Best Theme Parks and Attractions in and Around Paris

Best Theme Parks and Attractions in and Around Paris

Updated by Vanessa M in July 2023.

Paris is an attraction in itself, but that doesn’t mean you don’t want to take advantage of some of the parks during your time here. Whether you’re a family with little kids or a full grown adult looking to connect with your inner child, these are four of the best theme parks and attractions in and around Paris.

Read also; 40 Cool Things you can do with Kids in Paris

Disneyland® Paris

Disneyland Paris- Wikipedia

Disneyland Paris doesn’t need any introduction. Chances are you’ve already visited a Disney park before, and if you haven’t, Disneyland Paris is a great place to start! You have the option to visit Disneyland Park, the classic Disneyland with the princesses, and Walt Disney Studios, which is more suited to older kids and adults.

At Disneyland Park you’ll find the Sleeping Beauty Castle, Peter Pan’s Flight, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril, Pirates’ Beach, Star War’s Hyperspace Mountain, the famous It’s a Small World, and many more. Hearing all your favorite Disney Princes and Princess singing in French is quite magical, and offers a new twist on all the classics.

Want a more adventurous ride selection? Try Walt Disney Studios Park. You can even visit both parks with the park hopper pass to experience both if you’re looking for the full Disneyland Paris experience.

Walt Disney Studios offers rides for the “big kids” such as The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Crush’s Coaster, and more!

You can read more on the best way to experience Disneyland in Paris!

Read also; Top 10 attractions at Disneyland Paris

ADMISSION: around €100- €130 PER PERSON (Depending on ticket type)

OPENING HOURS: MONDAY TO FRIDAY – 10AM – 8PM

ADDRESS: Boulevard de Parc, 77700 Coupvray France

Parc Astérix

Parc Asterix – Wikipedia

Parc Asterix is basically the Six Flags of France, and is a perfect day trip for families and friends. It’s based on the comic book series Asterix, and is the second biggest theme park near Paris after Disneyland.  If you like crazy rides, this is your place, because park Asterix is known for its huge variety of roller coasters! The rides are based on themes of historic cultures like the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians.

There are rides for all ages, games, theme-park food, and everything else you can expect from a classic theme park. If you have been before, it’s worth visiting again because they renovated the park in 2018.

Park Asterix is also a great place to visit if you’re looking to experience a park with the locals, as it is much less frequented  by tourists than Disneyland!

Read more on Park Asterix and what you need to know before going!

ADMISSION: €51 PER PERSON

OPENING HOURS: MONDAY TO FRIDAY – 10AM – 6PM

ADDRESS: 60128 PLAILLY, FRANCE

PHONE: +33 826 46 66 26

Jardin d’Acclimatation

Jardin d’acclimatation- Facebook

Jardin d’Acclimatation is a children’s amusement park located in Bois de Boulogne, just alongside the 16th arrondissement.

It’s one of the oldest theme parks in Paris, having opened in 1860, and is the perfect place for families and younger kids.

The park offers fun rides, stands, games, and even wildlife immersion! There is something for every member of the family to enjoy.

Enjoy the Flying Chairs ride, zip-line, a train ride, mini roller coasters, pony rides, boat rides, and more!

And don’t assume you have to be a child to enjoy Jardin d’Acclimatation. In 2018 the park was renovated to provide a larger variety of rides suitable for teens!

ADMISSION: €5 to enter and €2.90 per attraction. (Attraction ticket books are available for purchase)

OPENING HOURS: MONDAY TO FRIDAY – 10AM – 6PM

ADDRESS: Bois de Boulogne, Route de la Porte Dauphine à la Porte des Sablons, 75116 Paris

FlyView Paris

FlyView Paris- Facebook

Looking for a fun attraction but not interested in trekking all the way to an amusement park? Look no further than FlyView in Paris Opera, a unique indoor attraction offering you a virtual reality experience allowing you to discover Paris from above, like you’ve never seen it before.

This is also a great alternative for those who are hesitant to do amusement rides, because you are on the ground in a simulator, meaning no scary heights!

