Père Lachaise Cemetery: 2-Hour Guided Tour & Famous Tombs

Two Hours in Paris's Most Storied Cemetery, Guided by the Dead

You spend two hours walking through Père Lachaise Cemetery guided by a costumed interpreter who shares stories and anecdotes about the famous figures buried there: Chopin, Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison and others. The tour is conducted in French, stays in small groups, and suits ages seven and up. You leave knowing the cemetery not as a list of names but as a place where people's lives and legacies still have weight.

Step-by-step itinerary

Guided tour of Père Lachaise cemetery

• Meet the Great Sibyl of the Revolution
• Visit graves of famous figures
• Hear anecdotes about Chopin and Wilde
• Discover stories of Jim Morrison and Duncan
• Learn cemetery history and intrigues

The experience

So your guide shows up in full 19th-century dress and immediately tells you she's been dead for 200 years, and somehow that's the moment you stop thinking about the weather and start actually listening. The Père Lachaise Cemetery tour runs for two hours, and it's not the kind where you shuffle past rows of graves while someone reads dates off a clipboard. Instead, you're following Marie Anne Lenormand, the Great Sibyl of the Revolution, through the maze of tombs as she introduces you to the people she's been neighbors with since 1824. Chopin, Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Isadora Duncan. They're all here, and she's got stories.

What makes this different is the angle. You're not getting the official history of the cemetery itself, though that's woven in. You're getting the gossip, the anecdotes, the things that stick with you after you leave. The guide moves through the grounds with the kind of familiarity that only comes from actually living somewhere for two centuries, pointing out which graves people still visit, which ones get flowers, which ones have become pilgrimage sites. The tour stays in French, which means if you speak it, you get the full texture of the storytelling. If you don't, you might want to brush up or bring someone who does. Groups stay small, so you're not craning your neck over twenty other people's shoulders.

It works for kids over seven, though whether your kid will care about Oscar Wilde's tomb is another question. The cemetery itself is massive (you're not walking the whole thing, just the parts where the stories are), and the pace is steady but not rushed. Two hours means you can actually absorb what you're hearing instead of speed-walking to the next stop. By the end, you've got a sense of why people keep coming back to this place, why it matters, why it's not just a cemetery but a kind of open-air museum of people who mattered.

What’s included

• A 2-hour guided tour led by a costumed tour guide.
• access to the cemetery and its famous tombs.
• stories and anecdotes about notable figures buried there including Chopin, Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison and Isadora Duncan.

Before you book

Days and timesWednesday and SaturdayDeparts at 14:00

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Child (7 to 17 years) · Under 7: can't be booked

GroupUp to 25

Live guideFrench

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Epok'Tour

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to understand Père Lachaise as more than a tourist checklist: the costumed guide and small-group format turn a cemetery walk into something closer to a conversation with history, which is what makes two hours feel complete instead of rushed.

Traveler reviews

4.82★★★★★★★★★★

44 verified traveler reviews

5 ★39

4 ★2

3 ★3

2 ★0

1 ★0

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (7 to 17 years). Children under 7 can't be included in the booking.

What language is the tour conducted in?

French. If you don't speak French, consider bringing someone who does or reviewing basic cemetery and historical terms beforehand.

How long is the tour?

Two hours. The pace is steady but not rushed, covering the cemetery's most significant tombs and stories.

Who is the guide?

A costumed guide playing Marie Anne Lenormand, the Great Sibyl of the Revolution, who shares anecdotes and historical context about the cemetery and its residents.

Which famous people's tombs are visited?

The tour includes tombs of Chopin, Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Isadora Duncan and other notable figures, though the exact stops may vary.

Is the tour physically demanding?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. You'll be walking through the cemetery grounds at a moderate pace for two hours.

Are service animals allowed?

Yes, service animals are permitted on the tour.

How do I get to Père Lachaise Cemetery?

Public transportation options are available nearby. The cemetery is located in eastern Paris and is accessible by Metro.