Paris with Kids: A One Week Itinerary for Families
Ah, the city of lights. You might think Paris is just for couples' or girlfriends' getaways, but I'm here to tell you that Paris is an exceptionally family-friendly destination.
With mouth-watering pastries, ubiquitous parks and carousels, impressive monuments, museums with famous artwork, and a world-class theme park just a short train ride away, there is something for the whole family in Paris.
I just got back from my 3rd trip to Paris, and I have to admit that it's a city I wouldn't mind returning to over and over. Some people find themselves disappointed by Paris. Perhaps because they've built it up to something it's not in their imaginations.
But if you approach Paris with a sense of wonder and openness, I think you AND your kids will enjoy it as much as I do.
I'm going to share our 1-week itinerary, which in reality is only 5 days in Paris since the days at the front and back end are travel days. The beauty of our itinerary is that you can easily add a day or 2 or cut a day or 2 out to make it a long weekend and still fit in the highlights.
At the end of the post, I'll share a few suggestions for how to edit this itinerary to fit your family's needs and timetable.
Whether this is your very first time in Paris or just your first time visiting with kids, I guarantee you'll find something to enjoy in our itinerary.
Here are the best things to do in Paris with kids, and how to see the main attractions in one week!
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Paris 1 Week Itinerary with Kids
First, I'll share the itinerary overview, and then I'll get more into the details of each day of the trip.
Day 1: Travel from Home to Paris
Day 2: Arrive in Paris and go straight to Disneyland Paris from the airport. Spend a half day at Disneyland Paris.
Day 3: Spend the day at Disneyland Paris. In the evening, take the train back to Paris to check into your hotel.
Day 4: See the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, walk the Champs Elysees, visit the Louvre, and catch the perfect sunset.
Day 5: Take a day trip to Versailles, then spend the late afternoon and evening in Montmartre.
Day 6: Visit Notre Dame Cathedral, wander the Latin Quarter, enjoy Luxembourg Gardens, walk along the Seine River, and catch the sunset at the Eiffel Tower.
Day 7: Make your way to the airport and fly home.
Where to Stay
Hotels in Paris
Londres Eiffel
As a group of 4, we booked the Des Poétes Family Connected Room 2 Double Rooms at Hotel Londres Eiffel for €1795.50.
Located in the 7th Arrondissement, and is a 7-minute walk to the Eiffel Tower, a 30-minute walk to Arc de Triomphe, 40 minutes to the Louvre, and 1 hour to Notre Dame.
We also booked the optional breakfast ahead of time and were so glad we did! It was so nice to have slow mornings with coffee, croissants, yogurt, and more.
Unfortunately, they do not have options for families of 5 or 6, but I highly recommend this hotel if you are a smaller group. We loved everything about it, from the location to the staff and the safety. The rooms were not huge, but they weren't tiny either.
From this point on, we are venturing into unknown territory. I have researched reviews and family travel Facebook groups to see what other families recommend, especially for families of 5 or 6. Here are a few options that looked good to me that I would book if our whole family of 6 were visiting Paris, but that I have not *yet* experienced.
There are affordable apartment-style options for larger families, and it looks to be in a great location (about a 20-minute walk from the Louvre).
Truth be told, I almost booked this hotel. I'm a big fan of IHG and have stayed in IHG hotels in Belgium and Scotland. Both were wonderful experiences. They have rooms that fit families of 5 or 6, and breakfast options, too. I really liked the location, but it was just slightly more expensive than the hotel we booked.
Fraser Suites Le Claridge Champs Elysees
This was another option on my short list of places to book. We were looking at a 1-bedroom option for our trip, but I found that there are 2-bedroom options as well. This is also a little more on the expensive side, but the location cannot be beaten.
Hotels in Disneyland Paris
Disneyland Hotel
Disneyland Hotel ended up being our top choice. While it's expensive, it also comes with some undeniable perks. The main advantage is the location. It's located right at the entrance of Disneyland Park, which was incredibly helpful with young children. You don't have to get up early to take transportation to the parks, and you can stop back at the hotel easily to change, grab something from your room, or use the bathroom.
With a quick search, I discovered that many hotels offer rooms that would fit our family of 6 if we all visited, including Disney Hotel Cheyenne (Toy Story-themed hotel), Disney Newport Bay Club, and Disney Hotel New York - The Art of Marvel.
All of these hotel offer early entry into the parks at 8:30 instead of 9:30 and have transportation to and from the parks.
