A Guide to Cruising the Seine in Paris

Ah, Paris! There’s nowhere quite like the City of Light, and there’s nowhere like its famous river. The Seine is the essential artery of France’s capital, hemmed by walking paths, lined with landmark buildings and monuments in silvery stone, and traversed by a flotilla of cruise boats, barges and péniches (houseboats) – some permanently moored as cafes, bars and restaurants. 

The UNESCO-listed berges (riverbanks) of the Seine reveal Paris at its most relaxed. Whether you favor the Left Bank (Rive Gauche) or Right Bank (Rive Droite), this is hallowed ground, where Parisians and visitors come to jog, contemplate and promenade, or just sit and appreciate the fairy-tale vistas that the city dishes up for free.

What is the best way to experience the Seine? Well, walking is one option, with broad pathways threading past Parisian icons – the Eiffel Tower, the Musée du Louvre, the Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris – on both banks of the river. But a riverboat offers a special vantage point, serving up the scenery as a cinematic spectacle that slides by effortlessly on either side.

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You’ll also pass under a string of bridges, from ornate, statue-adorned Pont Alexandre III and historic Pont Neuf, which has been carrying Parisians across the Seine since 1607, to pedestrian-only Pont des Arts, now stripped of the 45 tons of “love locks” that once weighed down its railings. 

However, river cruises come in all shapes and sizes, and at a wide range of prices, so it’s worth considering what you are looking for from the trip. This guide will explain your options and help steer you toward a perfect cruise along the Seine. 

To continue planning your trip, check out the Lonely Planet app or our Paris guidebook.

What Is the Best Season for Cruising the Seine?

Seine cruises run year-round, but some times of year are better than others for sightseeing by boat. The best times for boat trips mirror the best times to visit Paris for any other activity. Keep in mind that the best vantage point on many boats is the outdoor seating on the upper deck, which will lift you up to a better height for viewing the sights. 

The summer months (June to August) see great weather for riding outdoors on the upper deck of river cruise boats, but the city is mobbed with visitors, meaning lots of queuing and peak prices. As a plus, summertime dinner cruises often coincide with sunset, when the colors of the sky reflect in the river and you can see the bridges and monuments such as the Eiffel Tower illuminated by sparkling lights.

Things are calmer from March to May and September to October, and it’s still warm enough to cruise in the open air if you bring a coat and hat and keep an eye on the weather forecast for warnings of rain. Most boats offer indoor seating as well as outdoor seating, so a rain shower isn’t a reason to cancel a trip, but you’ll see more through the windows on a dry day. 

Winters in Paris are cold and gray, but the temperature only occasionally dips below freezing. Stick to the indoor seating on glass-sided boats and you can still cruise in comfort. In fact, you’ll likely be warmer than if you were outdoors exploring on foot. 

How Much Does It Cost to Cruise the Seine?

Prices for cruises vary widely, depending on the duration of the trip, the level of comfort and the quality of the catering. As a starting point, 1-hour sightseeing cruises without a meal cost from €15, while a 24-hour pass for a hop-on, hop-off cruise costs €23. Prices for lunch and dinner cruises vary widely; a standard lunch cruise costs €70–90, while a lavish Michelin-starred-quality dinner aboard the opulent Don Juan II will set you back at least €240.

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Are Seine Cruises Suitable for Everyone?

The Seine is closed to fast rigid-inflatable boats and large yachts, and strict speed limits reduce the amount of disturbance on the water, so cruises tend to be smooth and suitable for travelers of all ages. Most operators offer half-price tickets for children under 12, with free travel for kids under 4. 

Strollers normally need to be folded and stowed during the journey. Some of the larger river cruise boats are wheelchair accessible, with ramp access from the dock to the lower deck, but reaching the upper deck normally involves climbing some steps.

What Will I See on a Seine Cruise?

You can see a surprising number of Paris’ top sights from the river, but the exact vistas you’ll enjoy depend on where you board and the duration and route of the cruise. Views are generally best from the upper deck, as this will lift you up above the walking paths that follow the riverbanks to a position closer to the top of the stone embankments that protect the city from flooding. 

The most popular section of the river for cruises is between the Eiffel Tower and Île Saint-Louis, so you’ll get riverside views of landmarks such as Gustave Eiffel’s tower, Notre Dame, the Musée d’Orsay and Louvre, the historic Conciergerie (where Marie Antoinette was held during the French Revolution) and civic institutions such as the Hôtel de Ville, Paris’ neo-Renaissance-style town hall. You’ll also pass under some of Paris’ best-known bridges. 

