Paris Catacombs Tour: Skip the Line & Visit Secret Rooms

This Paris catacombs tour will be one of the freakiest and fascinating excursions you’ll take. When I found out that I’d have a couple of days in Paris before and after my canal cruise in the South of France, I was overwhelmed with the amount of things to do in Paris.

Naturally, there are the super famous sites in Paris, like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. And then there are the other gems around the city, such as the Arc de Triomphe and the Panthéon. However, if you’re looking for something offbeat, intriguing, and something you’ll talk about long after your visit, you simply must visit the Paris Catacombs.

In this travel blog post, I’ll show you how to take a tour of the catacombs, where to get your Paris catacombs tickets, and how to visit these fascinating underground quarries of bones. You’ll quickly see why a Paris Catacomb Tour is a good idea for anyone visiting the city center, and why I recommend choosing a tour with a passionate guide like the one I suggest throughout this article.

History of the Catacombs of Paris

The Paris Catacombs stretch below the streets of the city, containing the remains of over six million people. But, why were the catacombs of Paris built below the streets of Paris? Why are so many bones on display underground rather than proper burials in cemeteries?

I’ll give you a very brief history of these unique burial grounds in the City of Light, though it’s most fascinating to hear more information about this popular attraction directly from your expert guide.

Why Were the Catacombs of Paris Built?

The catacombs of Paris weren’t always meant to be an ossuary. Paris sat on top of 200 miles of limestone tunnels, dating back to when the city was built. Workers dug up stones from beneath the city to construct it. However, the weight of the city started to collapse into the tunnels, causing massive sinkholes.

In 1777, the King’s architect, Charles-Axel Guillaumot, was tasked with stabilizing the tunnels to save the city from collapse. As you visit Paris catacombs, you’ll see carvings into the walls with dates and numbers.

These numbers show the amount of attempts it took to stabilize that particular space. While some numbers will read 1 or 2, I saw attempts in the 60s and 70s. This was not an easy job by any means.

At the same time, Paris was growing and prospering, becoming one of the most heavily populated cities. Its rapid growth caused cemeteries to overflow. There simply wasn’t enough space to bury the dead. Paris started to smell quite badly of decomposing bodies, and it posed a huge health hazard.

By 1785, the tunnels were stable and the remains of the dead were transferred into them. This transfer of bones lasted throughout the French Revolution and all the way until 1859. Here is a picture of a tunnel where they dropped the bodies and bones into the quarry.

Interestingly enough, it was actually Napoleon who decided that the catacombs of Paris should be a tourist attraction. As the great empire of Rome had its own catacombs attraction, Napoleon decided that Paris should have something similar.

Quarry workers began sifting through the piles of bones to create decorative works. They lined the walls with femurs and tibias, and tastefully arranged the skulls. You’ll see signs with commemorative plaques, and bones arranged into various shapes. It’s very strange and eerie that the final resting place for so many can be viewed as a work of art.

Cataphiles of Paris

While the tour is restricted to around 2km of tunnels, there are 200 miles of underground tunnels. There are some people who are a little more obsessed with the catacombs and illegally venture into forbidden areas beneath the city.

These people are known as the “cataphiles of Paris”. It is potentially possible to enter the tunnels through manholes and metro stations. Sometimes the cataphiles visit as part of an artistic movement, and other times they’re exploring and adding to their own maps.

Back in 2004, authorities discovered a secret underground movie theater in the catacombs. However, no one was ever caught or fined. If you are caught unofficially exploring the tunnels beneath Paris, you will be heavily fined.

Paris Catacombs Tour: Skip the Line and Secret Rooms

Trust me, you’re going to want to book a skip the line tour for the Catacombs of Paris. It’s a major tourist attraction, but you don’t want to waste your day waiting in long queues.

As you can imagine, the lines here get frustratingly long. Do you really want to spend half of your day in a lengthy line (especially if it’s really hot outside)? Or would you rather skip the line and waltz right indoors, heading directly to the attraction?

I can’t imagine not booking a ticket in advance for this Paris Catacombs tour. A Paris catacombs skip the line tour is the best way to visit. Book your ticket here.

How to Buy Tickets to Visit Paris Catacombs

If you’re looking for how to visit the catacombs in Paris, take my advice. Head on over to the Take Walks website and select the date and time you’d like to visit. There are usually multiple times for each day. I recommend buying your tickets farther in advance to avoid disappointment. Numbers are limited for each tour, and it definitely has the potential to sell out.

You’ll meet your guide at a separate meeting point. Ours was right across the street from the Catacombs of Paris entrance. Our small group had less than 20 people in it (the maximum number for the tour, including the guide, is 20 people). We walked together across the street and right into the building, past the huge lineup of people there. Having skip the line access is a great feeling.

Our guide had all of our tickets purchased ahead of time and knew all of the employees that worked there. Within moments, we were descending into the catacombs themselves. With that said, skipping the line with a guided tour is only one of the perks.

Of course, you’ll gain a much better understanding with a Paris Catacombs Tour. I learned about so many stories and interesting facts that made this attraction so special. If you walk around without a guide, you’ll see lots and lots of skulls and bones. It’s really cool to see, but it’s even better when you have an understanding of it all. And then there are the areas you can only visit with a guide…

Special Access Areas for Tours Only

There were two areas behind locked gates that regular tourists could not visit. With our historian guide, we were allowed to venture into these rooms. Our small group had these rooms all to ourselves when we visited. We had the opportunity to view two wall sculptures within the ossuary.

