A mother daughter trip to Paris filled with beautiful hotels, private tours, delicious food, shopping, and unforgettable experiences. From Paris hotel and favorite experiences to what I’d do differently next time, here’s a look at how I’d plan a memorable trip to Paris with your mom.
There are few better ways to spend time with your mom than a mother-daughter trip to Paris. I recently took my own mom to Paris for six days, and while I’ve planned plenty of trips to Paris for clients, there’s something very different about experiencing the city together yourself. We packed a lot into our six days, from private tours and pastries to the Louvre, Versailles, the Moulin Rouge and plenty of shopping, but we also learned a few things about how I’d plan a mother daughter trip to Paris differently next time. Here’s where we stayed, our Paris itinerary, our favorite experiences, and what I’d change if I were planning the trip again.
Where We Stayed in Paris
We stayed at Hotel Edouard 7, which is right on the edge of the 1st and 2nd arrondissements, between the Louvre and Opéra Garnier. For a first-time trip to Paris, I thought the location was fantastic. We were able to walk to so many places and had easy access to explore other areas of the city.
If you’re traveling with your mom, or another person you’re sharing a room with, I highly recommend looking at the rooms with a balcony overlooking Opéra Garnier. The rooms are surprisingly spacious for a Paris hotel, and I especially loved the separate toilet room with an additional sink. Because two women getting ready in one hotel room without fighting over the bathroom is a small luxury in itself.
The staff was incredibly welcoming and helpful. We had breakfast in the restaurant each morning and it was consistently good, with scrambled eggs, bacon, fresh fruit salad, pastries, baguettes, assorted cheeses, yogurt, boiled eggs and more.
I also visited two other hotels during the trip that I think are worth knowing about if you’re planning a trip to Paris.
Hotel de Sers is located in the 8th arrondissement, near the Champs Élysées, and has a more formal feel. The design beautifully combines classic Parisian architecture with modern decor. Both the Panoramic Suite and Eiffel Suite have stunning views of the Eiffel Tower, but I particularly loved the Panoramic Suite. The skylights flood the suite with natural light and give it more of an apartment-like feel.
I also visited Hotel Montalembert in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood. This hotel has a quiet, intimate atmosphere that makes you feel a little more like a local rather than a tourist. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it for kids or families, but for an adults-only stay in Paris, it’s fantastic. Locals who live in the neighborhood also frequent the hotel’s bar and restaurant, which is always a good sign in my book.
All three of these hotels are part of B Signature Hotels & Resorts, a family owned and operated hospitality group.
A Hotel Tip for a Mother Daughter Trip
When choosing a Paris hotel for a mother daughter trip, I’d pay close attention to the bathroom setup, not just the room itself. Many junior suites at these properties have a full second bathroom, which is fantastic when two ladies are getting ready at the same time. Trust me, this is the kind of detail you appreciate very quickly on a girls’ trip.
Another tip: On the first day of your trip, start a WhatsApp chat with your hotel concierge if they offer one. Our concierge was incredibly helpful, and they can often assist with everything from restaurant recommendations and reservations to transportation and last-minute questions.
Our 6 Day Paris Itinerary
We wanted to maximize our time in Paris, but we also didn’t want to spend the entire trip running from one attraction to another (but we kind of did anyway). Here’s what our six day Paris itinerary looked like.
Day 1: Arrive in Paris
We kept our first day intentionally light. So when we arrived and checked into the hotel, we didn’t have anything scheduled because we knew we’d be tired after traveling. We walked through the Fragonard Perfume Museum, had a late lunch at a restaurant near our hotel and spent the rest of the day settling in and getting our bearings.
What I’d do differently: Move our 2CV car tour to the evening of our arrival day. It ended up being one of my favorite experiences of the entire trip and would have been a fantastic way to see the city and get acclimated to the layout of Paris on our first afternoon.
Day 2: Opera Garnier, Saint-Germain & the Seine
We started the day with a visit to Opera Garnier on our own. It’s such a beautiful building, and I loved being able to explore it at our own pace.
Next, we had a private walking tour with our guide, Helle. Before the trip, I emailed with the owner of the tour company about what we wanted to see. I basically sent her our itinerary and told her to fill in the gaps, to take us to the areas and sites we should see that weren’t already included in our plans.
That gave us a much more customized experience rather than simply following a standard Paris sightseeing itinerary.
Helle took us through Place Vendôme, the Luxembourg Gardens, Saint-Germain-des-Prés and the Latin Quarter, with stops along the way to try a few different pastries.
We finished the day with a private Seine River cruise, which ended up being one of the highlights of our entire mother-daughter trip to Paris.
Day 3: The Louvre, Montmartre & Moulin Rouge
We started with a small group tour of the Louvre, followed by a Montmartre pastry and chocolate tour.
We stayed in Montmartre for dinner since we had tickets to the Moulin Rouge that evening. We had reservations at Pink Mamma, and it was a great choice. The food was really good, the setting was beautiful, and it was conveniently located just a short walk from the theater.
