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Pere Lachaise Cemetery Guided Walking Tour

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Group Size

Max 12

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Tour Duration

2.5 Hours

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100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

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Free Cancellation up to 24 hrs

Highlights of the tour

Highlights generally include: 

• Jim Morrison's Grave – Visit the resting place of The Doors' legendary lead singer, whose enigmatic presence continues to draw fans from around the world. 

• Édith Piaf's Grave – Pay homage to France's beloved "Little Sparrow, the national chanteuse whose soulful voice and timeless songs –  "La Vie en Rose" and “Non, je ne regrette rien” captured the hearts of millions. 

• Oscar Wilde's Grave –  Discover the final resting place of the celebrated writer and wit, marked by a striking modernist tomb, complete with a poignant epitaph and traces of adoring visitors' kisses. 

Molière's Grave – Stand before the burial site of France's most revered playwright, whose sharp comedies revolutionized French theater.


Details

It may seem unusual, but one of Paris's most fascinating sites is, in fact, a cemetery! Discover the rich history of Père Lachaise on this 2.5-hour guided tour, led by one of our expert guides. 

More than just a final resting place, this legendary site is a cultural and historical treasure. Père Lachaise is unlike any other cemetery in the world, combining stunning architecture, tranquil pathways, and deep connections to Paris's history. As you stroll through its grounds, you'll visit the graves of icons like Jim Morrison, whose resting place is adorned with tributes, Edith Piaf, the beloved voice of Paris, the brilliant composer Chopin, and the literary legend Oscar Wilde. Your guide will also introduce you to the cemetery's poignant Holocaust memorials and the gripping history of the Paris Commune, whose final battle unfolded within its walls. Join us to uncover the stories, artistry, and history that make Père Lachaise one of Paris's most unique and unforgettable destinations.


Itinerary

  • A 2.5-hour tour of the Père Lachaise cemetery with one of our expert guides.
  • 75020 Paris, Cimetière du Père-Lachaise

Inclusion

• GUIDED WALKING TOUR

• PROFESSIONAL TOUR GUIDE

• DURATION 2.5 HOURS

• TOUR WILL RUN, RAIN OR SHINE

 

Not Included

 

• TOUR PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE FOOD AND DRINKS

• TOUR PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE HOTEL PICKUP OR DROP-OFF (we recommend UBER or Taxi)

• TOUR PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE GRATUITIES (optional)

• TOUR PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE LUGGAGE OR COAT STORAGE


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What Our Customers Say

Amazing tour with François !!
Adrien C 1 contributions
Amazing tour with François !!

François did a fantastic job!! He was VERY knowledgeable, enthusiastic and fun! he made the place so vibrant and full or life!! So inspiring!!

09 April 2025

Fascinating!
Berksond 22 contributions
Fascinating!

Francois was an amazing guide! His stories, explanations and knowledge really brought the tour to life (pun intended)!! It was a fascinating way to experience this historic and impressive place. Highly recommend this tour and Francois!!

28 April 2025

Great tour and great guide!
Sue J 13 contributions
Great tour and great guide!

Loved Francois!!!! Extremely entertaining but knowledgeable at the same time - very informative- it is obvious he loves what he does and that comes thru on the tour! Would highly recommend him

07 May 2025

We even saw Max Ernst‘s resting place
Rolandbo1 3 contributions
We even saw Max Ernst‘s resting place

François V was a great guide that explained vividly and knowledgeably the most interesting parts of the cemetery. Highly recommedable when you have the luxury of 2 1/2 additional hours in Paris.

18 May 2025

Definitely worth doing this tour!
lifeismeals 3 contributions
Definitely worth doing this tour!

This tour was excellent! Our guide, Francois, was waiting for us at the cemetery entrance and gave us a quick orientation before we headed in. He took us to the BEST areas, and told us interesting stories about the gravesites. We visited all of the more famous (and infamous) graves, plus some off the beaten path that had great stories of their own. The tour was not rushed, and Francois really knows the cemetery well. He was able to answer so many questions we had, and also had a book of historical photos with him to explain some of the...

29 May 2025

Tour of Pere Lachaise Cemetery
Paul C 1 contributions
Tour of Pere Lachaise Cemetery

Having a guide like Tamari show us around and share her knowledge and anecdotes about this famous cemetery and it's occupants made this an enjoyable and worthwhile outing for us. She was great.

22 June 2025

Magnificent tour at Pere Lachaise
Caspar M 2 contributions
Magnificent tour at Pere Lachaise

Today we had a guided tour at Pere lachaise Where we meet Georgia..She is a very energetic and entertaining guide.. and she has a lot of knowledge of the cemetery. So that combined and good weather.. what more do you want.....The made for us the best tour of our trip to Paris..So if you ever book at babylon make sure you get Georgia...And you will have the best tour of your trip....

