Hotel Le Marianne

What to do in Paris with family: a guide for all ages with Hôtel Le Marianne

What to do in Paris with family? The French capital is a kid-friendly destination for every age: famous landmarks full of history such as the Eiffel Tower or the Arc de Triomphe, a Seine river cruise, art and science museums where a visit becomes fun, parks and gardens with a playground at every turn, perfect for a picnic, and shows for young people. Planning a family trip to Paris for a weekend or the summer holidays?

This guide brings together our pick of activities, places and experiences for exploring the city with children, including local tips to save time. It was written by the team at Hôtel Le Marianne, a 4-star hotel on a quiet street in the 8th arrondissement, a short walk from the Champs-Élysées. With the metro nearby, its location makes your stay easy and lets you enjoy Parisian life at the pace of parents and kids.

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Hotel Le Marianne

Visiting Paris with kids starts with its must-see landmarks

The Eiffel Tower remains the most popular tourist attraction in the city, and the view from the top is well worth the wait: we recommend booking a timed entry ticket online, as the site gets crowded, then carrying on to the Trocadéro, the best photo spot for the Iron Lady. After dark, the tower sparkles for five minutes at the start of every hour, a free show the youngest love. 

Closer to the hotel, the Arc de Triomphe, one of the historical sites children remember most, is within walking distance along the Champs-Élysées. Its 284 steps lead up to a terrace where the twelve avenues of the Étoile fan out below, and access is free for under-18s, so you only pay for adult tickets.

The Seine is best discovered by boat from the Pont de l'Alma, two metro stations from the hotel: a cruise of about an hour offers a unique perspective on the city, with the Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay, the Hôtel de Ville and the Île de la Cité gliding past along the water, a beautiful way to celebrate a birthday. Notre-Dame, on the island, reopened in December 2024 and is free to enter, and our dedicated post invites you to rediscover Notre-Dame cathedral during your stay, ideally followed by a sweet treat from an ice cream shop on rue Saint-Louis-en-l'Île, a short stroll from the Marais. Montmartre, another highlight of Parisian heritage, makes a nice outing with the feel of an adventure, from the funicular up to the Sacré-Cœur and the place du Tertre, with a stop at a café or crêperie along the way.

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Paris museums lend themselves to a playful visit

A museum is not visited the same way at six and at fourteen. At the National Museum of Natural History, the Grand Gallery of Evolution impresses all ages with its caravan of stuffed animals, while the Children's Gallery offers 6 to 12-year-olds interactive exhibits on biodiversity. The nearby Jardin des Plantes is home to the Ménagerie, a zoo that ranks among the oldest in the world, a patch of nature right in the middle of Paris. In the Parc de la Villette, the Cité des sciences et de l'industrie, often described as the largest science museum in Europe, welcomes tiny visitors from the age of 2 at the Cité des enfants, and its planetarium runs sessions for a journey across the universe.

At the Louvre Museum, admission is free for under-18s, but it is wise to book a time slot online. Build a treasure hunt around three works, the Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory of Samothrace and the Egyptian mummies, and allow at least two hours. At the Musée d'Orsay, also free for minors, children recognise paintings they have seen and loved in their picture books, and the great clock on the fifth floor, set in the former railway station, never fails to impress. A guided tour or a family workshop rounds out the offer, often with a special programme during the holidays.

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Parks and gardens remain the best playground in Paris

Between two visits, nothing beats a break in the open air. On the Left Bank, between the Latin Quarter and Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the Jardin du Luxembourg has everything a children's garden needs: little sailboats to push across the Grand Bassin, a vintage carousel, a puppet theatre and a playground where kids can play safely, a ritual local families have enjoyed for generations. On the Right Bank, the Jardin des Tuileries hosts a popular funfair every summer, through July and August, where a ride on the Ferris wheel looks out over the Louvre, the Musée de l'Orangerie and the place de la Concorde.

The Parc Monceau, a fifteen-minute walk from the hotel, offers lawns, playgrounds and a carousel in a setting of colonnades and 18th-century follies. It is one of the assets of our family-friendly hotel near Parc Monceau for those who like to end the day among the trees.

West of Paris, the ideal place for a day of rides and attractions remains the Jardin d'Acclimatation, a historic amusement park opened in 1860 in the Bois de Boulogne, next to the Fondation Louis Vuitton and reachable without changing on metro line 1, Les Sablons station. To see animals, head to the Paris Zoological Park in Vincennes, or to the Aquarium de Paris, beneath the Trocadéro gardens. On sunny days, don't forget the picnic basket.

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Kids in Paris have their own shows, concerts and festivals

From September to June, the Parisian cultural season makes plenty of room for children. At the Philharmonie de Paris, also in La Villette, family concerts and music workshops offer a first introduction to the orchestra. At the Palais Garnier, a few stops away on line 9, a tour of the grand staircase, the foyer and sometimes the auditorium is an almost magical experience, in a landmark building of 19th-century Paris. Look up in the foyer: the ceiling paintings are the work of Paul Baudry, the painter who gave his name to the hotel's street.