Then it was off to the 9pm Moulin Rouge show.
Day 4: Versailles & the Marais
Day four was a big one.
We did a small group tour of the Palace of Versailles and then returned to Paris for a food tour through the Marais.
Looking back, I would have liked to spend more time in Versailles and give ourselves a little more breathing room between the two experiences.
Day 5: Notre Dame, Shopping & a 2CV Tour
We started the day with a small-group tour of Notre Dame. Unfortunately, our guide didn’t show up, so we continued on our own and honestly, it worked out just fine.
After Notre Dame, we decided to circle back to the Latin Quarter for some shopping before heading out for a 2CV classic car tour of Paris. We made our way around the city in a vintage Citroen 2CV with our driver, JB, who gave us just the right amount of history and context without making it feel like a history lesson. He also gave us opportunities to get out of the car, take photos and spend a little more time at some of the sites.
Afterward, we did a little more shopping in Saint-Germain-des-Prés.
For our final evening in Paris, we had dinner on the terrace at Chez Francis with a view of the Eiffel Tower. It was the perfect way to end a mother daughter trip to Paris.
Day 6: Head Home
And just like that, it was time to fly home.
What I’d Do Differently on Our Paris Itinerary
Even though I loved our trip, there are a few things I’d change when planning a future mother-daughter trip to Paris.
Move the 2CV tour to the first evening. It was such a fun way to see the city, and doing it early in the trip would have helped us get acclimated to the layout of Paris.
Book more private tours. I love the social aspect of a small group tour, but being on someone else’s timeline can be tough when you want to cover a lot of ground or when you’re particularly interested in certain things and want to spend more time there.
Spend more time in Versailles. There was a pretty good sized farmers market happening in Versailles that I would have loved to explore, but we had to rush back to Paris for our food tour. If I were planning this Paris itinerary again, I’d give Versailles more breathing room.
Build in more downtime. This is probably the biggest one. We packed a lot into six days, and while we saw and did so much, I would have loved more time to simply stroll through Paris, pop into shops, stop at cafes and wander without having somewhere we needed to be.
Because sometimes the best Paris moments are the ones you don’t plan.
Our Favorite Paris Experiences
Private Seine River Cruise
A highlight of our mother daughter trip to Paris was our private boat cruise on the Seine.
Our captain, Alex, was fantastic. He gave us just the right amount of history and context about what we were seeing without turning the cruise into a history lecture. He also knew the best opportunities to stop and take photos, so we ended up with some really great pictures from the experience.
There was something especially memorable about seeing Paris from the water with my mom. It’s one of those experiences that felt less like checking something off a sightseeing list and more like actually enjoying the city together.
2CV Classic Car Tour
The other standout experience was our 2CV tour of Paris.
Again, our driver, JB, struck the perfect balance. He explained what we were seeing and shared interesting history along the way, but it never felt like we were sitting through a tour guide’s monologue.
We also had the opportunity to hop out of the car at different stops to take photos and spend a little more time enjoying the sites.
And let’s be honest, riding around Paris in a vintage 2CV is just fun.
Planning Your Own Mother Daughter Trip to Paris
If you’re thinking about experiencing Paris with your mom, I highly recommend doing it.
Paris is such a wonderful destination for a mother daughter trip because you can build the experience around whatever the two of you enjoy most. Maybe that’s shopping and cafes. Maybe it’s food and wine. Maybe it’s history and sightseeing. Or maybe it’s a little bit of everything.
The key is creating an itinerary that works for both of you and not trying to cram every famous Paris attraction into six days just because you feel like you should.
When you’re ready to plan your own mother daughter trip to Paris, I’d love to help.
Start Your Custom Trip Inquiry Here
We’ll start with a call to talk through both of your interests, priorities and travel styles. From there, I’ll design a custom Paris itinerary around what you actually want to experience, including the right hotel, tours, transportation and experiences, so there’s no stressing over picking the right place to stay or worrying about the logistics.
Because a trip to Paris with your mom isn’t just a vacation. It’s the kind of trip you’ll talk about for years and remember for a lifetime.
Read Next: Paris Pre-Trip Travel Guide
FAQs
How many days do you need for a mother daughter trip to Paris?
I recommend at least five to seven days for a first trip to Paris. This gives you enough time to experience major attractions like the Louvre, Eiffel Tower and Versailles while still leaving room for shopping, cafes, leisurely strolls and some downtime.
What are the best things to do in Paris with your mom?
Some of my favorite experiences for a mother-daughter trip to Paris include a private Seine River cruise, exploring Montmartre, visiting Opéra Garnier, shopping in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, enjoying a food or pastry tour, and taking a vintage 2CV tour through the city.
Should you book private or group tours in Paris?
Both can be great, but I prefer private tours when traveling with family because you can customize the experience around your interests and move at your own pace. Small-group tours are often a great alternative if you enjoy the social aspect of traveling with others or want to keep costs lower.