12 July 2025

Pere Lechaise worth the time!
P T 4 contributions
Pere Lechaise worth the time!

Great tour! Hugo was great! Very easy going and comfortable. Thanks Hugo!Plenty of restaurants and shops in the area! Would easily go again

26 July 2025

Fantastically Entertaining
Kelly G 1 contributions
Fantastically Entertaining

It turned out to be a private tour for my husband and I. François is so authentic , warm ,entertaining as he took us around. Wonderful storyteller, and brought history and Paris to life! Would highly recommend!

07 September 2025

Tamari A is a must have guide!
Kristen B 1 contributions
Tamari A is a must have guide!

Tamari A did a fantastic job showing us Père Lachaise Cemetery. I'm so glad we booked a tour because there was no way we would have been able to find all the graves on our own. Tamari provided so much history and was incredibly knowledgable about the cemetery's occupants. Although we booked the semi-private tour, we only had one other (super fun) couple with us so the tour felt very intimate. We had plenty of laughs and an honest/deep appreciation for life during this visit. I cannot recommend Tamari A enough!

08 September 2025

Père Lachaise Cemetery Tour 5 Stars !
Sean S 5 contributions
Père Lachaise Cemetery Tour 5 Stars !

Our group of 6 adults enjoyed a fabulous tour of Père Lachaise Cemetery ably guided by the very knowledgeable and witty Tamari . It was an impressive mixture of detail , education and lightheartedness which made for a most enjoyable and entertaining tour . Highly recommended!

01 January 2025

A sunny winter afternoon at the Père Lachaise with François
Christopher M 1 contributions
A sunny winter afternoon at the Père Lachaise with François

An immersion into the lives of people both famous and remarkable while walking through a beautiful part of Paris on a sunny winter afternoon. François sought out places both on and off the beaten paths with witty anecdotes an engaging and cheerful attitude in perfect English. A must do both for the venue and the guide.

07 February 2025

So informative!
alice1964 38 contributions
So informative!

Hugo was a great guide! Very knowledgeable. Good insights. I had been to the cemetery years ago on my own, and today I left with so much more of an understanding.

17 February 2025

Take this tour!
Susan P 13 contributions
Take this tour!

Very knowledgeable, engaging, and humorous guide. She knew tons of history and stories and related to them at a wonderful pace. Thank you so much!

07 March 2025

Visit this world famous cemetery and learn about Parisian people and history.
joe p 2 contributions
Visit this world famous cemetery and learn about Parisian people and history.

Great tour, smart and entertaining guide. She was super friendly and knowledgeable. Tamari was wonderful. Very receptive to our comments and questions.

07 March 2025

A most excellent, highly recommended tour of Père Lachaise
Irena K 2 contributions
A most excellent, highly recommended tour of Père Lachaise

A thoughtful, informative tour intermixing both comical and tragical stories of the cemetery and the city. Tamar, our guide, was extremely knowledgeable, eloquent and had a great sense of humor. She did wonderful work to keep us avoiding the crowds while showing us all of the most famous graves and monuments; additionally Tamar was able to tweak the tour to our preference for the graves of scientists without missing out on the main story! A highly recommended guide and a great tour - thank you!

17 March 2025

Brilliant in every way!
Susan C 43 contributions
Brilliant in every way!

We had a fantastic tour with Francois! His knowledge, charm, humor and personality brought everything to life. His compelling way of giving backstories was illuminating,educational and entertaining. He made the tour so special that we can’t wait to have another experience the “Francois” way. We highly recommend this tour to everyone who wants an authentic Parisian experience!

06 April 2025

Excellent Babylon Tour
Jacky G 1 contributions
Excellent Babylon Tour

Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and nice. She knew lots about the history of different people and their families and graves. Definitely made the experience more enjoyable, and taught us a lot of new and cool things. Her name was Temarie.

20 April 2025

Francois - amazing tour guide with extensive knowledge and entertaining and welcoming personality !
Tina C 17 contributions
Francois - amazing tour guide with extensive knowledge and entertaining and welcoming personality !

Francois the guide and Mark the photographer were both incredible guides - esp Francois - amazing fluency in English , talent for engaging story telling , open and friendly demeanor , great sense of humor and a extensive and vast knowledge of the site ( pere lachaisse cemetery ) as well as notable and interesting history excerpts ! Would only come back again t book tours with Francois!

28 April 2025

Beautiful place and fine guide
Martine H 1 contributions
Beautiful place and fine guide

Pere Lachaise is a beautiful place. Our guide, Tamari, knew a lot to tell and did so with great enthusiasm and humour. The tour lasted 2,5 hours and then you haven't seen everything, so worth repeating!

09 June 2025

FAQ's

Expect moderate walking over 2.5 hours. The cemetery is vast — over 100 acres — with uneven paths and gentle hills. Sturdy, comfortable walking shoes are strongly recommended.

