We've been to Paris several times now and always find something to love about it with kids in tow. There is so much for them to do and explore- don't leave them out of your Paris trip!
Paris is dreamy- am I right? Super romanticized with the sites and the food and the vibe. While bringing your kids along may not sound super dreamy, I promise you that you won't regret it. They will find things to love also about this important city. I've done three separate trips now with my little one to Paris and these are the things we have done- including honest reviews of each place!
EIFFEL TOWER
Ok- well this goes without saying. You must stop by here. I definitely think it is worth the money to go up and see the views. My kid LOVED the elevator ride up to the top as it goes up at a diagonal and she had never seen anything like that before. I know this place gets a lot of hype- but I think it is warranted. The views from the top are spectacular. Truly on top of the world.
Travel Tip- Make it into a game by seeing
who can take the silliest picture with the Eiffel Tower!
Also... we are not above bribing. If the Eiffel Tower doesn't sound fun for your kid... can they be tempted with this carousel across the street? We find we can get our kid to do many things if she can get a carousel ride out of it!
PARIS CATACOMBS
We were a tiny bit worried that our kids would think this place was scary... but they loved it. We prepped them well by talking about how it may be dark, why we would be seeing bones, and how it came to be in a kid-friendly historical context. But really they just loved running the long mazes of the labyrinth like halls.
ARC DE TRIOMPHE
Need some more views over Paris? Make your way here! You pass through a museum on the way up to the top that talks about different famous arches all over the world. We loved connecting this arch to the Wellington Arch in London!
WALK DOWN THE CHAMPS-ELYSEES
Big wide sidewalks, people watching, fancy stores- this is an easy walk for letting your kids be able to run around chasing pigeons at their own pace. Gawk at some of the designer ware or pop into Lauderee for a delicious macaron. I've never liked macarons until having one here... they're delicious.
MUSEE DE L'ORANGERIE
Nervous about taking your kids into a huge and crowded museum like the Louvre? Why not opt for a smaller museum? One that doesn't take much time, but you still get a beautiful museum experience. There are MANY to choose from in Paris, my personal favorite being Musée de l'Orangerie, home to the magnificent Les Nymphéas (Water Lilies) murals by Claude Monet.
VERSAILLES PALACE
Fancy a little bit of time outside central Paris? Hop on a train for a quick ride out to Versailles. This place is everything and more. King Louis was over the top ridiculous and his house is a wonder. My kid was NOT excited about seeing another "boring house" but we made the whole house into a scavenger hunt searching for as many "King Louis crests" we could find. Winner gets a Lauduree cookie. Yum, yum.
Out back in the palace gardens is a HUGE lake that King Louis would use for fake naval battles... for show. Because why not? Now you can rent a paddle boat and make your own battles on the water! Joke joke. You can paddle around though, and we had a hysterical time trying to not just paddle in circles.
SACRE COUER TRAIN
Technically called the "Le Petit Train de Montmartre", this little train sits outside Sacre Couer. You board the train, pay the driver, and then you're off on a train ride around Montmartre. It was a little hard to hear the audio over the sounds of the city, but we enjoyed our time getting off our feet and looking around this unique and artistic area of Paris.
Travel Tip- Scare Couer stands atop a sizable hill in Paris. If the little feet in your group are tired, I would recommend taking the funicular to the top instead of the millions of stairs.
BIKE TOUR
This is hands down one of our favorite ways to see a city in any area we go. It is active, fun, keeps us moving, educational and just an all around kid-friendly experience. We did our tour with Fat Tire Tours and they were lovely. They had all sorts of bike types for kids and made arrangements for us to feel safe and included. HIGHLY RECOMMEND! ...She doesn't look amused but I promise she had a good time.
PARIS AQUARIUM
One particular Parisian day we were melting from the heat and the little one was struggling. We popped into the Paris Aquarium which is across from the Eiffel Tower in the Trocadero area and had a wonderful time in the AIR CONDITIONING. This is rare for Europe so we were exceptionally happy. Aquariums aren't cheap... so I wouldn't recommend this activity if you have nice weather outside. I would save this for a rainy, cold or too hot of a day.
DISNEYLAND PARIS
I may lose all credibility with you after this recommendation... but how can I not? The happiest place on Earth? Everything Disney so close to Paris? We are Disney fans so we had to do this. In fact, we've done it multiple times now. Disney take my money. I don't know if much explanation is needed about this being a kid-friendly stop. Disney knows kids. They know fun. And they do a damn good theme park.