The Best Catacombs Tour Paris With VIP Access in 2025

The History Of The Paris Catacombs And My Tour

As we climbed down the 130 steps to enter the Catacombs, often referred to as ‘The Empire of Death,’ you could feel the temperature begin to change. The air got damper, and you started to get an inkling of what those poor miners excavating the limestone in the 14th century experienced, day in and day out, with nothing more than a candle to find their way.

Our tour guide told us that a miner’s life expectancy was just thirty years, and they often went blind because they were not used to daylight.

The hours were long in those days, and they entered when it was dark and came out when it was dark. They simply didn’t see daylight.

To make matters worse, if their candle went out, they were plunged into darkness, often getting lost and never making their way out.

Today, there is only one way in and out for tourists, but as we made our way through the tunnels, we saw many gates blocking access to a honeycomb of tunnels leading off in different directions.

I could see how easy it would be to get lost, never to see the light of day again, which is what happened to Philibert Aspairt, the keyholder at Val-de-Grâce Hospital. 

In 1793, he accidentally found himself in the catacombs. He was looking for some liquor in the cellar but somehow ended up in the tunnels and never came out. 

It’s believed his candle blew out, and he got lost. And when his body was discovered eleven years later, he was only a few feet from the exit. Can you believe how close he was to getting out? How galling is that?

The only way they could identify his body was by the keyring he still had on him from the hospital.

Today, the public only has access to 1.5 miles of the tunnels, but they cover approximately 300 miles and have a depth of 25 metres. It’s not a place to get lost in.

The Quick Chronological Catacomb Facts

• First Century A.D.: Paris begins its long history with the underground world as Romans open the first open-pit quarries to mine Lutetian limestone, laying the foundation for what would become the catacombs​
• 14th Century: The quarries expand beneath Paris as the demand for stone to build the city increases, marking the beginning of the underground network​
• 1774: A significant collapse along Rue d’Enfer prompts King Louis XVI to commission an inspection of the Parisian underground, highlighting the dangers of the neglected quarries beneath the city​
• 1780: The Cemetery of the Innocents closes due to overuse and health hazards, leading to the quest for alternative burial solutions​
• April 7, 1786: The quarries are consecrated and become the official ossuary of Paris, later known as the catacombs, beginning their legacy as the final resting place for millions​
• 1785-1787: The first wave of bone transfers from the Saints-Innocents cemetery to the catacombs takes place under the cover of night to avoid public uproar​
• 1809: The catacombs are opened to the public by appointment, turning them into a place of fascination and visitation for both locals and foreigners​
• 1810-1814: The catacombs see a reorganization and beautification under Inspector Héricart de Thury, enhancing their appeal as a macabre museum​
• 1860: Urban renovations by Baron Haussmann lead to the last major bone transfers to the catacombs, marking the end of their use as an ossuary​
• 2002: The Catacombs are integrated into the Carnavalet Museum – History of Paris, ensuring their historical significance is preserved and promoted​
• ​2017-2019: Recent developments include the inauguration of new entrances and facilities, showcasing the catacombs’ enduring allure and the city’s commitment to maintaining this historical site​.

The Quarries Came Before the Catacombs

In the 14th century, beneath the streets of Paris, miners were busy extracting Lutetian limestone from a quarry where the catacombs now sit. Dubbed “Paris stone,” this limestone had qualities that made it a builder’s dream. 

Its durability, ease of carving, and light-reflecting properties were used in some of Paris’ most well-known attractions, such as the Louvre, Notre Dame, and even the Palace of Versailles.

But getting this stone out of the tunnels and aboveground into Paris wasn’t easy. 

They used a wheel and pulley system to load the stone and take it to the top, with men treading on the wheel to pull it up.

They used horses to help move the stone down below, and these poor animals never stood a chance. Once they were down in the tunnels, they never came back up again and had a life expectancy of just three years.

The miners dug out vast chambers and left stone pillars for support, but as Paris expanded rapidly, the need for more limestone led to over-mining. The ground beneath Paris became riddled with tunnels and voids. By the 18th century, it all started to catch up with them. 

