Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris: how to get there, prices, and tips

A cemetery is not usually associated with a romantic stroll, yet that is exactly what happens when visiting Père-Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. Tucked away in a corner of northeastern Paris, the cemetery is affectionately referred to by Parisians as "The City of the Dead": among its picturesque hills, thousands of trees, scenic paths, and elaborately designed graves and tombs, it is easy to see why Père-Lachaise Cemetery is considered the most beautiful and sought-after resting place in Paris and the world. Countless distinguished figures have found their eternal repose here, their gravestones of immortality ensuring hundreds of thousands of visitors each year and making Père-Lachaise an absolute "must" in Paris.

Here's everything you need to know to plan your visit to Père Lachaise Cemetery: how to get there, prices, and tips!

See also: Things to see in Paris

Main entrance

On foot at 8 Boulevard de Menilmontant - Get directions

By bus nearest stop is Roquette-Père Lachaise, lines 61, 69, 71, N16, and N34 pass here

By metro nearest stop is Philippe Auguste, served by line 2

Entry "Porte du Repos"

On foot at 16 rue du Repos - Get directions

By bus nearest stop is Roquette-Père Lachaise, lines 61, 69, 71, N16, and N34 pass here

By metro nearest stop is Philippe Auguste, served by line 2

Entry "Porte des Amandiers"

On foot Boulevard de Menilmontant - Get directions

By bus nearest stop is Père Lachaise, lines 61, 69, 71, N16, and N34 pass here

By metro nearest stop is Père-Lachaise, served by lines 2 and 3

Note: this entrance is not accessible to disabled visitors due to 30 steps

Entry "Porte Gambetta"

On foot at 71 rue des Rondeaux - Get directions

By bus nearest stop is Martin Nadaud, served by lines 26, 60, 61, 69, 102, N16, and N34

By metro nearest stop is Gambetta, served by lines 3 and 3b

Entry "Porte de la Réunion"

On foot at 218 Rue de la Réunion - Get directions

By bus nearest stop is La Réunion, served by line 76

By metro nearest stop is Alexandre Dumas, served by line 2

Hours from November to mid-March Mon-Fri 8:00 AM - 5:30 PM, Sat 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM, Sun and holidays 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM. From mid-March to October, Mon-Fri 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM, Sat 8:30 AM - 6:00 PM, Sun and holidays 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Best time to avoid lines is in the morning around opening time, but the place is never truly crowded

Admission cost is free

Père Lachaise Cemetery, also known as the "Cemetery of Artists", houses figures from art, literature, music, and theater, with names like Chopin, Edith Piaf, Marcel Proust, Oscar Wilde, and Jim Morrison.

An entire week would be necessary to visit the entire cemetery and pay homage to all the figures buried there, but as fascinating, moving, and evocative as the place may be, let's be honest: a week at a cemetery, even if it's Père Lachaise, is not something anyone wishes for! To make the best of your visit, we therefore recommend taking part in a guided tour of Père Lachaise Cemetery, where you will be accompanied by a guide who will take you to discover the must-see in about 2 hours.

In the meantime, here are 5 graves you absolutely must not miss at Père Lachaise:

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Abelard (1079 - 1142) and Heloise (1101 - 1164)

Born nearly a millennium ago, they are the protagonists of a truly remarkable and timeless story, and they are among the oldest residents of the cemetery.

Abelard founded a school that would later become the University of Paris, which welcomed brilliant minds from all over Europe, including Heloise, the granddaughter of the Canon of Notre Dame. Abelard was assigned to give private lessons to the young girl, and their intellectual connection ignited a profound and unbreakable love. They left Paris to marry in secret, and a year later Heloise gave birth to Astrolabe. News traveled fast, reaching the powerful uncle of the woman who, in a fit of rage, sent a group of thugs who punished Abelard by castration. From that moment they were separated and forced to exchange love letters for decades.

Upon their deaths, they were buried together. The current tombstone at Père Lachaise is made from stones from the monastery and convent where the two lovers lived until their deaths. The figure of the dog at Abelard's feet symbolizes their mutual absolute fidelity.

Edith Piaf (1915-1963)

The story of Edith Piaf is the tale of a girl who grew up on the streets of Paris, her grandmother's brothel and her father's traveling circus.

The girl sang on the streets for a few coins under the pseudonym "La Môme Piaf" (the little sparrow) when the owner of a nightclub, captivated by her voice and emotional intensity, discovered her. Her life was quite tumultuous, facing an early pregnancy, a murdered husband, and a complicated relationship with Yves Montand.

Her voice comforted and uplifted the spirits of a France occupied by the Nazis and, decades later, her song La Vie en Rose remains one of the most well-known and reproduced themes in international music. Her daughter Marcelle Dupont is buried alongside her.

Marcel Proust (1871-1922)

Marcel Proust has gifted humanity with his autobiographical masterpiece "In Search of Lost Time": 7 volumes and over 3,000 pages to lose yourself in, get confused by, fall in love with, and improve upon.

Streams of consciousness and memories that astonishingly start with the taste of a cookie: the madeleine triggers Proust's childhood memories, launching the pages of a masterpiece that has marked literature of yesterday, today, and always.

Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

Writer, artist, and gay martyr, Oscar Wilde scandalized England in his time. The playwright's works are still considered true ironic masterpieces, capable of astonishing and, above all, making the entire well-thinking society of every era reflect.

The choice of this funeral monument over Oscar Wilde's grave sparked various controversies, as his supporters wanted it to represent his beloved works. Apparently, sculptor Jacob Epstein was inspired by Wilde's work "The Sphinx".

Jim Morrison (1943-1971)

A myth, a commercial phenomenon, a crowd icon, American rockstar, but above all a poet, his is the most visited grave in the cemetery. The bust representing him, placed at the foot of the gravestone, is constantly stolen by adoring fans who visit at all hours of the day and night. Jim Douglas Morrison's grave is decorated with inscriptions and prayers from fans, from those who believe he is still alive to those who celebrate his immortality with letters, flowers, and tributes of all kinds.

In Paris, he spent the last year of his life writing notes and poetry between Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots. He died in Paris on July 3, 1971, at the age of 27, likely having torn himself from a life no longer manageable and led by his excesses to the inevitable conclusion of his existence. The director of Père Lachaise initially refused his admission to the cemetery: when told he was a writer, he asked to read his compositions.

Get up early: ideally, arrive at the entrance around opening time, especially to calmly and quietly visit the most famous graves.

Book a guided visit: we recommend visiting the cemetery with a guided tour. It will allow you to learn (without getting lost) the stories and burials of the most illustrious characters, with real gems that you otherwise would miss.

Minimum time: we suggest considering a minimum of 2 hours for the visit.

Bring a map: the cemetery is huge and sprawling, some graves are not well marked or easy to find. You can download the map here

Behavior: this is a cemetery where many people are buried, so proper and respectful behavior is required, avoiding shouting or disrespectful conduct.

The famous French cemetery that welcomes ordinary people and famous figures for eternal rest every year is named after the confessor of Louis XIV: Father François d'Aix de La Chaise.

The cemetery is a unique architectural work, an open-air museum of funerary art where Haussmannian vaults, Gothic tombs, ancient mausoleums, Second Empire works, neoclassical buildings, and sculptures of all styles harmoniously alternate. The most famous necropolis in the world spans a total of 48 hectares and encompasses no fewer than seventy thousand concessions.

Despite its beauty and fame, Père Lachaise Cemetery almost never has lines at the entrance, so you can visit it at any time of the day. Moreover, the various entrances allow for a quicker flow of people. Choose which one to enter based on where you arrive or the attraction you have previously visited.

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