The Paris Catacombs
The Paris Catacombs
4
10:00 AM - 8:30 PM
Tuesday
9:45 AM - 8:30 PM
Wednesday
9:45 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 8:30 PM
Friday
9:45 AM - 8:30 PM
About
A genuine labyrinth in the heart of underground Paris, this ossuary houses the remains of approximately six million Parisians. The history of the Catacombs dates back to the late 18th century when the city's cemeteries were closed due to health reasons and its contents were moved to an underground site. Today, you can walk down the spiral staircase and take a guided tour of the network of tunnels or explore it at your own pace. It's recommended to buy skip-the-line tickets online to avoid snaking lines. You can easily reach the Catacombs by hopping on the Paris Metro. – Tripadvisor
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Petit-Montrouge
How to get there
- Denfert-Rochereau • 1 min walk
- Denfert-Rochereau • 1 min walk
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See what travellers are saying
- Robert f28 contributionsOkay visit if you've seen all other attractions in ParisInteresting visit historically but it is much of the same downstairs. The stairs are okay, then you walk for 1 km down below and enter the catacomben. Not very suitable for people with disabllilties or strollers since the stairs are narrow and round and the path is rockyVisited October 2023Travelled with familyWritten 7 October 2023
- Christine SJackson, New Jersey53 contributionsnot worth the time or moneyHonestly not worth it. I wasn't really that interested, but husband wanted to go. The website makes it out to be a LOT more interesting than it really is. We were given a headset for the audio tour, which was actually very good, but there wasn't a lot to see. First, you want down alot of steps. Then you walk through a very long tunnel, listening to the tour. After about 10 - 15 minutes, the audio tour tells you that you a have another 5 minutes to walk before you get to the catacombs. The time spent in the catacombs seeing what there is last about 15 - 20 minutes, then back up a large set of stairs. All in all, we were there about 45 minutes. And, it was probably the most costly entry fees on this trip.Visited September 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 8 October 2023
- Biff LWinnipeg, Canada97 contributionsA sight/site like no otherI don't think you'll find something like this anywhere else in the world. The bones of over one million Parisians are stored and displayed in the catacombs. The history of how this came to be is also very interesting. It's a nice, easy underground stroll , but there are some stairs to get down there and back up again.Visited September 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 20 October 2023
- AdventuresofNomNomSaint Louis, Missouri397 contributionsSomber but fascinatingA friend recommended this adventure, otherwise I would have been too scared to go, but it was worth it. We took the evening tour, which included a cell phone sized device to hold up to your ear. In general, the catacombs are just a series of underground hallways. But of course, you come for the bones. It was great to hear the stories of how the catacombs came to be and how the Parisian public came to embrace the space. It is somber and quiet, borderline eerie. Come to learn and pay respects, not to play.Visited October 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 20 October 2023
- Norm the NomadAustralia1,245 contributionsReally weird - and definitely worth the visit. Book ahead.Today was simply weird. We set off on one of my “off the beaten track” tours, this time visiting the Paris Catacombs - an underground warren of tunnels filled with the bones of over 6 million Parisians (1785 - 1865). Background …. the Paris cemeteries reached saturation point in the 1700’s and the solution was to relocate bodies / remains to an old limestone quarry on (what was then) the outskirts of Paris. Well - it was creepy and macabre. With bones and skulls all neatly stacked (from floor to ceiling) for miles. We made lots of new friends.Visited December 2022Travelled as a coupleWritten 3 November 2023
- Anne CNew Jersey852 contributionsBones & Skulls.........Bones, skulls and more bones and skulls. The entry times are scheduled and they ran right on time. Many many steps down 131 then back up 112. There is NO elevator. You cannot take any luggage or large bags and there is no place to store anything. No strollers or bike helmets permitted. No touching, no eating, no drinking. You can rent a headset for 5 euros. I cannot remember what we paid to enter but I did not think it was too much. It is damp down there as well and no place to take a rest so be sure you have good walking shoes and can manage those steps that are spiral for the most past. There were no children present. It is just a walking tour through many bones and skulls with some interesting history. Takes about an hour or less. You can have a backpack but you must hold it in front of you once you reach the bone area. They do have a gift shop at the end. They have restrooms before and after.Visited November 2023Travelled with familyWritten 12 November 2023
- StephToronto, Canada234 contributionsWorth a visit, extremely soberingThe audio guide is included in admission. The staff were nice enough and most spoke French and English. Budget for about 1-2hrs (depending on how fast you walk). It's kinda chilly down there, but not terrible. It's pretty solemn and depressing, but nice to pay your respects and learn the history. I didn't love that people were taking selfies with the bones/skulls, but otherwise, it was a thoughtful experience.Visited November 2023Travelled with friendsWritten 6 December 2023