The Sculptures de Décure were secretly carved into the limestone by a quarry worker named Francois Décure between 1777 and 1782. One showcases the facade of a building in the Quartier de Cazerne. Another depicts Port Mahon where he was imprisoned, and another carving illustrates a spot called Port Philipe. These sculptures detail his memories or imagined visions of these places.

They’re incredibly detailed and created in such a challenging environment. Decure had to work by torch light, far underground in such a dark and damp place. Sadly, he was killed underground in a cave-in while constructing a stairway to his artwork.

A trip to view the Sculptures de Decure are certainly worth a visit. You might find the skulls and bones to be a little too ominous, but these are purely fascinating without the creepy factor.

What to Know Before You Visit the Catacombs of Paris

There are a couple of details that you need to plan before your trip. Here are some specific tips for your Paris catacombs tour. There aren’t any bathrooms in the catacombs of Paris, so use the restroom in advance. Please do not touch any of the bones.

Wear comfortable walking shoes. You will venture down 131 steps at the start of your tour and 112 steps to climb up (243 stairs in total). In total, the walk is a 1.5km circuit loop around millions of bones and human remains.

Due to the site’s underground constraints, the Paris catacombs are not wheelchair accessible. Furthermore, they do not recommend that you visit if you are pregnant or highly sensitive. Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.

You may not eat or drink as you walk around the Catacombs of Paris. You cannot bring alcohol to the tunnels, and you cannot bring animals of any kind. No smoking either. I think all of this goes without saying.

When you exit, the staff will search your bags to make sure that you aren’t stealing any bones. You cannot use the flash on your camera inside the ossuary, although you can take as many photos as you’d like. You can bring a bottle of water with you.

Is it Cold in the Paris Catacombs?

It is very damp and cold in the tunnels. It is a great place to visit in the summer when it’s hot outside. The catacombs are naturally air conditioned. So, is it cold in the Paris Catacombs? Yes, it is! This means that you might want to plan what to wear in advance.

What do you Wear to the Paris Catacombs?

What do you wear to the Paris Catacombs? I didn’t really think about this ahead of time and I wish that I did. Bring a sweater on your Paris Catacombs tour. Wear shoes that are sturdier as you’ll be climbing up and down stairs at the beginning and end of your trip (like sneakers/running shoes/closed toed shoes).

You may not bring large bags or suitcases into the Paris Catacombs. It is not possible to bring a motorcycle helmet or a stroller either. Bags must be 40x30x20cm or smaller and you need to hold them at your side or in front of you. There isn’t a cloak room to hold bags.

Are the Catacombs of Paris Haunted?

So, you might be wondering…are the catacombs of Paris haunted? Well, it all depends on what you believe. I’m not sure that I believe in ghosts myself. However, our guide told us a story about a contest from a few years ago.

Airbnb rented out the catacombs of Paris for one night, offering the chance for two people to spend the night there. They set up a bed in the ossuary, naturally surrounded by the bones and skulls. In the evening, it was lights out.

Of course, the mind can play tricks on you in complete darkness. The winners of the contest didn’t end up spending the entire night there. They were too scared. Are the tunnels truly haunted? We’ll never know for sure.

I’m sure if there was a haunted place in the world, it would be the catacombs of Paris. I mean, there are 6 million people buried down there! Would you ever consider spending the night at the Paris catacombs?

More Information and Location of the Catacombs

Your tour will meet near the entrance of the Paris Catacombs, which is near the Denfert-Rochereau station in the city of Paris. The exit of the tour is a couple of blocks away. Both are located in the 14th Arrondissement. This tour is approximately two hours in length. Only 200 people are permitted inside the catacombs at any time. I really like that it is restricted, so it never feels crowded down there.

Should You Take a Paris Catacombs Tour?

I highly recommend that you visit Paris catacombs on your trip to the city. It might seem a little weird or even creepy to see the world’s largest grave. However, it’s truly fascinating.

It’s a little overwhelming to think that every skull represents life. But, it’s a very intriguing part of Paris’ history that you can easily see with your own eyes. You’ll learn so many interesting facts about the history of the city through your guide. I absolutely loved this tour and I’m sure you will, too!

If you’d like even more of a sneak peak, you can take a virtual tour through the winding tunnels of the Paris Catacombs. I think you should wait until you can actually see it in person. If you’re not able to go, this is the next best thing.

What to Know if You Aren’t Taking a Skip the Line Tour

You used to be able to wait in line to enter the Catacombs of Paris without purchasing a ticket in advance. Nowadays, everyone needs to buy a timed ticket ahead of time, whether it’s through a tour company or through the official website.

As many counterfeit tickets were sold online, you can only get your timed tickets from the official website seven days ahead of time. This is one reason why it might be even better to book your Paris Catacombs Tour as a skip the line ticket: you can schedule your trip farther in advance.

Booking timed tickets through the official website doesn’t guarantee that you won’t wait in long lines. Only the skip the line tour will guarantee that! Plus, you’ll want to see the hidden rooms that you don’t normally see on a self-guided walk.

Plus, you’ll receive a guided tour by a professional guide who will provide the proper insights you’ll need to truly appreciate this historic site. Check ticket prices here. If you don’t visit with a tour, make sure that you borrow an audio guide at the door so you can learn on your self-guided tour.

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