To figure out which hotel fits your budget and family size, don't hesitate to reach out to my Disney Travel Agent! She can offer you a no-obligation quote with several options at different price points, saving you time when you're planning your Paris trip.
Day 1: Travel from Home to Paris
We booked our flights on points via Air France. Their points program (combined with KLM) is called Flying Blue, and you can transfer points from most major credit card companies to Flying Blue to book your flight with points.
One of the main perks of booking with points directly through Flying Blue (and NOT in your credit card portal) is that points fares for kids are 25% off with Flying Blue (that's through age 11).
I found a flight for 40K points from Chicago to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, which means my daughter's was 30K points. I transferred 70K points from my Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.
While I was booking, I selected the kid's meal for my daughter for the in-flight meal. She received her meal before the rest of the cabin and had chicken nuggets, mashed potatoes, vegetables, a juice box, a bag of Teddy Grahams, and a full-size Milky Way candy bar! It was so nice to see foods I knew my daughter would eat. We really work on trying new foods at home, but an 8-hour flight is not the time to be aspirational about what foods your kid will eat.
I booked our flights on Air France's website, but our carrier was actually KLM for the first flight. They offer an amenity kit for kids when you board the plane, and it comes with a mini sleep mask, a coloring page, and a tic-tac-toe game.
Our flight left at 4:30 p.m., and we arrived in Amsterdam for our layover early the next morning. We then had a very short flight from Amsterdam to Paris and arrived in Paris shortly after noon!
Day 2: Transport to Disneyland Paris and First Park Day
There are 3 ways to get to Disneyland Paris from Charles De Gaulle Airport:
1. The Train
2. The Magical Express Shuttle
3. Drive
Train
Taking the train is cheaper than the other options but also slightly less convenient since you'll have all of your luggage with you. We took the train back into Paris and found it was pretty easy to figure out, so this is the best option if you're on a budget. Take the RER A line straight to Marne la Vallee/Chessy, which is a VERY short walk to the entrance of the park.
Note: You'll have to carry your luggage up the escalator, and if you're staying off-property or at a Disney hotel that's a bit further away from the parks, you'll be carrying your luggage for around 10-15 minutes as you walk. Not a huge deal, but it's something to keep in mind if you're traveling with young children.
Shuttle
That's why we opted to take the Magical Express shuttle. It's operated by a 3rd party, but we found it to be affordable and convenient. It costs around $25 per person. It's a comfortable coach bus that stores your luggage below the bus, and it drops you off at the front door of your hotel.
After a long overnight flight, that felt like the best option for us.
Drive
The final option would be to rent a car, take an Uber, or arrange for a private driver from the airport, but these options will be far more expensive than the others, and I don't personally have any experience with them!
Checking In
Once we arrived at our hotel, we checked in, but our room wasn't quite ready yet. We stored our luggage at the front desk and headed into the parks.
Once you check-in, you receive a room card that also operates as your park ticket. You can also find digital tickets on your Disneyland Paris app, so be sure to download the app and enter your confirmation number to sync your reservations with the app ahead of time.
Disneyland Paris Parks
We started out at Disneyland Park, which is similar to the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World (Insider Tips for Doing Magic Kingdom with Toddlers).
We also visited Walt Disney Studios, which reminds me of Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World. Since our room wasn't ready at check-in time (which is 3:00 p.m.), they offered us a "fast pass" to any ride of our choosing.
Since we weren't as familiar with the parks, and couldn't do any of the suggested roller coaster rides with a 5-year-old, we looked at the park map on the app to see which rides had the longest waits and ended up choosing Spider-Man WEB Adventure where you sling webs at bots to get the most points. It was so much fun for any age, and I'm glad we chose it!
We couldn't find many Quick Service restaurants in Walt Disney Studios, so we walked over to Disney Village and grabbed pizza and sandwiches at Earl of Sandwich. After a few more rides at Walt Disney Studios, our room was finally ready, so we walked back to add a few more layers since the temperature had dropped after the sun went down.
NOTE: We missed our only chance to see the parade since we didn't realize it was at 5:30 in the evening. We assumed it would be midday like at Walt Disney World. I wish we had made time to see the parade that evening since we were already on our way back to Paris at 5:30 the next day.
We ended the evening with the fireworks and light show at the castle in Disneyland Park, sipping hot chocolate to warm up our hands and snacking on Mickey-shaped beignets. It was the perfect end to our first day at Disneyland Paris!
