Three Paris Catacombs tours that open the locked gates
All three guided tours on this site promise parts of the Catacombs closed to the public. That sounds grander than it is. Here we set out what the listings say, what you can expect to see, and which tunnels no tour enters.
What restricted access means
Some galleries and rooms off the standard route sit behind gates that stay locked to visitors on an ordinary ticket. A guided tour with restricted access has the gate opened for its group.
All three guided tours on this site include this. The listings say so plainly, but none of them names the rooms, so we do not name them either.
What each listing promises
Memories France's restricted access tour from ~$211, our pick, speaks of underground gates unlocked especially for you. It describes special access to parts of the Catacombs closed to the public.
Walks' special access tour from ~$155 is the most specific. It lists bone arrangements and sculptural formations among its special areas, along with the quarryman's carvings and an underground chapel.
LivTours from ~$237 promises exclusive access to restricted areas, with groups of six at most. Its listing gives no more detail than that.
The carvings Walks mentions belong to the quarry's past. Limestone was cut under this part of Paris for centuries before the first bones arrived, and some quarrymen left sculpted buildings in the rock.
What to expect in practice
Think of the restricted areas as a few extra rooms and galleries, not a separate secret network. They add variety and a quieter moment away from the crowd, but they fill a small part of a 1.5–2 hour visit.
The rest of the tour follows the normal route, the same one ticket holders walk. You still see the long quarry gallery and the ossuary behind the carved doorway, as our step-by-step route guide describes.
That is the main catch of all three tours. If the locked rooms were your only reason to book, you would pay a lot for a short detour, as our price guide shows.
Gates opened for a group of seven or fewer
Memories France takes a small group into parts of the ossuary closed to the public. Fast-track entry and a live guide for 2 hours are included.
The tunnels no tour enters
The old quarries run for roughly 300 km (about 185 miles) under Paris. Only about 1.5 km (1 mile) is open to visitors, and the restricted areas add little to that total.
The rest of the network is off-limits. The people who explore it are known as cataphiles. They go in illegally, and no tour on this site takes you there.
Be wary of anyone who offers to lead you into the wider tunnels. Entering them is against the law, and getting lost down there is a real danger.
For the story of how those tunnels came to be dug, read our history of the quarries and the ossuary, or the Wikipedia page on the mines of Paris.
Who gets the most from the locked rooms
Visitors who have already done the standard route gain the most from a restricted access tour. The extra rooms give a second visit something new to look at.
Photographers like the quieter galleries too, though flash is generally not allowed anywhere underground. Children tend to care more about the skulls than about which gate is open, and our family guide covers what works with younger visitors.
On a budget, the self-guided ticket from ~$42 covers the standard route with an audio guide. Our ticket versus tour guide weighs the two against each other.
Group size behind the gates
Group size matters even more in a side room than on the main route. Side galleries are rarely spacious, so six people move through them more easily than fourteen.
LivTours caps groups at six and Memories France at seven or fewer. Walks takes up to 14, with groups of six at some afternoon times, and our small group comparison goes into the difference.
How a guide fills the extra minutes
The locked rooms are short, but the guide makes the most of them. With a small group in a quiet gallery you can stand still and look closely, then ask about what you see.
Away from the main route, the guide can explain how the quarrymen worked and why the ground under the Left Bank needed shoring up. That context makes the standard route richer when you rejoin it.
Ratings suggest the guides carry these tours. Memories France and LivTours both hold 4.9 on each booking site, and Walks holds 4.7 from more than 1,000 reviews on GetYourGuide.
Compared with the main route
The standard route has lighting and signs, and it is often busy. The restricted areas feel different mostly because they are empty apart from your group.
Expect the same limestone and cool air, with the same uneven floor. The difference is the hush and the chance to see a corner of the old quarry most visitors walk past.
If narrow spaces worry you, ask whether the side rooms are tighter than the main galleries. Our guide to tight spaces covers the low ceilings along the whole route.
Questions to ask before you book
Check the listing for the phrase restricted access or a synonym such as special or exclusive access. A tour without them follows the standard route, however small the group.
Ask the operator through the booking site if a particular room matters to you. Access can depend on the day, and none of the listings promises a fixed set of rooms.