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Archeological Crypt Visit with an Archeologist and River Cruise

Name: Archeological Crypt Visit with an Archeologist and River Cruise
Brand: Wild Side
SKU: 421206P8
Price: 76 USD
Rating: 5 (30 reviews)

Recommended by 93% of travelersBadge of ExcellenceParis, France

From $76.00

per person

Select Date and Travelers

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

3 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Uncover Paris’s ancient foundations with this archaeological crypt tour and river cruise package. Led by an archaeologist, guests explore the crypt underneath Notre-Dame Cathedral before taking a one-hour cruise on the River Seine. See Paris’s historical and cultural landmarks from the water and continue to learn about the city’s extensive history. This tour is ideal for history buffs and visitors who like to explore a new city in unique style.

Enjoy a personal experience with a small tour group
Beat line overwhelm with pre-booked admission to Notre Dame’s archaeological crypts
See multiple Parisian landmarks in a tight timeframe
Relax in comfortable private transport between the crypt and the boat launch

What's Included

All Fees and Taxes
Transfer from notre dame to the port
Tickets for the Crypt
Guided visit in Notre-Dame’s archeological crypt
Ticket for the Seine cruise

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Crypte Archéologique de l'İle de la Cité
7 Parvis Notre-Dame - Pl. Jean-Paul II, 75004 Paris, France
We’ll meet at the top of the crypt stairs. Your guide is a man with long hair.

End point

Eiffel Tower
Av. Gustave Eiffel, 75007 Paris, France
The tour finish in front the Eiffel Tower.

Start time
.02:00 pm

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation

Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers

Operated by Wild Side

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.8

30 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 30 reviews

Really fun

Dan_O, Dec 2024

Great guide, very knowledgeable and fun. Only thing we would have liked is to spend more Ike at the exhibits

Great Tour with Raphael

jane_S, Dec 2024

I had a fantastic time visiting the Archaeological Crypt beneath Notre-Dame, and our guide, Raphael, made the experience even better. His deep knowledge of Paris' history and his engaging storytelling brought the ancient ruins and artifacts to life. The crypt offers a fascinating look at the city's Roman and medieval past, and Raphael's insightful commentary helped us appreciate the significance of each find. Highly recommended for anyone interested in history or archaeology!

Multigenerational knowledge of Paris with an archeologist perspective.

Brooke_O, Nov 2024

Excellent knowledge of the history of Paris from a lifelong and generational Parisian. Archeological explanations of Notre Dame and the incredible crypts below. Most would miss this incredible part of Île-de-cite but Raphael gave it life! Also enjoyed our really special transportation to the cruise.

Great experience

Alyssa_S, Oct 2024

We had a great experience. Raphael was our guide and he was amazing! He definitely knew his stuff and we learned a lot. He was great at keeping our interests and just overall was very nice. The crypts are very neat to see. Thank you so much

Great Tour, Strongly Recommend

James_B, Oct 2024

Claire is an excellent and friendly guide. Absolutely worth the money and the wireless speaker you get with the earbud included works well. The pace is fine, anybody who can walk normally for a decent amount of time can do this tour, but much of Paris (and also Europe as a whole) is not wheelchair friendly, you need to be able to walk for a while at a typical pace, just be advised. Excellent tour and can't recommend this one enough.

Great historical perspective.

Mark_B, Oct 2024

Very knowledgeable and pleasant guide. In depth Historical details of crypt presented. Guide was fluent in English.

Awesome Tour!

