The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Paris With Kids: Things to Do, Where to Stay, What to Eat

Paris’s blend of sophistication and whimsy has beckoned generations of artists, gourmands, lovers, . . . and kids? Well, why not? The French capital teems with Parisian families who find their daily joie de vivre in the patchwork of walkable neighborhoods, filled with plentiful parks and playgrounds, Seine-side strolls, street performers, tasty treats, and eye-catching window displays—plus iconic monuments and views to make imaginations soar.

In the early aughts, I lived in Paris for more than a year and have returned, magnetized by the city, many times since. But bringing my seven-year-old daughter there for the first time this summer and seeing it through her eyes was like seeing it ever-so-wondrously for the first time. Another mom I spoke with, Sarah Hvozda of New York City, visited Paris this past spring with her husband and 10-year-old son and had a similar experience.

“We had a wonderful time traveling to Paris as a family and can’t wait to go back,” she said, recounting the pedestrian-friendly aspect of the city and the fun they found by haphazardly dipping into bakeries, restaurants, markets, and gardens.

Hvozda’s best advice? “Don’t try to pack too much into one day, and mix the day with things the adults may like better, like museums, with time to run around in the parks and gardens throughout the city, or take a boat ride on the Seine.”

Below, a guide to the best places to see, sleep, and eat when visiting Paris with les enfants.

Photo by Margaret Jaszowska/Unsplash (L); Simon Goetz/Unsplash (R)

Things to do in Paris with kids

These seven uniquely Parisian things to do on your family trip mix bucket-list highlights with more offbeat finds, all sure to broaden kids’ cultural horizons.

1. Experience the Eiffel Tower

Your kids will most certainly want to scamper up the nearly 1,100-foot-high Eiffel Tower (ideally without the crowds). And why shouldn’t they? It’s got gobsmacking views from both the second floor, reached by either a glass-paneled elevator or set of 674 steps, and from the summit, accessed by an additional lift. But however you go up, consider walking down (from the second floor viewing level) to appreciate the tower’s intricate wrought-iron latticework; for little ones resistant to trudging, offer incentives like treats from the second-floor macaron bar or a pit-stop at the glass floor, one level below, for a dizzying downward gaze. Don’t miss neighboring Champ de Mars’s playgrounds, pedal cars, and antique carousel, or the grand fountains and sweeping tower views of the Trocadéro gardens across the Seine. (Tip: Head here after dark, when the tower puts on a dazzling, hourly light show.)

2. Cruise along the Seine

Give little legs a rest—or ride out jet lag—on a scenic boat cruise along the Seine, which offers effortless deck-top sightseeing as you glide under arched bridges and past water’s-edge landmarks like the Louvre Museum, Eiffel Tower, and recently reopened Notre-Dame cathedral. There’s no shortage of tourist boats (including the hop-on, hop-off Batobus), but for one that targets tiny sailors, check out Vedettes de Paris, which leads relaxing, one-hour excursions aboard fully electric boats, and caters specifically to passengers between 6 and 13. Guides pepper their narration with kid-friendly anecdotes, jokes, and riddles—and give each child a captain-issued diploma keepsake before disembarking.

3. Try a Mary Poppins–led whirl through the Louvre

Paris is bubbling over with world-class museums, and while you simply can’t skip the Louvre, your little traveler’s bandwidth for art appreciation—and stifling crowds—is going to be bite-size at best. Luckily, even this grand and daunting institution can be tamed by the pros at Meet the Locals for Families, who will pair you up with a tour guide who, as they describe it on their website, is like “Mary Poppins with an art-history degree.” Running two hours (and starting at 550 euros for a party of two to four), the company’s splurge-worthy, cut-the-line, private family tour through the world’s largest museum features a story-rich, clue-solving “treasure hunt,” covering major highlights from the Mona Lisa to the Venus de Milo.

Photo by Kirsten Drew/Unsplash

4. Unwind in a jardin

Recharging in a city jardin is as authentic a Parisian experience as any, with 500-plus parks and green spaces to let wee ones run wild. Spill out of the Louvre into the 69-acre Tuileries Garden to work out some post-museum wiggles. Amid the manicured French-style gardens and statuary is a playground, trampoline park, carousel, grand basin with toy boats to rent, and summertime fairground with dozens of carnival attractions, including a giant Ferris wheel offering stellar city vistas. Or try the 62-acre, statue-studded Luxembourg Garden, set in the shadow of the stately French Senate building. It has green lawns and formal gardens, an old-timey carousel, a large ornamental pond (with more model sailboats to rent), huge playground, marionette theater, and even pony rides.

