Paris Catacombs

Paris Catacombs which includes heritage elements
Visitors seeking a change from the vibrant streets of Paris and shimmering lights of the Eiffel Tower can go underground to experience a darker side of the city.

At a temperature of 14 degrees Celcius, the Paris Catacombs get chilly, even in summer, so grab a jacket before descending 130 steps and winding through an eerie series of tunnels leading to an 18th century graveyard. The site is located beneath its unassuming entrance on Avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, and stretches more than a mile beneath the tree-lined boulevards above. Upon entry, visitors are warned “Arrête, c’est ici l’empire de la mort” (Stop! This is the empire of death!).

The Paris Catacombs in fact originated as a very practical solution to a serious sanitation problem. In the late 1700s, the Cimetière des Saints-Innocents , Paris’s largest cemetery, became overcrowded, leading to the spread of diseases through contaminated water. From 1785 to 1860, a project to exhume Parisian bones from local cemeteries was carried out, with the skeletons being ferried to a nearby disused quarry. The skeletons of around six million Parisians were transferred. Initially bones were just thrown into corridors, but in 1810, the bones needed to be arranged in an orderly fashion, and were stacked neatly and decoratively.

Today, visitors can peruse the displayed remains, with bones – some more than a century old – forming ornamental walls and sculptures. Intricately carved works by eighteenth century army veteran and quarryman Decure adorn the Port-Mahon corridor. Other features include the Samaritan Woman’s Fountain - a spring walled with bones, the large cross and altar at the Sacellum Crypt, and the Sepulchral Lamp – a fire bowl used to light the way of the quarrymen at work.

Allow an hour to wander through the tunnels, which are open every day except Mondays. Adults must accompany children under the age of 14.

To avoid congestion down in the caverns, the number of visitors entering the Catacombs is limited to 200 at any time, leading to long queues above, so it’s best to arrive early. The Catacombs open every day except Monday and public holidays. First admission is at 10 a.m. but queues start to form well before then. Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult. The tour takes around 45 minutes to complete, and is concluded with a bag check, to make sure all of the bones remain underground!

La Dépendance
Villa Beaumarchais
1K Paris
Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

Reviews of Paris Catacombs

4.4
Top destination
5 - Excellent
38
" "5 - Excellent 60.317460317460316%
4 - Good
16
" "4 - Good 25.396825396825395%
3 - Okay
6
" "3 - Okay 9.523809523809524%
2 - Disappointing
1
" "2 - Disappointing 1.5873015873015872%
1 - Terrible
2
" "1 - Terrible 3.1746031746031744%

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller
18 Feb 2020

Prepare to queue. We started halfway at the back of the building but it wasn't the 2 hours it said on the notice. No more than 40 mins. Not bad. Saying that the rain had stopped!

4/5 - Good

Verified traveller
31 Jul 2019

Would recommend booking in advance. We queued on the day and it took over 4 hours to reach the front as only 200 people are allowed inside at one time. The catacombs themselvea are fascinating though and would recommend the audio guide too.

4/5 - Good

Verified traveller
2 May 2019

Purchase tickets before hand to avoid wait. The queue was 4hrs long when we arrived for our timed slot. The voice guide box advisable too.

2/5 - Disappointing

Tess
16 Apr 2019

I’ve written disappointing because when we got there there was a two hour queue. We had tried to book online but after initially taking our payment it refunded us with no real explanation. Security told us they have to be booked at least two days in advance so, by then, it was too late.

4/5 - Good

Verified traveller
4 Mar 2019

Pre book as the queues can be long. Not suitable for prams or elderly, as lots of steps and a lengthy narrow walk

1/5 - Terrible

Dan
30 Oct 2018

No toilets anywhere and if you get caught short down there, or when you get out, you’re in trouble

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