Paris Catacombs
Skulls and Bones in the Catacombs of Paris
Tunnel in the catacombs of Paris
Paris Catacombs Chapel
Paris Catacombs with Guide
Exclusive Access

Paris Catacombs Underground Tour

4.94
(540 Reviews)
2h
English
Flexible
Tue to Sat
Several Departure Times

Award-Winner Tour

Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice Award: Top 25 Experiences – Worldwide


  • Delve deep below Paris’ Metro lines to discover the City of Light’s darker side. With Skip-the-Line Access, descend into Paris’ eerie past as you explore the city’s Catacombs. Made up of a series of intricate tunnels, these somber Catacombs are the resting place of over six million people.
  • Our tour includes privileged access to restricted areas of the Catacombs that are closed to the general public, such as; Port Mahon Gallery, Quarryman's Footbath, Sacellum Crypt, Sepulchral Lamp and Gilbert's Tomb.
  • Explore the dark underworld of Paris as you venture below ground to these truly captivating Catacombs, in the company of an expert, English-speaking guide.
  • Choose between a Semi-Private tour with 6 or fewer people, or a normal tour with group size limited to 19 people or fewer, this tour promises to be a highlight of your vacation in Paris.

Tour Description

What's Included

  • Special access to restricted areas closed to general public
  • Expert, English-speaking tour guide
  • *Small groups of no more than 19 people or Semi-Private group of 6 people or less
  • Entrance ticket and reservation fee for the Paris Catacombs
  • Gratuities (welcomed and appreciated)

Sites Visited

  • Paris Catacombs
  • Restricted areas: Port Mahon Gallery, Quarryman's Footbath, Sacellum Crypt, Sepulchral Lamp and Gilbert's Tomb

Discover the Underside of Paris

Beneath the sun-soaked streets and stunning architecture lies a darker side to Paris. Descend deep below Paris’ Metro lines and into a parallel city, a city that over 6 million skeletons call home on a tour of the Paris Catacombs. Stretching across an area of 200 miles of former quarry and made up of an intricate series of tunnels, this macabre site is one of the most fascinating places you’ll visit during your stay in Paris.

One of Paris' Most Popular Must-See Attractions

Explore the City of Light’s darker side on our Paris Catacombs tour.  Lurking below the city’s romantic tree-lined boulevards, public gardens, and cafés, this mysterious sight has become one of Paris’ unmissable tourist attractions.

Make the most of your precious vacation time on our Paris Catacombs tour. With Skip-the-Line Access you’ll be whisked straight passed the long lines waiting outside and marveling at Paris’ dark, yet alluring, underbelly within minutes.

Top-Rated City Wonders Guide

In the company of an expert, English-speaking guide and in a small group of either 19 or 6 people*, you’ll embark on your journey into Paris’ underworld. With your guide’s help you’ll navigate your way 65 feet below street level, below Metro lines and sewers and into the Catacombs.

As you cross-over into the city’s dark side, you’ll be greeted by the words “Arrête! C’est ici l’empire de la mort”, or "Stop! Here lies the empire of death". This inscription is a fitting warning for the eerie sights that lie within.  Explore tunnels and macabre galleries decorated entirely with skulls and bones on your journey through Paris’ colorful past. Watch as these spine-chilling remains are brought back to life before your eyes, as your expert guide recants the tales of a Paris gone-by and a dark past time wishes we forgot.

Tour Benefits

Our tours benefit from the privilege of special access to parts of the Paris catacombs that are closed to the general public. Gates to two halls will be opened especially for you to marvel at the devastatingly captivating sculptures chiseled out of the rock in the Port Mahon Gallery, where a quarry worker spent five years in secret toil from 1777, until a cave-in crushed him to death.

Other restricted areas you’ll visit on your tour include the Quarryman's footbath, the Sacellum Crypt or altar, where bones were blessed before being "archived," the Sepulchral Lamp, which constantly burned to show there was enough air in the tunnels, and the elusive Gilbert's Tomb.

Get ready to "rub bones" with the likes of Rabelais and Robespierre on this intimate voyage into a Paris’ dark underbelly, a voyage that few have experienced.

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From
US$146.87
per adult
Award Winning Tour
  • Book with Confidence: Free cancellations up to 24 hours before the experience begins (local time).
  • Multilingual Customer Service: Talk to us, we are here to help.
  • No Hidden Costs: All taxes and fees included.

Get to Know City Wonders

Guide showing attraction

A City Wonders tour is the product of meticulous research, detailed planning, and a passion for providing customers with travel experiences they will cherish forever.

With City Wonders it's not just facts, our passionate guides tell you the stories that bring the sights to life.

  • All of our guides are experts in their field
  • We only hire fluent English-speakers so nothing is ever lost in translation
  • We focus on the little details and anecdotes that make City Wonders so special

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