I planned a single moment of our first family trip to Paris. Not a day, not an itinerary, not even an evening. I planned the instant my daughter, standing in a nook on Pont Neuf, will first lay eyes on the Eiffel tower sparkling in the twilight. I knew the words I wanted to say to her in that moment, words I hope she’ll remember a lifetime. I won’t divulge them here, that’s our secret. But I will share the gist of it, keep reading….
I lived in Paris for two months back in 2007 and visited regularly since. I love the city and know its twists and turns better than some locals, I’m sure. I wondered aimlessly through Paris for hours and days on end, re-enacting my own pathetic version of a movable feast. I wrote a blog post on 101+ things to do in Paris, all self-tested and proven. Sometimes in 2013 I visited together with my husband, took him on a self-made literary tour of sorts, as far as he can remember (he can’t for the most part). But this first family trip to Paris was not about any of that. It was about being present and enjoying my daughter’s firsts; sharing that memory. Because it’s only once that your kid sees Paris for the first time. And we had the privilege to witness it all and confine it to our family memories chest.
This blog post, although packed with useful information, is therefore not about how to cover all the main sites in your first family trip to Paris. It’s not an itinerary – although it does describe what we did each day, it also mentions everything we skipped and the meaningful Parisian experiences we gained out of it. Please note that this blog post contains a few friendly affiliate links. Shall you make a purchase through any of them, we get a small commission at no extra cost for you.
Our first family trip to Paris – arrival and organizational aspects
We arrived in Paris at twilight on a Wednesday evening in late August, slipping relieved from the RER at Saint-Michel–Notre-Dame into the soft pulse of the city. We walked along the Seine past our accommodation, pretending to not have quite arrived yet, and from Pont Neuf caught our first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower, already beginning to claim the night.
Beside having orchestrated this moment, we picked Citadines Saint Germain des Pres as our base because of its central location, offering walking access to a lot of sights and incredible public transport options for the others. The accommodation consisted of an apartment with a kitchenette but also had breakfast included, so we could enjoy a hotel style breakfast while having the option to cook our own dinner.
The central location allowed us to return to base for short breaks in the middle of the day, if needed. It was also the reason why we only purchased load as you go – pay by ride metro transport cards for the duration of our family trip to Paris. A lot of the times we took the bus, which one pays separately, or just walked.
We spent the first evening of our family trip to Paris doing what we always do in a new location – going out to explore our hood. Stepping out of the hotel and turning two times left, we found ourselves in the charming neighborhood of Saint Germain des Pres, with little cafes, bakeries, shops, side streets bustling with activity. Some of them I could still remember from my previous stays in the city, some where utterly new. I can’t remember what we each got for dinner, but the rule in these situations always is that everybody gets whatever they want, then we make a spread share back at the accommodation. We kept this up for the duration of our stay, the only difference being that we wandered off further and further into the neighborhood each evening, each time buying from a different place and coming back on a different route. This turned into our little dinner routine.
Organizationally, we had one activity planned in advance for each day of our family trip to Paris. This activity was the one highlight chosen by our daughter and it was always the first thing we did every morning. This is the best tip we can give you – start the day with whatever it is that is the highlight for your child. Like this, you won’t need to manage their enthusiasm through the whole day until you reach that point.
Our first family trip to Paris – the Eiffel Tower
The first day was exclusively dedicated to seeing the Eiffel Tower. While we booked entry and elevator tickets on the official site, we later regretted not having booked and organized tour. We could easily access the tower and spend as much time as we wanted there, but the platforms were incredibly crowded and the experience felt chaotic to us, as adults. The kiddo saw this as a dream come true and was completely oblivious to the crowds and the hubbub.
As we rose in the glass elevator, the city unfolded beneath us in stages, until Paris settled into a precise, breathtaking whole. From above I showed her the Seine stitching the city together, Notre-Dame anchored on its historic island, the Louvre stretching wide and patient, Sacré-Cœur watching from its hill, the long line of the Champs-Élysées fading toward the Arc de Triomphe. I named the all too familiar landmarks, but mostly I watched her take it in, knowing this was her first time holding Paris all at once.
In all honesty, yes, I would have preferred to show her the city from another unique angle such as from the top of Montparnasse Tower, but this was not about gaining a different perspective as a connoisseur of the city, it was about seeing it as if for the first time, through the eyes of my child.
It was a warm, generous day, the kind that asks you not to rush, so we didn’t. We lunched near the tower at the easygoing Italian trattoria Il Angelo, sipped specialty coffee from Terres de Café, a rarity in Paris, and wandered toward Boulangerie du Champs de Mars in search of something sweet. Then we settled onto the grass of the Champs de Mars, took in the mirriad of views of the Eiffel Tower, and let the afternoon pass unmeasured, choosing presence over the next destination, choosing stillness over schedules and letting Paris meet us where we were.
Our first family trip to Paris – no hop on hop off bus tour
We deliberately skipped the hop-on hop-off bus, resisting the temptation of a panoramic sweep in favor of something quieter and more authentic. Instead, we chose a Seine river cruise — watching Paris pass at water level, bridges unfolding one by one, the city revealing itself not all at once, but as it prefers to be seen. We took the Vedettes du Pont Neuf tour as it was close to our accommodation on the last day of our stay and it was a nice way to say goodbye to all the monuments, taking in the majesty of the city one more time, making a promise to return every year (this was a request from my daughter, so I guess now Paris is our shared secret).
