In short: which cruise to choose and what it costs
- What it costs: a sightseeing cruise of about an hour costs 13 to 20 euros per adult, 6 to 9 euros per child, and it’s free under 4. Booking in advance is usually cheaper than the ticket counter.
- Cruise with a meal: lunch starts at about 55 euros, dinner at about 55 and goes up to 150 and more on a gourmet cruise.
- Day pass: the Batobus isn’t a guided cruise but transport: you get on and off at nine stops, about 22 euros a day.
- My pick: Vedettes du Pont Neuf. Smaller boats, departures from the Île de la Cité in the heart of the city, and usually a live guide rather than a recording.
- Departure points: Bateaux Mouches from the Pont de l’Alma, Bateaux Parisiens from the Eiffel Tower, and Vedettes du Pont Neuf from the Pont Neuf.
- Cruise length: about an hour for a regular cruise, about two and a half hours with dinner.
- When to go: in summer it only gets dark at 10:00 p.m., so night cruises leave late. In winter the city is lit up from 5:00 p.m. and the boats are heated.
A Seine cruise may be the biggest cliché in Paris, but let me tell you a secret: sometimes clichés exist because there’s a grain of truth in them. The Seine, the city’s lifeline, has been flowing there for 14,000 years, and it’s still the best way to see Paris from a completely different angle.
For years I was a Paris snob. Until 2014, the thought of boarding a tourist boat (Bateaux Mouches) seemed to me like something a real Francophile would never do. I saw it as a commercial, pointless tourist trap.
But then came that memorable trip to Paris with three friends. We covered the city on foot, and one day, after nearly 20 kilometers of walking around the Marais (which I love so much that I don’t even feel the effort), my friends simply collapsed. They solemnly announced: “Zvi, we’re not moving another step.”
My Francophile friend Yafa Felder Sasson came up with the saving idea: “Let’s take a cruise.” I agreed reluctantly, just to let my feet rest. And what can I tell you? It was a bullseye. I discovered that it’s the perfect way to end an exhausting day: you just sit, let the breeze brush your face, and watch the most beautiful monuments in Paris glide past without lifting a finger. Since then, I recommend it to everyone.
🏆 No time? Here are the 3 best-selling tickets
If you want to book right away and skip the lines, these are the options that give you the best value for money:
The classic: Bateaux Mouches
The big, famous boats with the huge open deck. A must for first-time visitors who want the “Paris postcard.”
Cruise + dinner at an unbeatable price (55€)
The best deal in town. The “Paris en Scène” boat offers a full meal and a cruise in comfortable armchairs facing the window, for the price of a regular ticket elsewhere.
The sweetest: cruise + French crêpe
A perfect option for families or a light romantic break. A one-hour cruise that includes a crêpe and a drink. It leaves from the foot of the Eiffel Tower.
Seine cruise tickets
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Showing all 27 options
- Best seller
Bateaux Mouches: the classic cruise
The big boats with the huge open deck, and the longest route of the regular cruises.
An hour and ten minutes from Pont de l'Alma and back, with an audio guide in dozens of languages. It is also the most wheelchair-friendly cruise, thanks to a sloped ramp at the pier. Boarding starts about half an hour before departure.
Bateaux Parisiens: sightseeing cruise
The big rival of the Bateaux Mouches, with a more convenient departure point if you are staying in the 7th arrondissement.
The cruise is ten minutes shorter than the Bateaux Mouches and the route is almost the same. The only practical difference is the departure pier, so choose by where your hotel is, not by the company name.
Vedettes de Paris guided electric cruise
Smaller electric boats, with a guide who speaks live and no engine noise.
If the big boats sound too crowded to you, this is the quiet version. The guide answers questions, and that is a real difference from a recording playing in seven languages.
Vedettes du Pont Neuf: a guided cruise from the heart of the city
The only cruise that leaves from the tip of the Île de la Cité, in the heart of the historic city.
The departure point is very handy if you are spending the day in the Marais, the Latin Quarter or around Notre-Dame. It has fairly few reviews, because Tiqets only started selling it recently.
Family cruise with a kids' quiz
The same route, with a puzzle booklet that keeps the kids busy along the way.
Good for elementary-school ages, who get bored on a regular cruise after ten minutes. The quiz is in English and French, and the drawings do most of the work.
One-hour cruise + crêpe tasting
A classic cruise that ends with a fresh French crêpe, near the Eiffel Tower.
