Seine River Cruise
Croisière sur la Seine
A one-hour Seine cruise past the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Orsay, Notre-Dame, and the Pont Alexandre III. The night sailing is the most romantic experience in Paris.
The Paris stretch of the Seine and its banks have been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991. The roughly 7-kilometer waterway from the Eiffel Tower to Île Saint-Louis is lined with the city's most important buildings, and a boat tour is the least strenuous way to see them all at once. The main operators are Bateaux Mouches (Pont de l'Alma pier, Right Bank), Bateaux Parisiens and Vedettes de Paris (at the foot of the Eiffel Tower), and Vedettes du Pont-Neuf (Pont Neuf pier; smaller boats that can reach Île de la Cité). A standard one-hour sightseeing ticket costs about €16–20 and includes a Chinese audio guide. Buying online usually gets you a discount, and no fixed time slot is needed. Dinner cruises cost about €100–200 and require a reservation and smart attire. The classic route runs east from the Eiffel Tower, past the Pont Alexandre III (the bridge with the most ornate gilded statues), Place de la Concorde, the Musée d'Orsay, the Louvre, the Pont des Arts, and the Pont Neuf. It then circles Île de la Cité to see Notre-Dame and Île Saint-Louis before turning back. It is a tradition for people on both banks to wave at the boats. The best time is the hour around sunset, when you can see the daytime sights, the golden hour, and the Eiffel Tower's on-the-hour sparkle all together. The upper deck has the best views but is windy. Another option is the Batobus water bus (day pass about €23, 8 stops, hop on and off as you like), which can serve as sightseeing transport. The riverside walkways (Berges de Seine) are now pedestrian-only, making them pleasant for strolling and picnicking in the daytime. Note: in peak summer, evening departures have long queues, so arrive at the pier 30 minutes early. Bring a light jacket. Food and drinks on board are expensive.
Opening hours
About 10:00 a.m.–10:30 p.m. (varies by operator; departures every 30–60 minutes)
Nearby sights
- Pont Alexandre III
- Champs-Élysées
- Musée Rodin
- Musée de l'Orangerie
- Les Invalides
- Eiffel Tower
- Tuileries Garden & Place de la Concorde
- Printemps Haussmann