Here’s what to expect from the virtual reality flight.

You’ll be put into a simulator with a VR helmet, and you will actually feel as though you are flying in the Paris sky, seeing the monuments from a bird’s eye view! Each fly-over ride lasts around 13 minutes, but they have different options so you can do more than one.

They offer a fun thematic entrance, mimicking an airport arrival, and when you take off, it really happens from the roof of the FlyView building! They managed to make this all possible via drone technology, and it’s really something to experience!

There aren’t too many restrictions, but you must be at least 8 years old to ride and 4 feet tall.

Read also; 20 Great Things Not to Miss When Visiting Paris

ADMISSION: €15

OPENING HOURS: Sunday-Thursday – 11AM – 7PM and Friday-Saturday- 11am- 9pm

ADDRESS: 30 Rue du 4 septembre, 75002 Paris

France Miniature

France Miniature- Facebook

Ever wanted to walk through a miniature version of Paris, towering over all the monuments giving you the feeling of being a giant? The France Miniature attraction is located only 20 minutes away from west Paris (Porte d’Auteuil), and is a great attraction for kids. The park offers scale models of some of Paris’s most beautiful locations and monuments, allowing you to travel around France in only one day!

The trail leads you through a total of 117 monuments and 150 landscapes. It’s vast and don’t let the miniature scaling fool you- there are so many things to see here! From the Eiffel Tower to Arc de Triomphe to Notre Dame, the detail in each model is also quite impressive.

Starting in May, children can discover the Cirque des Zinzins. This is an actual thrilling experience offering children and adults the opportunity to feel as though they’ve joined the circus!

They offer tightrope walking, trapeze, acrobats, and other circus themed workshops for all ages.

ADMISSION: €22 (adults) €16 (4-14 years), and Free for under 4

OPENING HOURS: Every day from 10am-7pm (open from april to november)

ADDRESS: 25 Route du Mesnil
78990 Elancourt

La Mer de Sable

Freddo, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

La Mer de Sable is the ultimate family destination in Ile de France, 45 minutes from Paris. This amusement park, located in the beautiful setting of the Ermenonville forest near Chantilly and Senlis (60), has plenty to entice both young and old. In recent years, the park has been renewing itself with each season in order to entice us even more.

The Mer de Sable, with its 45 hectares of sand, transports you to other times and places to experience extraordinary adventures over a new season. Explorers of all ages will set out to conquer three incredible worlds: the Arizona desert, the Mississippi Valley, and the Colorado Canyon. Children as young as two years old can appreciate the displays and attractions.

La Mer de Sable guarantees that 60% of the attractions are accessible to newborns as young as 90cm, which equates to approximately 20 of the park’s thirty or so activities! You may also witness a variety of acts on a large open-air stage, including equestrian stunts, acrobatics, and spectacular effects.

ADMISSION: €27.50/adult (from 12 years old); €22/child (3-11 years old), and Free for under 3

OPENING HOURS: Wed, Sat, and Sun; 10:30 am-7 pm

ADDRESS: N330, 60950 Ermenonville, France

Puy du Fou

Photo by sergio souza from Pexels

Puy du Fou, located in the heart of the Loire Valley is one of Europe’s most famous theme parks and one of France’s most frequented tourist sites. Every year almost 2 million people visit! The park is split into thematic regions that depict different periods in the country’s history, from ancient times to the present.

A Viking town, a Roman coliseum, and a medieval castle are just a few of the park’s scenarios that stage daily stunning shows. The amazing visual effects, beautiful stage settings, and genuine period clothing all contribute to the impressive performances. Puy du Fou has received multiple honors in the recent decade, identifying it as one of Europe’s top theme parks.

The park hosts two captivating evening shows: “La Cinéscénie” and the water set “Les Noces de Feu.” If you have the chance to see them, both are unmissable sensory pleasures.

The fee will be greater if your booking coincides with the performance of “La Cinéscénie” which is not surprising given that this has been dubbed the “greatest night show in the world” multiple times. If, on the other hand, your reservation coincides with “Les Noces de Feu,” the price will be the same as the ordinary ticket.