The sweet option on the list, and a handy one for families or a light romantic break. Note that it still has only a few reviews.
Evening cruise with music and a drink
Not a full meal but an hour of sunset, music and a glass of wine on the water.
This is my favorite option for a first evening in Paris: cheaper than dinner on the water, and it ends just as the lights come on. You can choose champagne, wine, beer or no drink.
Three-course lunch cruise
The relaxed version of a meal on the Seine, in daylight and for less than a dinner cruise.
Lunch on the water is a good compromise: the food is at the same level, the view is brighter, and your evening stays free for something else. The dress code is smart casual.
Dinner cruise
The romantic classic: a full dinner by the window, with Paris gliding past outside.
Two tips: ask for a window table when you book, and arrive half an hour before sailing. Dining cruises have no audio guide, so if you came for the stories about the monuments, choose a regular sightseeing cruise.
Four-course dinner cruise with live music
The pampered version from Bateaux Parisiens, with a singer and a musician on board.
The most expensive option on the list, and also the best rated. Right for one special evening, an anniversary or a proposal. A window table costs extra on some menus.
Batobus: hop-on hop-off on the water
Not a cruise but transport: a boat that stops at nine landings along the river.
The stops cover the Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay, Notre-Dame, the Marais and the Eiffel Tower. It is a pleasant way to move between sights on a hot day, but it is slower than the metro and does not replace it.
Seine and Canal Saint-Martin cruise
The route that leaves the stately river and enters the working-class canal of the 10th arrondissement.
In my opinion this is the most interesting cruise, because it goes through locks and an underground tunnel nobody expects. At two and a half hours it is not for small children or for anyone on a tight schedule.
Canal Saint-Martin and the Seine on a guided cruise
The same route, in a shorter version and with a guide who tells the history of the canal.
The canal was dug on Napoleon's orders to bring drinking water to Paris, and that story is worth a guide. The groups are big, so arrive early and grab a spot close to the guide.
- Combo price
Paris City Card: a cruise and three more attractions
The cruise is just one of four parts of this card, alongside a monument and a museum of your choice.
The card includes a Seine cruise, the Eiffel Tower or the Musée d'Orsay or the Panthéon, and the Arc de Triomphe or Versailles. It only pays off if you really use three attractions or more on nearby days.
- Combo price
Paris-Seine Pass: evening cruise, Orsay and Sainte-Chapelle
A card that gathers the sites on the banks of the Seine: the Musée d'Orsay, Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie.
The cruise included is the evening cruise with music, and you can choose to add a glass of champagne, wine or beer. The Musée d'Orsay is closed on Mondays, so plan accordingly.
- Combo price
Palace of Versailles + Bateaux Mouches cruise
The most common combo: one day out of town, and a relaxed evening on the water.
The two tickets have separate dates, so you can split them over different days. Do not try to squeeze both into the same day unless the cruise is late in the evening.
- Combo price
Bateaux Parisiens cruise + Palace of Versailles
The same bundle, with the cruise company that leaves from the foot of the tower.
Choosing between these two bundles is only a question of the departure pier: Pont de l'Alma near the Champs-Élysées, or Port de la Bourdonnais under the tower.
- Combo price
Arc de Triomphe with rooftop access + cruise
See Paris from above and then from the water, a short distance apart.
This combo works nicely in the same afternoon: go up to the roof an hour before sunset, then take the cruise as the lights come on.
- Combo price
Disneyland Paris (one park) + cruise
One day for the kids, one evening for the parents. The best-selling combo for families.
The two tickets have separate dates, and that matters: after a full day at Disneyland nobody wants to board a boat the same evening.
- Combo price
Cruise + Disneyland Paris (both parks)
The same bundle, with a ticket that lets you move between the two Disney parks on the same day.
Right for anyone who has only one day at Disneyland and will not give up either side. The cruise in this bundle is with Bateaux Parisiens.
- Combo price
Cruise + Tootbus sightseeing bus
The package for a first day in Paris: a mental map of the city from above and from the water.
One of the longest-running and best-rated bundles on Tiqets, with about a thousand reviews. The bus ticket is valid for a whole day, and the cruise can be on another day if you like.
- Combo price
Cruise + Big Bus sightseeing bus
The same idea, with Tootbus's rival on the bus side.
