Planning a trip to Paris with kids and want a totally do-able itinerary? Keep scrolling to check out my kid-friendly 5 days in Paris itinerary from my last trip to France!
This kid-friendly 5 days in Paris itinerary was written by family travel expert Marcie Cheung and contains affiliate links which means if you purchase something from one of my affiliate links, I may earn a small commission that goes back into maintaining this blog.
Planning a trip to Paris with your family?
We just spent 5 days in Paris and had a blast! Our 8-year-old and 5-year-old loved all of the activities we did. Keep scrolling to see our exact Paris itinerary. Spoiler alert: they want to go back!
You will too once you see how much fun these activities are. All of them are perfect for kids of all ages. And don’t worry – we have tips for traveling with kids included too.
Keep scrolling to find out some awesome things to do for kids in Paris that your whole family will enjoy.
So what are you waiting for? Start planning your dream trip to Paris today!
5 Days in Paris with Kids
Before I really get into the Paris in 5 days itinerary, I wanted to note that we flew to Paris from Seattle and arrived at 11 am in a heat wave where it was 101 degrees. We spent the first day basically just laying in the hotel soaking up the A/C and recovering from jet lag.
Jet lag hit us pretty hard this trip and we were back at the hotel by around 8 pm every night. We also added a few nights at Disneyland Paris so we actually spent 7 days in Paris. But this is the real itinerary we used in Paris for 5 days.
Join our Traveling Europe with Kids Facebook group to get real-time planning advice! JOIN NOW
Day 1: Food Tour and Jardin du Luxembourg
Paris Food Tour in the Marais District
We all know that Paris is famous for its food. And we wanted to know exactly where to go to taste the best croissants. So, we booked this Paris food tour for 10 am on our first full day in Paris.
It’s one of the best food tours we’ve ever done while traveling!
Our guide took us to famous bakeries where we tried flaky croissants, pastries, and world-renowned bread. We did several tastings during our walk but it culminated in a leisurely sit down at a wine bar for wine, cheese, and bread.
While we devoured lots of incredible food, we tried a truffle soft cheese that I’ve literally been dreaming about ever since! Check the latest rates and more information.
Notre Dame de Paris
Our food tour ended fairly close to Notre Dame Cathedral, so we figured we should walk past and take a few photos.
Several years ago, Notre Dame caught on fire and it was incredibly sad. Since then, they have been working on restoring it. The face of the cathedral looked pretty good, but the rest was covered in scaffolding.
It wasn’t open for tours when we were there, but we’ve been inside in the past and it’s pretty amazing!
Jardin du Luxembourg
One of our favorite memories of visiting Paris with toddlers was playing with the toy boats at Jardin du Luxembourg. It was an activity that our oldest child picked out from a book and it was a huge hit.
So, when we decided to go back to Paris, we made sure to add Jardin du Luxembourg to our Paris itinerary.
We started off renting toy boats and it was super fun! It was only 6 euros for 30 minutes, so we got each kid a boat and we ran around chasing them.
From there, we headed over to the playground where the kids met other kids and played for 2 hours! The playground did cost a few euros to enter, but it was totally worth it.
We meant to hit up the carousel right next to the playground, but it closed a few minutes before we got there. It’s one of the carousels where kids try to grab the ring with a stick.
Dinner at Broadway Caffe
We realized that we were getting hungry for dinner after we left Jardin du Luxembourg, so we hit up Broadway Caffe on our way back to our hotel in Montparnasse.
It’s pretty much American food and Italian food (like Neopolitan pizza). We ordered pizza because it was easy.
We sat outside and they had swings for chairs! This was the main reason we opted to eat here.
Day 2: Paris Photoshoot and Historical Tour of Paris
Flytographer Photoshoot in Montmartre
One of my favorite things to do when traveling with my family is book a photoshoot. That way, I know I’ll get some “nice” photos of myself, my kids, and my husband. Otherwise, I’ll only be in selfies.
This photoshoot had a 6 am start time, which was sort of brutal. But, it meant that we were basically the only people walking around Sacre Couer and Montmartre, which was pretty awesome.
I packed our photoshoot clothes in a special packing cube to make sure everything stayed clean and ready for our photo session.
It was AMAZING and I’m so glad we woke up early to do this! Check out my top Paris family photo tips!
Oh, and we picked Montmartre because we did a photo shoot at the Eiffel Tower 5 years ago and didn’t want to repeat locations.
We always use Flytographer when we travel. They are usually the most affordable photography service we can find. And you can save $25 off your first session.