We slept very well that night since we barely slept on the flight over, and jet lag was hitting us hard! (Plus the beds at Disneyland Hotel are insanely comfortable).
TIP: If you want to skip the long lines, you can purchase Disney Premier Access for an extra cost.
Day 3: Second Park Day at Disneyland Paris and Transportation to Paris
Since we were staying right by the entrance to the parks, there was no need to get up super early to rope drop! We all slept soundly, exhausted from our overnight flight the day before and from the time change. Plus, the beds at the Disneyland Hotel are some of the most comfortable I've experienced.
We started the day at 8:30 a.m. in Disneyland Park, focusing on Fantasyland, where the majority of kid-friendly rides are. Since this was my daughter's birthday trip, we let her lead the way and choose the rides.
We rode It's a Small World, Peter Pan's Flight, Mad Hatter's Tea Cups, the Carousel, Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast, and Dumbo the Fying Elephant. Unfortunately, Blanche-Neige et les Sept Nains (Snow White) was closed during the day, so we didn't get a chance to ride that one.
Lunch was a "snack lunch" from the food stalls near It's a Small World. They have crepes, soft pretzels, waffles with nutella, strawberries on a stick, and chocolate-covered strawberries on a stick.
In the early afternoon, we rode a few more rides at Walt Disney Studios and saw the Frozen Show. We kept missing the show because we weren't getting in line early enough. You almost need to get in line right after the prior show begins because the studio is small and not many people can fit in there at one time.
Around 4 p.m., we made our way back to the hotel to gather our luggage. We walked over to the train station. From the Disneyland Hotel, you head over toward Disney Village, but instead of turning left into Disney Village, you keep going straight (the road between Disney Village and Walt Disney Studios), where you will exit the parks. Directly to your right is the entrance to the train station. At the bottom of the escalator is a machine to buy your tickets to take the train to Paris. You can get a Navigo Pass or just print out paper tickets. Just be sure to hold on to the paper tickets because you may need them to exit the metro station or to switch to a different train.
We took the RER A line into Paris, then switched to the metro to get to our hotel near the Eiffel Tower.
As I mentioned, we stayed at the Hotel Londres Eiffel, which was a wonderful hotel.
After checking in, we wandered down the street for a late dinner. We chose an Italian restaurant called Angelo. We split a chicken Ceasar salad and a goat cheese and honey pizza, and my daughter got the pasta bolognese.
Day 4: Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees, Petit Palais, Louvre, and the perfect sunset.
On Day 4, our first full day in Paris, we walked over 11 miles! I'm glad we had the stroller with us (our favorite travel stroller!) so our new 5-year-old could take a stroller nap halfway through the day! That's a lot of walking for little legs, plus the jetlag was hitting hard.
Eiffel Tower and the Trocadero
Because our hotel was near the Eiffel Tower, we started our day with photos at the Trocadero. The Trocadero is a plaza across the Seine River from the Eiffel Tower, and it is a great place to take iconic Eiffel Tower photos!
We realized after we arrived that the sun would be behind us, so all of our photos from that morning were backlit, but I still love how they turned out!
Sunset would probably be a better time to get photos here.
Arc de Triomphe
Next, we walked over to the Arc de Triomphe. I realized a week before the trip that I needed to buy tickets for certain attractions. While there were no tickets left for our day at the Arc de Triomphe on the official website, I snagged skip-the-line tickets on GetYourGuide.
Before we went to the rooftop of the Arc, we decided to stop for a coffee and a pain au chocolat at Le Cristal Bar Brasserie. The views from this sidewalk cafe are 10/10.
Thankfully, our tickets were not timed entry tickets, so we did not have to rush our morning coffee break. When we were ready we walked over to the Arc (you cross the street underground since the Arc de Triomphe is located in the middle of a huge roundabout that would be impossible for pedestrians to cross safely).
They had us leave the stroller at the bottom, so be prepared to have your child walk up, or to carry them up the stairs.
The views from the top are stunning, The reason we chose to climb the Arc instead of the Eiffel Tower is so that we could have views of the Eiffel Tower in the skyline!
We didn't spend too much time here since 5-year-olds lose interest quickly, and truthfully, there's not much to see.
Champs Elysees
The Arc de Triomphe stands at the top of Champs Elysees, a legendary street in Paris known for its shopping. We did make a few stops and purchased a few items at Zara.
