Your guide, an English-speaking local expert, will lead your group into the 200-mile labyrinth of bone-lined galleries and former quarry tunnels. At the entrance, an inscription reads, “Arrête! C’est ici l’empire de la mort” – “Stop! Here lies the empire of death.” Here, you’ll see remains of dignitaries like Rabelais and Robespierre, among over 6 million former Parisians. While standard visits stick to public routes, your guide takes you beyond the usual path. Discover hidden sites like Gilbert’s Tomb and the Port Mahon Gallery, where an 18th-century quarry worker secretly carved sculptures over five years before a tragic cave-in. You’ll also see the Quarryman’s Footbath and the Sepulchral Lamp, whose flame reassured workers that the air was safe. As you explore, your guide brings to life the history, legends, and mysteries of this underground world. After this journey 65 feet beneath Paris, you’ll never see the city the same way again.
We really did not understand the background for the Catacombs. The tour was so interesting because of the new information. Our guide filled the two hours with interesting information about the mines and the bones. The extended VIP access was worth the cost.
While I had always wanted to see the catacombs, I wasn’t expecting that much but Saeed really brought things to life (so to speak!) I really enjoyed this tour and learnt a lot 😀
The VIP tour was worth every penny. The access to areas others don't get to see and the small group made it more informative and special. Ask for Michelle if you can... She is AMAZING!
Hamish was a wonderful guide, so informative and well spoken. We enjoyed this activity immensely. It was a fascinating way to honor a sad situation.
Great tour and group. Our guide was very knowledgeable of the catacombs and I appreciated that she had translated some of the poetic inscriptions into English for us. That provided a more personal connection to the history of place. The artwork and artifacts in the restricted areas added to history.
Good value. Informative and creative tour guide Michelle. I highly recommend this specific tour. It felt like a private tour.
Michelle was a fantastic guide and the tour was chock full of interesting information and poetry which was a really nice touch. I highly recommend Michelle.
The catacombs are cooler than I expected but not uncomfortable. We did a semi-private tour with Frederick and he was amazing. It also came with access to nin-public areas. Very worth a visit.
I recently took a an extended tour of the catacombs with a small group and for those visiting Paris i must say that out of everything i had seen and did, this tour must not be missed. Aside from the vast collection of stonework and bones that are as beautiful as they are macabre, throughout the tour getting the history and philosophies of the city above and seeing how that shaped and defined this space was wonderful. Our tour was led by Saeed and he was very knowledgeable, well spoken, and had a good sense of humor. You can tell he has a genuine passion for leading this tour, anyone looking for a great guided experience would do well to have him as their guide. And for those desiring photos he was more than willing to assist in taking some pictures as well.
Matilda was great. She was very nice
The underground mine and ossuary were phenomenal — stunning, respectful, and unforgettable. A must see for anyone visiting in Paris. Saeed, our guide, was incredibly knowledgeable, and the tour itself was absolutely worth the high price and the difficulty of getting tickets. They sell out instantly, often a week in advance, and you cannot buy them at the entrance. The entrance staff above ground were the only bad part of the experience. They were openly rude, refused to help with tickets, answered everything with “I don’t know, you should have sorted it before you got here,” and told people it was impossible to get tickets on the day. When I explained my data wasn’t working, I was told “that’s not my problem,” and a guard even pushed me back when I asked for help with my phone. Everything below ground was extraordinary; everything above ground was the problem.
We paid A LOT of money for this tour to avoid having to book while we were traveling. I was hesitant because of the price and because there are apparently so many fraudulent tickets out there. I am very glad we booked this tour. It was very interesting and gave my teens something different to do in Paris. Everyone enjoyed it. I'm pretty claustrophobic and I was fine (other than the nightmare I had after the long flight home that I was trapped down there and no one could find me). Book it!
We really enjoyed our tour with Saeed! He was informative, engaging, and told some good stories. We went to a couple of areas that aren’t accessible to the general public as well.
We had an absolutely incredible experience on the Paris Catacombs Underground Small Group Tour with Michelle. She was truly exceptional—without question one of the best tour guides we’ve ever had. Michelle’s knowledge of the Catacombs was remarkable, but what made the tour so memorable was how she brought everything to life. She seamlessly blended history, fascinating stories, little-known facts, and the broader history of Paris in a way that kept us engaged from beginning to end. You could tell she has a genuine passion for both the Catacombs and the city itself. The small group setting made the experience even more personal, allowing us to ask questions and really immerse ourselves in this extraordinary place. We walked away not only amazed by the Catacombs but with a much deeper appreciation for Paris and its rich history. If you’re considering a Catacombs tour, don’t hesitate and if you’re lucky enough to get Michelle as your guide, you’re in for something truly special. Thank you, Michelle, for making this one of the highlights of our trip to Paris! 🇫🇷
Great experience! Saeed D was one of the best tour guides we’ve had! He was Phenomenal. He told us the stories and details in an interesting way and one we will actually remember. Patient, kind, and answered all questions. He seemed excited and interested in everyone having a good time. The catacombs themselves are a unique experience that you will not regret.
Saeed was my tour guide. He was really good at explaining things and telling us about the catacombs. His English is great.
