Paris Catacombs tour prices, from audio guide to locked gates
Getting into the Paris Catacombs costs ~$42 with an audio guide, or up to ~$237 with a live guide and a small group. The bones are the same either way. Below, all four options side by side, then the costs the listings leave out.
Four ways down, side by side
The table lines up the four options on this site at their regular "from" prices, per person. GetYourGuide sometimes shows the guided tours lower on the booking page, so read these figures as the ceiling rather than the final bill.
| Option | From | Length | Group | Restricted areas | Commentary | Entry included |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memories France (our pick) | ~$211 | 2 h | Seven or fewer | Yes | Live guide | Yes, fast-track |
| LivTours | ~$237 | 1.5 h | Six at most | Yes | Live guide | Yes, skip-the-line |
| Walks | ~$155 | 2 h | Up to 14 (six at some afternoon times) | Yes | Live guide | Yes, skip-the-line |
| Self-guided ticket | ~$42 | About 1 h | No group | No | Audio guide | Yes, timed slot |
Every option includes entry to the ossuary, so nobody pays twice at the door. What changes is everything that comes with that entry, and the gap between the cheapest and the dearest is wide.
What the ticket alone buys
The self-guided ticket from ~$42 is the floor. It buys a timed entry slot and an audio guide, and you walk the standard route at your own pace in about an hour.
It holds 4.6 from 12,400+ reviews on GetYourGuide, more than every other listing here put together. Value scores 4.4, so most buyers seem to feel they paid a fair price.
The weakness is plain. Nobody answers your questions, and the gates closed to the public stay closed. Our ticket or tour comparison looks at who is happy with the audio guide alone.
Why a guided tour costs four to six times as much
A guided tour bundles the timed ticket with a live guide for 1.5–2 hours. On all three tours we list, it also adds a detour through areas that ordinary visitors never see.
Most of the extra money pays for the guide's time. Smaller groups cost more per head, since fewer people share one guide across a two-hour visit.
The locked areas are a modest part of the package. Our look behind the locked gates sets fair expectations for those extra rooms before you pay for them.
Three guided tours at three price points
Walks, the lowest guided fare
Walks' special access tour from ~$155 is the cheapest way to get a guide and the restricted areas. It runs 2 hours and rates 4.7 from 1,000+ reviews on GetYourGuide and 4.7 from 970+ on Viator.
Its special areas include a quarryman's carvings and an underground chapel. The saving comes from group size, up to 14 people, although the 1:30, 4:30 and 5:30 pm slots on Viator take only six.
Memories France, our pick
Memories France's restricted access tour from ~$211 sits in the middle. You get a live guide for 2 hours in a group of seven or fewer, and the listing promises underground gates unlocked for your group.
It rates 4.9 from 530+ reviews on GetYourGuide and 4.9 from 320+ on Viator. The price is more than four times the ticket, and the restricted rooms fill a small part of the visit, so you pay mainly for the guide and the small group.
LivTours, the top of the range
LivTours' small-group tour from ~$237 costs the most and runs the shortest, about 1.5 hours. In return, groups stop at six people, the smallest cap on this site.
It rates 4.9 from 270+ reviews on Viator and 4.9 from 200+ on GetYourGuide. If hearing the guide without straining matters to you, read our group size comparison before choosing between this and our pick.
Two hours for seven people at most, with gates opened for the group
Memories France pairs fast-track entry with a live guide and a stop in parts of the ossuary closed to ordinary visitors.
Costs that no listing includes
- A tip for the guide, which none of the three guided tours includes
- A metro or RER B fare to Denfert-Rochereau, and another from the exit
- Hotel pickup, since every tour meets at the entrance on Place Denfert-Rochereau
- Food and drink, as nothing is served below ground
- A light jacket if you packed for summer, because it stays about 14 °C (57 °F) underground
None of these is large on its own. Tips and transport still add a noticeable sum for a family of four, so count them before you compare headline prices.
Cheaper entry for children and young people
Reduced tickets for children and young people are sold at the official counter, with the details on the official Catacombs site. Tour listings set their own rates, so check each one before you assume a discount.
Age matters for more than the price. Our guide to visiting with children covers the lower age limit on the ticket and the 130 steps down.
Matching the price to the visitor
On a tight budget, or back for a second visit, the ticket does the job. You see the same bone walls and the same carved verses as every guided group.
For stories and a few locked rooms without the top fare, Walks is the sensible middle. Our pick suits people who value a calm group of seven over the saving, and LivTours suits those who want the smallest group in less time.
Booking without locking yourself in
Most listings on GetYourGuide cancel free up to 24 hours before the start. That flexibility helps here, because timed slots sell out and booking early is the only way to choose your hour.
Pick your date first, then the time. Our guide to the quieter hours shows which slots meet the smallest crowds underground.