Last Updated on December 26, 2023
Paris is an iconic destination that appeals to travelers of all ages, but it has especially abundant offerings for families traveling with children. From world-famous art museums to boat cruises along the Seine River, the City of Lights shines bright with family-friendly attractions. Here are some of the best things you can do in Paris with kids.
1. Cruise Along the Seine River
One of the top activities to do in Paris with children is to take a Seine river cruise. Several boat tour companies operate cruises ranging from quick 45-minute sightseeing trips to multi-course dinner cruises. A daytime river cruise allows kids to see Paris’ top monuments like the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame Cathedral glide by along the banks of the Seine.
Many cruises have both enclosed lower decks and open upper decks, so dress kids appropriately for the weather. Audio guides provide commentary in multiple languages as the boat floats under the city’s ornate bridges.
2. Scale the Eiffel Tower
No family trip to Paris is complete without a visit to the “Iron Lady” herself, the Eiffel Tower. Kids of all ages marvel at the iconic landmark as you ascend via elevator or stairs to the three observation decks. The views from the top are staggering, laying all of Paris out before you.
The lower levels feature transparent floors where children can squeal standing over “open air” and peer down at ant-size people below. Make sure to snap the obligatory family photo in front of the Eiffel Tower after you’ve toured it.
3. Explore the Louvre Museum
While the Louvre with its vast art collection might not seem an obvious choice for families with young kids, the museum offers excellent children’s audio guides and trails to keep them engaged. The kid-friendly guides take children on a hunt rooted in stories, games and puzzles tailored to their age.
The museum also hands out special activity packs for children and hosts kid-centric workshops daily. Of course you’ll want to see the Mona Lisa and other highlights, but don’t rush through the Louvre with children in tow. Pick just a section or two to explore without overloading them.
4. Stroll Through Jardin des Tuileries
When museum sightseeing starts to overwhelm kids, take a break at the Tuileries Garden located between the Louvre and Place de la Concorde. These formal French gardens are filled with ponds, sculptures, grassy areas for play and plenty of kid-pleasing treats. Rent a toy sailboat to float across the fountain ponds. Let kids ride the 19th century carousel and play in the amusement park. Stop for crepes, candy, or ice cream cones from street vendors wandered among the garden paths. Then let tiny tots blow off steam at one of several playgrounds in the Tuileries.
5. Tour the Catacombs
Kids fascinated by skulls and skeletons will enjoy a trip to the Catacombs of Paris located south of the city center. An underground ossuary that is part of a tunnel network spreading out under the streets above, the Catacombs contain the bones and skulls exhumed from Paris’ overflowing cemeteries in the late 18th century.
Creep through the winding, dimly lit tunnels and see the floor-to-ceiling piles of bones stacked in elaborate patterns along the walls. Tales of ghosts and other lore cling to the Catacombs for a visit that tweens and teens especially appreciate. However, the experience may prove too intense for very young or sensitive children.
6. Climb Notre Dame Tower
The Notre Dame Cathedral makes a great family visit, especially if you climb the 387 steps to the top of the towers. Kids burn off energy mounting the winding medieval stone stairs leading up the 69-meter bell towers while you glimpse the Gothic masterpiece’s renowned gargoyles, flying buttresses and stained glass windows from a unique vantage point along the way.
Fantastic views of Paris await you at the top, but carefully supervise young ones as there are few guardrails. Descend into the cathedral afterwards to see relics like the 14th century Great Organ before checking out the separate archaeological crypt displaying ruins and foundations.
7. Go Old School at Museum of Magic
Tucked away in the 16th arrondissement, the Musée de la Magie offers an old-world break from the technology of modern life. The museum boasts a collection of optical illusions, automations and masterful magic tricks curated by the French Magician’s Guild over decades.
Kids clamor to see the working vampire, laughing skeleton and other mechanical toys based on magical contraptions created by magician Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin, considered the father of modern magic. Interactive magic shows held at the museum teach children sleight-of-hand techniques like how to pull a rabbit from a hat. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience children won’t soon forget.
8. Explore Versailles Palace
Versailles makes an easy and rewarding day trip from Paris proper, especially for families. The spectacular Palace of Versailles immerses kids in the opulent world of French royalty during the 17th and 18th centuries that ruled from Louis XIV through Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.
Tour the famously ornate Hall of Mirrors and royal apartments before wandering Versailles’ extensive gardens dotted with fountains and sculptures. Children love rowing the boats on the Grand Canal and discovering the labyrinth of garden groves on the grounds. Try to time your visit to catch the Musical Fountains Show held on weekends from April through October, which projects vibrant colored lights onto dancing fountains choreographed to classical music.
9. Munch Crepes & Macarons
No Paris family vacation would be complete without partaking of scrumptious local treats like crepes, croissants, macarons and croque-monsieurs. For a quick and affordable meal, grab ham and cheese crepes from street vendors piping out thin pancakes from sizzling griddles that you can fold up to eat by hand.
Complete your snacking at luxury patisseries serving up multi-colored macarons, petite meringue cookies with sweet creamy fillings. Pop into local boulangeries and brasseries for warm, buttery croissants in the morning or toasted croque-monsieurs oozing with ham and melty cheese at lunchtime. Don’t miss dessert of decadent eclairs, profiteroles or Parisian ice cream either!
With kid-friendly museums, boat cruises, historic sites, amusement rides and yummy food, Paris offers families endless options for memorable adventures during any season. Just be sure to intersperse busy sightseeing with downtime playing in gardens and parks where children can unwind. Before you know it, they’ll be planning your next family getaway to Paris as teens!
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