3 days in Paris with children aged 9 to 15. Organizing a first stay of just 3 days so that it’s a truly complete success is no easy task. Why?
There are so many interesting things to see that it would take you months to cover them all.
So you’ll need to choose the most important sights and leave the rest for a future visit—with the nagging doubt that you might have missed the most essential ones.
Among the choices of "must-see" attractions, which ones hold the greatest appeal for a visitor who doesn’t know Paris?
Children’s preferences are often hard to pin down, especially since they tend to change frequently.
With these questions in mind, we’ve put together a sample 3-day itinerary for a first-time visit to Paris.
Note: All photos related to this article are grouped in the Gallery at the end.
Bonus: 4 key tips to help you organize and make the most of your stay in Paris
1. Phrasebook translator for those who don’t speak French fluently
Are you struggling to find the right word or expression in French? Click here on PHRASEBOOK – or in the top right corner of your screen. This is a lexicon of 100 useful words and/or expressions for a tourist visiting Paris. You’ll be able to make yourself understood with ease. In restaurants, hotels, shopping, the metro, greetings, asking for directions, and more. Eight languages are available. And here’s the best part? Each word and expression can also be heard in clear French.
2. List of Reservations to Make
To avoid wasting time waiting in line, we recommend making your reservations online a few days in advance – or on-site, depending on your preferences. All official reservations are available and can be booked through our website:
Reservations to enter museums, monuments, shows, and Seine River cruises
Reservations for your arrival in France: flights, trains, and cars
Reservations for your accommodation: hotels, apartments, and guesthouses – in Paris or the immediate vicinity
The links for all these reservations are available directly in the articles about the attractions that interest you or in the self-guided walk itineraries. Additionally, by clicking on "Reservations" in the header bar, you’ll find all the reservations you’ll need during your stay. For example:
Notre-Dame de Paris entry reservation (Free entry but booking recommended to avoid queues)
Book Versailles Castle: Entry Ticket + Gardens Access + Trianon Estate
3. Bring Home a Collection of Paris Souvenir Photos
These are high-definition collectible photos available in digital format or as long-lasting prints (75 to 100 years). Their size ranges from postcard to large wall art (1m or more). A lifelong keepsake to decorate your home. Quality souvenirs (unlike typical Eiffel Tower snow globes or plastic trinkets). At very affordable prices. Click on:
4. Return with a personalized photo report of your stay in Paris
We suggest a photo shoot by professional photographers in Paris at your chosen locations, with you as the main subject. A "family" photo shoot, wedding, or other events. From 1 hour to a full day. The best quality-to-price ratio. Click on:
The number of key "must-see" attractions for a first-time visit to Paris in 3 days
Here are a few guidelines to consider when planning:
Allow 2 to 3 hours per museum. The Louvre or Orsay deserve this much time. Two hours may be enough for smaller museums.
We’ve limited visits to 1.5 hours per monument. If the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, or Notre-Dame are on your itinerary, they can be visited within this timeframe if you’ve booked to skip the lines. Opt for early morning slots.
A Seine cruise takes 2 hours; with lunch or dinner, allow 2.5 hours.
Visits to the Château de Versailles and/or Giverny (Monet’s House) can be done in half a day (at a brisk pace) but usually take up a full day. Therefore, we opted for a variation: sacrificing a day in Paris in favor of a day trip to Versailles.
Getting around by metro takes 20 to 30 minutes between two locations. Instead, we chose walking, following the routes of our "self-guided walks." These start at the exit of museums or monuments and lead to the entrance of the next one you want to visit—often just a few hundred meters away. The walk takes about 1.5 hours, but you’ll discover 50 times more of Paris along the way than by taking the metro or wandering randomly through the streets. That means 50 times more memories to bring home.
We planned 30-minute breaks every 2 to 3 hours, scheduling stops for lunch, tea, or pastries.
Another option was to alternate museums, monuments, and strolls whenever possible. The Marais or Montmartre offer unique, relaxing atmospheres.
We’ve also planned evening activities (starting at 7 or 7:30 PM) for a romantic dinner, a show, or a famous district. Paris is best enjoyed at night too.