- M0xie4122 contributionsWorth booking a guided tourWhat an experience. We've never visited anything like it before and whilst it was a sobering experience, it was well worth it to learn all the history. Our guided tour also meant we 'skipped the queue' which was well worth paying the extra.Visited December 2023Travelled with familyWritten 9 January 2024
- ArchieF7359 contributionsGood but expensive for what it is…Worth a visit but for a family to attend it can be expensive. Also the ticketing website is confusing as you can only book tickets for available slots, however that is not clear on the website. So you may pick 10am and only be allowed 1 ticket as that is all that is left for that slot. If you don’t know this you think you are limited to one ticket. Only by chance did I click another time slot and could buy 4 tickets. (The website does says up to 5 per customer, but when presented with 1 tickets it can easily be confused for having to make 5 different purchases) Anyway…. Just an observation. We were in and out in 30 minutes (no audio guide - was expensive for 4). but was good to see such an historic part of Paris.Visited January 2024Travelled with familyWritten 10 January 2024
- Maxwell MColchester, United Kingdom44 contributionsUnique experienceAn amazing experience on a number of levels. So glad we went. Awe inspiring. Restricted visitor numbers mean that you get a chance to take it all in from the history of the place to the fact you share the subterranean tunnels with so many dead people.Visited January 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 25 January 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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belfast1
Belfast, UK171 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
Waited an hour and 20 minutes outside to get in, paid for the audio players which I'm very glad we did as it was just long narrow walkways so it would have been very boring with nothing to listen to. Barely anything is translated from French so it's hard to understand most of it. It wasn't what we expected, it's good to do but wouldn't be getting excited about it and definitely not worth the hour and 20 minute wait
Written 28 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RnATC04
Sandy, UT44 contributions
Dec 2019
we went here not knowing really what to expect. i knew they had buried people under the streets but thought this was largely a series of historic tunnels. turns out they were created when the romans mined rock out of the earth. and then later on they buried millions of bones here. it was still neat to see but a little dark (both in light and in spirit) its over a mile walk which is ok and i would suggest you pay the 5 bucks for audio. there is a lot of history covered. this place loses a star because there are guided tours going on who think they own the place and rudely told me to move along while i was reading about the site at a stopping point.
one other issue we had was the constant insta photos and selfies. it was disrespectful. they tell you not to touch the bones but there are people touching the bones and having selfies with them. i dont hold this against the operator, but people need to shape up. perhaps more information detailing to visitors to be respectful as it is a burial site would be a good idea.
strikes in the trains were occurring and impacted our trip. the lines were long even though we had timed entry tickets and for awhile they were still letting in people who had to buy tickets. they were telling us with tickets we could get refunds though if we didnt get in by closing time. which makes no sense. why refund our money and take someone elses?? eventually i think they thought this through and our line ended up moving faster.
one other issue we had was the constant insta photos and selfies. it was disrespectful. they tell you not to touch the bones but there are people touching the bones and having selfies with them. i dont hold this against the operator, but people need to shape up. perhaps more information detailing to visitors to be respectful as it is a burial site would be a good idea.
strikes in the trains were occurring and impacted our trip. the lines were long even though we had timed entry tickets and for awhile they were still letting in people who had to buy tickets. they were telling us with tickets we could get refunds though if we didnt get in by closing time. which makes no sense. why refund our money and take someone elses?? eventually i think they thought this through and our line ended up moving faster.
Written 14 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GCarnaffan
Norley, UK558 contributions
Feb 2020 • Solo
Visited here as something new to do in Paris having been previously to the famous things. When you book online be careful to check the ticket time. I missed this and arrived at 10 to realise I have a 5pm entry!
There are two queues when you arrive. The longer is to purchase tickets. The one to the left is for advance tickets. It still took nearly 30 mins of waiting in the advance line and we were let in around 5.15pm.
The audio guide was worthwhile and explained the journey through the tunnels and quarries in 15 stages.
Interesting and different. Fairly pricey for what it is at 30euros
There are two queues when you arrive. The longer is to purchase tickets. The one to the left is for advance tickets. It still took nearly 30 mins of waiting in the advance line and we were let in around 5.15pm.
The audio guide was worthwhile and explained the journey through the tunnels and quarries in 15 stages.
