5 Things to Do in Rouen With Kids : What to Do, Where to Stay in This Beautiful, Underrated French City

We’re currently preparing for this summer’s road trip across France. But last summer we finished our road trip with some time in Rouen: A city we’ve never visited before. And after just a couple of hours in this stunning city, we had all fallen in love.

So as inspiration for this summer’s trip, I thought I’d write about all the things to do in Rouen with kids. A city our kids loved and wished we could spend more time in!

Rouen is a compact and wonderfully walkable city. Which means you can see most of the sites in one day. We spent one full day in Rouen and although there’s more to see (isn’t there always more to see!) we managed to experience all of the main sites and attractions, including the cathedral, the astronomical clock, and the Joan of Arc experience (which was everyone’s favourite, and which I highly recommend!)

Here’s our list of 5 things to do in Rouen with kids if you only have a day in Rouen:

1. Where To Stay in Rouen
2. The Historial Jeanne d’Arc (Joan of Arc Museum)
3. Rouen Cathedral
4. The Gros-Horloge: Rouen’s Astronomical Clock
5. The Viking Immersive Experience
6. Rouen’s Cafe Culture

Heads up! This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click and make a purchase, I might earn a very small commission – at no extra cost to you. This helps to keep the blog going. Thanks for the support!

Where To Stay in Rouen

First thing’s first, where did we stay? Our trip to Rouen was only technically one full day: we drove all morning from Nantes (where we stopped to ride the mechanical elephant – something I highly recommend!) then arrived in Rouen in time for lunch, stayed the night, then left the second day after lunch. That’s how we tend to visit cities when we’re on a road trip.

We stayed in the Mercure Rouen Centre Cathedrale and it was the best decision we could have made. It was a great follow up to our Eurocamp stay in the Domaine du Clarys. And it was also pretty affordable- We only paid £142 per night!

Our hotel was smack bang in the city centre, which meant we could see the iconic cathedral from the hotel. We actually chose it because it was one of the few hotels in the heart of the city that had free parking (remember: road trip!) and we needed somewhere safe to park the car with the surfboards on the roof. This hotel had a free albeit small underground car park.

If you’re travelling with kids, then opt for a family room. This had a double bed, bunk beds for the boys, a lovely, generously sized bathroom, and beautiful views of the old town of the city too.

But the stand out reason to choose this ridiculously budget-friendly hotel? The breakfast! You do pay extra for this, but it was worth every penny! We gorged on local produce, fresh French bread and croissants, cheese and meats, as well as a whole host of hot dishes. It was one of the best breakfasts we ate the whole trip!

👉 You can check availability and book the Ibis hotel we used here!
💰 Use code THATMUMTRAVEL5KLOOK to save an extra 5% off these prices

From the hotel we could be at the cathedral and the Joan of Arc museum in under 1 minute. It was a three minute walk to the astronomical clock: we really couldn’t have been in a better spot, particularly as we were trying to see so much in a relatively short period of time. It terms of location, I would call this one of the best family hotels in Rouen!

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The Historial Jeanne d’Arc (Joan of Arc Museum)

The BEST thing we did (for both the adults and the kids) was visit The Historial Jeanne d’Arc (Joan of Arc Museum). Our boys are both history buffs (they prefer reading history books to any kind of fiction) so they were really excited to immerse themselves in this interactive space that uses video and audio multimedia technology to tell the warrior’s story. 

(We wore headsets so that we could listen to the whole thing in English: other languages are available, if you can understand the French then you don’t need to wear a headset at all)

If you have very young children (ours were 11 and 8) or your children are very sensitive to descriptions of death (but there is no gory imagery) then this might not be for you. Our youngest found the atmospheric sense of danger a little scary in parts – not that he’d ever admit it!

The museum is housed in the archbishopric palace of Rouen, which is where Joan’s trial took place. So you walk through the rooms where Joan walked, and where those involved in the trail actually stood.

You take the role as a juror on the trial, moving from room to room to listen to witness statements from those involved. The experience culminates in a room with audiovisual fire on the walls as Joan is ultimately sentenced to death. This final room feels very intense (especially for kids) but really gives you an idea of what the experience must have been like for everyone involved.

Tickets start from £10.39 per person (children pay less and family packages are available) and we ordered these from the official website just under 24 hours before we intended to visit.