During our stay we also tried the Amphibian Bus Tour, thinking it would offer a unique perspective. We thought it would be a good (short) addition to our first day as it departed late afternoon from the Eiffel Tower. This, however, was not a very inspired decision as the live commentary was very loud, the tour was long as we got stuck in traffic on the way to the splash point, and the boat ride part took place outside the city with no sights to make it memorable. All in all, not something we would recommend.
Our first family trip to Paris – perfume workshop and Galleries Lafayette
The second activity our daughter settled upon was a Perfume Making Class at Perfume Museum Fragonard and it arrived on a rainy morning that seemed perfectly suited for it. We started very early and walked through unusually quiet streets toward the location next to Opéra Garnier, pausing for a goofy photo session in Place Vendôme, the kind that only happens when no one is watching and you have nowhere urgent to be.
The class itself was hands-on, tactile, and surprisingly engaging—measuring, blending, deciding—just structured enough to guide us, but open enough to feel like discovery. A brief walk through the on-site family museum followed, paced just right to keep it interesting, and ended with a lighthearted quiz on fragrance notes that we managed to get almost entirely wrong. It didn’t matter. It was playful, imperfect, and we walked away proudly with a small bottle that now carries Paris inside it.
We paired this with a visit to Galeries Lafayette as it was a gray, rain-soaked day, which quietly made the decision for us. Instead of heading up to the rooftop, we stayed inside and let the building itself be the spectacle. We lingered beneath the glass dome, watching light refract through iron and color, taking in the scale and confidence of a place built to impress without rushing you through it.
We ended up eating at the food court—surprisingly authentic, lively without being overwhelming, and perfect for a family moment of choice and compromise. It felt less like a tourist stop and more like a pause inside everyday Paris, warm and contained while the rain kept falling outside.
Our first family trip to Paris – walking along the Seine
That same afternoon, as the rain subsided and the sun slowly came through, we consciously traded a museum visit for a long walk along the Seine, replacing the Musée de l’Orangerie with open air and movement. That decision led us past the Louvre for a photo shoot (we deliberately excluded visiting the Louvre with children on our first family trip to Paris) across the Pont des Arts, and into a slow appreciation of the layered architecture of Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois.
On our third day, we walked in the opposite direction, toward Île Saint-Louis. We stopped when it felt right—on a bench on a bridge, baguette in hand, sun finally warming us. Autumn was starting. We were in Paris. Together. The world stood still for a moment.
These walks became connective bridges between the bigger moments of our first family trip to Paris. They allowed conversations to surface naturally and silences to settle comfortably. The Seine, constant and calm, anchored our days and reminded us that the city does not demand to be consumed—only noticed.
Our first family trip to Paris – Notre Dame
Notre Dame is one of my anchor points in Paris, and maybe in the whole world. I learned French by writing an essay about it in highschool. I came in countless times during my previous stays, immersing myself in its calm grandeur, taking a break from the world and sometimes from Paris itself. I cried while rocking my baby to sleep when the fire broke out it 2019, and this story I wanted to share with my now 8-year old in our first family trip to Paris, while pointing out the damage the fire had caused, still painfully visible in parts.
Visiting the inside of the restored cathedral required flexibility and a bit of patience. We checked the official website regularly (like 10 times a day) and managed to secure entry tickets almost on a whim, something that felt oddly rewarding in a city where spontaneity is often discouraged. The visit itself was calm and restrained, shaped by the knowledge that this was a place still in the process of becoming itself again, like a visit to an old convalescing friend. The restoration work is, however, absolutely mind-blowing.
Our first family trip to Paris – making macarons
If there was one activity during our first family trip to Paris that fully lived up to—and quietly exceeded—expectations, it was the macaron workshop we booked in the Marais for our third day. It struck that rare balance between structure and pure joy: clear guidance, patient instruction, and just enough freedom to feel like we were truly making something of our own. Aprons on, hands busy, we stepped into the rhythm of a Parisian kitchen, where precision mattered, patience mattered, and tasting along the way was not only allowed but encouraged. For our daughter, it was nothing short of magic—color, texture, sugar, and structure coming together in a way that felt both playful and purposeful.
We left with boxes of slightly imperfect but deeply satisfying creations, which we carried home like small trophies and ate slowly, stretching the experience just a little longer. It stayed with us, not just as something we had done, but as something we could return to—one of those rare travel moments that translates effortlessly into everyday life.
Afterward, we drifted toward Place des Vosges and stopped for a last-minute hot chocolate, the kind you don’t plan but end up remembering. Sitting there, cups warm in our hands, it felt like the trip was gently drawing to a close—sweet, unhurried, and complete in its own way.
Our first family trip to Paris – final thoughts
That last hot chocolate on Place des Vosges stayed with us longer than expected. Not because of the drink itself, but because of what it marked—a quiet, unspoken understanding that we had done enough. That we didn’t need one more sight, one more stop, one more moment.
This trip was never about seeing Paris in full. It was about choosing moments, protecting space, and letting our daughter’s curiosity lead the way. We skipped as much as we saw, and that was intentional. What we gained instead were shared references, quiet jokes, small routines, and promises—to return, to remember, to keep Paris as something personal rather than complete.
Even the practical choices reflected that mindset – opting for a simple airport transfer rather than navigating public transport on departure day allowed us to leave the city as calmly as we experienced it.
Because cities, like childhood, are not meant to be exhausted. They are meant to be experienced in parts, remembered selectively, and returned to—again and again, each time a little differently.