Interesting and different. Fairly pricey for what it is at 30euros
Written 1 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ksmacd0nald
Fort Walton Beach, FL10 contributions
Dec 2019
Over the New Years holiday this year our family planned a trip to Paris. We tried to include all the tourist type activities on our visit! We researched and bought tickets months in advance as soon as each place we wanted to visit began selling their advanced tickets. One of the places we planned to visit and purchased tickets for was the The Paris Catacombs. We purchased tickets for 12/31/2019. There are many deadlines and rules as guests you must agree to follow. We agreed to follow all of these including arriving early with tickets in hand. Unfortunately, we arrived to signs being posted on the closed building. Signs stating that the Catacombs closed early that day due to strikes, only approximately 2 hours early however which we felt was strange. They had canceled the last few tours of the day. We received no email notifications at all about this during the day or any time before this. Signs were posted that we could come back the following day however our plane tickets were for the following morning. We took pictures of the signs and the groups of people leaving upset. We would have changed our plans to attend earlier in the day if we had been notified. When arriving home I sent messages asking for a refund due to the fact that they had closed and not honored the tickets we had pre-purchased. I received a very rude email back stating that it was a lengthy process to want my money back as well as requesting a great deal of proof of the purchase to be sent to them. We responded and sent all the information back and have since heard nothing for many weeks. We are horrified by the fact that this is supposed to be an amazing place that wants people from across the world to travel to and respect it's amazing history yet they not only closed without notification to it's patrons but is also refusing to respect us by not refunding the pre-purchased tickets and ignoring us. We spent a good amount of money on these tickets and it is unfair to not give it back when we held up our commitments.
Written 31 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jante14
Washington DC, DC5 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
We visited Paris over New Year’s 2019/2020. Unfortunately our trip was during the transportation strike. Because of the strike, many big attractions were more crowded than usual and the Catacombs website recommended purchasing timed tickets to make sure we could get in.
We bought timed entry tickets two days in advance and showed up on time to a completely closed museum. The museum had closed two hours before. Apparently they had been selling timed tickets and closing early for weeks. We were in a crowd of people in the same situation. A sign on the door said that our tickets were good for any other time the museum was open...except that it was completely closed the next day, and we were leaving Paris. To say we felt cheated is putting it mildly.
To cap things off, it’s been a month and we still have not received a refund. We emailed and submitted forms to the website, and they keep asking for “our full bank account details.” We paid with a credit card. Why can’t they refund our credit card? I don’t want to give my bank account information to an incompetent and irresponsible company.
I would not recommend this place unless you want to walk up and pay in cash.
We bought timed entry tickets two days in advance and showed up on time to a completely closed museum. The museum had closed two hours before. Apparently they had been selling timed tickets and closing early for weeks. We were in a crowd of people in the same situation. A sign on the door said that our tickets were good for any other time the museum was open...except that it was completely closed the next day, and we were leaving Paris. To say we felt cheated is putting it mildly.
To cap things off, it’s been a month and we still have not received a refund. We emailed and submitted forms to the website, and they keep asking for “our full bank account details.” We paid with a credit card. Why can’t they refund our credit card? I don’t want to give my bank account information to an incompetent and irresponsible company.
I would not recommend this place unless you want to walk up and pay in cash.
Written 20 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jim O
Coleraine, UK46 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
Have been to Paris quite a few times so decided to go to the Resistance Museum and ended up mistakingly joining the queue at the identical building across the square.
Telaising our mistake we stayed with it despite the notice halfway at the back of the building saying it would be two hours. Actually was more like half an hour to 40 mins.
An amazing experience. It is a fair walk for any with disabilities until you reach the actual bones but the tunnels simply build up the expectation.
The story of the construction is fantastic and the actual repositories of bones and skulls is mind-blowing in its scale.
Go there! If you go to the Resistance Museum across the street you will have had a fantastic experience of real Paris.
Telaising our mistake we stayed with it despite the notice halfway at the back of the building saying it would be two hours. Actually was more like half an hour to 40 mins.
An amazing experience. It is a fair walk for any with disabilities until you reach the actual bones but the tunnels simply build up the expectation.
The story of the construction is fantastic and the actual repositories of bones and skulls is mind-blowing in its scale.
Go there! If you go to the Resistance Museum across the street you will have had a fantastic experience of real Paris.
Written 18 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kriss 127
1 contribution
Feb 2020 • Couples
Be aware of the scam about tickets!! On their official page on internet are only "skip the line tickets“, and it is not written what is the price without skip the line if you buy it directly on the Catacombs. And price is double!! Skip the line is 32e, direct tickets on the entrance is 12e!! For example, in Louvre int. page is all written, and the difference between Skip the line and direct ticket is only 2 euros!! And what is the worse, on the official page of Catacombs were written at the time that only 5 tickets is left for the Skip the line (so we bought them thinking its big crouwd) what was total lie because there was FEW people on the entrance and only about 10 guests was in Catacombs at all (on their page is written that their grups is for 200people). Total scam, its not worth visit even for 12 euros, specially not for 32.
