Paris Catacombs with Kids: Ages, Claustrophobia, Bags and What to Wear

Children are welcome in the Catacombs, and for school-age kids who like history it is often the most memorable thing they do in Paris. The rules are simple: under-8s go free, ages 8 to 17 pay €15 on the official site, under-14s must be with an adult, and strollers are not allowed. Whether it suits your child depends less on age than on how they handle the dark, tight passages and the fact that the walls are made of human bones.

Prices for families

On catacombes.paris.fr, adults pay €31, ages 18 to 26 and other reduced categories €25, ages 8 to 17 €15, all with the audio guide, and under-8s nothing. Free tickets are not sold in advance: you collect them at the desk on the day, with proof of age, and they do not include the audio guide, which costs €5 at the desk. Through GetYourGuide, the ticket with audio guide costs from $43 per person as of October 2026; check the listing for child rates on your date.

Which children cope well

Think about three things. First, the steps: 131 down at the start and 112 up at the end, 243 in all, with no lift and no way out in between. Small legs manage, but a tired child who wants to be carried halfway up is a real possibility. Second, the setting: Paris Musées describes the floor as uneven and slippery, the passages as narrow and the light as dim. Third, the bones. They are presented respectfully and without gore, but they are unmistakably human. Talk about it beforehand; children who know what they will see usually handle it better than adults expect.

Babies can come in a carrier. Strollers stay outside, and there is nowhere to leave them.

If you are claustrophobic

Be realistic. You are 20 metres underground for about an hour, on a one-way route with no exit partway, and some stretches are low and narrow. Most of the route moves steadily, and you are never alone, but if enclosed spaces make you panic, this is not the place to test yourself. Paris Musées also advises against the visit for anyone with a heart or breathing condition, and the site is not wheelchair accessible. The sewers museum is a calmer, step-free alternative underground.

What to wear and bring

• Flat shoes with grip. The floor is uneven and can be wet.
• A warm layer. It is 14°C and humid all year, cold after a summer street.
• A small bag only: under 40 x 30 x 20 cm, carried in front of you or held at your side. Suitcases, large bags and motorcycle helmets are refused, and there is no cloakroom, because the exit is about 700 metres from the entrance.
• A phone or camera, if you like. Photos without flash are fine; tripods are not.

Leave food and drink in your bag; eating and drinking are not allowed underground, nor is touching the bones. Toilets are at the entrance and at the exit.

A guided tour with children

Teenagers often get more from a small-group tour than from the audio guide: a live guide answers questions and the restricted rooms give the visit a sense of discovery. The smallest groups are six to seven people; see the skip-the-line and restricted-area tours. With younger children, the standard ticket keeps the visit short, and you can set the pace.

Make a day of it

The Catacombs pair well with something lighter for the afternoon. For families with teenagers, Père Lachaise Cemetery has a storytelling walk told by an actor among the famous graves; see Père Lachaise Cemetery tours. For hours and access, the opening hours guide has everything else.