Tickets to the Catacombs of Paris
Descend into the world's largest ossuary, where the remains of six million people line the walls.
Buy TicketsBeneath the bustling streets of Paris lies a dark and silent city of the dead. The Catacombs hold the remains of over six million people, their bones arranged in macabre, artistic displays along a 1.5-kilometer network of former limestone quarries. Created in the late 18th century to solve a public health crisis from overflowing cemeteries, this unique ossuary is now one of Paris's most unforgettable attractions. Booking your timed-entry ticket online is essential, as visitor numbers are strictly limited. For planning, see our visitors guide and check the latest opening hours.
Available Tickets
Ticket prices breakdown
- Adults: €31 — includes timed entry and an audio guide.
- Reduced (18-26 years): €25 — includes timed entry and an audio guide.
- Children (8-17 years): €15 — includes timed entry and an audio guide.
- Children (under 8): Free — a free timed-entry ticket is still required.
Online booking is mandatory as no tickets are sold on-site. Prices include the audio guide, available in French, English, Spanish, and German.
Why book your tickets here
The easiest way to secure your journey into the Empire of the Dead
Guaranteed Entry
With only 200 visitors allowed inside at a time, tickets sell out fast. Booking online is the only way to guarantee your entry on the day you want to visit.
Audio Guide Included
All our tickets include the official audio guide, available in four languages. Learn the history of the quarries, the cemetery crisis, and the creation of this unique ossuary.
Free Cancellation
Change of plans? No problem. Cancel up to 24 hours before your visit for a full refund, no questions asked.
Instant Mobile Tickets
Receive your tickets instantly by email. Simply show the QR code on your phone at the entrance – no need to print anything.
From Cemetery Crisis to Macabre Masterpiece
In the late 18th century, Paris faced a dire public health crisis. Its largest and oldest cemetery, Les Innocents, had been in use for nearly ten centuries and was overflowing. The ground level had risen more than two meters from the mass of bodies, and the stench of decay filled the surrounding Les Halles district. After a basement wall in a property adjoining the cemetery collapsed under the weight of bodies in 1780, the city knew it had to act.
The solution was radical. Starting in 1786, the city began the monumental task of exhuming its cemeteries and transferring the remains to the vast, abandoned Tombe-Issoire limestone quarries 20 meters underground. For over two years, nightly processions of black-draped wagons, accompanied by priests, moved millions of bones to their new resting place. Consecrated as the Paris Municipal Ossuary, it was opened to the public in 1809 and quickly became a morbidly fascinating destination, a testament to the city's ability to transform a problem of public health into a unique and haunting memorial.
How It Works
Book your descent in three simple steps
Select Your Time
Choose your preferred date and time slot. Tickets are timed to control the flow of visitors and prevent overcrowding in the narrow tunnels.
Book Securely Online
Complete your purchase through our secure checkout. You'll receive an instant confirmation email with your mobile tickets.
Descend into the Darkness
Arrive at 1 Avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy 15 minutes before your time slot. Show your mobile ticket, descend the 131 steps, and begin your one-hour journey through the Empire of the Dead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know before you descend