No formal dress code, but respectful attire is expected since this is a working cemetery where families come to visit graves. Comfortable, weather-appropriate clothing and sturdy walking shoes are essential.

The route is set to cover the most significant graves and historical sites within 2.5 hours, so it can't be customized per-guest on a semi-private tour. Your guide is happy to answer specific questions and adjust pacing where possible. Private tours offer more flexibility.

Benches are scarce inside the cemetery. The tour is mostly spent walking and standing, with regular pauses at notable graves for stories and questions. If standing for long periods is difficult, mention this before booking.

The tour ends inside the cemetery near one of the main exits. Your guide can give directions back to the metro or recommendations for cafés and bistros in the surrounding 20th arrondissement.

Père Lachaise is in the 20th arrondissement of eastern Paris. The tour takes place entirely inside the cemetery grounds — over 100 acres of paths, monuments, and notable graves.

Meet at the main entrance where Rue de la Roquette meets Boulevard Ménilmontant. Exact meeting point details come with your booking confirmation and again the morning of the tour.

Père Lachaise is a working cemetery, but it's also one of Paris's most distinctive cultural landmarks — a 19th-century landscape full of striking architecture, sculpted monuments, and the graves of writers, musicians, philosophers, and political figures. The tour treats it as a cultural history walk.

Highlights typically include Jim Morrison (The Doors), Édith Piaf (the 'Little Sparrow' who sang 'La Vie en Rose'), Oscar Wilde (modernist tomb with kiss marks), Frédéric Chopin, and Molière, along with several others depending on the guide's route choices.

Jim Morrison's grave is one of the most-visited stops on the tour. The site is typically covered with tributes from fans who continue to make the pilgrimage.

Restroom access inside the cemetery is very limited. Use facilities at a nearby café or metro station before the tour starts. The 2.5-hour duration makes planning ahead important.

Père Lachaise is a peaceful, well-maintained, and well-visited site during daytime hours. Joining a guided tour adds the practical benefit of someone who knows the layout and the safest paths through the larger sections.

Père Lachaise is over 100 acres — too large to cover fully in 2.5 hours. The route focuses on the most significant graves, monuments, and stories. You're welcome to keep exploring on your own after the tour ends.

Père Lachaise blends 19th-century landscape architecture, distinctive funerary monuments, the graves of major cultural figures from Chopin to Jim Morrison, and the site of the Paris Commune's final battle in 1871. Few cemeteries combine architecture, nature, and cultural history at this scale.

You're welcome to stay and explore further at your own pace. The tour focuses on the major highlights, but there are many other notable graves and sections worth seeing — Max Ernst, Marcel Proust, and Sarah Bernhardt among them.

The cemetery is over 100 acres with hard-to-navigate paths, and many of the most interesting graves aren't well marked or signposted. A guide knows the routes, the stories behind each grave, and the cemetery's broader history — material it's hard to assemble on your own.

No — the Orsay is too large to reliably find your guide inside. Meet at the designated outdoor point and the group enters together. You're welcome to stay on after the guided portion ends.

Message your guide immediately. Semi-private tours start on time, but the guide can sometimes share tickets so you enter on your own and try to find the group inside. Once the tour begins, the guide can't check their phone regularly.

Your guide holds your tickets. Bring photo ID, your guide's name and number, and arrive at the meeting point on time, and the guide handles entry for the group.

You're welcome to stay until the museum closes. Many guests use the extra time to revisit specific Impressionist works or explore the temporary exhibitions and rooms the tour didn't cover.

Notify Babylon Tours immediately by email ([email protected]) or phone (+1 917 999 0380). Medical issues within 24 hours of the start time aren't covered by the refund policy — contact your travel insurance, and Babylon can provide a document confirming you couldn't attend.

Contact Babylon Tours immediately by email ([email protected]) or phone (+1 917 999 0380). The refund policy doesn't cover transportation issues within 24 hours of the start — your travel insurance is the route. Babylon can provide documentation confirming you were unable to attend.

Arrive 10 minutes before the scheduled start time at the meeting point so the group can begin promptly.

Guides wear a Babylon badge on a Babylon lanyard. They'll also text or email you the morning of the tour to confirm the meeting point and exchange contact info.

No — Babylon Tours is the tour operator running this Orsay tour. Viator is a booking platform that resells our tours alongside many other operators' offerings. Babylon currently operates tours in 12 major cities worldwide.

Your guide reaches out the morning of the tour by text and email. Make sure your phone number (with country code) and email are correct at booking, and check your spam folder if you don't see the message.

Reserved Entry tickets to the permanent collection are included and organized by Babylon Tours. No separate ticket purchase needed.

Free rescheduling is available with at least 24 hours' notice. Within 24 hours a fee applies to cover guide payment and unused tickets — no profit is made on this fee. If you booked through Viator or GetYourGuide, reschedule through that platform directly.

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