Mon Premier Festival, the City of Paris film festival for young audiences, takes over 21 cinemas and cultural venues from 21 to 27 October 2026, during the French autumn school holidays, with more than 100 films, cine-concerts and workshops at a single ticket price, and the audience awards the Paris Mômes prize. Puppets, storytelling and magic shows also fill the children's theatres every Wednesday and Sunday.

With a teen or two, an immersive exhibition, an escape game, a laser game, a cooking class and a bike tour all offer a mix of fun and discovery, and so does a film at the cinemas on the Champs-Élysées or at Bercy Village. For more ideas for outings in the Champs-Élysées district, read our guide.

Planning your family day out from the 8th arrondissement

The right rhythm comes down to one rule: one big visit in the morning, a park in the afternoon, never two museums in a row. On a map, Hôtel Le Marianne makes an ideal starting point, with a central position and easy links to public transport. Saint-Philippe du Roule station, around 200 metres away, serves metro line 9, direct to Alma, Trocadéro and the Opéra, while line 1, at Franklin D. Roosevelt, George V or Charles de Gaulle-Étoile, crosses the centre of Paris to Concorde, the Tuileries and the Louvre in one direction and heads for the Bois de Boulogne in the other. Buses 52, 83 and 93 also stop at Saint-Philippe du Roule.

On the practical side, a few habits make life easier for parents. Take note of closing days (the Louvre closes on Tuesdays, Orsay on Mondays), book major exhibitions in advance and check the city's official agenda, the newsletters and the social media of the museums for news of workshops and free events. If you travel with a baby or a toddler in a pushchair, the bus is often simpler than the metro, whose many stairs can make it hard going, and a taxi spares tired legs at the end of the day.

There is no need for an exhaustive itinerary: alternating one big activity with downtime is the key, and a family day need not be expensive, since a lot of the nicest moments cost nothing. If your stay lasts longer, a day trip by train to the Palace of Versailles, in Île-de-France, opens a page of French history, from the court of Louis XIV to Marie Antoinette and the French Revolution.

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Hotel Le Marianne
Hotel Le Marianne
Hotel Le Marianne

Le Marianne, a quiet hotel for a family stay in Paris

After a day seeing the sights, the calm of rue Paul Baudry comes into its own: away from the bustle of the Champs-Élysées and its shops, yet only a few steps away, Hôtel Le Marianne has 31 rooms, all air-conditioned. For families, the Family Room offers 34 to 42 m² for four people, a generous size, with connecting rooms: everyone keeps their own space, parents stay close by, and a balcony is available as an option.

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Hotel Le Marianne
Hotel Le Marianne
Hotel Le Marianne

Tailor-made services

Served facing the tree-lined patio, the buffet breakfast is the right moment to review the day's plan. In the evening, room service brings food from a short menu straight to the room, sparing you another outing when the little ones get tired, and the self-service Honesty Bar in the sitting room lets parents extend the evening until 2am.

The multilingual concierge, available 24/7, shares information and recommendations, books a restaurant table or activities to suit your needs and helps with getting around. Secure parking bookable in advance, luggage storage, a fitness room and a hammam available for private use, open all year round on reservation, complete the services of this Clef Verte-certified hotel, whose loyalty programme offers, from your second stay, an upgrade and early check-in from 10am, subject to availability.

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Book your stay at Hôtel Le Marianne to enjoy Paris with family

What to do in Paris with family? Let the children choose part of the programme, keep time for the gardens and come back each evening to a place in Paris where everyone truly rests, in the heart of the 8th arrondissement. By booking on the official Hôtel Le Marianne website, you benefit from the guaranteed best rate and can check room availability, prices, guest reviews and our special offers.

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Frequently asked questions about Hôtel Le Marianne for a family stay in Paris

  • There is no shortage of indoor options: the Grand Gallery of Evolution and the Children's Gallery at the Jardin des Plantes, the Cité des sciences et de l'industrie in La Villette, the Aquarium de Paris beneath the Trocadéro or a tour of the Palais Garnier. A film or a show for young audiences easily completes the day.

  • Yes. The Family Room sleeps up to four people across 34 to 42 m², with connecting rooms that give everyone their own space while keeping children close to their parents. Like every room in the hotel, it is air-conditioned and has free Wi-Fi, with a balcony available as an option.

  • The Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay are free for under-18s, whatever their nationality, and booking a time slot is still advisable. Entry to Notre-Dame cathedral is free, as is the permanent collection of several City of Paris museums, including the Petit Palais.

  • Saint-Philippe du Roule station, on metro line 9, is around 200 metres away and runs directly to Alma, Trocadéro and towards the Opéra. Line 1, accessible at Franklin D. Roosevelt or George V, serves Concorde, the Louvre and the Jardin d'Acclimatation. Buses 52, 83 and 93 stop at Saint-Philippe du Roule.

  • From 21 to 27 October 2026, Mon Premier Festival screens more than 100 films for young audiences in 21 Paris cinemas and cultural venues, with cine-concerts and workshops. Museums often plan special activities during the holidays, and the Luxembourg Gardens and the Tuileries are lovely for an autumn stroll.

  • Yes. The hotel has secure parking spaces, to be booked in advance on the official website. On departure day, luggage storage lets you leave suitcases and the children's belongings after checking out, so you can enjoy a few more hours in Paris before the drive home.