Other than that, it's a great place to stroll and people-watch!
Petit Palais
Along the way, we stopped at Petit Palais, a free art museum with a gorgeous garden in the back. You can grab a meal or a coffee from the cafe overlooking the garden and enjoy some peace and quiet amidst the chaotic crowds of Paris.
Jardin des Tuileries
On the way from Champs Elysees to the Louvre you'll walk through Tuileries Garden, which is a beautiful green space to relax, especially during the spring and summer months.
it was still pretty chilly during our visit in early March, so we didn't stop for long except to let my daughter ride the carousel here!
Tip: have some cash handy, because if you need to use a card to pay for carousel tickets you need to purchase a minimum of 4. That's probably not an issue for most families, but since I just had my daughter with me, we only needed 2 tickets. Luckily, the carousel operator told us that we could keep the 2 tickets and come back another time, which we did later in the week.
The Louvre
The Louvre is probably on many people's bucket lists since it is home to the world-famous Mona Lisa. I would advise spending no more than 2 hours here with the kids. While there is so much incredible artwork on display, there are no kids' activities or scavenger hunts to keep young children engaged.
Along with the Mona Lisa, you can see the Venus de Mio, Winged Victory of Samothrace, The Coronation of Napoleon (it's gigantic and such a majestic painting), and my personal favorite, The Battle of David and Goliath.
If you have a stroller at the museum, it can be difficult to find your way around since there are several floors, and the elevators can be hard to find. That can add some extra time to your visit.
We did not book a tour guide, but if I ever returned with all of my kids, I might consider a guide who offers specific tours for families. As I mentioned, the Louvre doesn't have any programming for kids, so a private tour would help keep everyone engaged and give you the benefit of finding your way around quickly. Here's a great option on GetYourGuide!
Sunset at Galeries Lafayette
We found our way out of the Louvre just in time to walk the 20 minutes to Galeries Lafayette for sunset. Galeries Lafayette is a shopping mall with an absolutely striking interior. It almost looks like a cathedral! But the real draw is that the mall offers a great view of the Paris skyline, and it's free to access, making it the perfect spot to watch the sunset.
Once again, if you have a stroller, there is an elevator that takes you to the floor with access to the rooftop, but unfortunately, the access requires stairs. Normally we would just fold up the stroller and carry it up the stairs since our 5-year-old is perfectly capable of walking up the stairs, but she was still napping, and we didn't want to wake her up.
We asked some employees if there was an elevator to the top, and they were kind enough to share the employee elevator with us! (This is also a great option if you have anyone handicapped in your group).
The sunset was one of the most colorful I've seen, and it was one of those travel moments that felt surreal.
Day 5: Day Trip to Versailles and Exploring Montmartre
Palace of Versailles
If you have enough time on your family trip, I would highly recommend adding a day trip to Versailles to your Paris itinerary.
You can access Versaille by train, and it's about a 40-minute ride from the city. When you exit the train station, it's just a short walk to the palace entrance.
You receive an audio guide with your ticket, but you can also download the app on your phone and bring your own headphones to listen to the commentary.
Strollers are allowed inside Versailles, so bring something for your little one to do while you tour the palace! We brought a notebook and markers, a Yoto Mini for her to listen to, and a few small toys.
I enjoyed learning so much about French History and the French Revolution on our self-guided audio tour. Versailles was the royal residence of Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King. During the French Revolution, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were forced to relocate from Versailles back to Paris, as the Palace of Versailles was seen as a symbol of opulence and power.
One of our favorite things to do at Versailles with my daughter was to explore the beautiful gardens. I can only imagine how lovely they are in spring and summer!
You can also visit the Estate of Trianon, which opens at noon. Trianon was a place the king and queen could escape to for a break from life at court. It's about a mile walk from Versailles. You can rent a golf cart to get there (42 € per vehicle per hour, and 10,50 € per additional 15 minutes after that), take the Little Train (9€ for adults, 7€ for youth under 18, and free for kids under 12!), or walk (free, and takes about 30 minutes across the gardens and park).
We were ready to head back to Paris after around 4 hours of exploring, but you could easily spend an entire day at Versailles! There's so much to see and do, and I think this would be very interesting to older children.
Explore Montmartre
We spent the late afternoon and evening in the Montmartre neighborhood where we enjoyed a meal at the base of Sacre Coeur, the imposing basilica on a hill.