The most important must-see highlights
In summary, this 3-day itinerary we’ve designed—ideal for a first visit to Paris—includes the following “events”:
2 Museums: Musée d’Orsay, Louvre Museum
2 Monuments: Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe
2 Parks and Gardens: Tuileries Garden, Luxembourg Garden
3 Famous spots: Champs-Élysées, Place de la Concorde, Champ de Mars
2 Evenings: Cabaret, Montmartre
2 Self-guided walks
1 Seine River cruise
Your first 3-day visit to Paris with kids aged 9 to 15: your 9-page guide
Below, you’ll find a reproduction of the itinerary for a “typical” 3-day stay generated by our Trip Planner. It includes the following 9 sections:
Page 1. Your travel dates: The dates have been set from July 11 to 13 (three full days, meaning you should arrive the evening before and depart late on the third day).
Page 2. Your interests for your first 3-day visit to Paris
We have selected Museums, Monuments, Parks and the "nightlife" as the main points of interest for your stay. These are the choices made by a large number of tourists during their visit.
Page 3. Selected locations for a first visit to Paris over 3 days
Our selection includes 12 varied points of interest, in line with the themes chosen earlier and the duration of the stay (3 days).
Hence the itinerary below, spread over three days. The choice of day takes into account the geographical location of the different sites to minimize unnecessary and tiring travel.
Page 4. Day 1 Itinerary
Page 5. Day 2 Itinerary
Page 6. Day 3 Itinerary
Page 7. Map of locations to visit (3 routes – 1 per day)
Page 8. Reminder of reservations to make
It is important to book in advance to avoid waiting at the entrances and wasting unnecessary time. This precaution allows you to see as much as possible during your stay.
Page 9. Summary of your stay
Finally, a day-by-day summary of your stay to easily keep track of your schedule.
You can also use it for free (tutorial URL + Generator) to amend and modify the organization of this sample itinerary.
##Excerpt from the Organization of a 3-Day Stay for a First Trip by Our Trip Generator (9 Pages)
Page 1. Dates of Your Stay
Page 2. Select Your Interests for a First 3-Day Visit to Paris
Page 3. Selected Locations for a First 3-Day Visit to Paris
Page 4. Day 1 Itinerary
Page 5. Day 2 Itinerary
Page 6. Day 3 Itinerary
Page 7. Map of Places to Visit (3 routes - 1 per day)
Page 8. Reminder of Visit Reservations to Make
Page 9. Summary of your stay
Extra bonus: Your tailor-made stay in Paris
The typical stay you just reviewed can be enhanced to better match your preferences and choices.
The above typical stay is based on the 3 criteria found in the paragraph "Extract from the Stay Organization" above:
A. When are you traveling?
B. Choice of your interests (types of visits)
C. Selected locations
But you can easily optimize this arbitrary choice we made. Simply click on our Stay Generator where you can adjust these 3 parameters A, B, and C to perfectly align with your wishes.
In just 5 minutes and 5 clicks, you’ll get your personalized itinerary, tailored to your preferences, half-day by half-day. Plus, all reservations are made online: simply click—if you want, with no obligation—on the links to the sites you’d like to visit.
Reservations for your transportation (plane, train, or car) and your accommodation are also included. Even suggestions for souvenir gifts for yourself, your friends, and your family—all at affordable but high-quality and valuable prices. You’ll see they have nothing in common with those tacky snow globes or plastic Eiffel Towers!
How does it work?
Click on "Paris Trip Organizer"—it’s completely free. It’ll save you the hassle of optimizing your stay to fit in as much as possible. In addition to your travel dates (Point A. – final or provisional), you’ll need to specify:
1/ Select your "area of interest" by clicking on the list (Museums, Churches, Monuments, Parks, etc.);
2/ The VPBY Trip Generator will then provide you with a selection of relevant guides;
3/ This will take you to point C (Selected Places). You select by clicking on the names of the museums, monuments, parks, or activities you wish to include; The Generator will suggest at the top of the screen "Smart Organization" to group visits by location and duration, avoiding unnecessary and tiring travel;
4/ The Generator will return your itinerary for each day of your stay, broken down by half-day and evening.
All this is done in 5 clicks and just 5 minutes to get your newly tailored itinerary. And it’s completely free. To use it, click on "Paris Trip Organizer"
Note: Would you like to know what users of the VPBY Trip Generator think about their experience? Click on "They planned their trip with VPBY"
