Paris Catacombs Tour with VIP Access to Restricted Areas
Recommended by 91% of travelers
Paris, France
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Discover the darker side of the City of Light on a small-group tour of the famed Paris Catacombs. Explore these fascinating underground passageways lined with the bones of thousands of former Parisians, and learn the history of the mesmerizing and macabre labyrinth. Get special access to restricted areas that the general public cannot usually enter. Enjoy the personalized attention of a small-group tour, and the chance to ask questions.
- No getting lost in the underground passages: A guide leads the way
- A must for travelers interested in history and the macabre
- Small group sizes keep the tour friendly and intimate
- Choose an afternoon or evening tour to suit your schedule
What's Included
- Guided visit of the Paris Catacombs
- Small groups to ensure an intimate experience
- Local English-speaking expert guide
- Special access to restricted areas closed to general public
- Gratuities
- Hotel pick-up/drop-off
- Food/Beverages
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Catacombs of Paris1 Av. du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, 75014 Paris, France
Meet at the entrance to the Catacombes de Paris. He/She will be holding a sign. To arrive at the Catacombs by Metro please take Line 4 or Line 6 to the Denfert-Rochereau metro stop and exit using “Sortie 1”; the entrance to the Catacombs can be found directly across the street from this exit.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
Make your own way to the Paris Catacombs and meet your guide and small group outside. Avoiding the sales line for tickets, you’ll head straight inside to begin exploring the skeleton-bedecked tunnels that stretch beneath the city.
As you work your way underground, hear how the macabre corridors came to be used out of necessity in the late-18th century, when the cemeteries of Paris were overcrowded. Walking in a small group capped at 14 people, you’ll catch the commentary clearly as you go.
You’ll pass bone-lined walls of bygone Parisians and hear their stories, and discover some of the sites that many standard catacombs tours don’t visit. The Port Mahon Gallery and Gilbert’s Tomb are among the highlights. After around two hours underground, you’ll return to street level where your tour ends.
As you work your way underground, hear how the macabre corridors came to be used out of necessity in the late-18th century, when the cemeteries of Paris were overcrowded. Walking in a small group capped at 14 people, you’ll catch the commentary clearly as you go.
You’ll pass bone-lined walls of bygone Parisians and hear their stories, and discover some of the sites that many standard catacombs tours don’t visit. The Port Mahon Gallery and Gilbert’s Tomb are among the highlights. After around two hours underground, you’ll return to street level where your tour ends.
1
The Paris Catacombs
2 hours • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Not wheelchair accessible.
- We regret that we are unable to accommodate pushchairs or strollers on our tours.
- Please note that Special Access areas may be closed on some days.
- Not recommended for travelers with claustrophobia
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 2 days in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.6
based on 1,098 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Tara_G, Jul 2026
We really enjoyed our tour with Saeed! He was informative, engaging, and told some good stories. We went to a couple of areas that aren’t accessible to the general public as well.
Brady_R, Jun 2026
Saeed was my tour guide. He was really good at explaining things and telling us about the catacombs. His English is great.
Barbara_B, Jun 2026
The Paris Catacombs tour with Saeed is a very unique experience for those who like the macabre. The experience starts with learning how the rock was quarried to build the great monuments of Paris, moves to the burial and cemetery crisis around the time of the 1789 revolution, and the unique solutions that were put in place.
Be prepared to go down and up spiral staircases. There are no lifts.
Melissa_P, Jun 2026
Saeed was a wonderful guide. We loved exploring the Catacombs and learning about Paris history. Highly recommend this tour!
Micah_M, Jun 2026
Saeed was a wonderful tour guide. He was very friendly and knowledgeable. Enjoyed the tour very much.
Ben_M, Jun 2026
Sayeed was an absolutely brilliant tour guide and deserves real recognition. His knowledge of the Catacombs, passion for the history, professionalism, and friendly approach made our small-group tour truly unforgettable. He was attentive to everyone’s questions, happy to help with translations whenever needed, and turned the 2-hour experience into something genuinely memorable and fulfilling. Thank you Sayeed and City Wonders for a fantastic experience. Highly recommended. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ BKS 🙌
Michele_B, May 2026
This is was incredibly interesting! The history of how this place came to be including what was here before was honestly kind of mind-blowing.
