About this attraction
Everything you need to know
about Paris Catacombs
Beneath the streets of the 14th arrondissement, 300 kilometres of tunnels hold the remains of over six million Parisians, transferred from the city's overcrowded cemeteries between 1786 and 1860. The Paris Catacombs are one of the most distinctive and unforgettable experiences the city offers — a 2-kilometre walk through underground galleries lined with carefully arranged bones and skulls.
The history is fascinating: in the late 18th century, the city's cemeteries were so full they were causing public health crises. The solution was to transfer the remains to the former limestone quarries beneath the city that had provided the stone to build Paris itself. Today, the Empire of the Dead — as the ossuary section is known — is one of the most-visited underground sites in the world.
What's included
Highlights & inclusions
💀
6 million remains
The largest underground ossuary in the world
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Former limestone quarries
The stone that built Paris — now holds its dead
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2km underground walk
20 metres below the streets of the 14th
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Fascinating history
18th-century public health crisis — bones arranged since 1810
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Skip the line
Long queues avoided with pre-booked tickets
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Constant temperature
14°C year-round — bring a layer
Floors & levels
What you'll find inside
Entrance
Ground level
History of the Catacombs, context before descending
The Ossuary
Underground
The Empire of the Dead — 2km of bone-lined galleries
Exit
Different street
The exit is several blocks from the entrance
🎟Book via our partner GetYourGuide — instant e-ticket, free cancellation available, skip the line guaranteed.
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Practical information
Getting there & what to know
| Address | 1 Av. du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, 75014 Paris |
| Opening | Tue–Sun 10am – 8:30pm. Closed Mondays. |
| Transport | Métro: Denfert-Rochereau (L4/6) or RER B |
| Duration | 1.5 hours for the full 2km circuit |
| Physical | 131 steps down, 112 steps up — no lift; not suitable for those with mobility issues |
| Temperature | 14°C underground year-round — a jacket is recommended |
💡Tip : The Catacombs are one of the most profoundly strange places I've ever been. Nothing prepares you for the scale of it — kilometres of skulls and bones, arranged with a kind of terrible neatness. It is genuinely haunting and completely unlike anything else in Paris.
Before you go
Tips & recommendations
- →Book well in advance — skip-the-line tickets sell out days ahead, especially in summer.
- →Bring a light jacket — it's 14°C underground whatever the season.
- →Photography is allowed throughout — bring a wide-angle lens for the galleries.
- →The exit is on a different street (Rue Rémy Dumoncel) from the entrance — plan your route accordingly.
