diff --git a/cpp/src/parquet/arrow/arrow_schema_test.cc b/cpp/src/parquet/arrow/arrow_schema_test.cc
index 390d8bc77ef..e1a44251495 100644
--- a/cpp/src/parquet/arrow/arrow_schema_test.cc
+++ b/cpp/src/parquet/arrow/arrow_schema_test.cc
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include "parquet/arrow/reader.h"
 #include "parquet/arrow/reader_internal.h"
 #include "parquet/arrow/schema.h"
+#include "parquet/arrow/variant_internal.h"
 #include "parquet/file_reader.h"
 #include "parquet/schema.h"
 #include "parquet/schema_internal.h"
@@ -941,46 +942,61 @@ TEST_F(TestConvertParquetSchema, ParquetVariant) {
       PrimitiveNode::Make("metadata", Repetition::REQUIRED, ParquetType::BYTE_ARRAY);
   auto value =
       PrimitiveNode::Make("value", Repetition::REQUIRED, ParquetType::BYTE_ARRAY);
-
-  auto variant =
-      GroupNode::Make("variant_unshredded", Repetition::OPTIONAL, {metadata, value});
+  auto variant = GroupNode::Make("variant_unshredded", Repetition::OPTIONAL,
+                                 {metadata, value}, LogicalType::Variant());
   parquet_fields.push_back(variant);
 
-  {
-    // Test converting from parquet schema to arrow schema.
-    std::vector<std::shared_ptr<Field>> arrow_fields;
-    auto arrow_metadata =
-        ::arrow::field("metadata", ::arrow::binary(), /*nullable=*/false);
-    auto arrow_value = ::arrow::field("value", ::arrow::binary(), /*nullable=*/false);
-    auto arrow_variant = ::arrow::struct_({arrow_metadata, arrow_value});
-    arrow_fields.push_back(
-        ::arrow::field("variant_unshredded", arrow_variant, /*nullable=*/true));
-    auto arrow_schema = ::arrow::schema(arrow_fields);
+  // Arrow schema for unshredded variant struct.
+  auto arrow_metadata = ::arrow::field("metadata", ::arrow::binary(), /*nullable=*/false);
+  auto arrow_value = ::arrow::field("value", ::arrow::binary(), /*nullable=*/false);
+  auto arrow_variant = ::arrow::struct_({arrow_metadata, arrow_value});
+  auto variant_extension = std::make_shared<VariantExtensionType>(arrow_variant);
 
+  {
+    // Parquet file does not contain Arrow schema.
+    // By default, field should be treated as a normal struct in Arrow.
+    auto arrow_schema =
+        ::arrow::schema({::arrow::field("variant_unshredded", arrow_variant)});
     ASSERT_OK(ConvertSchema(parquet_fields));
-    ASSERT_NO_FATAL_FAILURE(CheckFlatSchema(arrow_schema));
+    ASSERT_NO_FATAL_FAILURE(CheckFlatSchema(arrow_schema, /*check_metadata=*/true));
   }
 
-  {
-    // Test converting from parquet schema to arrow schema even though
-    // extensions are not enabled.
+  for (bool register_extension : {true, false}) {
+    ::arrow::ExtensionTypeGuard guard(register_extension
+                                          ? ::arrow::DataTypeVector{variant_extension}
+                                          : ::arrow::DataTypeVector{});
+
+    // Parquet file does not contain Arrow schema.
+    // If Arrow extensions are enabled, field should be interpreted as Parquet Variant
+    // extension type if registered.
+    ArrowReaderProperties props;
+    props.set_arrow_extensions_enabled(true);
+
+    auto arrow_schema = ::arrow::schema({::arrow::field(
+        "variant_unshredded", register_extension ? variant_extension : arrow_variant)});
+
+    ASSERT_OK(ConvertSchema(parquet_fields, /*metadata=*/nullptr, props));
+    ASSERT_NO_FATAL_FAILURE(CheckFlatSchema(arrow_schema, /*check_metadata=*/true));
+  }
+
+  for (bool register_extension : {true, false}) {
+    ::arrow::ExtensionTypeGuard guard(register_extension
+                                          ? ::arrow::DataTypeVector{variant_extension}
+                                          : ::arrow::DataTypeVector{});
+
+    // Parquet file does contain Arrow schema.
+    // Field should be interpreted as Parquet Variant extension, if registered,
+    // even though extensions are not enabled.
     ArrowReaderProperties props;
     props.set_arrow_extensions_enabled(false);
 