David_C, Sep 2024

I had the unforgettable experience of taking a guided tour that combined the Crypt at Notre Dame, a deep dive into the history of Notre Dame itself, and a journey into the Paris Catacombs, and it was nothing short of incredible. The tour began in the Crypt, where our guide revealed key details often overlooked by casual visitors. We learned about the ancient Roman bathhouse that once stood on the very spot, and how the crypt preserves layers of Parisian history from Roman times through the Middle Ages. Our guide’s knowledge was impressive, and they skillfully connected the remnants of the Roman occupation with the rise of medieval Paris, adding a rich historical backdrop to the experience. The guide also brought to light fascinating details, such as the beehives maintained on the rooftops of Notre Dame—a quiet homage to nature in the midst of Parisian history. Next, we delved into the majestic history of Notre Dame itself, where the guide pointed out often-missed details, such as the statues of the 28 Kings of Judah that adorn the facade—mistakenly beheaded during the French Revolution when revolutionaries thought they were French kings. Our guide was an excellent storyteller, weaving these historic events together in a way that made Notre Dame’s cultural and historical significance stand out even more. We entered the Paris Catacombs. Our guide’s knowledge of the underground labyrinth and its role throughout history, from its creation to its role in times of plague and revolution, was eye-opening. The tour left no stone unturned, and I left with a deeper appreciation for the layers of history beneath Paris.

10/10 would do again!!!

Julia_K, Sep 2024

Our group was small and intimate, the tour guide was amazing! I absolutely loved this whole tour. The guide was friendly and so helpful. Rafael I believe was his name. We asked him after for cuisine recommendations and he had us eat at the most beautiful and delicious Italian restaurant. So friendly, so in depth, answered any questions we had, really went above and beyond. I will definitely be back to Paris and would absolutely text him in the future for recommendations! Best tour we had in Paris!

Response from Host, Sep 2024

Thank you so much for your kind words! It was a pleasure to have you on the tour, and I’m glad you enjoyed the experience. I’m happy you loved the restaurant recommendation as well ! If you ever return to Paris, don’t hesitate to reach out—I’d be more than happy to help with any recommendations or to guide you again. Thank you for making the tour memorable for me as well, and I look forward to seeing you in Paris again !

Thoroughly enjoyable and informative visit

Winthrop_W, Jul 2024

Raphael provided a very warm, engaging and informative visit. He provided a lot of insights during our visit through the Crypt and effortlessly brought us to the Catacombs

Raphael is a fantastic guide!

Harry_H, Jul 2024

Raphael is a fantastic guide! His English is fluent and easy to understand, he’s extremely knowledgeable, and super friendly. Highly recommended!

Not worth the money - audio tour of Catacombs

Kim_W, Jun 2024

Our tour guide was great, such a nice guy and even reached out to make sure we knew where to meet up ect. However, for our family of 3 the cost was $592, in my opinion not worth it. Notre Dame is closed obviously, so there was a little history given outside and then we went down into the Crypt, which might have been a 45 minute tour. From there we went to the Catacombs and were just given the headset audio tour. If I were to do it again, I would have just gone to the Catacombs on our own. I thought when booking the tour - it was going to be a live guided tour through the Catacombs, which it was not. So we essentially paid $592 for maybe an hour of a tour of the Crypt and the short talk outside Notre Dame. In comparison we booked a tour of Versailles for $713 which included transportation to and from the palace (an hour's drive to and from) and a 2.5 hour live guided tour.

Response from Host, Jun 2024

Dear Customer, Thank you for sharing your detailed review of your visit to the Catacombs of Paris and the Archeological Crypt. We appreciate your kind words about our guide and his helpfulness. We are sorry to hear that the experience did not meet your expectations in terms of value for money. Your feedback is valuable and helps us improve our services. We understand that you expected a live guided tour of the Catacombs and regret the misunderstanding. We take your comments on the duration and content of the tours included in the package seriously. Rest assured, we will review our offer description to ensure it accurately reflects the experience to avoid any future disappointments. Once again, thank you for your feedback, and we hope you will give us another chance during your next visit to Paris. Sincerely

Fantastic Tour and Tour guide Raphael

Diane_P, Jun 2024

We enjoyed learning about the history of the Crypt as well as the catacombs. Raphael our guide, was extremely knowledgeable. He answered all our questions and had a great sense of humor! He interacted well with everyone in our group. I highly recommend taking this tour with Raphael. This was the best tour out of all tours we experienced here in Paris! Thank you Raphael for making this a wonderful experience!

Highly recommend. Rafael was great!

