How Many Days in Paris With Kids?

By Nicole Damiano, ASTA Verified Travel Advisor with FG Luxury Travel · Updated October 2026

The short answer

Plan three full days in Paris with kids, plus the day you arrive. That’s four nights. Make it five if you want a day at Versailles, and keep the Louvre off Tuesday, the day it’s closed.

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Three full days. That’s my answer for most families on a first trip to Paris.

Plus the day you arrive, which doesn’t count.

The first time I saw Paris it was Adam and me, an RV and a very small budget. We parked outside the city and took the train in. The line for the Louvre on the free day took an hour.

We’ve been back since with all three kids and Poppy. And I plan Paris for families.

Nicole, Adam and their three children with Poppy at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris — All five of us, plus Poppy, at the Arc de Triomphe

Nicole and Adam taking a selfie under the Musee du Louvre pyramid sign in Paris — Adam and me at the Louvre, before kids

Why three days is enough

Paris is dense. A park, a bakery, a carousel or a bench is only a few minutes away. That’s what makes it work with kids, and it’s why you don’t need a week.

Kids don’t last long in big museums. Ninety minutes in one wing of the Louvre is a good visit. Four hours is a bad one.

So plan two big things a day. One in the morning. A park in the afternoon.

How I’d use the three days

Day one, the Eiffel Tower. Go up early, then come back after dark with a picnic for the Champ de Mars. The tower sparkles for five minutes at the start of every hour once it’s dark. Here’s how to do the Eiffel Tower right with kids.

Day two, the Louvre. Pick one wing and leave when you’re done. The Louvre is closed on Tuesdays, so don’t put this day on a Tuesday, and book your time slot online before you go. Be sure to check the Louvre’s own website the week you go too, in case anything going on in Paris changes the hours. Kids under 18 get in free, and I keep the Louvre ticket prices for 2026 up to date. After, let the kids run in the Tuileries. My rule for every museum in Paris is the same: museums in small doses, gardens for the win.

Day three, the Ile de la Cite. Notre Dame is free to visit. A reservation is optional, but a free time slot gets you in faster, and here’s how the Notre Dame reservation works. Sainte Chapelle is five minutes away. Then the Jardin du Luxembourg for the afternoon, with the toy sailboats on the pond.

Use the metro to link it all. Kids under 4 ride free, and ages 4 to 9 pay half price on a carnet of ten tickets on a Navigo Easy card or a phone. The stairs are the hard part with a stroller, so I wrote up crepes, the metro and Paris with kids without the stress.

Three older Parisian men in red berets sitting together on a bench beside a Paris avenue — Three men, three berets, one bench

Nicole and Gavin on the deck of the AmaLyra — Gavin and me on the AmaLyra

When to add a fourth or fifth day

Versailles. It takes the whole day, so give it its own. The palace is closed on Mondays. The gardens are open every day, and I’d do them first and the palace late in the afternoon.

The Musee d’Orsay. It’s closed on Mondays and open late on Thursdays. Good for older kids who like paintings.

A slow day with no plan. Some of our best Paris moments came from walking with no destination at all.

If you’re adding museum days, look at the Paris Museum Pass for the adults. It comes in 2, 4 or 6 days, counted from your first visit. Most of the museums on it are already free for kids under 18.

And if Paris is the start of a bigger trip, give it three days and then get out into the country. My France with kids guide covers Normandy, the Alps and the Riviera.

Where to go from here

Where to stay, which arrondissement and what to skip are all in my Paris with kids guide. The Paris city guide has the food, the parks and the printables for the kids.

Is this your first big European city with little ones? Read why I think Vienna with kids is easier than Paris. Same question, different city: how many days in Tokyo with kids.

If you’d rather plan Paris together, here’s how I work with families as a travel advisor.

Paris with kids, your questions

Is 3 days in Paris enough with kids?

Yes, for a first trip. Three full days covers the Eiffel Tower, one wing of the Louvre, Notre Dame and a park every afternoon.

Is a week in Paris too long with kids?

It’s a lot of city. With a full week, I’d give Paris four or five nights and spend the rest in Normandy or the Loire.

What day is the Louvre closed?

Tuesday. It stays open until 9pm on Wednesdays and Fridays, and kids under 18 get in free.

Do kids need a Paris Museum Pass?

Usually not. Most museums and monuments on the pass are free for kids under 18. Adults can buy 2, 4 or 6 days, counted from the first visit.

Do kids pay on the Paris metro?

Kids under 4 ride free. Ages 4 to 9 pay half price on a carnet of ten tickets on a Navigo Easy card or a phone. From age 10 they pay the adult fare.

Do you need a reservation for Notre Dame?

No. Entry is free and a reservation is optional. Booking a free time slot gets you in faster on busy days.

How long do you need for Versailles with kids?

A full day. The palace is closed on Mondays, and the gardens are open every day.

When does the Eiffel Tower sparkle?

Every evening after dark, for five minutes at the start of each hour, until midnight or 1am depending on the season.

The Damiano family on the deck of a Disney Cruise Line ship

Nicole Damiano, ASTA Verified Travel Advisor with FG Luxury Travel. Adventures We Seek is my travel blog and planning resource. Trips are booked through Favorite Grampy Travels.