In 1774, a collapse swallowed up a house, carts, and people along the Rue d’Enfer, prompting King Louis XVI to commission an investigation into the state of the underground. This led to the creation of the Inspection Générale des Carrières service, aimed at mapping and reinforcing the tunnels. 

The overrun cemeteries in Paris

Meanwhile, the city of Paris was facing another problem that was causing big health problems. The graveyards were full to bursting point and running out of space.

Apparently, the way burials were done in Paris at that time allowed over 150 bodies to be buried in one grave. Can you imagine?

A body would be put into a coffin and placed in the earth for the mourners to say their final farewells. Once everyone had left, the bottom of the coffin opened, and the body fell on top of the others. This made room for so many more people to be buried in one place.

But this all came to a halt in 1780 when, after a particularly wet spring, one of the walls of the Cimetière des Saints-Innocents (Holy Innocents Cemetery) collapsed.

It had been a disaster waiting to happen, and happen it did as the bodies, which were overflowing the graveyard by this time, spilled into the cellar of a local restaurant.

This was the last straw, and the cemetery was closed. But what were they to do with all those bodies, an estimated two million?

The creation of the Catacombs in Paris

Well, in 1786, the Paris authorities selected the Tombe-Issoire quarries beneath Montrouge, the Catacombs, as the location for managing the issue of the city’s overflowing cemeteries. It was outside the city limits and far enough away to no longer be a public health issue.

The transfer of the bones started with the cemetery of Saints-Innocents, as that’s where the immediate problem was. Now, remember, this cemetery had been in use for nearly ten centuries, so there were a lot of bones to remove and find a home for.

So, to minimise public upset and respect church concerns, the transfers were carried out at night, usually after midnight. Workers transferred the bones in big carts with priests accompanying them, dumped them into quarry wells, and organized them within the galleries.

But during the Revolution, the site was abandoned, and the bones lay scattered underground until 1809, when Louis-Étienne Héricart de Thury, the new director of the quarries, cleaned it up and opened it to the public.

He transformed the ossuary into a human museum of art using the bones to create artistic walls. He added engraved stone plaques to identify the origin of the bones and the date of their transfer.

As you can imagine, the bones were all mixed up, and for once, the societal classes that were so obvious in life were no longer relevant in death. When the royal remains of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were transferred there from the Cemetery of the Madeline (Cimetière de la Madeleine), paupers were mixed with royalty.

The French Revolution and the Catacombs

During the French Revolution, over 500 unfortunates were guillotined on Place de la Révolution, and their remains were thrown into a big pit in the Cemetery of the Madeline. These included Danton, Robespierre, Madame du Barry, Olympe de Gouges, and, of course, Marie Antoinette and her husband.

Our tour guide told us that Marie Antoinette’s and Louis XVI’s bones were removed from the Catacombs at the request of Louis XVIII when he became king in 1814. 

Now, how on earth they would know whose bones were whose is beyond me, as there is literally no way of telling. But we all love a good story, and our tour group was in raptures listening.

The building of the Ossuary

The transfer of bones from the various cemeteries around Paris into the Catacombs didn’t happen quickly, though. It took something like 12 years to move the remains of between 6-7 million people.

And as you can imagine, being down there as a worker wasn’t fun, and they needed to ensure it was safe to avoid further collapses.

The Paris Mine Inspection Service, created by Louis XVI, was tasked with reinforcing the tunnels to ensure safety in the catacombs during bone transfers. 

This included mapping out the extensive underground network and consolidating the abandoned quarries to prevent collapses, which were common due to the haphazard mining techniques used previously.

The engineers left their mark on the columns and had a unique way of showing when and where they’d worked on certain areas. They would chisel into the stone the date and their initial, along with the number of the column marking where they’d been. It was a crude version of a database of all the columns.

The catacombs’ layout reflects the city streets above, with some corridors even named after the streets they run beneath. Many of these no longer exist as street names have changed over the years, but it would have been a great reminder if you got lost.

But what about the religious side of things? How did this bone removal sit with the priests? France is a catholic country, so surely, burying people in unconsecrated ground didn’t cut it?

No, it didn’t, so the Sacellum Crypt was built complete with an altar where the bones were officially blessed before being turned into a piece of art and stacked.

