Odessa Catacombs Tour: Explore Underground History

Explore Odessa Catacombs on a private 2.5-hour tour. Discover hidden history, smugglers’ secrets, and WWII hideouts in this underground labyrinth.

Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Catacombs of Odessa - Your driver and guide will pick you up from your hotel and you will head to the outskirts Odessa, Nerubayskoye Village, where the catacombs are located. The temperature in the Catacombs is about 57°F (14°С) all year round and they are one of the longest in the world. The Odessa catacombs don’t resemble the ones in Rome and Paris, offering you a brand new experience.

The history of this attraction starts in the 19th century, with the appearance of the limestone quarries. Odessa was a fast growing city and people needed a cheap construction material for the buildings. As a result, long underground labyrinths emerged under the city. It wasn’t safe and soon the mining was prohibited, however the catacombs have remained untouched till today.

Your professional guide will tell you many stories that took place in the catacombs and you will see how much this place means to Odessa and the citizens of the city. Once it was the place where robbers and smugglers hid from the police and you will hear a lot of facts about the criminal past of the city.
You will get a lot of new impressions after visiting Odessa catacombs; it is an unforgettable experience. After the tour, your driver will bring you back to the hotel.

  • Partisan Glory Museum - One of the most important pages of the catacombs history is related to the World War II, when Soviet partisans hid there. There is an underground Museum of Partisan Glory and you will visit it during this tour.
  • Green Tour - Local Tour Operator
What's Included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Private tour
  • Professional guide
  • Transport by private vehicle
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Explore the enigmatic underground realm of the Odessa Catacombs on a 2.5-hour private guided tour. These labyrinthine tunnels extend approximately 1550 miles (2500 km) beneath Odessa and its environs. The Catacombs are intertwined with many chapters of Odessa’s history, having served as limestone quarries, a smugglers’ haven, and a refuge during World War II. Today, they are a renowned attraction, making this tour a must for any visitor to Odessa.

  • The temperature inside the Catacombs is 57°F(14°C); dressing warmly is recommended
  • Not recommended for travelers with walking disabilities
Location
Catacombs of Odessa
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(5 Ratings)
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Darren_e
Jul 11, 2021
Very interesting look underground - Natasha gave us a great tour through the catacombs. Interesting how they were used to fight the German invasion. Bring a jacket, it’s cool down there.
Review provided by Viator
Hawkins33
Aug 19, 2018
An excellent tour of the catacombs with a fantastic guide who was so knowledgable and had so many stories to share.... - We have just arrived back from a fantastic tour of the catacombs with our guide Nataliya! Being a history teacher I was already very excited, but this tour surpassed expectations. We were collected from our hotel on time and then the tour was underway as soon as the car pulled away. Nataliya spoke passionately about the history and founding of the city of Odessa, pointing out some further details in the city as we drove out of town on our way to the site. No sitting in awkward silence, we were engaged from the off! Our tour in the catacombs lasted approx 1hr 45 mins and we saw the main museum section therefore we did not need boots or hard hats, we wore jeans and tops with cardigans and slip on shoes and we were fine. Shoes with socks would be recommended, it is constant 15 degrees underground. The history of the partisan resistance and their lives in the catacombs was fascinating, especially as our guide was so knowledgeable and had family connections to this. It was storytelling at its best, bringing the past to life. But she went further and offered something for everyone, from rock formations to the science and skill behind the early house building. On the tour you see the passages and living quarters of the partisans including the sleeping areas, hospital, school, meeting area, bomb making room etc I cannot recommend this tour highly enough and a special thanks to our guide who really made the tour exceptional.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Carol
Aug 22, 2017
This tour was great. Mistakenly... - <p>This tour was great. Mistakenly booked one day late and miraculously they accommodated me. So glad that I did not disappoint 10 people. We went to the Odessa catacombs. It was a comfortable air condition ride from the Arkadia district. Our guide was very knowledgeable... recommended !</p>
Review provided by Viator
George
Jan 22, 2016
This was an excellent tour, which... - <p>This was an excellent tour, which far exceeded my expectations.</p> <p>Larissa, my guide, was very informative and very good company, and added enormously to my enjoyment of the visit.</p>
Review provided by Viator
Ricardo
Apr 5, 2016
This tour would have been more... - <p>This tour would have been more enjoyable if the tour guide didn't overload us with so many information. She even seemed so annoyed whenever we looked away to take some pictures. The catacomb itself is amazing with so many myriads of mazes that can run hundreds of kilometres. Only short portion of the catacombs open to public to explore. When we entered the catacomb, we didn't realize we explored deep down the underground. And when we got to the end of the catacomb exit, we got to about 6 flights of stairs to go up above the ground which brought you to a small museum.<br/> I would recommend this tour as long as you don't get the same tour guide, the rest you will enjoy it.</p>
Review provided by Viator
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