A Paris Catacombs tour is a different purchase from a plain ticket: the entry slot is the same, but you pay for a guide and for rooms the standard route skips. I compared the three guided Paris Catacombs tours you can book, from $155 to $199. All three include entry, all are in English, and they differ in group size, length and refund terms. If you only want the standard visit, my guide to Paris Catacombs tickets explains the cheaper way in.
Tour
From
Rating
Length
Free cancellation
Book
Paris Catacombs Skip-the-Line Guided Tour and Special Access
What a Paris Catacombs Tour Adds Over a Plain Ticket
The official site sells a full-rate ticket at 31 euros with an audio guide included, 25 euros reduced, 15 euros for ages 8 to 17 and free under 8, per the official rates page. That ticket gives you the one-way circuit of about 1.5 kilometres. A Paris Catacombs tour adds three things: a live guide, a pre-booked timed slot, and access to rooms outside that circuit.
The slot matters because the site is capped at 200 visitors at a time, and the official visit rules ask you to book a timed ticket online and say entry may pause in very busy periods, per the official visit information. A booked tour removes the guesswork. It does not change what is allowed inside: the official rules say the ossuary must not be touched and that tripods and flash photography are not allowed.
Paris Catacombs Tour With Restricted Areas
All three tours sell the restricted areas as their main extra, and they describe them differently.
ExperienceFirst is the cheapest at $155 and the most reviewed, with 4.8 stars from 424 reviews. It takes 1.5 hours, is in English, and lists skip-the-line entry and VIP access to areas the general public cannot see. The guide waits across the street from the entrance with an orange ExperienceFirst sign, to the right of the small green building that was the former entrance. You can add a narrated Seine cruise as an upgrade, valid for a year from the tour date. The booking is non-refundable and tips are not included. Reviewers name their guides and call them enthusiastic and funny, and one of them praised the extra access and the fact that booking early secured tickets that are hard to get.
ExperienceFirst
Paris Catacombs Skip-the-Line Guided Tour and Special Access
★4.8 (424 reviews)
1.5 hours
My pick: My pick for most people: $155, the most reviewed at 4.8 from 424, with restricted access. It is non-refundable, so be sure of your date.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Skip-the-line entry ticket to the Paris Catacombs
✓ VIP access to areas not available to the general public
✓ English-speaking guide
✓ Optional upgrade for a narrated Seine River cruise, good for a year from the tour date
Not included / not suitable
✕ Gratuities
Meeting point: From Metro station Denfert Rochereau (line 4 or 6), use Exit 1 to reach the street level. You’ll see the Catacombs entrance, with glass doors and a sign, across the street, located to the right of the small green building that was the former entrance.
Your guide will be waiting with an orange "ExperienceFirst" sign. 1 Avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, 75014 Paris, France
Languages: English
Duration: 1.5 hours
Cancellation: This activity is non-refundable
“Liz was such a awsome knowledgeable guide. 10/10 recommended” – GetYourGuide review
The Tour Guy costs $199, the most expensive Paris Catacombs tour, and it is the one that names what the restricted access is. The listing includes two restricted chambers, a visit to the Barrel of Passion in the Crypt of Passion, and an exploration of the lower Catacombs. It takes 1.5 hours and scores 4.8 from 85 reviews, so the sample is small. You meet 15 minutes early in front of Cafe Oz at 3 Place Denfert-Rochereau, where a representative holds a Tour Guy sign. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours ahead. A reviewer said that including the restricted areas was well worth the cost, and another was glad to have taken the guided tour rather than going alone.
the tour guy
Paris Catacombs Guided Tour With Restricted Rooms
★4.8 (85 reviews)
1.5 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: The only tour that names its restricted rooms: $199, 1.5 hours, 4.8 from 85 reviews, free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Expert, English-speaking guide
✓ Timed-entry Paris Catacombs tickets
✓ Access to 2 restricted chambers
✓ Visit to the Barrel of Passion in the Crypt of Passion
✓ Exploration of the lower Catacombs
Not included / not suitable
✕ Guide tips
Meeting point: Please arrive 15 minutes early. Your guide will meet you in front of Café Oz (3 Place Denfert-Rochereau), near the exit of the Denfert-Rochereau Metro. A representative will be there holding a sign with 'The Tour Guy' on it. 3 Pl. Denfert-Rochereau, 75014 Paris, France
Languages: English
Duration: 1.5 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“easy check in and organized tour guide very informative” – GetYourGuide review
City Wonders is the tour I would pick if group size matters. It costs $188 and lasts 2 hours, the longest of the three, and it states a small group of 15 guests at most or a semi-private option for 7. The listing includes the entrance ticket, a reservation fee with pre-booked timed entry and exclusive access to restricted areas. The guide meets you at the entrance by Denfert-Rochereau in a blue polo shirt or jacket, holding a sign. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours in advance, which is the main practical advantage over ExperienceFirst.