The Paris Catacombs tour with Saeed is a very unique experience for those who like the macabre. The experience starts with learning how the rock was quarried to build the great monuments of Paris, moves to the burial and cemetery crisis around the time of the 1789 revolution, and the unique solutions that were put in place. Be prepared to go down and up spiral staircases. There are no lifts.
Saeed was a wonderful guide. We loved exploring the Catacombs and learning about Paris history. Highly recommend this tour!
Saeed was a wonderful tour guide. He was very friendly and knowledgeable. Enjoyed the tour very much.
Sayeed was an absolutely brilliant tour guide and deserves real recognition. His knowledge of the Catacombs, passion for the history, professionalism, and friendly approach made our small-group tour truly unforgettable. He was attentive to everyone’s questions, happy to help with translations whenever needed, and turned the 2-hour experience into something genuinely memorable and fulfilling. Thank you Sayeed and City Wonders for a fantastic experience. Highly recommended. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ BKS 🙌
My family including boys ages 16, 14 and 10 thoroughly enjoyed this tour. Our guide Michelle was so knowledgeable and full of such interesting facts and anecdotes.
This is was incredibly interesting! The history of how this place came to be including what was here before was honestly kind of mind-blowing.
I've always wanted to visit the Catacombs, so when I was planning a visit, I did not think a tour guide was necessary. Thankfully I opted to go with the guide, which made the experience that much more interesting and memorable. Our tour guide, Saeed, was awesome. He was very friendly and explained everything to expect on the tour. He was very knowledgeable and kept me engaged the whole time. Truly a fascinating experience. Thanks again Saeed.
Saeed was an excellent guide. Very informative and gave lots of detail. Very cool experience.
Our tour guide was very knowledgeable about the history of the catacombs. Felt very intimate with our group of 15. Loved the personal tour versus having to use head phones.
Michelle was the tour guide and she was WONDERFUL! So knowledgeable and shared so many great things with us. I felt like I learned a lot from that tour and what a cool experience.
Saeed is an awesome tour guide! Very knowledgeable and friendly. Handled questions very well! Made the tour very enjoyable
Tour guide was from City Wonders (Saaed). The communication and details for meet up were clear and accurate. The tour guide was knowledgeable and personable. Highly recommend.
Our tour guide Addie was fabulous! Informative, personable, funny. Enjoyed her commentary immensely. The catacombs were very interesting and quite startling the first time you round the corner and there are the skeletons. I definitely recommend the tour.
What a great experience. Addie, our tour guide made our walk through the catacombs so interesting through humor and facts. A once in a lifetime trip!
Amber was a fantastic tour guide, and the ostiary was beautiful and one of our favorite parts of our visit to Paris. A must see
It was amazing. I learned so much and had such an inspiring experience. Addie was a great guide.
Rita / Rhita was a wonderful guide, storyteller and host to us in the private VIP area Catacombs tour! Her deep knowledge and engaging storytelling brought this tour to life. Thank you!
Riti guided us on an excellent and informative tour of the quarries and catacombs beneath the streets of Paris, providing the historical context that brings the real value to this event.
This experience was almost impossible to describe. Our tour guide was a lovely Indian woman who was very knowledgeable and did a great job of managing the group. The tour was amazing. It was stunning beyond description. We will do it again! Fantastic!!!!
I am mildly claustrophobic and was worried about this this tour but this was AMAZING! Vic was one of the best tour guides on trips I have booked with Viator
Very informative, small group worked out great. Lawrence had great historical knowledge that really made the trip exciting and he was very friendly and inviting.
Yes there are bones. Yes you will be underground. All this you expect. What you don’t yet know is how entertained you will be. Our guide, Vic was a story teller par excellence. Smart as a whip, too. Highly recommend this tour and ask for Vic.
It’s a long tour and once you’ve seen a skull and femur that’s basically it. Pretty expensive tour for what it is.
Riti was a great guide. Thank you! The stories behind some of this, but just understanding how all of this got here was very educational
Riti was absolutely fantastic. Funny, very knowledgeable and helpful!!! Loved it and would recommend to anyone coming to Paris!
Riti was great! With two teenage children, they loved it. Overall great experience. Cold and damp, but was fun and informative.
Really interesting and informative guide. Very helpful and the special access option was a great choice! Highly recommend and it us worth the extra cost :)
Vic was an amazing tour guide! Such a fascinating place and she made it come alive. Very knowledgeable and entertaining!
It was amazing and i loved it. the special access is so amazing. Seeing the restricted areas is so cool and really worth this tour alone
Laurence was the best! Great tour. Thank you! We went through the catacombs and he had great explanations of the various sites.
The tour guide was great and the catacombs were fascinating. The only issue was that the VIP area was closed. I understand that it being closed was not the fault of the tour guide or tour company, but it was disappointing since we had paid a premium price for that experience.
A interesting tour that explains why the Paris catacombs are filled with human remains and what other things have happened and continue to happen in the catacombs. .
Riti our guide was very knowledgeable. The problem is not the guide it is the price. At about 350€ for two people it is too expensive.
Laurence was absolutely amazing. He was knowledgeable about the catacombs and truly all of Paris. Also he was super kind to our 7 year old.
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