Guide to
the Paris Catacombs

Take an Underground Journey
to the Dark Side

Paris Catacombs. "Stop! Here is the Empire of Death", reads the sign as you enter the underground tunnels.

A trip to the Paris Catacombs might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it will be a visit you never forget!

A walk through the tunnels of the underground catacombs is an eerie reminder of the sometimes bizarre history of Paris.

At one time Parisians were buried in cemeteries within the walls of the city, however this led to infection and disease. In the 17th century, with no easy answer in sight, it was decided to move the remains to dormant limestone quarries in what were then the outskirts of the city.

Today, the city has expanded to cover the old limestone quarries, but the catacombs still exist beneath the streets of modern Paris. There you find kilometers of walls made entirely of neatly stacked bones of the exhumed bodies. It's believed that over six million deceased French citizens are permanently resting in the Catacombs of Paris.

Skip-the-Line Catacombs Tour

Since only a limited number of visitors are allowed into the Catacombs at any given time, the wait in line can be up to two hours.

However, this Paris Catacombs small-group guided walking tour gets you ahead of the line.

In addition, you learn spine-tingling and eerie legends from your guide as you go deep into the tunnels of Paris.

The group size is limited to 20 people.

Catacombs of Paris Facts

Victor Hugo wrote about the catacombs in Les Miserables.
French Resistance fighters used the catacombs tunnel system as a secret meeting place during World War II.
1 Avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, 75014
Metro: Denfert-Rochereau
Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm
Closed Mondays, December 25, January 1 and May 1
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