A few operators offer tours using smaller boats that also cruise along the Canal St-Martin, which branches north off the Seine just east of Île Saint-Louis. Paris Canal’s 2.5-hour trips follow the river and canal, passing a series of historic locks and passerelles (cast-iron footbridges) and entering the spooky Voûte de la Bastille tunnel beneath Place de la Bastille. 

The Eiffel Tower is probably the most impressive sight you can see from the river. It looms dramatically above the Left Bank of the Seine, just 150m from the water’s edge. The view is most impressive at sunset, when 336 lights illuminate the tower’s iron frame, bursting into a sparkling display for 5 minutes at the start of every hour. 

What Kinds of Cruises Run Along the Seine?

Which cruise you pick will depend on your budget, how much time you have to spare and the experience you want. At the top of the pile are dinner cruises, with food provided by top Michelin-starred chefs, but you can also opt for short 1-hour sightseeing cruises, Champagne cruises, leisurely lunch cruises, private cruises with personalized itineraries, and hop-on, hop-off cruises that you can use like a river taxi to move between the sights.

Sightseeing Cruises

The most popular cruises are the 1-hour sightseeing cruises that depart from the riverside quays at Port de la Bourdonnais near the Eiffel Tower, Port de la Conférence near Pont de l’Alma and Square du Vert-Galant near Pont Neuf on the Île de la Cité. These trips will take you along the most interesting section of the Seine, passing some of the city’s most memorable sights.

Boats typically offer indoor seating by huge glass windows, and outdoor seating on the top deck, where you’ll be closer to street level. Cruises have either a human guide, recorded commentary or an audio guide that you can listen to on your phone. There are toilets onboard, and you can buy snacks and drinks.

Major operators include Vedettes du Pont Neuf, Bateaux Parisiens, Bateaux-Mouches and Vedettes de Paris (a good option for travelers with mobility issues). Cruises run through the day and into the evening, with regular departures from around 10am to 9:30pm. Many operators also do themed cruises for special occasions, and cruises with drinks or a meal.

Lunch and Dinner Cruises 

Choosing a lunch or dinner cruise is all about balancing luxury and budget. Lunch and dinner cruises tend to be similar prices, but at lunchtime, there’s more to see outside the boat, so the meal can be a bit of a distraction from the scenery. On a dinner cruise, the twinkling lights along the riverbanks provide a romantic backdrop, and you won’t feel like you’re missing out by focusing on the plate in front of you.

At the lower end of the spectrum (but still moderately expensive) are lunch and dinner cruises from operators such as Bateaux Parisiens and Bateaux-Mouches. Meals are generally of high quality, wine and soft drinks are included, and menus span familiar French starters, main courses and desserts. For something less expensive, Bateaux-Mouches offers lunchbox cruises, with a packed sandwich instead of a sit-down meal. 

Lunch cruises typically leave between noon and 1pm, while dinner cruises depart around 6pm or 8pm, following the river for 1.5–2.5 hours. Some lunch cruises only operate on weekends and public holidays, so always check schedules, and be sure to book ahead.

Top-end options abound. Celebrated chef Alain Ducasse oversees the floating restaurant Ducasse sur Seine, a luxurious electric boat that serves a stylish lunch or dinner based on Ducasse’s imaginative modern Parisian recipes. 

For the highest of gastronomy, board the Don Juan II, an art deco-style yacht kitted out with a fireplace, wooden paneling and brass fittings. The multicourse dinner menu is by chef Frédéric Anton, of the Michelin-starred Le Jules Verne, the restaurant on the second level of the Eiffel Tower. 

Several operators also offer Champagne cruises, with glasses of bubbly as part of the tour and an English-speaking sommelier as a guide, as well as cruises with live music and themed cruises for special occasions such as Valentine’s Day, Halloween, Christmas and Bastille Day. 

Hop-On, Hop-Off Cruises

If you’d rather mix up cruising with some sightseeing on land, the hop-on, hop-off boats of Batobus zip back and forth between nine stops along the river, including the Eiffel Tower, the Musée d’Orsay, the Louvre, the Hôtel de Ville and Ile de la Cité (for Notre Dame). Passes are valid for 24 hours, 48 hours or a whole year, or there’s a 48-hour Duo Liberté Pass that also covers hop-on, hop-off buses run by BigBus, which buzzes between the sights on land.

Private Cruises

For a longer cruise or a more personalized itinerary, consider arranging a private cruise. Several operators run trips lasting from 1–2 hours, with snacks and drinks on board. Some trips are priced per boat and others per passenger, but prices per person usually work out to around three or four times the cost of a standard 1-hour sightseeing tour. Green River Cruises is a reliable operator, offering a range of Seine cruises using electric and pontoon boats.