The Big Bus route is shorter than the Tootbus route but the buses run more often. Both are good, and the choice between them is mostly a question of price on the specific day.
- Combo price
Aquarium de Paris + cruise
Two attractions in the same area, within walking distance of each other.
The aquarium is right under the Trocadéro esplanade, and the cruise leaves from nearby Pont de l'Alma. A good combo for a rainy day with kids.
- Combo price
Parc Astérix + cruise
The most French of theme parks, together with a Seine cruise.
Parc Astérix is about thirty kilometers (under twenty miles) north of the city and takes a full day. The cruise is for another day, and it usually makes up for the long ride.
- Combo price
Musée Grévin + Bateaux Mouches cruise
The wax museum of Paris together with a cruise on the river.
The Musée Grévin is in the Passage Jouffroy in the 9th arrondissement, and a visit takes about an hour and a half. The kids enjoy it more than the adults, and that is perfectly fine.
- Combo price
Bateaux Parisiens cruise + Musée Grévin
The same bundle, with the other cruise company and more reviews.
If you are torn between the two Grévin bundles, this is the older one, with more customer reviews behind it.
- Combo price
Cruise + the Banksy exhibition in Paris
An unexpected pairing of classic Paris with Banksy's street art.
The exhibition does not show original works by Banksy but reproductions and installations, and the artist himself has objected to exhibitions of this kind. Worth knowing before you pay.
You have not ticked any ticket type, so there is nothing to show. Tick at least one option above.
🌞 When is the best time? The day or night dilemma
One of the questions I hear most often from travelers is: “Is it better to take the cruise in the morning to see the details, or at night?”
My answer is clear: go in the evening or at night.
Paris is beautiful during the day, but at night it becomes the “City of Light” in every sense of the word. Most of the important buildings along the river (the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, Notre-Dame and of course the Eiffel Tower) are lit up in a dramatic, impressive way that was designed specifically to be seen from the water. There’s something magical about watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle as you sail beneath it.
📊 Quick comparison table: who’s who?
To help you sort things out, I put together a table with the main differences between the big companies:
| Company | Style and atmosphere | Departure point | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bateaux Mouches | Huge boats, wide open deck | Pont de l’Alma | Book tickets |
| Bateaux Parisiens | Modern, panoramic glass | Eiffel Tower | Book tickets |
| Vedettes du Pont Neuf | Smaller boats, intimate | Île de la Cité (Pont Neuf) | Book tickets |
🏛️ What will you see along the way? The monuments not to miss
One of the main reasons I always recommend fitting a cruise into your trip is that the Seine is, in effect, the historic “main avenue” of Paris. Most of the city’s important monuments were originally built facing the river (fitting for a time when the river was the main artery for transport and trade). Here are six of the big stars you’ll see from the deck (get your cameras ready):
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Eiffel Tower
The “iron asparagus” doesn’t really need an introduction. Seeing it from the water is a powerful experience, especially if you time your cruise to pass beneath it just as it starts to sparkle (during the first five minutes of every hour in the evening).
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Musée d’Orsay
The beautiful train station that became a stunning temple of Impressionist art. From the Seine you get a close look at the giant clocks on the front of the building (which, by the way, are beautifully lit at night).
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The Louvre
The former royal palace stands proudly along the Right Bank. Even from the water, it’s hard not to be impressed by the splendor and historic power of the huge building that is home to the famous Mona Lisa.
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Notre-Dame Cathedral
The first lady of Paris sits in the heart of the Île de la Cité. Now that the restoration after the fire is finished, she is breathtaking. From the water you get a unique, clean view of the flying buttresses and the Gothic architecture.
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The Conciergerie
Seen from the river, it looks like a fairy-tale palace thanks to its pointed towers, but don’t let the outside fool you: this is the grim prison where Marie Antoinette (1755-1793) spent her last days before the guillotine.
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The bridges of Paris
An inseparable (and maybe the most romantic) part of the experience! From the old Pont Neuf to the gilded Pont Alexandre III. Every bridge has its own story, and gliding beneath them is a lovely experience (just don’t forget to wave hello to the people above, it’s a tradition!).
🚢 The companies compared (the practical guide)
Lots of companies offer Seine cruises, and it can get confusing. Let’s sort it out and see who’s who, so you can pick what suits you.
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1. The intimate option and my favorite: Vedettes du Pont Neuf
If you’re looking for the best combination of price, location and experience, this is my pick. Their boats are smaller, and they leave from the very heart of Paris, at the Pont Neuf.
