace with an informative audio guide. As you discover a world beneath the streets of Paris, see tunnels and rooms decorated with the human bones and skulls of around 6 million Parisians. The Paris Catacombs were originally a quarry with hundreds of kilometers of tunnels burrowed beneath the streets of Paris. When the cemeteries of Paris became overfilled, the city started moving the dead into the Catacombs. 

Beneath the streets of Paris there is another, darker side to the city that few get to see. Twenty meters (and more) below street level, the galleries of the Paris Catacombs extend for over 200 miles - a subterranean maze under the city that many are unaware of as they stroll along the streets above. Initially quarried to provide limestone for the construction of the famous Parisian buildings and bridges, the Paris Catacombs are now home to the bones of more than 6 million former Parisians. Their remains were carefully moved here in the 18th century, in a discreet operation to transfer them from the unclean and overflowing cemeteries of the city center. Overcrowding in these cemeteries led to improper burials, open graves and unearthed corpses, spreading disease (and a few horror stories!) into the surrounding areas. Nowadays, wall after wall of stacked bones, and some more slightly macabre compositions, await you as you follow an expert local guide into "The Empire of Death". Fans of the film "As Above So Below" will recognize these never-ending gloomy tunnels.  Along with millions of ordinary Parisians, it is said that the Man in the Iron mask lies here, as do both executioners and their victims, guillotined during the French Revolution. Your guide will lead you through the underground passages and into some very special rooms.  Only 200 people are allowed in this fragile and remarkable site at any one time, and your small group visit will ensure that you get the most out of this extraordinary place, allowing you to spend more time enjoying the rooms and interacting with your guide. This special tour also allows you access to parts of the Catacombs that are closed to the general public. Have underground gates unlocked specially for you and your group, and learn the intriguing stories of those who worked, visited and have been laid to rest here over the centuries, including the secret societies who still visit today.  Past and present Paris and its inhabitants come to life as you explore the city’s gloomy entrails concealed below the surface.

Paris is commonly known for its beauty and romance. However, far beneath the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre is an entirely different, intimidating world. In the Catacombs of Paris there is an inscription above a doorway that reads: Beware of the Realm of Death. This is a suitable warning to prepare you for a memorable, once-in-a-lifetime experience. Access to the Catacombs is extremely limited as only 200 people are allowed to enter the site at a time. Consequently, lines can be very long and waits can be up to 2 hours. Privileged, skip-the-line access lets you save time and energy to make the most out of this personalized visit. Nearly 300 kilometers of tunnels and narrow paths stretch below the streets of Paris. Originally, the Catacombs were limestone quarries, hollowed out for the construction of the most famous bridges and buildings in the city. Beginning in the 18th century, the Catacombs served as the final resting place for more than 6 million people, and skeletons, bones, and skulls of exhumed bodies neatly line the walls and arches. Join this exclusive small-group, skip-the-line tour and see Paris in a different light than ever before.

Beneath the dazzling lights of modern Paris lie the devilishly dark catacombs. On this small-group tour have skip-the-line entry and exclusive access to restricted areas. Explore the 200-mile maze of remains from roughly 6 million Parisians with an expert guide.  Your Paris Catacombs tour begins with a bone-chilling descent down the complex’s 133-step staircase. Your guide will explain how these tunnels were used in the 13th-century to quarry limestone for buildings as grand as Notre Dame. As you make your way through the narrow tunnels, learn why bad weather in the 1780s forced Parisians to bury their dead here. During the tour, have plenty of time to admire the Catacombs’ disturbingly detailed bone decorations. From religious iconography to hearts, workers found many ways to “beautify” the bones housed in this complex. There is, however, one decoration that will really make your spine tingle. Inside the popular Crypt of the Passion take a few moments to gaze at “The Barrel,” which is constructed out of various skeletal remains. In addition to housing the dead, the Catacombs played an important role during many significant historic events. Your guide will tell you tales of the German Wehrmacht and the French Resistance who both used part of the Catacombs as wartime bunkers during World War II. Also, learn about its relationship to the French Revolution.  If you are not afraid of ghosts, then ask your guide about the grave of the doorman Philibert Aspairt who passed away in the Catacombs in the 18th century. Learn about the cataphiles who have caused a stir in recent years for hosting huge raves, swimming parties, and an extensive network in this underground city of the dead. Keep your eyes peeled for graffiti left by cataphiles on your Catacombs Tour.