Paris Catacombs Tour with Secret Rooms & Privileged Access
Skip the line and gain exclusive access to secret parts of the Catacombs
The Paris Catacombs opens an incredibly limited amount of tickets per day, making it one of the most competitive attractions to visit in Paris. Our VIP skip-the-line tour grants you direct access to this underground world, plus entry to secret rooms closed to the general public. With an expert guide sharing dark history and eerie legends, you’ll explore Paris’s most unique attraction up close—without the usual wait or ticket stress.
- Meeting point at Cafe Oz
- The Gateway to Hell
- Catacombs tunnels
- Barrel of Passion
- Restricted Areas
- Lower Catacombs
- End inside Catacombs
- The Barrel of Passion
- Secret rooms, off-limits to the public
- Cataphile stories and insights
You'll meet your guide and the rest of your small group near the Denfert-Rochereau Metro Station, just a short walk from the entrance to the Catacombs. The general admission line can be incredibly long, especially during busy times, but you'll be able to breeze past and start exploring straight away with your skip-the-line ticket.
Your guide is an expert in all things Catacombs, and over the next 1.5 hours you'll learn about the dark history of this unique underground tunnel network. You'll see the macabre artwork that adorns its walls, and you'll even gain access to two hidden rooms which are off limits to the general public. There's no better way to see Paris' darkest attraction!
Paris Catacombs Tour Description
Your 1.5-hour tour includes:
Skip-the-line Paris Catacombs tickets
Entry to two restricted areas of the Catacombs
A super-knowledgeable English-speaking guide
A maximum group size of 19
Skip-the-Line Paris Catacombs Tickets
Wait times to enter the Paris Catacombs can be up to 3 hours! That’s time you could spend strolling along the Champs-Élysées, climbing the Eiffel Tower, or watching the world go by in some impossibly stylish Paris café.
We'll have your Paris Catacombs ticket ready when you arrive, and our tour lets you skip the line completely so you can start exploring the city’s dark underworld without the long wait.
Catacombs of Paris - The Gateway to Hell
Your tour starts at the entrance of the Catacombs, just south of the "Barrière d'Enfer" (which means the Gates of Hell!). After entering, you'll immediately descend a staircase deep below the streets of Paris and into the medieval underworld of the Catacombs—often referred to as the world’s largest grave.
As you begin to explore this vast underground tunnel network, your guide will explain the creation of the Paris Catacombs and how it became a burial place for so many of the city’s dead. You’ll also get to see two incredibly eerie areas of the Catacombs that are restricted from public access. These areas are so exclusive that a guard will need to come and open the old gates with a key. How's that for a VIP experience?
Paris Catacombs History
As you explore the various tunnels and rooms of the Catacombs, your expert "cataphile" guide will tell you their history and how they came to be. Tunnels have existed under Paris since the 13th century. They were once used to mine the limestone that helped build the city and also as ossuaries for burying human remains. But it wasn’t until the 17th century that the Paris Catacombs we see today really began to take form.
Paris was expanding rapidly and began to build over the now abandoned tunnels. Sound like bad planning? That's because there was no planning. A few major ground collapses later, something had to be done.
At the same time, the population was growing and the city’s cemeteries were overflowing. So, Louis XVI decided to kill two birds with one stone and approved the reinforcement and extension of the tunnels for use as a burial place for the dead. In an eerie twist, the estimated 6 million bodies buried here actually help to support the structure itself.
Catacombs Artwork, Architecture, and Bones
The Catacombs are one of the last secrets of Paris, and your tour will uncover some of the mysteries held within their walls. You’ll also see some truly unique and macabre artwork as you pass through the labyrinth of corridors and gates, along with a type of architecture not found anywhere else in the world.
And yes, you will see thousands upon thousands of bones, arranged by artists and architects to make the space more "livable."
What you get with this tour
See what people are saying
126 total reviews
Leave a reviewKaren Heckendorf
Remi was a wonderful guide. He went above and beyond. Very personable. Lied the tour.
Lauren Mazanowski
Gerard Cerna
Frequently Asked Questions
What to bring?
We always recommend comfortable walking shoes on all of our tours. The temperature inside the Catacombs is always around 14°C/57°F, no matter what time of year, so it's a good idea to bring a light sweater. Also, the only bathroom break is at the end so please show up prepared and ready to tour!
I've heard about the Paris Catacombs calling strikes at the last minute. Does this really happen?
On occasion, employees at landmarks in Paris, such as the Paris Catacombs, decide to strike. Often, the intention to strike is not communicated to tour operators until the day of the strike. In the event that the Paris Catacombs go on strike when your tour scheduled, we will do our best to accommodate you on another Catacombs tour the following day. If this is not possible, we will provide you with a full refund.
What to bring?
We always recommend comfortable walking shoes on all of our tours. The temperature inside the Catacombs is always around 14°C/57°F, no matter what time of year, so it's a good idea to bring a light sweater. Also, the only bathroom break is at the end so please show up prepared and ready to tour!
What if I have concerns about my mobility on this tour?
While it doesn't cover a huge distance, you will be on your feet for the length of the tour (1.5 hours). You should also expect some uneven floors and old stone stairways, so please think carefully and make sure this tour is right for you.
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