Read also; Ultimate List: Here are the 100 Best Things to do in Paris

ADMISSION: (Adults) in advance 42 € and on the day 53 €. Special offer 33 €. (Children) in advance 30 € and on the day 37 €. Special offer 24 €

OPENING HOURS: sun-thur; 9 am-10:30 pm/ fri-sat; 9 am-9 pm

ADDRESS: 85590 Les Epesses, France

Parc Saint Paul

Chatsam, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Parc Saint Paul located about 75 km north of Paris is nestled in a natural setting and promises a fantastic experience that combines leisure and tremendous enjoyment. Pass through the massive gate and past the mascot Pilou on the weekend or during school vacations for a fun family day out.

Whatever your age, you’ll have a great time here! This small theme park with 43 attractions guarantees a day of fun, laughing, excitement, and a terrific environment. You won’t have to walk for miles between attractions or wait in lines for hours on end, which are both great benefits!

The little ones will enjoy crawling up onto the P’tits Lapins (little rabbits) and gripping on tight, or bouncing for pleasure with the frisky dogs on the Pata’Woufs attraction. The entire family may enjoy the thrills of water on the massive log flume, Dino Splash, alternatively you may get some workout on the Swan Pedalos on the lake.

Finally, the most courageous family members will love the Descente Extrême’s 40-meter free-fall, which is not for the faint of heart, or the park’s roller coaster, the exciting Wood Express!

ADMISSION: Adult (12 years and above): one-day ticket 16 euros, Children up to 11 years old: one-day ticket 14 euros. Children less than one meter tall are free when accompanied by an adult.

OPENING HOURS: mon-fri; 10 am-6 pm/ sat-sun; 10 am-6:30 pm

ADDRESS: 47 Rue de l’Avelon, 60650 Saint-Paul, France

Nigloland

Modillons58, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Aube’s flagship amusement park spans 40 hectares and is set within the beautiful Orient Forest Regional Nature Park. Nigloland situated about 200 km southeast of Paris is one of France’s largest parks, with 39 rides and a diverse choice of performances for guests of all ages.

It is particularly admired for its distinctive position surrounded by greenery, as well as its history as a circus in the Roaring Twenties. A few relics of the park’s fairground heritage remain, such as the 1900 carousel, with its gold ornamentation and drawn pictures from another era to the joy of thrill-seekers, other more recent attractions exist alongside their forerunners.

Dive into a fun and immersive world with four themed towns and a range of atmospheres (African savannah, scary manor home, dizzying rollercoasters). Visitors can use small boats to traverse the river that runs through the park and get up close and personal with the native plant life. A truly exciting day out!

Read also; Things to do outside Paris

ADMISSION: Adults € 41.00. Child under 12 € 38.00.

OPENING HOURS: mon-fri; 10:30 am- 5:30 pm/ sat-sun; 10 am-6 pm

ADDRESS: 27 Rue de la Vall. du Landion, 10200 Dolancourt, France

Futuroscope

Koakoo, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Futuroscope is around a half-hour drive from Les Forges. Futuroscope is unlike any other theme park you’ve ever visited. The sense of the spectacular and the ability to bring the entire family together are still present, but you will also find films in giant format, 3D rides with 4D effects, games, and live shows with over 25 original experiences beautifully themed in the relaxing tranquility of fountains, sculptures, and peaceful green countryside.

When the music starts, you have a completely unique experience, dancing with the other families while the robot choreographs. The Arthur 4D trip offers a cinematic experience unlike any other.

As you are whistled through a fantastical land of colors and dreams, you strap into your chair and feel as if you are soaring. There are numerous experiences to select from, and it might easily occupy the entire day. Even if you’re exhausted following a long day of sightseeing, this is an event you should not miss.

ADMISSION: 52€ per adult and 43€ per child (aged 5 to 12 included). Free for children under 5

OPENING HOURS: mon-sun; 9:30 am-11:15 pm

ADDRESS: Av. René Monory, 86360 Chasseneuil-du-Poitou, France