Visit Paris with kids — the easy way
Looking for the best Paris tours with kids or kid-friendly attractions? Well, you’re in luck! Paris is a fantastic city to visit with children — if you know where to go.
Read on to get a local’s guide to the best Paris tours with kids. We’ll have you planning your kid-friendly activities in no time. With our help, make your tour of the French capital unforgettable — for grown-ups and little ones alike.
What are the best family-friendly tours available in Paris?
Did you know Vikings attacked Paris in the 9th century? They rowed up the Seine and laid siege to the Île de la Cité, the ancient heart of Paris. Then they plundered whatever loot they could carry and burned the rest.
Ghastly, no? But kids love this kind of story. And now you and your family can follow in their footsteps — or in their wake, to be more precise. Simply choose one of our family-friendly boat tours on the Seine and experience the city Viking-style.
A Seine cruise with kids is the perfect child-friendly experience to enjoy with your family. Obviously, your kids can’t set fire to the French capital like the Vikings did. But you get a private boat all to yourselves. And you get to lounge on the water. A cruise on the river can be a welcome day out for kids and parents who are tired of the bustling city. It’s also a refreshing break from the heat in summer.
A Seine river cruise for families lets you take in all the big sights in 1 go without dragging tired, hungry kids left, right, and center. We can even arrange to have lunch or dinner brought on board to feed hungry mouths. You can sit back with a glass of champagne and admire the view.
What attractions in Paris cater specifically to kids?
It’s tempting to do the famous attractions like the Eiffel Tower, Palace of Versailles, Louvre Museum, Orsay Museum, and Notre-Dame Cathedral. But if you’re looking for kid-friendly attractions, you’re on the wrong track.
The Louvre Museum is too big and you sometimes wait hours to get in. The Orsay Museum is smaller and easier to get around. But the paintings and sculptures are really for you, not your kids. You will have to wait in line to get into the Eiffel Tower. And if the elevator is full, it’s a big climb for small feet. The Palace of Versailles has huge gardens for your kids to explore. But it’s an hour’s trip outside of Paris. And in Notre-Dame Cathedral, visitors are expected to maintain respectful silence. And if there’s 1 thing kids don’t do, it’s silence!
These 3 attractions fit perfectly into any Paris tour with kids. Your children will get to run wild, play, explore, and learn. And you rarely run into trouble with availability, as these 3 attractions are off the beaten track.
🧑🔬 Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie
This is a large science museum with an entire section for children aged 2 to 12. It focuses on science and technology, making it perfect for Young Sheldons. There are also places to eat or have a coffee. Which will save you having to drag a bunch of tired famished children back into the city center later.
🛝 Jardin d’Acclimatation
This is basically one giant playground. It is Paris’s oldest, and only, amusement park. The Jardin d’Acclimatation was inaugurated in 1860. It has everything from rides and games to a pet farm and gardens. And the water park is always popular with kids.
🏛️Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle
This is a zoo and a history museum rolled into one, making it a must-see attraction for kids who love history and nature.
Your children will find gigantic dinosaur skeletons, ancient human skulls, massive crystals, jaguars, wolves, and strange plants from faraway places.
But wait! What if you really, really want to show your kids the big iconic sights of Paris? With our river cruises, you still can. You just don’t have to wait in line.
What are some tips for navigating Paris with children?
Stay in a residential area. Somewhere away from the main tourist spots. You’ll find parks and squares for your children to blow off steam. It’s quiet at night. And there are plenty of laid-back bistros that are happy to cater to children, plus pastry shops and bakeries to spoil the kids or grab a sandwich on the go.
Stay near public transportation. When you arrive, you don’t want to drag your luggage through the streets as you traipse around looking for your accommodation. Staying near a metro station also makes it easy to get to your tours and back without exhausting little legs.
Be careful of the time of year you visit Paris. With heatwaves becoming more frequent and intense, the last thing you want is to spend your time cooped up in an apartment because it’s too hot to go outside. Spring and autumn are beautiful in Paris, cooler, and often quieter.
One last thing: if you book a Seine river cruise with kids, go for shorter boat tours. As parents, you know how long your kids can go before their attention runs out. At My Paris River, the best option for families is our 1.5-hour boat tour. Long enough to see the main sights. Short enough to keep the kids interested. Much better than spending hours waiting in line to get into the famous attractions.
Are there special discounts or packages for families?
The Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie has a range of packages for families. The Jardin d’Acclimatation has a discount on family tickets for 4 people. While the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle has discounted family prices and under 3s go free.
At My Paris River, our private boat tours start at €60 per person, depending on the itinerary, duration, number of passengers, and optional extras you wish for. We also offer discounts on family groups of 7 people or more. We can even organize custom Paris family tours on the Seine if you have particular needs. Contact our crew to check availability and get a custom quote for a kid-friendly river cruise with My Paris River.
