A Spooky Day in Paris: Catacombs, Père Lachaise and Montmartre

Paris has a famously dark side. Beneath its streets, the Catacombs hold the remains of several million Parisians. Above ground, Père Lachaise is one of the most visited cemeteries in the world. Put the two together with an evening on Montmartre, and you have a day that is eerie, beautiful and very Parisian.

The plan moves across the city once, from south to east to north, so most of the day is spent in the places rather than between them. For the city as a whole, see the Paris guide.

Morning: the Catacombs

Start at the Catacombs of Paris, entered near Place Denfert-Rochereau in the 14th arrondissement. Some twenty meters underground, a maze of tunnels leads to an ossuary where bones moved from the city's old cemeteries are stacked into walls.

• Book ahead: timed tickets are released on the official site, and October is busy.
• Dress for it: the tunnels are cool and damp all year.
• Expect stairs: you go down and come back up by long staircases, and the exit is in a different street from the entrance.

Afternoon: Père Lachaise

Take the metro east to Père Lachaise Cemetery in the 20th arrondissement. It is a vast, hilly city of the dead with tree-lined paths, chapels and sculpture. Visitors come for graves such as Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Frédéric Chopin and Édith Piaf.

The cemetery is large and easy to get lost in. Pick the graves you want to see before you arrive, and check the closing time, which changes with the season.

Dusk: Montmartre

End the day on the hill of Montmartre. The quieter Montmartre Cemetery sits below the hill. Then climb the lanes toward Sacré-Cœur as the lights come on over Paris. It is the right mood to end a spooky day, and there are plenty of places for dinner nearby.

Make it a rainy-day plan

If the weather turns, swap the cemetery walk for the covered passages near the Louvre and keep the Catacombs in the morning.

Practical notes

• Group the day by area: south in the morning, east in the afternoon, north in the evening.
• Check opening days. Some sites close one day a week, and last entry is earlier than closing time.
• Leave buffer time after the Catacombs: lines and the exit walk add up.