The Perfect 4-Day Paris Itinerary for Families with Young Kids

Paris was one stop on a longer European trip, and honestly, one of my favorites. Even with a toddler and a baby in tow. We arrived just after the Olympics had wrapped, and the city was already gearing up for the Paralympics. Olympic rings and lights were still strung on the Eiffel Tower, and event spaces and decorations lingered around the city, giving the whole trip a slightly electric, once-in-a-while feeling.

Here's how we spent four days in the city, plus a few extras worth adding if you have the time.

Where We Stayed

Le Matissia Aparthotel in Paris

We booked an Aparthotel at Le Matissia, tucked back a couple streets from a busy road.  The layout turned out to be perfect for us; a partition between the bedroom and living space meant we could get the kids down for the night and still have a living room to ourselves. Having a full kitchen was the real win. We shopped the local market and cooked at our leisure, which gave us a freedom with budget and cuisine. More than once, dinner was simply a baguette and fresh French butter, and it tasted as good as anything we could have eaten.

Transportation around the city was simple and affordable. We walked most places, but for the longer distances a train tick was inexpensive and easy to navigate.

Day 1: Settle In and Wander

The Natural History Museum located in Paris

Our first real outing was a walk that led us to the Natural History Museum. From the outside, it looks like any other natural history museum, but the moment you step into the atrium, it takes your breath away. We wound through all four floors, finding something new at every turn. By the time we finished, we were famished, and stumbled into the first café we found, which happened to serve fresh, house-made pasta. Full bellies, two tired kids, and a good first impression of the city.

The rest of the day was slow: strolls along the Seine and detours down the thin, romantic side streets. We quickly discovered that nearly every corner of Paris had a small, fenced play area. When traveling with little ones, this is a quick dopamine hit for everyone in the family. We also learned that Paris takes its pastries seriously. Our daughter fell in love with croissants here, and the bar has been set so high that nothing we've found at home has come close since.

Homemade pasta at a small cafe in the wall

One of the places we stumbled upon ended up being the Luxembourg Gardens. The open space was beautiful, weeping willows lined the edges and toy boats could be seen speeding throughout the pond. It was a great spot to let the kids play in the grass while we kicked back on a park bench. Soon enough our daughter spotted a playground, and we were off to explore again.

Day 2: Eiffel Tower and Montmartre

Olympic rings adorned the Eiffel Tower

We bought Eiffel Tower tickets on arrival rather than booking ahead. This was mostly due to the spontaneous nature of our children, and not wanting to stress about making a specific ticketed time. My husband, Jared, and our daughter climbed all the way to the top and said the view was ‘absolutely worth it’. I stayed on the middle level with the baby and still got a full 360-degree walk with a view.  A nice option if you're not so fond of heights, or would just rather take in the views while sipping a glass of champagne.

From there, we made our way to Sacré-Cœur, the great church on the hill. Jared carried the stroller up the hundreds of steps to get there (a workout, to put it mildly), but we opted for the funicular on the way down. Packed in like sardines, but a fun, faster way back down. The city sights from the top of the hill were incredible, spanning as far as the eye could see.

Stunning architecture of Sacré-Cœur

The streets below are lined with people through the twilight hours, sitting at small cafe tables and conversing happily. Often the touristy spots feel a bit, well, touristy; but this spot felt warm and inviting. Our daughter spotted an ice cream shop only a few meters from the funicular station, and one of my rules when traveling is, don’t say no to ice cream. So we all picked our favorite flavors, found an open spot along a short stone wall and people-watched while indulging.

That night we cooked pasta and drank French wine on our tiny patio. It was a day well spent.

Day 3: Versailles

The whole family at Versailles

Versailles was overwhelming in the best and worst ways. It’s definitely a sight I recommend visiting, though we nearly skipped it entirely. After a quick 45min train ride in from Paris, and an additional 10 minute walk to the grounds, we almost turned right on our heels and marched back.  The line for guided tours of the gardens wound through the main gated courtyard like a snake. A very, very, very long snake. Some ticket holders saying they’d been in line for nearly 2 hours. It turned out those lines were for specific tour groups, not Versailles ticket lines. Once we realized that, we weaved through the masses and found ourselves in the ticketing area of the gardens, where purchasing was simple.

The gardens are enormous, and popular enough that the crowds match the scale. We debated hopping on the little tram that loops throughout the grounds but chose to walk instead, happily getting a little lost among the shrubs and fountains. One tip: use the bathroom before you start exploring, once you're out in the gardens, facilities are few and far between.

Crisp champagne at Chez Molly near Versailles

You could easily spend an entire day walking the grounds, and you may still not see everything. Be sure to budget as much time as possible if this stop makes it onto your itinerary. On our walk back to the train station, we stopped at a cute cafe, Chez Molly, for a croque monsieur and a glass of champagne. It's a meal I still think about.

Day 4: The Louvre and Last Looks

Our final day was spent with more city walking and the exploring the Louvre, which is stunning both outside and in. The crowds of people all had the same idea as us, and luckily we’d bought our tickets ahead of time for this attraction.

We spent several hours wandering, stopped for a few quick snacks along the way, and got lost several times. Eventually, following the crowd, we made our way to some of the iconic pieces. I will say, The Louvre is somewhere I need to visit again, without kids.

Looking into the pyramid window of the Louvre

A Few Additions Worth Building Into Your Itinerary

If you have any flexibility, a few easy additions would round out this same four days nicely:

• A Seine river cruise — an easy, low-effort way to see the major sights with tired legs or a sleeping baby in the stroller.

• Musée d'Orsay — smaller and more manageable than the Louvre if you love a good museum.

• Le Marais — great for wandering, window shopping, and a falafel stop if you need a break from croissants (unlikely, but possible).

• Tuileries Garden — right between the Louvre and Place de la Concorde, with a carousel and pop-up snack stands that are perfect for a mid-walk break.

If you’re ready to start envisioning what your Paris trip can look like, Let’s Chat!