Lisa_C, Jun 2024

Rafael was extremely helpful, informative, and kind. He went over and above anything expected. Highly recommend.

Great combo tour

Irene_B, Jun 2024

Our tour guide, Raphael, has tremendous knowledge of the history of Notre Dame, the tragic fire, and the development of the city of Paris. He provided thorough explanations about Notre Dame and was kind and conscientious about all the members of our Group who had varying levels physical ability. After we explored Notre Dame underground and learned so much from Raphael, he had a van transport us to the Catacombs. He stayed with us during the Catacombs tour providing supplementary information to the audio tour and he took many photographs of the members of our group - an added bonus. I liked that we saw the catacombs during the day. It was a fascinating tour but a bit creepy being among all the bones and skills. I would recommend this tour especially since it combines Notre Dame and the Paris Catacombs. The reason for one star off is that the price is a bit high.

Raphael is excellent guide

Natalie_S, May 2024

Raphael was an excellent tour guide. We thoroughly enjoyed this tour and highly recommend. The catacombs are a must see.

Memorable experience

Cristobal_S, May 2024

Was fantastic. Very informative and even gave insight into other things around paris. Very punctual and explained the process very thoroughly. would definitely do it again

Don’t wait 107 years to book this tour !

Abby_B, May 2024

Raphael was amazing full of interesting facts and allowed us time to explore. We got crepes on our way over to the catacombs and stoped for a drink before our scheduled entry to the catacombs! The catacombs were amazing so surreal to be underground with all those bones breath taking ! Afterwards we hoped in his van where he dropped us at the arc de trio mph on his way home as to be closer to our place !! What a great guide definitely a can’t miss experience !!

Raphael for President! Best Tour Ever!

Morgan_H, May 2024

Do you want a tour done by a 15th-generation (that’s about 300 years) Parisian? This is the tour for you! Raphael is a fantastic guide through the history and policial context surrounding Notre Dame, the crypt underneath it, and the catacombs! He is easy-going, fun, and knowledgeable. 20 stars!

An unexpected must do!

Paige_A, Apr 2024

Rafael was amazing! We had the best time. The catacombs were an unexpected must see for the City's history. Rafael was knowledgeable and made it fun.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you very much !

Not as advertised

Jessica_S, Apr 2024

The good- Rapheal retells the history of Notre Dame, Crypt and is very engaging. His communication beforehand on where to meet was great. The meh- not really needed honestly. We visited France over Spring break and seeing the catacombs was the most important for our teen daughter. Beforehand there was a lot of hype of absolutely needing a tour guide while in the Catacombs (there could be cannibals- you could get lost- it's just not a safe place) but that is not the case. The catacombs are very safe, and you would have to try very hard to get lost (break in to not authorized areas.) What you are ACTUALLY getting when you book this tour- We met Rapheal outside of Notre Dame, he told the history of the Notre Dame, we went down stairs to the crypt and he gave a guided tour (maybe 30 minutes.) He then called a ride for us (maybe it was an uber) to take us to the catacombs and texted us our tickets to get in. He met us there and shook our hands and said goodbye. The annoying- I ONLY booked this combo tour for wanting a guide into the Catacombs. The other tours on Viator that were advertising for the Catacombs guided tour were not available for the days we were going - even though I was checking a few months ahead of our trip. This tour DOES NOT PROVIDE A GUIDE INTO THE CATACOMBS even though it was advertised as such. The catacombs give you a headset for an audio tour, so really no tour guide is needed. It all worked out but it's REALLY ANNOYING not getting what you think you are paying for :) Price wise it's 9 euros to get into the Crypt, and 29 to get into the catacombs with a headset, plus whatever the uber (25 +/-) would have been a total 228 for our party of 7, instead it was 1,223... :( My kids really did enjoy visiting the catacombs though, definitely something to see while visiting :)

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Dear Madam I'm absolutely sorry that what you saw in the catacombs didn't satisfy your imagination. And yet you indicate that your children enjoyed it. Furthermore, it is clearly stated in my ad that I let you visit the catacombs alone as a family, with an audio-guide provided. Best regards.