Our children first discovered Europe in 2012, when we travelled to London and Paris. We began with five days in London, then continued to the French capital. With an eight-year-old and a nine-year-old along, we wanted a mixture of famous sights, delicious meals, and activities that felt exciting rather than exhausting. Over four days in Paris, we explored major landmarks, sampled French dishes, and became familiar with the Metro. Tyler and Kara were completely won over, and their enthusiasm helped bring us back on several later trips.
Drawing on that first family adventure and our return visits, here are ten enjoyable ways to experience Paris with children.
1- Take the Stairs Up the Eiffel Tower
No first visit to Paris feels complete without the Eiffel Tower. It topped Kara’s wish list, so we headed there before tackling anything else. Both children climbed more than 600 steps to reach the second floor. The staircase turned the visit into an adventure, which they enjoyed much more than standing in a lengthy elevator queue. At the second level, we met our mothers, Kathy and Valerie, and admired the city spread beneath us.
For help organising your visit, consult the original Eiffel Tower guide linked in the supplied article. It covers ways to manage costs, reduce waiting, and decide whether continuing to the summit suits your plans.
2- Enjoy a Picnic Beneath the Eiffel Tower
A picnic near the tower was a highlight of our first Paris visit together. Rue Cler, a market street within walking distance, makes gathering lunch part of the outing. Choose fresh bread, cheese, fruit, and a chocolate treat, then carry everything towards the Champ de Mars.
Find an available place where picnicking is permitted, settle down, and enjoy the setting. Children can help choose ingredients instead of simply waiting for restaurant service. Browsing the shops, comparing treats, and sharing a relaxed lunch can become just as memorable as visiting a famous monument. Leave time to enjoy it rather than squeezing lunch between appointments.
3- Turn Musée d’Orsay Into an Art Hunt
Musée d’Orsay remains my favourite art museum. Its Impressionist paintings are wonderful, but the former railway station gives the collection an atmosphere that makes the building itself worth noticing.
During our visit, we received a leaflet showing selected artworks. We collected another copy so Tyler and Kara could each follow their own clues.
The leaflet pictured six works on each of three levels. Instead of asking the children to follow us through gallery after gallery, we let them search for the paintings while we tagged along. Their mission brought us to works by Van Gogh, Monet, Manet, and Gauguin without making the visit feel like a lesson.
Two hours passed quickly. When we suggested leaving, neither child was ready. If a similar leaflet is unavailable, prepare your own short list beforehand and let everyone choose an artwork to find.
4- See Paris From the Towers of Notre-Dame
Tyler and Kara have always loved climbing, whether the challenge involves stairs, rocks, mountain trails, or a tempting boulder. Offering another staircase during our Paris trip usually brought an enthusiastic response. Add a twisting passage and an unfamiliar viewpoint, and their excitement grew even stronger.
At Notre-Dame, the climb became an attraction in its own right. We followed narrow stairs upwards, then looked across Paris alongside the cathedral’s memorable stone figures.
The devastating 2019 fire closed Notre-Dame for restoration. Visitors returned to the cathedral in December 2024, and the tower circuit reopened in September 2025. Today’s tower route differs from the older experience, so consult the official visitor information before planning your climb.
Cathedral admission is free, with optional reservations through its official website. Tower visits use a separate timed booking through the Centre des Monuments Nationaux. Check availability early, and consider your children’s comfort with stairs and heights before reserving.
5- Meet the Mona Lisa at the Louvre
The Louvre’s size can overwhelm adults, never mind children. Trying to cover every gallery is unlikely to produce a happy family outing. A shorter visit with a handful of recognisable targets gives everyone something to anticipate and leaves room for the rest of the day.
We concentrated on the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Winged Victory, and the Apollo Gallery during an one-hour highlights visit. Having a clear plan helped us avoid wandering until the children lost interest.
Use the Louvre guide mentioned in the supplied article as a planning resource. Its highlights route offers a starting point, with opportunities to extend your visit if the family remains interested. Egyptian collections can provide an appealing additional focus for curious children.
6- Climb the Arc de Triomphe for City Views
The Arc de Triomphe combines another winding staircase with a rooftop panorama, making it an appealing stop for children who enjoy earning their view. For me, this is among Paris’s most rewarding observation points.
From above, you can follow the Champs-Élysées towards Place de la Concorde and pick out familiar landmarks across the skyline. Spotting the Eiffel Tower, Invalides, and Sacré-Cœur turns sightseeing into an easy recognition game.