After our meal we rode another carousel (because I'm a fun mom), then we climbed the steps to reach the top of the hill to see Sacre Coeur up close. You can go inside the basilica for free, but there was a line, so we decided against it. We just enjoyed the view from on top of the hill, and did some people-watching.
We carried our stroller up the steps since it's pretty lightweight, but if you don't want to do that, or you have someone in your group with mobility issues, you can take the funicular to the top of the hill. The rates are the same as a metro ticket, so it's not too expensive to use.
After Sacre Coeur we saw:
Place du Terte, a lively square where you can watch artists paint or sell their paintings. It's very bohemian and a fun place to wander with kids.
The I Love You Wall (go earlier in the day - it closed around 5 so we just saw it from outside the gate)
The outside of Moulin Rouge
Day 6: Notre Dame de Paris, Pont Neuf, Latin Quarter, Jardin du Luxembourg, Stroll Along the River Seine, Sunset at Eiffel Tower
We decided to take it easy on our last day in Paris. We had done a lot of walking throughout the trip, so we wanted our last day to be slow and relaxing to really enjoy the atmosphere in Paris.
Notre Dame
We started the morning at Notre Dame, which finally opened after the fire. It is free to visit, but be sure to go online ahead of time to reserve a time slot. We didn't do this, and had a minor moment of worry the night before that we wouldn't be able to enter the cathedral.
However, a quick Google search told me that Notre Dame releases entry times for same-day reservations 4 hours before each entry time. I checked at 6 a.m. the day of our visit, and sure enough, time slots had opened up for 10 a.m.
We walked the mile from our hotel to Notre Dame, just in time for our entry time slot at 10. We could skip the long line that had formed, but don't fret if you don't reserve a time slot! A kind follower on Instagram informed me that the line moves very quickly. You'll still be able to get in!
The inside of Notre Dame is so beautiful, even after the fire. It's very crowded, though, so keep younger children close!
Pont Neuf
Pont Neuf is the oldest bridge that stretches across the Seine River in Paris. There's not a lot to do or see here, but it's just cool to say you saw it and walked across!
Latin Quarter
After seeing Notre Dame, we wandered through the Latin Quarter on our way to Luxembourg Gardens. It's one of the oldest neighborhoods in Paris. The area has been home to several universities since the Middle Ages, and its name comes from the Latin language spoken at the universities.
We stopped at a patisserie called Paul in the Latin Quarter and enjoyed some coffee and pastries. I had an incredible eclair and an excellent cup of coffee. They even have flavored syrup for their lattes here, which I didn't see much of anywhere else!
Luxembourg Gardens
Hanging out at Luxembourg Gardens is a great way to spend a sunny day in Paris. There are chairs and picnic tables for lounging and people-watching, or you can stroll the gardens, which would be especially enjoyable in spring and summer.
There is a playground here for kids, but you do have to pay a small fee to enter, so we skipped that. We were hoping to rent sailboats to play with on the Medici Fountain, but they didn't have them out yet. I'm sure as the weather warms up they will become available again!
There are also crepe stands around the park, so we got some crepes and waffles to enjoy in the sunshine.
Batobus
The Batobus is a hop-on-hop-off Seine river cruise that stops at the most popular tourist attractions.
We used it on our last day since we had been doing so much walking the rest of the trip.
We boarded the Batobus at the Notre Dame stop, and got off at the Louvre. We had to ride the carousel once more to make use of the tickets we had purchased earlier in the week, and we also wanted to stop at Angelina to try the hot chocolate.
After that, we took the boat tour back to the Eiffel Tower stop which was near our hotel.
Day 7: Flight Home
There are several ways to get to the airport in Paris, but we chose to take a taxi from our hotel. The front desk at our hotel helped us arrange it.
After one last breakfast, we said goodbye to Paris and made our way to Charles de Gaulle airport where we thankfully had a direct flight home.
We had such a wonderful time exploring Paris, and there is so much to do and see there with kids.
If you are looking for more recommendations for things to do in Europe with Kids, I would recommend the following blog posts:
London with Kids: Planning a London Vacation the Whole Family Will Love
1-Week Italy Itinerary with Kids: Venice, Florence, and Rome
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Emily Krause is a Wisconsin-based travel content creator who writes about exploring the world with kids.
On A Mom Explores you’ll find the best family travel destinations, Disney World tips, and how to make travel with babies and toddlers a little easier.
Emily believes that exploring starts in our own backyards, and adventure can happen anywhere with the right mindset.
