Toulouse, Laurence’s recommendations
Allow me to walk you through the authentic spots of my native Toulouse. Follow me and you won’t be a stranger to the pink city anymore!
Book a train ticket
Book a train ticket
Our top 10 family activities in Toulouse
Get airborne
La Cité de l’espace (Space City) is a unique concept in Europe: a scientific theme park which takes you on an extraordinary voyage into space.
The Airbus factory is open to the public! The construction site of the A380 aircraft, the test runways, etc.. You can also visit the A330 and A340 sites and their assembly pits!
The musée Aéroscopia (Aeroscopia Museum) displays a collection that does justice to the long-standing love affair between Toulouse and the aerospace industry. From a walkway 4.5 metres up, the public can see aircraft on display and see how the aerospace industry has changed over time.
Learning in the museum
Living things and the Earth! The musée d'histoire naturelle (Natural History Museum) has fun and educational areas. A visit to the museum quickly turns into an adventure: climb onto a plate to experience an earthquake, take a look at the crystals and enormous rocks which fall onto our planet....
Visit by barge
Along the banks of the Garonne you can take a boat at Port de la Daurade to go on a river cruise. The barges Baladine and Diplomatico, and the panoramic boat Le Capitole, offer guided cruises on the Garonne, the Canal du Midi and the canal de Brienne. Children can learn how lock gates work, about fauna and flora.... And the history of local landmarks: the Pont Neuf, the wharves, the Hôtel-Dieu, the Bazacle and the mills.
It’s also possible to hire a river boat, without a licence, to navigate one’s way with ease on the canal.
Gardens and rides
The star of the gardens of Toulouse is the Jardin des Plantes where one can find rides, sweet-stands, playgrounds, small labyrinthine paths to the bandstand, old-fashioned swings, pony rides....
The Japanese Garden is listed as a Remarkable Garden. A little taste of the exotic (spanning some 7,000 square metres), here one can find all the characteristic elements of the gardens of Japan: the little red bridge, plants, rockeries and little ponds, a tea house, etc.
The Beau Manege is a carousel in the Raymond VI Garden, right next to the Slaughterhouses. Built by the Machine of Nantes team, it is full of things straight out of the imagination of Jules Verne!
Tourist trains
A little train departs from the Capitole. There are two circuits of half an hour each: “Garonne and its landmarks” and “Canal du Midi” So you might go past place du Capitole, Saint-Sernin basilica, place Saint-Pierre des Cuisines and the banks of the Garonne and more.
Le Quai des Savoirs (Knowledge Wharf)
Here is a little Palace of Discovery dedicated to the sharing of knowledge and scientific culture. Situated in the buildings of the old department of science on the grounds of the Jardin des Plantes, Le Quai des Savoirs holds meetings, classes, events, science workshops... With interactive experiments in the Hall des Manips (House of tricks), exhibitions and also the Quai des Petits (Little Ones’ Wharf) for the youngest visitors!
39 Allees Jules Guesde - 31000 Toulouse
Closed on Mondays
Kids’ museums
Children love the George Labit Museum where they can see a mummy up close. This museum of Oriental art is the oldest in France. Ensconced in a charming town house, Mr Labit, a lover of travel, collected sculptures, Buddhas, terracottas, masks, samurai armour and Egyptian pieces.
For children: free quiz trail for 6 to 12-year-olds, art workshops and guided tours. Guided storytelling tour on one Sunday each month for children aged 6 years and up.
The Fondation Bemberg (my favourite Toulouse museum!) offers a family tour of the museum (for children aged 6 years and up) on the second Sunday of the month at 4:30pm.
The Augustins Museum, the Saint Raymond Archaeological Museum and the musée Dupuy Museum show art and objet d’art collections from the Middle Ages, offering specific workshops for children.
Eating as a family
Right next to place du Salin, in a vaulted room, Le Picotin is an unusual restaurant where everyone eats with their hands with bib around their necks!
5, Impasse de la Tresorerie - 31000, Toulouse
Zeplagraounde is the restaurant for families with children of 0 to 8 years old! The various activities on offer for children (sledging, ball pool, etc.) allow parents to have a breather whilst having a nice cup of tea. The food is made from scratch: tarts, bagels, lasagnes, cakes, cookies... Workshops are available.
20 place Occitane - 31000 Toulouse
Forêt de Bouconne Forest
About twenty kilometres west of Toulouse. You can walk around or go by bike through the woodland trails or play a round of mini-golf at the leisure centre.
At Lac de la Ramée lake
On fine days, towards Tournefeuille, about thirty kilometres south-west of Toulouse, try out watersports on Lac de la Ramée: sailing, windsurfing, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, windsurfing or sailing, or for sports like rollerblading, tennis, all-terrain biking, petanque, golf, jogging.... And for breakfast, be sure to take a picnic! You can even use barbecues on site.