👉 You can buy tickets here
No code for this one, but if you only have time to do one thing in Rouen, this is the one i’d recommend!

Rouen Cathedral

The size and scale of this stunning cathedral is incredible. This is one of the most famous Gothic cathedrals in the world, and deservedly so. Recognise it? That’s probably because its the star of a series of paintings that Claude Monet completed (fun fact to impress the kids with!)

I have a thing for old churches and so I’ve probably indoctrinated the boys to like them too! But we all like to see stained glass windows and beautiful medieval architecture – admittedly only for 15 minutes of so, then the boys usually declare that they’ve seen everything and it’s time to stop for an ice cream!

Admission to the cathedral is free, so this is a great thing to pop on your list of things to do in Rouen if you’re travelling on a budget.

Also don’t forget to walk around the cathedral to really appreciate its size and scale. Between the cathedral entrance and the Joan of Arc museum you’ll find the cloisters, which are beautiful (and a great place to take photos without the crowds too!)

The Gros-Horloge: Rouen’s Astronomical Clock

Although there are other astronomical clocks in the world, this was a special one for us because it was the first one the boys had ever seen. And although I’m aware I sound like I’m gushing, it really is spectacular. The day before this we had spent the day seeing the mechanical elephant in Nantes. So these two attractions complemented each other wonderfully.

The Gros-Horloge is a 14th-century astronomical clock housed within a Renaissance arch. The clock itself is gold and blue, and as well as being beautifully decorated, it is one of the oldest working clocks in Europe.

If you stand directly in front of the entrance to the cathedral then turn 180 degrees facing away from the cathedral, you’ll see the clock directly in front of you. The two attractions are conveniently close to each other, so we saw them back to back (we actually did this before our entry time to the Joan of Arc museum).

We arrived here early (around 9.00 am) because the clock sits above a busy commercial street, and with the blend of shoppers and tourists, it can be incredibly busy. I recommend arriving before the shops open or after they close for the best views with low crowd levels.

There’s also actually a museum here that takes you inside the clock, which looks pretty cool too. We didn’t have time to do this (this time!), but it has great reviews and is very child-friendly. And it’s affordable too (we love an affordable trip!) with adults paying 7.50euros and kids paying half price.

👉 You can buy tickets here.
(Sorry I don’t have a code for this one, but it is an affordable choice anyway!)

The Viking Immersive Experience

As I’ve already mentioned, my boys are obsessed with history. And after the Romans and the Egyptians, Vikings are a big hit with little boys! So the Viking Immersive Experience in Rouen is a great thing to choose.

You can immerse yourself in Viking history with 360° visuals and interactive exhibits. Experience Viking customs and traditions through cutting-edge technology and historical accuracy. It’s worth noting that the audio aspect of this experience are in French, but it is subtitled in English, so as long as your kids are old enough to read they’ll still be able to get a lot out of this!

The whole exhibit is fascinating and interactive. It’s interesting for adults, but it’s MADE for kids! So much to touch, see and do, it really brings history to life. Ticket prices are £13.79 for adults and £9.45 for kids aged 6-17.

👉 Check availability and buy tickets here
👉 Use code THATMUMTRAVEL5KLOOK to get an extra 5% off ticket prices.

Rouen’s Cafe Culture

With its largely pedestrianised streets and abundance of half timber buildings, Rouen is a truly beautiful city.

And one of the things the boys loved most was exploring the streets, looking for hidden gems (such as the Ossuary of Saint-Maclou, Rouen which was one a plague burial ground and has an entrance made with skulls) and then stopping for drinks, cakes, and far too many ice creams in the city’s cute pavement cafes.

Rouen has a vibrant cafe culture, and children are welcome seemingly everywhere. We didn’t stop in a single cafe where our boys weren’t welcomed with open arms, which is always such a great feeling as a parent.

The cafe culture here was lovely for all of us: relaxing in the sunshine, laughing and gossiping with the boys, with no pressure to be anywhere. It’s exactly what a summer holiday should be all about!

Have you visited Rouen, with or without kids? What did you think? We chose to stop here because it was only a couple of hours away from the ferry on our way home. But what we found was a city that was vibrant, beautiful, and that we can’t wait to visit again!

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Heads up! This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click and make a purchase, I might earn a very small commission – at no extra cost to you. This helps to keep the blog going. Thanks for the support!