Book a Family Photo Shoot
Whenever we travel, we almost always book a family photo shoot with Flytographer. They are super easy and affordable AND guarantee that I’ll be in some photos. You can get $25 off if you book through this link or use the code HAWAIITRAVEL.
Breakfast at Laduree on the Champs Elysees
If you love macarons, chances are that you have heard of Laduree. They have made their way to the United States in large cities like Los Angeles and New York City. But, they are originally from Paris.
They have several locations around Paris, but if you want to do breakfast or brunch, you’ll want to book at their Champs Elysees location.
I booked our 8:30 am breakfast reservation about a month before our trip and I’m so glad I did because there was a line out the door for walk-ups.
The portion sizes were on the smaller size, but everything tasted and looked beautiful. Since it was a special breakfast, we let the kids order desserts and giant macarons.
And then, we had to stop and pick up some macarons to enjoy later in the day.
Shopping on the Champs Elysees
The Champs Elysees is one of the most famous shopping streets in Paris. Normally, I’d just suggest walking for a bit to window shop because there are some fancy stores.
However, I spotted a Monoprix (sort of like France’s version of Target) and I just had to go in a take a peek. I’m glad I did because I scored a few cute dresses and a sweatshirt to immediately put on because it was a lot colder than I expected!
Our kids also begged us to visit the Disney Store. They did have a few Disney Paris items and a lot of cute merchandise that we did not see at Disneyland Paris. So, I’d say it’s worth a quick stop.
Unexpected Gossip Tour of Paris
We love doing unique tours when we travel. So, when I saw that there was a tour where a woman dressed up in a 1700s costume and walked around Paris spilling the best historical gossip, I couldn’t sign up fast enough!
We booked the 11:30 am tour, which was perfect timing for our family.
Our kids thought the tour was pretty funny and they actually learned a lot of historical facts in a creative way. I love that our tour guide had a mini iPad so she could show exactly what she was talking about.
We learned cool things like how the term “souvenir” was coined and what really happened on Bastille Day.
The tour ended in the courtyard of the Louvre where we learned how someone stole the Mona Lisa. It’s a pretty crazy story! Check the latest rates and more information.
Break and Lunch at Cafe Edgar
Since we had such an early morning, we figured everyone could use a break. So we headed back to our hotel and everyone either took a nap or zoned out on screens for a bit.
Then, we headed next door to our hotel to enjoy lunch at Cafe Edgar. They had a great assortment of French cuisine and tasty drinks.
We also walked around the neighborhood and checked out a local toy shop and bought some macarons.
Paris Tootbus
At this point, it was late afternoon and we were worried that we’d all fall asleep too early since we were still jet lagged. So, we figured we might as well hop on the Tootbus for a tour of Paris.
My husband bought the tickets while we were at our hotel and then we headed to Notre Dame to hop on. Since it was sort of late in the day, we just rode it until they closed and we had to hop off.
It was totally worth it though! We saw the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Arc de Triomphe, and a bunch of other sites. Plus, it was a fun way to orient ourselves to the city. Check the latest rates and more information.
Galeries Lafayette
We got off the Tootbus and realized we were super close to Galeries Lafayette. It’s basically a massive department store, but they have a whole section for food.
We took a peek at their gourmet food level because we were on the hunt for a few items we purchased a few years ago.
But, we also realized that we could pick up a picnic dinner there. We ended up grabbing sandwiches, chips, yogurts, and desserts. We took them to Jardin du Luxembourg to enjoy and then we walked back to the hotel.
Day 3: Musee d’Orsay and the Eiffel Tower
Scavenger Hunt at the Musee d’Orsay
After a quick breakfast at our hotel, we headed to the Musee d’Orsay at 10 am to meet up with Caroline for a kid-focused scavenger hunt of the Musee d’Orsay.
We picked the Musee d’Orsay over the Louvre because our family had recently visited a couple of immersive Van Gogh exhibits and I figured our kids would be more familiar with some of the impressionist artists.
This kid-friendly tour surpassed my expectations! Our guide was a former elementary school teacher and she was incredible!
She gave each of our kids a little booklet for the scavenger hunt that included places to draw their own masterpieces and paste in photos of themselves at the museum.
This was a 2-hour tour and our kids were fully engaged the entire time. It was just the right amount of time for them to get a taste of a museum in Paris without getting bored. Check the latest rates and availability.
Eiffel Tower
We ended up taking a TukTuk to the Eiffel Tower from Musee d’Orsay. It was pretty pricey at 25 euro/person, but it was faster and a lot more fun than taking a taxi.
