A Seine River Cruise in Paris is one of the best ways to explore and see the city’s highlights in a relaxing and fun way. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions for travelers in Paris with more than 4 million people taking cruises each year.
By taking a Cruise on the Seine River, you could see up close Paris’ top attractions like the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum, Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Musée d’Orsay and many more and explore the historic heart of Paris from a new perspective.
The cruises in Paris are divided into 2 main types – “Sightseeing Cruises” and “Dinner Cruises”. It’s wise to get to know all the options and the differences between the various types of cruises before booking and that is exactly what we will explain in this guide.
So let’s get started:
Sightseeing Seine River Cruises are the most popular cruises in Paris and also the cheapest option. These Cruises are only for Sightseeing and do not include Dinner, Drinks, Live Music or any other experiences. However, they do offer educational commentary with audio or a live guide.
There are two providers that offer sightseeing cruises on the Seine that are considered the most popular in Paris. Those are Bateaux Mouches and Bateaux Parisiens. Here is what they offer:
If you want to make the cruise more interesting, you can choose the more expensive cruises which include dinner, drinks, or even sometimes a live music show.
These cruises will cost you more than the Sightseeing Cruises, but they take longer (around 2 hours) and do offer some more value to your trip. That is why many travelers choose this option.
You can find all the best Dinner Cruises on the Seine River on this page, but the following Cruises are the best-selling Cruises:
Beside Sightseeing and Dinner Cruises, you can find other interesting choices for a cruise on the Seine. For example, you can take a Sightseeing Cruise with Aperitif (Cost 19€), you can choose a cruise with a live guide which includes commentary by a professional guide (Cost 12€), or you can use the Batobus Riverboat Shuttle Service – Hop-on Hop-off Seine boats with nine stations which you can Hop-on and Hop-off any time you want for a whole day or two (Starting from 19€).
SIENE CRUISES - MEETING POINT AND ITINERARY
Most of the Seine cruises depart from the Eiffel Tower area which is a very convenient meeting point. Although there is a minor difference between each cruise provider, most of the cruises are offering pretty much the same route.
So which Paris highlights and monuments could you see on the cruise? Well, with most of the cruises, you could see up close these highlights:
- The Eiffel Tower
- Les Invalides
- Musée d'Orsay
- Ile de la Cite
- Notre Dame Cathedral
- Hôtel de Ville
- Louvre Museum
- Place de la Concorde
- Grand Palais
