What Things To Do in Paris for Teenager?

Ideas and tips on what Things To Do in Paris for Teenager, having 4 or 5 days available.

I had already given you some tips on what to see in Paris with children in the post on spring bridges in some European and Italian cities, but today to talk about Paris in more detail.

Traveling with teenagers is not easy, they are not children anymore and they are not enchanted by a dinosaur skeleton or satisfied with a carousel ride. Moreover, parents’ choices are always to be criticized on principle. However, it is also true that since they are grown up, they do not get tired after three steps, have more adult interests, and can actively participate in the travel program.

Therefore, what to see in Paris with teenage children should be decided together according to their wishes and preferences. Being their first time, we opted for a tour of classic Paris.

What Things To Do in Paris for Teenager:

What to see in Paris: Île de la Cité

The best way to familiarize yourself with the city is to start your visit from the heart of Paris: the Île de la Cité. The small island on the Seine is the site of the first human settlement in the 3rd century B.C. and the Roman city of Lutetia founded in 53 A.D. by Julius Caesar. The seat of political (the Conciergerie) and spiritual (Notre Dame) power in the Middle Ages, today it preserves in not even one square kilometer some of the wonders of Paris.

First of all, one of the symbols of the city: the Notre-Dame Cathedral, which unfortunately cannot be visited at the moment due to the terrible fire in 2019 that devastated the spire and roof.

All that remains is to admire its façade with its two unmistakable towers, rose window, three portals, and walk along the left side to realize the damage suffered and the status of the restoration work. Unfortunately, the beautiful garden behind it in Square du Jean XXIII is no longer accessible, but you can walk to the tip of the island. Right here is the Memorial to the Martyrs of Deportation.

Another must-see wonder is the Gothic Chapel of Sainte-Chappelle, famous for its unique stained glass windows. It is located inside the Palace of Justice, which together with the former Conciergerie prison (where you can visit Marie Antoinette’s cell), formed the former Royal Palace in the 14th century.

The Île de la Cité is the center of Paris (in front of Notre Dame is the Point Zéro from which distances to other cities are measured) and from here in a few steps you can reach the St. Germain area and the Latin Quarter on the Left Bank, or the Hotel de Ville, the Marais and the Les Halles area as well as The Louvre on the Right Bank.

St-Germain and Latin Quarter

Things To Do in Paris for Teenager

We cross the Pont de l’Archevêché and walk along the Seine on the Quai de Montebello, from which there is a nice view of Notre Dame. A little further on in the little Square Viviani is the famous Shakespeare and Company bookstore, which has become famous on social media.We turn left and enter the Latin Quarter, the student and academic area of Paris. The former Sorbonne University is located here. Look around here for the narrowest alley in Paris; it is called Rue du Chat qui pêche.

Continuing on, you reach the imposing Panthéon, built between 1764 and 1790 as a church, later deconsecrated, and which became the burial place of important French personalities.

The Saint-Germain-des-Prés district, once a bohemian haunt of intellectuals, artists, musicians and philosophers, is still vibrant and picturesque with its tree-lined boulevards, typical cafés with outdoor tables, antique stores and colorful markets

Paris’s museums

Things To Do in Paris for Teenager

Paris is full of beautiful museums that all deserve to be visited.  With only a few days to spare you have to make a choice based on your and your children’s tastes. Mine expressed interest in visiting the Louvre, probably just to see the Mona Lisa, and I accommodated them. I purchased tickets online to avoid lines.

The Louvre is a huge museum, think of it as consisting of multiple buildings divided into 3 wings spread over 4 floors. The collections range from ancient art (Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Oriental) to European art up to 1900. Plan in hand and knowing what you want to see is essential.Children and teens are generally intrigued by modern and contemporary art, and what better opportunity than to visit the largest collection of modern art in Europe? In Paris there is the Centre Pompidou, a museum that is unique starting with its innovative architectural structure. On the outside, the building’s functional structures are visible, such as piping, electrical cables, and air bowls. Inside is an extensive collection of art from 1900 to the present day. Pop art, expressionism, cubism, surrealism, Dadaism and much more.

What to visit in Paris: Eiffel Tower

Things To Do in Paris for Teenager

The Eiffel Tower is another must-see in Paris. My children as children wanted to visit Paris specifically because of the Eiffel Tower, which they had discovered thanks to the Disney movies The Aristocats and Ratatouille. I couldn’t help but include it in our Paris itinerary.

The best place to “meet” the Dame de Fer is from the Trocadero. Exit the Trocadero station of the metro, turn left and you will have the wonder in front of you in its entirety.My suggestion is to buy entrance tickets in advance online to avoid long lines. There is a bit of a wait anyway for the green pass to be checked and for the elevators to arrive. Other suggestion buy the ticket all the way to the top, don’t stop at the second floor! It costs more but the view is worth the money spent.

The view speaks for itself, from the third floor you realize the immensity of the city (it seems to have no end) and its perfect urban structure. Stop and admire the view from the second floor as well, from which you can more easily recognize the various monuments.

And what could be more romantic than seeing a rainbow from the top of the Eiffel Tower, and a circular one at that? Things that can only happen in Paris.

What to see in Paris: Montmartre

Things To Do in Paris for Teenager

To visit Montmartre is to enter a world of its own, a small city within a city, is to take a trip back in time. Famous for being the haunt of painters and poets, of cabarets and brothels in the late 19th century, the Montmartre district sits on a hill (the Butte de Montmartre) in the north of the city on which the Sacré-Coeur Basilica dominates, recognizable from all parts of the city. Even from up here the view of the city will enchant you. With the kids, don’t miss the famous crooked house, one of the most Instagrammed places in Paris, visible from the Sacré-Coeur staircase.Montrmarte can be visited at a leisurely pace, along the narrow streets, delightful little squares, and stairways where you can still breathe the bohemian air. The most famous square is Place du Tertre, which has always been a gathering place for portrait painters, always crowded but charming. Don’t limit yourself to this square, however.

From Place des Abesses, the arrival of the metro, visit the beautiful Je t’aime Wall, a hymn to love and peace among peoples.Continue on Rue du Mont Ceris, Rue Cortot, Rue des Salues with the famous Au Lapin Agile and Rue de l’Abreuvoir with the much-photographed La Maison Rose restaurant.Descending from Montmartre you come to the Pigalle district, known for its sinful nightlife. Stop for a photo op at the Moulin Rouge, the old caberet theater.

Champs-Elysées

Things To Do in Paris for Teenager

The Avenue des Champs-Elysées is another very famous spot in Paris. An avenue nearly 2 km long that connects Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe, lined with trees and gardens to the south and with buildings and stores in its northern part. This is the area where the term “grandeur française” is best manifested and where you will find some of the most beautiful and grandiose buildings of 19th-century Paris: the Grand Palais, the Petit Palais, and the Arc de Triomphe.On the Champs Elysées, youngsters will appreciate entering the stores of well-known brands that have given their best display space here, and if you are lucky you may happen to meet some celebrities. Did you recognize who we met?

My son particularly liked the Renault store and the PSG store. Drop by the nearby Avenue Montaigne as well, if you want to experience the thrill of feeling like a poor man 🙂 .

From Place de la Concorde you get to the Madeleine Church and to one of the most beautiful squares in Paris, certainly the most elegant: Place Vendôme.

With this post I wanted to give you some hints on what to see in Paris with your children. My advice is to walk around as much as possible and enjoy the city outdoors, because every corner, every street has its own special charm.

There would be so many other things to do and maybe I will tell you about them another time. Paris never gets tired.