We ate lunch at Brasserie de la Tour Eiffel before heading to the meeting spot for our Eiffel Tower tour. Doing a tour is a great way to visit the Eiffel Tower with kids.
We knew we wanted to go up to the summit level of the Eiffel Tower and we wanted to skip the line. That’s why we booked a tour. It was definitely worth it for our family because there was minimal waiting.
The tour only lasted until the 2nd level and then we went up to the top on our own. It was pretty cool to see the views, but our 5-year-old was pretty toast on the way down. Check the latest rates and more information.
So, we figured a stop at the carousel by the Eiffel Tower was necessary. Our kids ended up riding it 4 times. Plus, we got drinks and ice cream and just took an hour or so to relax.
Dinner at Chez Andres
We actually had 6:30 pm dinner reservations at Chez Andres, but they were able to get us in at 6 pm. We ate here 5 years ago and it was such a memorable experience that we knew we wanted to go back.
The food was incredible and the staff is so friendly and accommodating.
By the time we left at 7:15 pm, there was a massive line. So, it’s definitely worth making a reservation.
Day 4: Giverny and Versailles
Bus Tour of Giverny
Giverny is where the impressionist painter Claude Monet lived with his family and it’s where he painted his famous waterlilies.
My husband and I had a hard time deciding whether we should visit Giverny or Versailles as a Paris day trip, so we found a tour that did both. We weren’t sure how our kids would handle a 10-hour bus tour, but they were troopers.
We did breakfast at our hotel and then met up at a hotel where we hopped aboard the bus. It took about an hour to get to Giverny and the guide narrated almost the entire way. I thought it was fascinating but my kids kept plugging their ears and tried to sleep.
Once we got to Giverny, we had about 2 hours to explore Monet’s house, gardens, and the gift shop. While that sounds like a lot of time, we really needed 3 hours to slow down and enjoy it.
But, it was stunning and we’re all so glad we got to see it!
Lunch in the Countryside
Part of the tour included a stop at a restaurant in the Normandy countryside. The food was fine and the wine was tasty! It was a nice pit stop before heading to Versailles.
Bus Tour to Versailles
Our bus tour went past little villages and where Monet lived for a few years on the drive to Versailles.
Once we arrived at Versailles we had 20 minutes to explore the gardens before meeting up with our group for our timed ticket to the Palace of Versailles.
We only had 1 hour and 45 minutes at Versailles, which is a really short time.
Our kids were pretty exhausted once we got inside the crowded palace, so we ditched the tour group about halfway through and got snacks and drinks, and enjoyed the courtyard.
Even though it was a jam-packed day, I’m still glad we did it this way because we got an intro to both places. Check the latest rates and more information.
We’re pretty sure we’ll be back to Paris in the next few years, so then we can decide if we want to do a full-day trip to either Giverny or Versailles. Read our full post about visiting Versailles with kids.
Dinner at Relais de l’Entrecote
There’s a really cool Parisian restaurant called le “Relais de l’Entrecote” where you can get steak and fries. It’s really the only thing on the menu and they come around and replenish your steak and fries as you eat.
You can get it with sauce or without. And you can let them know if you’d like your steak rare, medium, or well-done.
They have several locations. We did the one in Montparnasse and there was no wait right at opening.
Day 5: Disneyland Paris
So, technically we moved hotels to stay at the Newport Bay Resort at Disneyland Paris for a couple of days, but you could easily do Disneyland Paris as a day trip. That’s what we did last time and that’s what we’ll do in the future.
Disneyland Paris is similar to Disneyland California but they have several different rides. We focused on the rides that we don’t have in the U.S. but we skipped all the parades. Get Disneyland Paris tickets HERE.