Its score is the lowest of the three, 4.6 from 409 reviews, but the praise is consistent: reviewers call the guide engaging, knowledgeable and entertaining, and one liked how a guide translated some of the poetic commemorative stones.
City Wonders Ltd.
Paris Catacombs Guided Tour: Skip-the-Line & Restricted Areas
★4.6 (409 reviews)
2 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: The small-group choice: 15 guests at most or 7 semi-private, 2 hours, 4.6 from 409 reviews and free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Entrance ticket to the Paris Catacombs
✓ Exclusive access to restricted areas not open to the public
✓ Reservation fee and pre-booked timed entry
✓ Expert English-speaking guide
✓ Small-group tour (maximum 15 guests) or semi-private option (maximum 7 guests)
Not included / not suitable
✕ Hotel pick-up and drop off
✕ Food and drinks
✕ Gratuities (optional)
Meeting point: Meet outside the catacombs by Denfert Rochereau. Your guide will wait for you at the entrance to the catacombs. The guide will be wearing a blue polo shirt or jacket and will hold a sign to draw attention to themselves.
To reach the catacombs by Metro, take line 4 or line 6 to the Denfert-Rochereau stop and exit at Sortie 1. The entrance to the catacombs is directly across the street from this exit. 1 Av. du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, 75014 Paris, France
Languages: English
Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Saeed was a terrific guide. Knowledgable and entertaining.” – GetYourGuide review
Every tour starts above ground near the Denfert-Rochereau metro, on line 4 or 6, and the listings tell you to look for the guide with a sign: orange for ExperienceFirst, blue for City Wonders, and the Tour Guy sign outside Cafe Oz. The standard circuit is one way, and the visitor guide I wrote explains that the exit is at 21 bis Avenue Rene-Coty, nearly 700 metres from the entrance, so there is no cloakroom and you should bring only a small bag. The ExperienceFirst listing even shows that exit address in its route. Gratuities are not included on any of the three, so decide on a tip beforehand.
Do Reviewers Agree on Paris Catacombs Tours?
Yes, on the guide. In the review texts I read for each tour, the praise goes to the guide’s knowledge and energy, with extra marks for the restricted access. The complaints I found are not about the tours at all: one reviewer would not take small children, and I found no review that complained about the group or the timing.
“I'm glad we took this guided tour versus going it alone.”
— GetYourGuide reviewer
Guided Paris Catacombs Tour or Ticket Only?
The official ticket is 31 euros at the full rate, with an audio guide included. The three tours cost $155 to $199, so the guide and the extra rooms cost a multiple of the base price. The gap is large, and I would only pay it if the restricted areas matter to you. If you want the bones and the history in a standard hour, the official ticket does that for much less. The tours also share one thing with it: all of them include timed entry.
Small Group, Private or Standard Paris Catacombs Tours
Group size is stated on one listing only: City Wonders at 15 or fewer, or 7 on its semi-private option. ExperienceFirst and The Tour Guy do not give a number, and I found no private tour. If you want a quiet group, City Wonders is the only one that says so in writing.
How I’d Choose a Paris Catacombs Tour
Most reviewed: ExperienceFirst at $155, but non-refundable.
Named restricted rooms: The Tour Guy at $199.
Small group: City Wonders at $188, with a 7-guest semi-private option.
Flexible dates: City Wonders or The Tour Guy, both with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Cheapest way in: not a tour, the official ticket on my tickets page.
I think so if the restricted rooms and the history matter to you. The three guided tours I compared cost $155 to $199, against 31 euros for the official ticket with an audio guide. The ExperienceFirst tour has 4.8 stars from 424 reviews, and nearly every review praises the guide by name.
How long is a Paris Catacombs tour?+
ExperienceFirst and The Tour Guy run 1.5 hours and City Wonders runs 2 hours. The official site gives 45 minutes to about an hour for the standard 1.5 kilometre circuit, so a tour roughly doubles your time underground.
What do the restricted areas on a Paris Catacombs tour include?+
The listings say little. The Tour Guy lists two restricted chambers, the Barrel of Passion in the Crypt of Passion and the lower Catacombs. ExperienceFirst and City Wonders promise areas not open to the public without naming them, so I cannot say exactly what you will see.
Is there a small-group Paris Catacombs tour?+
City Wonders states a small group of 15 guests at most, or a semi-private option of 7. ExperienceFirst and The Tour Guy do not state a group size. I found no private tour among the three.
Are Paris Catacombs tours refundable?+
ExperienceFirst is non-refundable. City Wonders and The Tour Guy offer a full refund if you cancel up to 24 hours in advance. Because the catacombs are closed on Mondays and entry is timed, I would choose a refundable option if your plans can change.
Do the Paris Catacombs tours run in languages other than English?+
All three listings are in English only. If you need another language, the official audio guide comes in French, English, Spanish and German, and it is included in the official ticket.