Thomas_M, May 2026
I've always wanted to visit the Catacombs, so when I was planning a visit, I did not think a tour guide was necessary. Thankfully I opted to go with the guide, which made the experience that much more interesting and memorable. Our tour guide, Saeed, was awesome. He was very friendly and explained everything to expect on the tour. He was very knowledgeable and kept me engaged the whole time. Truly a fascinating experience. Thanks again Saeed.
Michelle_L, May 2026
Our tour guide was very knowledgeable about the history of the catacombs. Felt very intimate with our group of 15. Loved the personal tour versus having to use head phones.
Michael_F, May 2026
Michelle was the tour guide and she was WONDERFUL! So knowledgeable and shared so many great things with us. I felt like I learned a lot from that tour and what a cool experience.
Sheila_Y, Apr 2026
What a great experience. Addie, our tour guide made our walk through the catacombs so interesting through humor and facts. A once in a lifetime trip!
Linsly_D, Oct 2025
Rita / Rhita was a wonderful guide, storyteller and host to us in the private VIP area Catacombs tour! Her deep knowledge and engaging storytelling brought this tour to life. Thank you!
Kathy_D, Oct 2025
Riti guided us on an excellent and informative tour of the quarries and catacombs beneath the streets of Paris, providing the historical context that brings the real value to this event.
James_H, Oct 2025
This experience was almost impossible to describe. Our tour guide was a lovely Indian woman who was very knowledgeable and did a great job of managing the group. The tour was amazing. It was stunning beyond description. We will do it again! Fantastic!!!!
Tracey_P, Oct 2025
I am mildly claustrophobic and was worried about this this tour but this was AMAZING! Vic was one of the best tour guides on trips I have booked with Viator
Michael_F, Oct 2025
Very informative, small group worked out great. Lawrence had great historical knowledge that really made the trip exciting and he was very friendly and inviting.
Andrew_K, Sep 2025
Yes there are bones. Yes you will be underground. All this you expect. What you don’t yet know is how entertained you will be. Our guide, Vic was a story teller par excellence. Smart as a whip, too. Highly recommend this tour and ask for Vic.
Matthew_B, Aug 2025
It’s a long tour and once you’ve seen a skull and femur that’s basically it. Pretty expensive tour for what it is.
Susan_F, Aug 2025
Really interesting and informative guide. Very
helpful and the special access option was a great choice! Highly recommend and it us worth the extra cost :)
Laurie_K, Aug 2025
Vic was an amazing tour guide! Such a fascinating place and she made it come alive. Very knowledgeable and entertaining!
Cristobal_S, Aug 2025
It was amazing and i loved it. the special access is so amazing. Seeing the restricted areas is so cool and really worth this tour alone
kendra_s, Jul 2025
The tour guide was great and the catacombs were fascinating. The only issue was that the VIP area was closed. I understand that it being closed was not the fault of the tour guide or tour company, but it was disappointing since we had paid a premium price for that experience.
Corie_H, Jul 2025
A interesting tour that explains why the Paris catacombs are filled with human remains and what other things have happened and continue to happen in the catacombs. .
David_B, Jul 2025
Riti our guide was very knowledgeable. The problem is not the guide it is the price. At about 350€ for two people it is too expensive.
Sandy_M, Jul 2025
Laurence was absolutely amazing. He was knowledgeable about the catacombs and truly all of Paris. Also he was super kind to our 7 year old.
Hoang_N, May 2025
Lawerence was a great guide giving us awesome unique stories behind the Catacombs. It was worth getting this tour and one of our bucket list items in Paris checked off. The spectacle and magnitude of how they developed and moved 6 million bodies to be housed there is unimaginable.
Jen_H, Apr 2025
Lawrence was a great guide - we were able to go in a special section and seen some extra carvings, he had a deep knowledge and passion for the history, and he paced the tour well. It’s about a mile of walking, and the stairs are a little tough on the way back up, but it was absolutely fascinating.
Dylan_N, Mar 2025
Sam was an awesome tour guide. Had tons of great information to share about an interesting piece of French history.
Isabelle_S, Mar 2025
Best guide this city has! Our tour went flawlessly, and Saeed was knowledgeable and really loved his job. I recommend this tour, and especially this guide, because it made it even more interesting. A must see if you visit Paris. Thanks !
Jerome_B, Mar 2025
Take the guided tour over the audio. Saeed did a wonderful and very enjoyable tour. He was worth every cent
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