Paris Catacombs: The Budget-Friendly, Bone-Chilling Adventure You Didn’t Know You Needed
Ah, Paris, the city of love, croissants, and… six million skeletons chilling under your feet???
Yeah, while tourists are busy going up in the Eiffel Tower (wrong choice, we’ve been over this), the real ones are heading down… Underground, that is, to visit the Catacombs of Paris, aka the world's creepiest basement.
If you’ve ever wanted to mix budget travel with existential dread, congrats! This is the perfect activity for you.
How Much to Hang Out with Six Million Dead People?
You’d think getting up close and personal with piles of human remains would cost a fortune (looking at you, Disneyland), but nope—this eerie experience is pretty budget-friendly:
Standard ticket: €29 (Hey, skeleton storage ain’t cheap.)
EU residents under 26: €10 (Ah, youth—you get discounts and no back pain.)
Audio guide: Included (Because staring at skulls in silence would be way too creepy.)
Not the cheapest Paris attraction, but about 10,000% cooler than others, or at least colder, since it’s a nice 14°C (57°F) down there year-round.
We wandered around looking at all of the bones. It would be soooo easy to get lost in here if it wasn’t sectioned off for tourism - the tunnels go on FOREVER.
What’s the Deal with All the Bones, Anyway?
Back in the 1700s, Paris had a little problem called, um… way too many dead people. Cemeteries were overflowing, bodies were, uh, leaking into basements, and everyone was like, “You know what? Let’s just chuck ‘em underground.” And so, the Catacombs were born, literally miles and miles of neatly stacked skeletons, arranged in an aesthetic that would make even Pinterest jealous.
Fast forward a couple of centuries, and now you can pay to walk through them. Ah, capitalism.
What to Expect Underground
Spiral staircase of doom – Before you even get to the bones, you have to conquer 131 steps down. It’s like descending into your own poor life choices.
The tunnels – Dark, damp, and very much a place you don’t want to be if the lights go out. (Don't worry, they won’t… probably.)
Endless walls of skulls – Arranged in patterns, stacked in rows—basically, it’s like if Home Depot sold skeleton décor.
131 steps back up – Because Paris loves a free leg workout.
Final Verdict: Worth It?
Uh, YES. This is hands-down one of the most unique, weird, and kinda badass things to do in Paris. Plus, where else can you Instagram a real pile of bones and not get banned?
Would you brave the Parisian underworld or stick to above-ground baguette life? 💀