Paris with kids: the best things to do 🇫🇷

Paris is far more fun with children than its grand museums might suggest — the trick is to mix the icons with plenty of open space to run, climb and snack. These are the sights that keep younger travellers happy without testing anyone’s patience.

The single best spot for families is the Jardin du Luxembourg: a huge palace park with a playground, an old-fashioned carousel, pony rides, a puppet theatre and, best of all, the pond where children push little wooden sailboats with a stick, exactly as Parisian kids have done for generations. Plan a long, lazy stop here and let everyone recharge.

For the wow moments, nothing beats going up the Eiffel Tower — book ahead to skip the long queues and let them feel the city drop away beneath the lift. Climb the Arc de Triomphe too; the spiral staircase is an adventure and the rooftop view over the twelve radiating avenues is a genuine thrill. Up in Montmartre, ride the little funicular to Sacré-Cœur, watch the street performers and share a crepe.

The wide, traffic-calmed Champs-Élysées is an easy stroll with a stop for ice cream, and for a bigger day out the gardens of the Palace of Versailles are made for children — rent bikes or a rowing boat, chase the fountains on a musical-fountain day, and give the formal palace interior only as much time as small attention spans allow. Between the big sights, keep energy up the Parisian way: a warm crepe from a street cart, a carousel ride, and plenty of park time so nobody melts down before dinner. Save the heavy art museums for a rainy hour with very young kids. Each guide below has ticket details, how long to budget and the best time to go, so you can build a day that keeps everyone smiling.