Working in the Catacombs

As you can imagine, it got very dirty to be in the tunnels, so a well of sorts was excavated to provide some water. But finding the water in the well was a different matter entirely. 

From the picture below, you can’t see the water, but what you can see is a sign saying “Bain de pieds des Carriers.”

That’s because next to the well is a crude, roughly built-out primitive-style shower cut within the stone, where the workers would wash their feet before leaving.

New quarrymen were sent down the spiral staircase, unaware that there was water at the bottom, and were a bit surprised when they found their feet wet. It was an initiation of sorts for new quarrymen.

I guess you had to have fun however you could when you worked somewhere like that.

One man, François Décure, created his own form of artwork during his break times. We were lucky enough to see it, as it’s not open to the public and only available on a private tour. 

He was a French army veteran who was held captive for five years in the Port Mahon prison in Menorca during his service in King Louis XV’s army, inspiring him to recreate what he’d seen from his cell window.

Between 1777 and 1782, Décure dedicated himself to creating intricate sculptures on the limestone walls of the catacombs.

He was fanatical about them, so much so that he even dug out a staircase to the left of his main sculpture so people could enter the catacombs just to see his masterpiece.

Unfortunately, this staircase became the cause of his death. He wasn’t as good at building staircases as he was at sculptures because they collapsed and killed him. It’s said that his ghost wanders the catacombs at night.

You should also remember that quarrymen were superstitious and were convinced the tunnels were haunted. 

They believed a green devil haunted them. So, to help them know when the devil was present, the Sepulchral Lamp (la Lampe Sépulcrale) was installed at Gilbert’s tomb. 

It was always lit and burned constantly, and if it went out, the devil was with them, having blown out the light, which was their cue to leave. In reality, it meant there wasn’t enough oxygen down there, so they had to leave. This was the real function of the Sepulchral Lamp.

Luckily, we don’t need to worry about this anymore, as modern technology provides plenty of ventilation.

Speaking of the quarrymen brings me to another fascinating piece of bone artwork, the “Barrel of Passion,” within the area called “The Crypt of Passion.” As you would expect, it’s shaped like a wine barrel, but instead of oak, it’s made of bones and skulls.

It became famous because of an illegal party held there in 1897, supposedly organized by two quarrymen. Now, considering they had no electricity then, recorded music didn’t exist, and party lights didn’t exist, they had to improvise.

So they did the only thing they could do to have music and brought down an orchestra. I kid you not.

Over 100 guests and the musicians were having a wonderful time listening to Danse Macabre and the Funeral March. The workers were subsequently fired for arranging an illegal party.

Opening the Catacombs to the public

They were first opened to the public in 1809, during Napoleon Bonaparte’s reign. Initially, access was limited and available only by appointment, targeting a select audience that included French nobility and other distinguished guests. 

Throughout the 19th century, the Catacombs became more accessible to the general public, though visits were often still controlled and required prior arrangement. In the 20th century, electricity was installed, and public access was expanded, allowing more people to experience the historical and macabre allure of the underground tunnels.

But they’ve also played a role in history in other ways. During the French Revolution, revolutionaries reportedly used them for secret meetings. During World War II, the French Resistance used these tunnels as hideouts and meeting places. 

Conversely, the Germans established an underground bunker within the catacombs beneath Lycée Montaigne, a high school in Paris.

However, as I’ve mentioned, the tour only covers a tiny piece of this network of tunnels, and this wasn’t enough for everyone, and that’s when the unofficial entries started to occur.

A band of people known as the “Cataphiles” started to access the Catacombs illegally through hidden, off-limits entries and began exploring further. Back in the 1980s, life below the streets of Paris flourished.

People from all walks of life were drawn to the intrigue and mystery of what they might find below. The danger and risk to their lives only fuelled them to take bigger risks and spend longer down there.

Many Cataphiles have 9-5 jobs and look like perfectly normal people. You’d never know to look at them if you passed them in the street that they wander the tunnels of the catacombs by night, drawn by curiosity, the thrill of exploration, and a desire for adventure.

