-23% until December 31, 2026
The renovation of the Catacombs in 4 points
- A redesigned scenography
- New lighting for better enhancement of the site
- Projections of images and short films provide a better understanding of the history of the Catacombs
- An immersive audio guide accompanies visitors throughout this walk
A little advice before the visit 🦴
- It is especially a visit for teenagers, the youngest may be frightened by the macabre staging of this very large ossuary
- Remember to take a sweater (the temperature is 14° all year round)
- Consider taking lighting
- Bring comfortable shoes: route of about 1.5 km (be careful it can slip)
- Please note that there are 243 steps: 131 steps to go down and 112 steps to go up
- Above all, take your tickets in advance, or come to the opening to avoid the long wait at the entrance
-23% until December 31, 2026
A new experience of visiting the Catacombs of Paris
The renovation of the Paris Catacombs offers a more immersive visitor experience thanks to a redesigned scenography. New lighting highlights the walls of bones and reveals previously invisible details, while projections of images and short films provide a better understanding of the history of the quarries and the ossuary.
An immersive audio guide
At the heart of the tour, an immersive audio guide accompanies visitors in their exploration of the underground galleries. Through a theatrical narration carried by the voice of Louis-Étienne Héricart de Thury, it retraces the history of the Catacombs, the work of the quarrymen and the inscriptions present on the site. The audio-guide is available in several languages and accessible from 8 years old.
A visit accessible to all
The visit also includes accessibility features : audio description, tactile models and magnifying glasses for visually impaired visitors, as well as a magnetic loop and a sign language welcome for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Practical 💡 information
- What: The Catacombs of Paris
- For whom: Pure all but it is above all a visit to be made with teenagers, the youngest may be frightened by the macabre staging of this very large ossuary
- Where :
- Visitors’ entrance : 1, avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy (place Denfert-Rochereau) 75014 Paris
- Visitors’ exit : 21 bis, avenue René-Coty 75014 Paris
- When: Tuesday to Sunday from 9:45 am to 8:30 pm (last entries at 7:30 pm) – open for Ascension Day, 14 July, 15 August, 1 November and 11 November
- Duration of the visit : approximately 1 hour
- Distance travelled: about 1.5 km
- Closed: Mondays, January 1, May 1 and December 25.
The Catacombs of Paris ☠️
- To be scared in front of the largest Parisian ossuary…
- 6 million Parisians under your feet! 20m underground, a real labyrinth where the remains of about six million Parisians are gathered.
- These are the skeletons transferred between the end of the fifteenth century and the middle of the nineteenth century, as cemeteries were closed for reasons of insalubrity. Enough to give you goosebumps !
- A tangle of dark galleries and narrow corridors , where the visitor discovers a staging of death with the bones – from the skull to the tibia – arranged in a romantic-macabre setting. For your information, of the 300 kilometres of galleries dug, 800 metres can currently be visited
- Reflect on the place of the dead in daily life and remember that in the Middle Ages, the tradition was to live close to the dead
- Recommended for those over 10 years old: thrills guaranteed!
Paris Unusual!
Ideas for original or unexpected outings in Paris and around Paris to do with your children during the school holidays, on weekends or Wednesdays.
Unusual museums
Museums in Paris that are out of the ordinary.
Questions fréquentes :
The visit is not forbidden to children, but it is not recommended for children under 10 years old because the bones can be frightening for young people. In addition, children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult
For safety reasons, suitcases or large bags are prohibited. Only bags of 40 x 30 cm are allowed. They must be carried in front or by hand. Please note that the Catacombs site is not equipped with changing rooms.
The site is closed every Monday and on certain public holidays: January 1, May 1 and December 25.
The Catacombs are open on Ascension Thursdays, as well as on July 14, August 15, November 1 , and November 11 (except when it’s a Monday).
No, because of the steps and the floor which is not paved.
Strollers are not allowed. However, you can come with a baby. He must be in a baby carrier.