Located beneath the streets of Paris’s 14th arrondissement, you’ll find one of the city’s most macabre yet fascinating tourist attractions. The Catacombs of Paris are a must-visit destination for anyone visiting the French capital. The sprawling complex of tunnels is home to the remains of millions of the city’s dead.
Originally a series of massive stone quarries, construction on the Catacombs began in the late 1700s, when Paris’s already packed-out cemeteries began bursting at the seams. Over the span of two years, the remains of more than six million people were exhumed from some of Paris’s largest and oldest cemeteries. In the years that followed, work was undertaken to transform the Catacombs into more of a mausoleum, leading to the stacked skulls and walls of bones now synonymous with the historic site.
Opening Times and Best Times to Visit
Paris Catacombs tours are a great way to explore one of Paris’s most popular attractions. The Catacombs are open from 9.45 a.m. to 8.30 p.m. from Tuesday to Sunday, with last admission at 7.30 p.m. If you’re keen to avoid the crowds, schedule your visit outside of the high season. The Catacombs are generally quieter during the autumn and winter months, with shorter waiting times and smaller tour groups.
Self-Guided Tours
If you’re on a budget, a self-guided tour with audio description is probably your best bet. Access to the Catacombs, accompanied by an audio guide, costs €31, with reduced rates available. To make the most of your time in the Catacombs, bear in mind their overall size and the amount of walking involved. The subterranean circuit opened to the public spans 1.5 kilometres, so you’ll need to set aside a good hour to explore as much as possible.
While the most iconic sections and noteworthy tombs of the Catacombs are easy to identify, some of the more interesting corners of this underground ossuary are easy to miss. There are unique inscriptions and centuries-old graffiti aplenty to discover here, so it’s worth brushing up on your French or grabbing a real-time translator app ahead of time.
If you’re looking to save money with a self-guided tour, you’ll need to consider waiting times. Only 200 people at a time are allowed to tour the Catacombs, and it’s easy to find yourself waiting in line for admission for several hours during high season.
Guided Tours with Restricted Access
There are many reasons to consider shelling out a little more for a guided tour. For history lovers, the unrivalled insights from a local expert are invaluable. You’ll learn the fascinating stories behind the construction of the Catacombs and those who are interred here, while you’ll also benefit from translations of the many inscriptions found throughout the tunnels.
Another huge perk of guided tours is that you won’t have to wait in line for hours to gain admission. Many guided tour operators offer a beat-the-queue service, letting you skip the usual crowds and start exploring as soon as you arrive. This is ideal if you’re only visiting Paris for a few days and want to make the most of a tight itinerary.
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