01QUICK PICK
Just get inside
Best if you mainly want the official route and don’t need a guide beside you.
Check live tickets ↗ GetYourGuidePARIS · BELOW STREET LEVEL
Paris Catacombs
Everyone comes for the bones. The better story starts at the threshold.
20 mbelow Paris
1.5 kmvisitor route
~1 hraverage visit
14°Cyear-round
BOOK THE RIGHT WAY
You don’t need 20 options.
Pick the level of access you actually want. We send you to the booking partner for live availability and final price.
02BEST STORY
Go with a guide
Best balance of context and access if you want more than the public route can explain on its own.
See guided availability ↗ Viator03GO DEEPER
Prioritize special access
For travelers choosing the Catacombs specifically for the hidden-room and behind-the-route experience.
Check special-access tour ↗ ViatorAffiliate disclosure: some booking links earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. Live prices and availability are confirmed by the booking partner.
THE DETOUR · FIND 01
Don’t photograph everything.
Photograph the moment Paris tells you to stop.
Before the ossuary, look for the stone threshold carrying the line:
“Arrête, c’est ici l’empire de la mort.”
Stop. This is the empire of death.
YOUR SHOT
Frame the threshold, not the remains. Let the doorway tell the story.
This is a memorial site. Follow staff instructions, photograph only where permitted, and never touch the remains.
CHOOSE A CAPTION
BEFORE YOU GO
The useful part.
DEPTH20 metres
About five storeys below street level.
ROUTE1.5 km
One-way underground visitor circuit.
STAIRS243 total
131 down, 112 back up. No lift.
TEMPERATURE14°C
Cool year-round; wear sensible shoes.
Official practical information can change. Check the Paris Catacombs official site before visiting.