5. Explore the city on two wheels

Paris is one of the world’s most veló-friendly cities, boasting more than 600 miles of protected bike lanes—and tooling around this way lets you combine sightseeing with an activity that kids can get excited about. Try a private family tour from Bike About Tours, which will outfit the whole clan with bicycles (including, if necessary, kiddie seats or tandem attachments) and team you with an English-speaking guide who has years of experience cycling around Paris with their own families. The roughly three-hour, go-at-your-own pace tours can be customized to either pedal past the city’s main attractions along the Seine or into the city’s less-touristy neighborhoods, with plenty of stops for stories, photos, and croissants along the way.

6. Enjoy funicular fun and bohemian flavor in Montmartre

This hilltop neighborhood, capped by the white-domed Sacré-Cœur basilica, was once a muse for artists like Picasso and Toulouse-Lautrec. But half the fun of exploring the near-mythical area lies simply in getting around—via funicular, steep stairways, winding cobblestone streets, and even a little train. You’ll also want to check out the double-decker carousel on Square Louise-Michel below Sacré-Cœur. But higher, on the basilica’s steps, it’s all about the postcard-perfect views over Paris’s rooftops and the sinuous Seine. Then linger on the touristy yet captivating Place du Tertre, a blur of bistros, buskers, and open-air artists vying for the business of getting your kids to sit for a caricature or portrait. (Tip: Go for it.)

7. Have a rainy day plan with immersive art and wax figures

When rain, cold, or heat dictates an indoor retreat, try the gallery-meets-theatrical experience of Atelier des Lumières. Here 360-degree digital projections of works by such artists as Gustav Klimt, Marc Chagall, and Vincent van Gogh are projected onto the walls, ceilings, and floors of a former foundry for a sensory-rich spectacle. (Be sure to visit the kids digital-art workshop.) You could also try the Musée Grévin, one of the oldest wax museums in Europe, which has a hall of mirrors and 250 celebrity, historical, and fictional figures, (including kid faves like Paw Patrol and Miraculous Ladybug) meticulously molded in wax.

Where to stay: family-friendly hotels

Photo by Steve Herud

Family quarters call for primo location and decent room size, and we have a list of chic Paris hotels with rooms big enough for families. For a spluge, though, you could make the legendary, 160-room Le Meurice your base, because it high marks for both. This Versailles-meets-surrealism palace hotel is set on the doorstep of the Tuileries Garden, where hotel staff can arrange for carousel rides and loaner toy sailboats. You’ll appreciate the hotel’s plush and artsy decor, its signature Philippe Starck design, and the Le Dalí restaurant, named for frequent guest Salvador Dalí (where the kids can even sit in Starck-designed high chairs). Room-wise, expect spacious suites featuring pop-up sets like princess castles or tepees and, in some, brilliant city views. Tailor-made kids amenities include a hotel treasure hunt, plush keepsake pup, Little Prince toiletries, kiddie bathrobes and slippers, and in-room babysitting services.

For something trendier and altogether more affordable, try the stylish, 237-room 25hours Hotel Terminus Nord, near both Montmartre and the key transportation hub of the Gare du Nord train station. With a quirky and eye-catching aesthetic rich in multicultural murals and prints, the vibrant boutique hotel offers plenty of large, colorful rooms (each equipped with the hotel’s cuddly plush frog mascot, Gustave) and amenities such as bike rentals and a modern Middle Eastern restaurant with a dedicated children’s play corner during weekend brunch.

Photo by DameTraveler/Shutterstock (L); EricBery/Shutterstock (R)

Where to eat: restaurants kids will love

While your urge may be to elegantly eat your way through one of the world’s great foodie cities, your wee travel companion may crave a hot dog over haute cuisine. Luckily, there’s middle ground to be found.

Breakfast or an afternoon pick-me-up is an easy win, as near-ubiquitous boulangeries spill over with buttery croissants and pain au chocolat. The bakeries are also handy spots to buy baguettes—paired with cheese from a fromagerie or fruit from a local open-air market—for a relaxed park picnic. When it comes to sweets, there are pâtisseries aplenty, with their drool-worthy displays of éclairs, tarts, and puff pastries—not to mention house-made ice cream (try the famed Berthillon), thick hot chocolate (hit Angelina), and colorful macarons (from the legendary Ladurée).

For a proper sit-down meal, look for more casual brasseries or bistros; most have staple dishes like steak frites or croque-monsieurs (grilled ham-and-cheese sandwiches) that will suit picky palates. (For kids menus, ask for the menu enfant). Another classic kid-pleaser are crêperies, with their endless varieties of the ultra-thin pancake, both savory and sweet—Breizh Café is one excellent option. Bon appétit. And bon voyage!