The more diehard amongst them live down there and are highly passionate about their tunnels, setting upon anyone who might seek to destroy them. And with a fine of only €65, if they’re caught, it’s not enough of a deterrent to stop them.

We were told that the authorities secretly don’t care because these people are vigilantes who protect the tunnels without asking to be paid. Anything that protects and doesn’t destroy is a good thing in their eyes, so they turn a blind eye to some of the goings-on.

3 Fun Facts About The Paris Catacombs

No 1. Airbnb hosted a Halloween night for two in the Catacombs

In 2015, Airbnb spent €350,000 on exclusive access to the catacombs for one night on Halloween as part of a competition. The winner won the opportunity to stay for one night in the tunnels, where a bed was provided, a candlelit dinner, entertainment, and breakfast were provided.  

It was a great publicity stunt, and people could submit entries saying why they deserved to win. The lucky winner was 27-year-old Pedro Arruda, who took his mum for a spooky-filled night in the Catacombs.

No 2. A horror movie is filmed in the Catacombs

The horror film ‘As Above, So Below,’ was filmed down there in 2014, the first film to ever be allowed access for filming. Who knows what made the French authorities give permission, but I’m not sure I’d want to spend hours on end down there with all those dead souls.

Not much was needed in the way of set-building as it was all there waiting for them to use, although negotiating the small tunnels would have been interesting.

No 3.  The Cataphiles are allowed one legal party each year

On Halloween, the Cataphiles are given a free party pass by the powers that be in Paris to enjoy a party in the Catacombs. It’s the only time they are allowed to do this, but it doesn’t stop them from partying on other occasions without permission.

Top Tips For Visiting The Catacombs

• Advance Booking: Don’t leave it to chance. Purchase your ticket online in advance to avoid long waits and ensure entry, as the catacombs can get quite busy.​
• Limited Accessibility: To enter and exit, you’ll use a narrow and very windy staircase with 130 steps. There are no elevators on-site.
• Temperature: The catacombs maintain a constant temperature of 14°C (about 57°F), so it’s advisable to bring a jacket even if it’s warm outside​.
• Physical Demands: You’ll walk approximately 1.5 kilometres through the underground tunnels​, some of which have very low ceilings and uneven ground, so wear comfortable and safe shoes.
• Toilets: There are no toilets in the tunnels, and if you’re on a tour, you’ll be down there for two hours, so remember to go at the start, where there are toilets at the entrance to the stairs.
• Luggage and Bags: Your bags will be searched upon entry, and they don’t allow large bags or suitcases. Backpacks are fine, but you’ll be asked to wear them on your front once you get to the ossuary part of the tour.
• Claustrophobia: If you are claustrophobic, I wouldn’t recommend visiting the Catacombs as it includes being in some very narrow and confined spaces, and there is no daylight.

Getting To Your Catacombs Tour Paris

The Catacombs are located in the 14th arrondissement of Paris. The official entrance to the public part of the catacombs is at Place Denfert-Rochereau. Here’s how you can get there using public transport:

• By Metro: The closest metro station is Denfert-Rochereau, which is served by Metro Line 4 and Metro Line 6. The station is directly opposite the Catacombs’ entrance so it’s easy to find.
• RER B Line: The RER B line also stops at the Denfert-Rochereau station. This line connects to major transport hubs like Charles de Gaulle Airport and Gare du Nord, making it a good option if you’re coming from outside the city.
• By Bus: Several bus lines stop near Denfert-Rochereau, including lines 38, 68, and 88.

FAQS: Best Paris Catacombs Tour

Final Thoughts: Catacombs Tour Paris

If you love the Catacombs tour, you’ll enjoy seeing Pere Lachaise cemetery, as it’s full of stories of the crème de la crème of France, including Edith Piaf, Frédéric Chopin, Marcel Proust, and many more.

It has its own spooky tales to tell and is well worth a visit, as the biggest graveyard in Paris. And if ghosts are your thing, another great place to go is Opera Garnier, home to the Phantom of the Opera.

Paris is one of those cities that keeps on giving. There is so much to see and do. My biggest tip is to stay someone central as a base to make getting around the city easy. This list of the best Paris hotels to stay has you covered.