-    // Test converting from parquet schema to arrow schema.
-    std::vector<std::shared_ptr<Field>> arrow_fields;
-    auto arrow_metadata =
-        ::arrow::field("metadata", ::arrow::binary(), /*nullable=*/false);
-    auto arrow_value = ::arrow::field("value", ::arrow::binary(), /*nullable=*/false);
-    auto arrow_variant = ::arrow::struct_({arrow_metadata, arrow_value});
-    arrow_fields.push_back(
-        ::arrow::field("variant_unshredded", arrow_variant, /*nullable=*/true));
-    auto arrow_schema = ::arrow::schema(arrow_fields);
+    auto arrow_schema = ::arrow::schema({::arrow::field(
+        "variant_unshredded", register_extension ? variant_extension : arrow_variant)});
 
     std::shared_ptr<KeyValueMetadata> metadata;
     ASSERT_OK(ArrowSchemaToParquetMetadata(arrow_schema, metadata));
     ASSERT_OK(ConvertSchema(parquet_fields, metadata, props));
-    CheckFlatSchema(arrow_schema, true /* check_metadata */);
+    ASSERT_NO_FATAL_FAILURE(CheckFlatSchema(arrow_schema, /*check_metadata=*/true));
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/cpp/src/parquet/arrow/schema.cc b/cpp/src/parquet/arrow/schema.cc
index cd026b3bea8..f0dc45b7851 100644
--- a/cpp/src/parquet/arrow/schema.cc
+++ b/cpp/src/parquet/arrow/schema.cc
@@ -591,6 +591,15 @@ Status GroupToStruct(const GroupNode& node, LevelInfo current_levels,
     arrow_fields.push_back(out->children[i].field);
   }
   auto struct_type = ::arrow::struct_(arrow_fields);
+  if (ctx->properties.get_arrow_extensions_enabled() &&
+      node.logical_type()->is_variant()) {
+    auto extension_type = ::arrow::GetExtensionType("parquet.variant");
+    if (extension_type) {
+      ARROW_ASSIGN_OR_RAISE(
+          struct_type,
+          extension_type->Deserialize(std::move(struct_type), /*serialized_data=*/""));
+    }
+  }
   out->field = ::arrow::field(node.name(), struct_type, node.is_optional(),
                               FieldIdMetadata(node.field_id()));
   out->level_info = current_levels;
diff --git a/cpp/src/parquet/schema_test.cc b/cpp/src/parquet/schema_test.cc
index 9c155e1763d..c33e5ccf4a5 100644
--- a/cpp/src/parquet/schema_test.cc
+++ b/cpp/src/parquet/schema_test.cc
@@ -1251,7 +1251,7 @@ TEST(TestLogicalTypeOperation, LogicalTypeProperties) {
       {BSONLogicalType::Make(), false, true, true},
       {UUIDLogicalType::Make(), false, true, true},
       {Float16LogicalType::Make(), false, true, true},
-      {VariantLogicalType::Make(), false, true, true},
+      {VariantLogicalType::Make(), true, true, true},
       {NoLogicalType::Make(), false, false, true},
   };
 
diff --git a/cpp/src/parquet/types.cc b/cpp/src/parquet/types.cc
index e54683084cf..4d6691c0aea 100644
--- a/cpp/src/parquet/types.cc
+++ b/cpp/src/parquet/types.cc
@@ -835,8 +835,9 @@ bool LogicalType::is_valid() const {
 }
 bool LogicalType::is_invalid() const { return !is_valid(); }
 bool LogicalType::is_nested() const {
-  return (impl_->type() == LogicalType::Type::LIST) ||
-         (impl_->type() == LogicalType::Type::MAP);
+  return impl_->type() == LogicalType::Type::LIST ||
+         impl_->type() == LogicalType::Type::MAP ||
+         impl_->type() == LogicalType::Type::VARIANT;
 }
 bool LogicalType::is_nonnested() const { return !is_nested(); }
 bool LogicalType::is_serialized() const { return impl_->is_serialized(); }