Best Family Tours in Paris: Original Airbnb Experiences Beyond the Classics
- frompariswithfun
- Aug 13
- 4 min read
When families start planning a trip to Paris, the same questions always come up: What should we visit? What will the kids actually enjoy? And how do we avoid spending the whole week saying “don’t touch that” inside museums?
That’s exactly why family tours in Paris haven’t disappeared at all—quite the opposite. Even in the age of Google Maps, guidebooks, and AI-generated itineraries, families are still booking tours. Not the old-fashioned, megaphone-style visits, but small-group, interactive experiences that turn the city into a place to explore together.
And this is where Airbnb Experiences have quietly become one of the best-kept secrets for families visiting Paris.
Paris is one of the most visited cities in the world (no pressure), and it’s also one of the most international. Guides, hosts, and tour creators are used to welcoming families from everywhere, often in English, and adapting their storytelling to different ages.
Airbnb Experiences are very well known among Anglo-Saxon travellers and families. Many visitors from the US, UK, Canada or Australia arrive in Paris already familiar with the concept and actively look for experiences to book there.
What’s more surprising is that these experiences are still far less used by French travellers themselves. Cultural habits vary from country to country, and not everyone has the same reflex when it comes to booking activities.
In Paris, however, Airbnb Experiences have become a major way for families to meet locals, explore the city differently, and enjoy small-group activities that feel personal rather than mass-produced.
A Paris Off the Beaten Path Classic: The Covered Passages Treasure Hunt
From a tourism professional’s point of view, the covered passages are a Paris must-see. But here’s the funny part: for many visitors, they’re actually a complete surprise.
These 19th-century glass-roofed arcades—Galerie Vivienne, Passage des Panoramas, Passage Jouffroy—are pure off-the-beaten-path Paris. No Eiffel Tower views, no wide boulevards, just hidden corridors filled with toy shops, stamp dealers, bookshops, and cafés frozen in time.
That’s exactly where our covered passages treasure hunt comes in.
Instead of a traditional guided tour, families explore the passages with a game booklet. You play, you solve riddles, you stop when you want, and—most importantly—you talk. We walk, we play, and we discuss Paris along the way: history, daily life, funny details people usually walk past without noticing.
It’s calm, sheltered (a lifesaver in August heat or summer rain), and surprisingly engaging for kids. Parents often tell us: “We would never have found this place on our own.”
And that’s the magic of these passages: they feel like a secret Paris you’re being let in on.
Some families love a bit of drama with their history—and Paris delivers.
One popular Airbnb Experience dives straight into the gossip of the French court, guided by a historian who knows exactly how to turn dusty names into juicy stories. Think betrayals, secret affairs, power struggles… all explained in a way that older kids and teenagers actually enjoy.
It’s not about memorising dates. It’s about understanding who these people were, why they mattered, and how their personal dramas shaped French history.
For families with teens, this kind of tour often works far better than a traditional museum visit.
Père Lachaise: History, Legends… or a Game With a Thrill
Visiting Père Lachaise with kids might sound unusual at first, and yet it’s one of the most fascinating outdoor experiences in Paris. This vast, tree-filled cemetery feels more like a peaceful park, where families stroll, locals walk their dogs, and history hides behind every corner.
Guided tours of Père Lachaise usually focus on famous figures—Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, Chopin—and on the stories that made them legends. It’s cultural, calm, and surprisingly engaging for older kids and teenagers.
But if your family prefers mystery and a touch of adrenaline, there’s another option. Our Père Lachaise treasure hunt turns the cemetery into a playground of riddles, clues, and ghostly legends. Armed with a booklet, families explore at their own pace, solving puzzles and uncovering eerie stories along the way.
It’s not the same route as a classic guided tour (except perhaps a stop near Jim Morrison), and not the same sensations either. Less “historical lecture,” more “let’s see if this place is really haunted.”
Different formats, different thrills—but the same unforgettable setting.
Marie Antoinette is one of those names kids recognise long before they understand who she was. Tours focused on her secrets, daily life, and downfall transform her from a textbook figure into a real person.
These experiences work particularly well with older children and teenagers because they combine:
royal life behind the scenes
political tension
and the very human side of history
Instead of “she lived, she reigned, she died,” families leave with stories they remember.
For families with curious teens or literature lovers, tours inspired by Victor Hugo’s Paris offer a quieter, more reflective experience.
This isn’t about forcing kids to love Les Misérables. It’s about walking through the neighbourhoods that inspired Hugo, understanding how Paris shaped his work, and seeing the city through a writer’s eyes.
It’s slower, calmer, and surprisingly engaging—especially for families who want something meaningful without the intensity of major museums.
Why These Are Some of the Best Family Tours in Paris
What all these experiences have in common is simple:
they are human-scale
they encourage conversation
they adapt to families instead of forcing families to adapt
And yes, they cost more than wandering around alone. But again and again, families tell us the same thing: “This is what our kids remember.”
In a city as dense, rich, and overwhelming as Paris, one or two well-chosen family tours can completely change the tone of a trip.
Paris doesn’t need more “checklist tourism.” What it offers families instead are experiences—hidden passages, stories whispered through history, playful investigations, and local perspectives that turn a visit into a memory.
If you’re looking for the best family tours in Paris, think smaller, think interactive, and don’t be afraid to step away from the obvious. Sometimes, the most unforgettable Paris is the one hiding just around the corner.
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