How to Plan a Family Trip to Paris

“I like where you were born, Papa,” my four-year-old daughter, Evie, said to my husband, Vince, as we stood on top of the Eiffel Tower. Evie’s eight-year-old brother, Rémy, nodded in agreement as he took in the spectacular view. 

In planning our summer trip to Paris, where Vince was born and raised, we wanted our children to feel a genuine appreciation for their French heritage, beyond the croissants and Astérix comic books they’ve grown up with in Connecticut. We also wanted to avoid simply dragging them from one cultural institution to the next. 

Instead, we picked a mix of offbeat attractions and outdoor activities that celebrate French culture, history, and daily life. Here’s what we liked best.

Spend the morning on the water.

Little skippers can take the wheel on a 90-minute water-taxi cruise on the Seine with River Limousine. Along the way, they’ll pass the soon-to-reopen Notre Dame and learn historical tidbits — like the fact that the Eiffel Tower was originally painted a Venetian red and that the city began as a small fishing village in the third century B.C. There’s juice for the kids and, naturally, champagne for the parents.

Take a baking class.

Join local families to master making macarons at the beloved patisserie Sweet Bazar. You’ll learn how to whip egg whites, coax batter into ribbon-like folds, and pipe circles like a pro. Everyone will leave with six treats — enjoy them outside at the newly reopened Stravinsky Fountain, which features 16 enchanting sculptures by Niki de Saint Phalle and Jean Tinguely (it’s right by the Centre Pompidou). 

Do the Louvre — without the crowds.

You simply can’t skip the Louvre. But what could turn into an afternoon meltdown becomes a thrilling (and manageable) field trip on a two-hour, cut-the-line private tour with Family Twist. Scavenger-hunt booklet in hand, kids will find clues in a dozen exhibits, such as the Venus de Milo and the Mona Lisa, ultimately leading them to a keepsake hidden in the museum.

Relax with a garden break.

Partake in a classic Parisian pastime by sailing antique model boats at the Grand Bassin duck pond in the Jardin du Luxembourg. The park also has a crêperie and a sustainably built playground.

Visit a castle.

At La Conciergerie, the 14th-century palace where Marie Antoinette was imprisoned, kids will love the HistoPad, a tablet that uses augmented reality to bring rooms to life. They’ll discover the queen’s jail cell and Europe’s largest Gothic civil hall. Around the corner is the ethereal Ste.-Chapelle, which has more than 1,000 luminous stained-glass windows. 

Consider amusement parks and unusual museums.

At the Pavillons de Bercy-Musée des Arts Forains — a museum that has some 3,000 objects used in 19th-century fairs — visitors of all ages will delight in waltzing in a ballroom, watching an opera with life-size mechanical dolls, or pedaling an 1897 bike carousel.

There’s also the Jardin d’Acclimatation, an amusement park in the Bois de Boulogne that opened in 1860 and received a glow-up in 2018 from French luxury-goods conglomerate LVMH.

Book the best kid-friendly hotel.

With a breakfast buffet that includes chocolate croissants, madeleines, and Nutella, and a lobby closet filled with costumes and games, the 40-room Hôtel Léopold is ideal for families. There’s also a cozy lounge and well-stocked library — perfect for taking a pause with a slice of apple cake between adventures.

A version of this story first appeared in the November 2024 issue of Travel + Leisure under the headline “Paris en Famille.”