Paris cruises and boat tours

The Seine is the soul of Paris, the landmark that gives the city a magical touch. A cruise on the Seine is the best option to tour its main monuments at a glance.

This boat ride on the Seine is the most economical option. The tour starts at the Bateaux Mouches pier and lasts approximately one hour and ten minutes. It is a very good alternative to do with children as they have a discount on the ticket and it is also perfectly adapted for travelers in wheelchairs or with reduced mobility.

Departure point

The departure in all cases is from the Bateaux Mouches pier located near the Alma Bridge; you will recognize it because it is the first one you will find walking from the Eiffel Tower towards the Louvre Museum.

Points of interest to be visited

When to do it

If you opt for this option I recommend you to choose the last schedule to see the city illuminated. In high season (April to September) there are departure times every 30 minutes from 10 am to 10:30 pm, in low season (October to March) there is a boat every 40 minutes approximately from 11 am to 9:30 pm.

Imagine tasting a delicious French crepe while cruising on the Seine River. This iconic sight is possible thanks to this crepe tasting cruise. You will sail aboard a comfortable boat for an hour and contemplate the Parisian monuments to finish tasting the quintessential dessert of Paris.

Points of interest to be visited

When to do it

Any time is a good time to enjoy a French crepe with chocolate, sugar, jam or your favorite topping. Can you resist?

If in addition to cruising the Seine you want to complete the tour of part of Napoleon's canal system in the Ancien Régime, I recommend this complete 2.5 hour cruise. Through the locks and swing bridges, you will travel along the Canal Saint Martin, created to bring drinking water to the city of Paris.

Thanks to the indications of an expert guide included in this cruise, you will learn about the history of this canal and the whole network of tunnels that crosses the city of light. You will also have the option to move both on the upper deck and in the interior cabin of the cruise.

Points of interest to be visited

When to do it

You can select morning or afternoon hours when booking, depending on your travel schedule.

For the more romantic there is also this option of a moonlight cruise with a glass of champagne. Take advantage of your trip to Paris to dedicate some time to love and what better way to do it than toasting with champagne aboard a boat on the Seine River with the Parisian monuments illuminated in the background...

Points of interest that you will visit

When to do it

The special thing about this one hour and ten minutes cruise is the night schedule. You will enjoy the best possible views of the city of light.

This is the VIP option for those who do not want a simple boat ride to see Paris. This type of cruise is to relax one hundred percent and enjoy the experience without thinking about anything else. It is a two-hour VIP cruise on the Seine that starts at 8:15 p.m. and includes music on board, a three-course dinner and pick-up and drop-off from your hotel in the center of Paris.

The price of this cruise is higher than the other options, but because the experience is much more exclusive; it is not so much about sightseeing as it is about celebrating a special occasion. One of the advantages of this option is that there are many details that you can customize such as the seats you want to sit in or the menu you want to eat. All menus include three courses prepared by the chef on board and a drink.

Points of interest

Take advantage of a cruise on the Seine to enjoy a nice Parisian style lunch. If you are going to Paris with your family it might not be a good idea to do the evening cruise with dinner, that's why you have the possibility to book the boat trip with lunch and live music. You will have the opportunity to discover the main monuments while tasting the authentic French cuisine.

When to do it

Personally, I would recommend this excursion to those who do not want to miss the experience of cruising the calm waters of the Seine and take the opportunity to taste a multi-course menu in the Parisian sunlight. The two-hour tour with narration on the monuments overlooking the river also has the option of adding a glass of champagne to make the experience more authentic.

Points of interest

If you are one of those who also have in mind to visit the Louvre Museum during your visit to Paris, another of the mandatory stops that will leave you with the best memories of art in the city, I recommend you to join a cruise with tickets to this art gallery. Combining both activities will also save you money.

The cruise

The cruise will leave you with the best possible panoramic views with the Eiffel Tower, the Alexander III Bridge, the Musée d'Orsay and the Notre Dame Cathedral as the most representative buildings of the boat tour.

The Louvre Museum

For its part, the monumental Louvre Museum awaits you to dazzle you with such relevant pictorial works as La Gioconda by Leonardo da Vinci or Liberty Leading the People by Delacroix, among many others. As for the sculptures, you can admire the beautiful Venus de Milo or the spectacular Victory of Samothrace, to give you an example of everything there is to see in the Louvre Museum.

It is important to book your tickets in advance

Regardless of the type of cruise you choose, it is recommended that you book your tickets in advance to ensure your place on the day and time chosen for the tour. The operation of these cruises, regardless of what each one includes, is very similar: once you have made your reservation online, you will receive a voucher or receipt via e-mail that you must present at the point indicated on the day and time you have chosen for your cruise.

The meeting point

If the cruise includes other attractions such as climbing the Eiffel Tower, the meeting point will be different, but otherwise the most usual is to leave from one of the docks with which the city of Paris has (you will be indicated from which of them your boat leaves when you buy your tickets, but all are located in central locations in the city and it will be easy to reach them).

About the guides and comments

Most cruises on the Seine River in Paris include audio commentary on board in several languages, but not all include a specialized guide. If the difference is important to you, make sure before booking your ticket what services are included in the cruise. In any case, with or without a guide, most of the commentaries are very well done and you will always learn something about the points of interest included in the tour.

Photographs

You will be able to take all the pictures you want from the ship, but if the weather permits, make sure you choose one that does not have a roof for better views. If you can, stand next to the water for a better angle and if you have a zoom lens you can use that as well. Anyway, I won't fool you: the pictures you will take from a cruise on the Seine are not the best; this experience is more to enjoy than to photograph.

If you have a Paris Pass, make sure you check to see if there is a cruise included. The Paris Pass, for example, includes a free Seine River cruise so you don't need to book it separately. Many children also get a discount on sightseeing cruises.

The Paris Pass is highly recommended if you are planning to make the most of your trip by visiting as many attractions or museums as possible, as with this tourist card you get the best possible prices. I have written an article about Paris Pass where you can check whether or not to use the Paris Pass, when and how to use it and how to get the most out of it.

Cruises on the Seine are a comfortable way to see the city and learn about it, but they are not the only one. Personally, I recommend two more experiences in which you will see a good part of Paris:

The first is the sightseeing bus with panoramic views and you can read more about this option in the guide I wrote about Paris Hop-On Hop-Off Buses. From the boat there will be monuments that can not be seen and that is a problem that the bus solves without sacrificing comfort and time savings when traveling distances. If you have never taken a tourist bus during one of your trips, from experience I advise you not to discard the option before time.

The second option is the guided walking tours through different areas of the city. On the one hand, getting to know a city by walking is getting closer to it in a special way and on the other hand, in the tours I have always learned stories that have made me love the city even more. If you want a selection of the best tours in Paris you can read this other article on Day Trips from Paris I wrote about it.