Here’s exactly what we did with a park hopper pass (and the paid Premier Pass) on one day at Disneyland Paris:
8:30 am
- Arrived at Walt Disney Studios for the Magic Morning
- Ratatouille: The Adventure
- Slinky Dog Zig-Zag Spin
9:30 am
- My husband and 8-year-old did Crush’s Coaster with the Premier Pass while my 5-year-old and I did Cars Quatre Roues Rally
- Les Tapis Volants – Flying Carpets Over Agrabah
10 am
- Cars Road Trip
- Shopping at Chez Marianne/potty break
- Monsters Inc photo spot
11 am
- We headed over to Disneyland Park
- My husband and 8-year-old did Big Thunder Mountain with Premier Pass while my 5-year-old and I did Alice’s Curious Labyrinth
12 pm
- Peter Pan with Premier Pass (only took 5 minutes)
- Got in line to Meet Mickey (1 hour line)
1:15 pm
- Lunch at Pinnochio
2 pm
- Photo by castle
- Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast with Premier Pass and store
2:35 pm
- Star Tours with Premier Pass and store
- Mickey’s Philharmagic
- It started raining so we bought sweatshirts and went pin shopping
4:50 pm
- 30-minute Lion King Show (reserved for $15/person)
- Shopping
6 pm
- Headed back to Walt Disney Studios
- Churros and paella at the Spain stand and pizza at Italy stand
- My 5-year-old and I did the Frozen Show while my husband and 8-year-old did Ratatouille and Crush’s Coaster with the Premier Pass
- Shopping at Walt Disney Studios store
- Headed to Disney Village to shop at World of Disney and Disney Fashion
Tips for Visiting Paris with Kids
Stay Near Paris Attractions You Want to Visit
On our first family trip to Paris, we stayed at an Airbnb near the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysees and it was a great location for what we planned on that trip.
For this trip, we stayed at the Hotel Aiglon in Montparnasse specifically because it was a short walk to Jardin du Luxembourg. We liked being in a quieter section of Paris and it was perfect for our family.
But, there are plenty of other places to stay in Paris for families. You’ll definitely want to factor in your accommodations into your trip to Paris budget.
Ask Your Kids What THEY Want to Do
Kids love to be included in planning trips and it makes them more excited about the itinerary. Our kids chose to do the toy boats at Jardin du Luxembourg, the scavenger hunt at Musee d’Orsay, and Disneyland Paris.
These were some of their favorite memories and they loved getting a say in our Paris itinerary.
We asked the kids about visiting other museums, visiting the Arc de Triomphe again, and doing a Seine river cruise but they weren’t interested in any of those suggestions.
It was a good thing we checked because those were on our original itinerary. I’m glad we swapped them for things the kids actually wanted to do.
Giverny vs Versailles
Since we had a hard time choosing between Giverny and Versailles, we did a mega tour that covered both locations. This worked for our family, but if you really want enough time to explore, each one deserves a day trip.
Giverny is perfect for families who love art and are familiar with Claude Monet. You’ll get to be in the place that inspired so many famous pieces of art.
Versailles is great for families who are interested in history and the French monarchy. It’s also one of the most popular day trips from Paris.
Use GPS for Metro Routes and Download Paris Taxi App
One thing we learned quickly in Paris is that taxis can drive in a special lane while Ubers cannot. That means it’s a lot faster to take a taxi. And you can order a taxi via an app.
Honestly, we used taxis a lot more than the Metro this trip to avoid crowds and save our feet from extra walking.
But, the Metro in Paris is really easy to use and it’s the most economical way to get around Paris.
Paris Itinerary with Kids FAQs
Paris is home to some of the coolest carousels, so definitely plan on stopping a few times during your trip. There are also lots of parks with fun playgrounds. I recommend booking a scavenger hunt tour of either the Louvre or the Musee d’Orsay as a fun way to get your kids interested in art. And you can always do a macaron crawl where you try macarons from several bakeries and decide which is your favorite.
You can see as much as you like! Paris is home to some of the best art museums in the world and iconic attractions like the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe. It’s easy to see a lot of these buildings from a bus tour, but it takes more time if you’d like to stop and explore. You can plan on visiting 2 attractions/activities each day or spend more time at one and leave room to rest/relax.
Our first family trip to Paris was when our youngest was 6 months old. We were impressed with how baby-friendly Paris was. We mostly used a baby carrier when we did tours or explored. I do recommend bringing your own diapers and baby food if your child is particular as it can be hard to find specific brands in Paris.
Paris Family Vacation Wrap-Up
I hope this post helped you figure out what to do with kids in Paris, France! This was one of my favorite kid-friendly trips in Europe and we can’t wait for our next family trip to Paris!
I recommend checking out some Paris tours for kids, as well as French bakeries, pretty carousels, and anything else you can’t find in your hometown.
Love this Paris 5 day itinerary? Check out my tips for Disneyland Paris, top kid-friendly Paris tours, tips for visiting Paris for the first time, guide to hiring a Paris family photographer, things to do in Paris for teens, things to do in Paris at night, Paris Instagram spots, visiting Versailles with kids, secret spots in Paris, Paris day trips, things to do on a Paris family vacation, Paris Tuk Tuk Tour review, tips for visiting Paris with kids, and kid-friendly Arc de Triomphe tips!