Written 5 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tavish62
Ocean City, NJ179 contributions
Aug 2021
Staff was unhelpful and watched us struggle with no WiFi and data connection problems trying to get our ticket up (hotel was not helpful for printing it out). Finally when my daughter and I had wasted over an hour and were practically in tears of frustration they begrudgingly looked it up by my email in their records and confirmed that they found our payment and allowed us in. The tour we had attempted to take was not running (due to COVID), and the area was reportedly much smaller than the usual area opened. Despite getting the audio assistance, I would not recommend until it is up and running again and live tour guides are available. It was very empty, not crowded at all, but still did not feel like we got as much out of it as we could. Be careful, its a bit out of the way, and also it spits you out in another location, a residential neighborhood, we had difficulty getting a ride back to our area of town.
Written 18 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wanderlust3483
602 contributions
Dec 2019
Luckily, it was rainy the day we went so the line was not very long. They space out the number of people that enter at once so it isn't overly crowded. It was a very unique and interesting experience, I would certainly recommend for any tourist. It's a bit long of a tour, but we definitely enjoyed it. If possible, get advanced tickets as the line can get long.
Written 13 April 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Elisabeth1203
Hong Kong, China233 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
we have been wanting to come here and finally did...Do your reservation of ticket online otherwise you will be standing in line a long time...
the audio guide is a must to have to understand the background and history of the Catacombes and you will hear interesting facts.
Temperature is nice constant around 14 degrees, take your time walking...
the audio guide is a must to have to understand the background and history of the Catacombes and you will hear interesting facts.
Temperature is nice constant around 14 degrees, take your time walking...
Written 16 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I am not sure that ‘discovered’ is the right word.
My understanding is that many Centuries back, it used to be an active Mine - which eventually was disused.
In parallel, as Paris grew, it continued run out of burial space - so the decision was made to use the mine tunnels / site as an alternative burial site. And various burial sites / remains were relocated to this site.
Written 31 January 2024
I've tried to book for next friday (13th october) as I know the tickets only come out online a week before. I can see options for Thursday and Saturday however Friday I cannot select the date (it is greyed out). Does anyone know of a reason why or suggest how I can book?
Other days that are sold out are highlighted in red so doesn't appear thats the case.
We're only there Friday to Sunday and itinerary is pretty tight.
Thansk
Katie
Written 7 October 2023
Thanks this is on the official site that I can't seem to select for Friday.
Written 8 October 2023
How strict are they with backpacks? I have a standard sized backpack and wondering if I will be allowed in with that.
Written 15 April 2023
We went in with a small backpack and no issues. They will look into as you exit to make sure you didn’t take any “souvenirs”!
Written 16 April 2023
Hi Does it is enough to buy the normal ticket online and not skip the line as it doubles the price?
Written 12 March 2023
Wasn’t aware of a fast track ticket. We all queued in allocated time slot lines. If you’re too early they say come back.
Written 12 March 2023
Are there strict ID checks? The missus and I are visiting and we have booked a ticket for 18-26 years old when we are 27. Would this be a problem?
Written 4 March 2023
No they don’t check your iD unless you look underage with no adults
Written 5 March 2023
They had audio tours in about 10 languages. Something like a phone with headphones attached and prerecorded narration to explain as you toured on your own.
Written 31 October 2022
I keep reading that you need to purchase tickets well in advance - but all the tours I select two months from now keep getting rejected/…and on the official website - it says that due to ticket fraud - you can’t buy tickets farther out than 2 weeks…anyone run into this?
Written 31 October 2022
I keep reading that you need to purchase tickets well in advance - but all the tours I select two months from now keep getting rejected/…and on the official website - it says that due to ticket fraud - you can’t buy tickets farther out than 2 weeks…anyone run into this?
Written 31 October 2022
I bought ours about two weeks out. On the official site
Written 9 August 2023
I bought the advanced ticket for the Catacombs, but I'm not sure where I can either book an English guided tour or buy the audioguide. Are any included in the ticket? Or do I have to buy at the counter when I present my ticket?
Written 15 June 2022
I bought the advanced ticket for the Catacombs, but I'm not sure where I can either book an English guided tour or buy the audioguide. Are any included in the ticket? Or do I have to buy at the counter when I present my ticket?
Written 15 June 2022
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
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