Why do I love them? There’s usually a live guide (and not just a recording), which feels less like a “tourist factory.”
- Central location in the heart of the old city
- Live guide (most of the time)
- Smaller boats
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2. The big classic: Bateaux Mouches
The most famous and oldest company. Huge two-level boats, with the upper deck completely open.
Who is it for? Anyone who wants great photos without glass in the way. The downside is that the boats leave from the Pont de l’Alma area, which is less central.
- Huge open upper deck for photos
- Frequent departures
- Can feel crowded at times
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3. Modern comfort: Bateaux Parisiens
The big rival of Bateaux Mouches. Modern boats wrapped in glass and an excellent audio guide. Departures right at the foot of the Eiffel Tower.
The upside and the downside: the glass is great in the rain, but reflections can get in the way of your photos.
- Winning location next to the Eiffel Tower
- Modern, accessible boats
- Closed glass may get in the way of photos
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4. The river bus: Batobus
This isn’t a classic sightseeing cruise with commentary, but a hop-on hop-off way of getting around. You buy a day pass and get on and off at 9 different stops along the Seine.
📸 Where to take the perfect photo?
If you love Instagram or just want an amazing souvenir, here are a few spots not to miss during the cruise:
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The sparkling Eiffel Tower
If you’re on an evening cruise, try to time your pass by the Eiffel Tower for exactly on the hour (for example 9:00 p.m. or 10:00 p.m.). For the first five minutes of every hour the tower sparkles, and from the water it looks amazing.
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Pont Alexandre III
The most beautiful bridge in Paris, with its golden statues. Try to photograph it from below as the boat passes, with the Eiffel Tower or Les Invalides in the background.
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Notre-Dame from another angle
The south side of the cathedral, which faces the river, is one of the best angles for a photo, and since the restoration it is free of scaffolding.
♿ Important information for travelers with disabilities
Paris isn’t always wheelchair-friendly, but when it comes to cruises there’s actually good news. Here’s what you need to know:
- Most accessible: Bateaux-Mouches and Bateaux Parisiens are the best choices for wheelchair users. Both have convenient access ramps to the dock and to the lower deck (which is enclosed and air-conditioned).
- Restrooms: on most boats, the accessible restrooms are on the waiting dock and not on the boat itself (or access to them on board is limited). It’s a very good idea to go before boarding.
- Getting to the dock: keep in mind that the way down to the docks around the Eiffel Tower and the bridges may include steep ramps or cobblestones, which can be hard going for manual wheelchairs. It’s best to come with a companion.
If the cruise is part of a bigger romantic getaway, it’s also worth reading my guide to a honeymoon in Paris.
🍽️ Dinner cruise: romance or letdown?
Many of you ask me whether it’s worth combining dinner with the cruise. The common view among people in the know (and my own experience too) is that in most cases the food on a cruise is mediocre at best and outrageously expensive. You’re paying for the view, not the gastronomy. Most of the time you’re better off taking a regular evening cruise and then going to a good restaurant in Paris.
But… if you’re celebrating a special occasion, planning a proposal, or simply want the “wow” experience of dining by candlelight while the Eiffel Tower sparkles in the window, I’ve picked the options that really deliver:
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Luxury and gourmet: Le Diamant Bleu
If you’re going to pay, make it a wow. A new, stylish boat, a high-end 3-course dinner and a live singer. Very well suited to proposals and milestone birthdays.
- A real gourmet dinner
- Live music
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Brunch or evening: Capitaine Fracasse
An excellent middle option. The boat offers an indulgent Sunday brunch or dinners at prices that are very fair for what you get. The food is cooked fresh on board.
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For kids: Pizza sur Seine
The fun, cheap option. Not gourmet, but pizza and pasta on the water is a great solution for families with kids.
🎟️ Combo packages (save time and money)
If you’re already planning to visit other sights, there’s no point buying tickets separately. Combo tickets can save you quite a few euros.
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Cruise + hop-on hop-off bus
A classic combination for first-timers in Paris. See the city from land and from the water with a single ticket.
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Cruise + Eiffel Tower
Saves you the hassle of two separate bookings. Just make sure you choose whether you want the second floor or the summit.
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Want to see what else is worth a visit in the city? I’ve gathered all the attractions in Paris in one place, with visiting times, metro stations and what you must book in advance.