An evening visit provides a different atmosphere as the city lights appear. Check current opening times and ticket conditions beforehand. The Paris Museum Pass generally includes one entry per participating site, so do not assume it allows repeated climbs on the same trip.
7- Wander Through Montmartre to Sacré-Cœur
When the children still have energy, Montmartre offers a change from museum interiors and monumental avenues. Explore its hillside streets slowly before making your way towards Sacré-Cœur.
The basilica provides a striking destination, while the surrounding viewpoints invite a pause. Sit where permitted, take in the skyline, and watch the neighbourhood’s passing activity. Build in breaks: the hills can feel more demanding after a full sightseeing day.
8- Explore Père Lachaise With Curious Eyes
A cemetery might seem an unexpected family recommendation, yet our ninety-minute visit to Père Lachaise became one of Tyler and Kara’s strongest Paris memories. Its winding paths, stone monuments, and quiet corners created a setting different from the city’s busier attractions.
Our October visit followed a rainstorm. Mist hovered near the ground, birds called overhead, and the first changing leaves added colour to the scene. The atmosphere encouraged plenty of imaginative conversation.
Children may enjoy observing unusual sculptures and tracing a route through the paths, but explain that this is a place of remembrance. Keep voices low, stay on permitted paths, and avoid climbing monuments or disturbing visitors. Curiosity works best here when paired with respect.
9- Copy Sculpture Poses at the Rodin Museum
Rain accompanied our visit to the Rodin Museum, but it did little to dampen the children’s enthusiasm. Tyler and Kara enjoyed examining the sculptures, copying their poses, and taking turns for photographs.
The garden gave us a refreshing alternative to enclosed galleries. We could move between works, pause outside, and make looking at art feel playful. Although the museum also has indoor collections, its outdoor sculptures were engaging for our family. Pack weather-appropriate clothing, and keep a respectful distance from the artworks while posing.
10- Discover Versailles Beyond the Palace Rooms
We travelled to Versailles by RER and devoted a morning to exploring. Inside the palace, crowds made our visit uncomfortable. Moving through packed rooms felt tiring, and the warm conditions did not help.
The grounds offered a different reason to recommend the trip. Even on our grey, rainy visit, with the fountains inactive, the gardens made an impression. With suitable weather and enough time, families can enjoy a much more varied outing than a palace-only visit suggests.
We have returned since that first experience with young children. Before going, review the Versailles guide referenced in the original article and check the estate’s current schedules. Consider whether garden walks, cycling, or seasonal boat rentals would suit your family. Allow enough time for travel and breaks, and check which activities require separate payment. Treat Versailles as an outing with choices rather than a compulsory march through every room.
More Tips for Visiting Paris With Kids
Consider the Catacombs carefully. They were unavailable during our visit, although we had enjoyed an earlier visit together. The underground passages and human remains create a distinctive experience. Decide whether the subject matter and enclosed setting suit your children before adding it to your itinerary.
Hand over the camera occasionally. Our children loved recording their travels with their iPods. A phone or camera can give children the same opportunity today. Afterwards, select favourite photographs for a scrapbook and let them explain why those moments mattered.
Make Metro navigation a shared task. We told Tyler and Kara our destination and invited them to help identify the route. Let children look for line numbers, directions, and station names while adults remain responsible for tickets, crossings, and keeping everyone together.
Explore unfamiliar food gradually. Bread, cheese, and pastries provide approachable starting points. More adventurous children might want to sample onion soup, escargots, or frogs’ legs. Offer small tastes without pressure, and keep familiar options available when everyone is tired.
Encourage a daily journal. A few sentences can capture memories photographs miss. We often used the wait before dinner for writing. Ask what surprised them, what made them laugh, and which activity they would repeat. Their answers may differ delightfully from yours.
Pause at an outdoor café. A terrace gives everyone a chance to rest while observing daily life. Choose somewhere with food the children will enjoy, check the menu, and allow time to linger. Watching people pass can be an activity itself rather than wasted sightseeing time.
Sharing Paris with Tyler and Kara changed the way we experienced a city we already loved. They often managed busy days better than expected and adapted impressively to the time difference. Their curiosity encouraged us to notice details we might otherwise have overlooked. Family travel certainly benefits from flexibility, but it can also bring rewards. The moments that stayed with us included major landmarks, simple meals, and discoveries. Seeing familiar places through our children’s eyes became one of the pleasures we valued most, and a reason to keep exploring together.
