Paris Catacombs: Skip-The-Line Ticket + Audio Guide
Get subterranean in this macabre tour and find out what dark secret lies beneath the streets of Paris
About This Activity
- Cancellation policy: Possible to cancel until 23:59 the day before you visit
- Skip the ticket lines
- Audio guide included: Spanish, English, French or German
- Ticket provided by Tiqets
Highlights
- Go underground and experience a 1.5 kilometer circuit, constructed way back in 1786
- See the nearly organized skeletons of six million former Parisians as you explore one of the world’s largest and one of only a handful ossuary located underground
- Discover this unique experience to visit another aspect of The city of Lights and learn about its 18th-century history with the fascinating audio guide
FULL DESCRIPTION
Take an underground tour of Paris’s grisly mass graveyard, where the bones of a staggering six million human remains are on macabre display. Wandering these corridors is a fantastically eerie experience, and you’ll learn all about life (and death) in 18th-century Paris with the multilingual audio guide. Discover the dark side of Paris! In the late 1700s, Paris had a serious problem. Its inner-city graveyards were literally overflowing, causing nasty epidemics and annoying people who didn’t like stepping over decomposing corpses on the way to buy baguettes... Read more
Take an underground tour of Paris’s grisly mass graveyard, where the bones of a staggering six million human remains are on macabre display. Wandering these corridors is a fantastically eerie experience, and you’ll learn all about life (and death) in 18th-century Paris with the multilingual audio guide. Discover the dark side of Paris! In the late 1700s, Paris had a serious problem. Its inner-city graveyards were literally overflowing, causing nasty epidemics and annoying people who didn’t like stepping over decomposing corpses on the way to buy baguettes.
After an unfortunate incident whereby the Cimetière des Innocents literally exploded into someone’s basement, something had to be done. Under the cover of darkness, workers carried human remains from every graveyard in Paris to the Tombe-Issoire quarry. Today, over six million human remains are laid to rest there in relative peace. To put that in perspective, that’s almost three times the current population of Paris!
Now, you can get to the heart of the mortified action and explore the skull-stacked corridors at your own pace. And with a multi-language audio guide, you can learn all about this secret slice of Parisian history.
Insider tip!
When bodies were transferred from Holy Innocents’ Cemetery in 1787, many had decomposed so much they were essentially large deposits of fat. This fat was collected and turned into soap and candles. How’s that for a commitment to recycling?!
Included
- Pre-booked ticket for the Paris Catacombs
- Audio guide (Spanish, English, French or German)
Know Before You Go
- Please download your ticket before your visit to make sure it is accessible offline
- You will have to climb down and back up 130 steps and walk about 2 km underground during this tour
- There are no elevators, bathrooms, or lockers
- Bring warm clothing
- On the day of your visit, please show your Tiqets’ smartphone ticket at the entrance.
- Make sure to be on time for your chosen timeslot
- Please note: Food, drinks, luggage, strollers, and motorcycle helmets are not allowed inside
Availability
FEATURED REVIEW(S)
4.7/5 stars – based on 1006 reviews
Great tour, fascinating atmosphere, good info from audio guide, not too many people, mostly quiet, great place to hide from city’s noise.
Very insightful and different experience! Long walk on uneven terrain, but the catacombs are definitely worth it!
The history behind the catacombs is really interesting and the size of the exhibit is amazing. I would encourage the curious to take the tour.
You Might Also Like
Arc de Triomphe Paris: Entry ticket + Rooftop Access
If you’re looking for one of the best views in Paris, then you’re missing out if you don’t take in the City of Lights from atop the Arc… read more
Rodin Museum Paris Skip-The-Line Ticket
Visit the Rodin Museum in Paris, 2023 French Award-Winner for ‘Best Hidden Gem’, with a single entry ticket that gives access to the permanent collections shown in the… read more
Paris Seine River: Dinner Cruise with Live Music
Looking for a quirky restaurant in the heart of Paris? Somewhere a bit different to share a meal with friends or family? How about dining on a boat… read more
