Seine River cruise in Paris: reservations & prices

During your stay in the French capital, do not miss a cruise on the Seine in Paris. You will discover another facet of the City of Light!

Long 776 kilometers long, the Seine represents a true natural monument when it comes to Paris. An integral part of the capital's landscape, it flows at the foot of the most beautiful historical and cultural buildings. A cruise along this romantic river will allow you to admire from the waters: the Alexander III Bridge, the National Assembly, the uncontourable Eiffel Tower, the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Grand Palais and the famous Pont des Arts!

To discover the capital from a new angle, we can only recommend you to make a cruise on the Seine in Paris! On this occasion, you can learn more about the history of the city, its neighbourhoods and its inhabitants. To help you prepare your dream trip, here is a mini-guide with all the information you need to know to organize your Seine cruise in Paris. So, ready for a magical and romantic moment?

What will you see during your Seine cruise in Paris?

As previously said, this Seine cruise will lead you in front of many Parisian monuments and masterpieces. The starting point of the cruise obviously depends on the boat company. The Compagnie des Boats-Mouches, moored at the foot of the Alma Bridge, is the most famous and oldest. You can also borrow the Parisian boats company, located at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. But no matter where you board, the route of a cruise on the Seine in Paris will be the same for all boats! So you will not have any bad surprises on the itinerary. It should be noted that this circuit usually lasts a good hour.

From the upstream to the upstream, from west to east, you will thus visit from the waters the following monuments and places:

Eiffel Tower and the Champ-de-Mars

Who says cruise on the Seine in Paris, obviously says Eiffel Tower! La Dame de Fer, the emblem of Paris, is always on the itinerary of your walk. You can admire it from the river. On this occasion, you can also take a look at the Champ-de-Mars and the Jardins du Trocadéro, located on the other bank.

You will then see the famous Pont de Bir-Hakeim, formerly Pont de Passy. At night, this bridge illuminates thousands of lights. Placing to cross on foot, it is even more sublime from the waters.

From the Alma Bridge to the Alexander III Bridge

During your Seine cruise, you will admire some of the most beautiful bridges in the capital. Your boat will pass under the Alma Bridge, located near the tunnel where the Princess of Galles, Lady Diana was fatally wounded in 1997. You will then follow the Berges of the Seine to the bridge of the Invalides, the lowest in the city.

Finally, you will admire the Alexander III Bridge, inaugurated for the Universal Exhibition of Paris in 1900. Symbolizing the Franco-Russian friendship, as it bears the name of a tsar, this splendid metal bridge is emblematic of the capital. Richly decorated, the four pylons at the ends will necessarily evoke some French images or films.

From the National Assembly to the Pont des Arts

After the Alexander III Bridge, the boat will pass under the Pont de la Concorde and you can admire the square of the same name, known for its Obelisk. You can then see the Bourbon Palace, the National Assembly and the Orsay Museum on one side. On the other hand, travellers will be able to contemplate the Jardin des Tuileries and then the Louvre, after passing the Pont du Carrousel. You will finally arrive in front of the Pont des Arts, famous for its love padlocks which are now missing.

Island of the City and Notre-Dame Cathedral of Paris

Every cruise on the Seine in Paris is on the island of Cité and Saint-Louis Island. From the waters, you can admire the Notre-Dame Cathedral. Unfortunately, a violent fire destroyed the arrow and the entire roof on April 15, 2019. You will also pass under Pont Neuf, the oldest in the capital! Your walk around the two islands will also allow you to admire the Sainte-Chapelle, the Conciergerie and the Hôtel de Ville.

How to choose your Seine cruise in Paris?

Many companies offer cruises on the Seine in Paris. The main four are the Compagnie des Boats-Mouches, the Compagnie des Boats Parisiens, the Vedettes de Paris or the Vedettes du Pont-Neuf. They sail almost all year round, day and night. They have different boats: panoramic boats, traditional boats or fly boats.

This is the first point to decide which cruise on the Seine choose: what type of boat do you want to choose? You can then decide according to the desired type of cruise: one hour walk or cruise with lunch or dinner. Each company also offers different services on board: speakers or tourist guide present on board, sale of drinks or snacks or photos souvenirs.

You should also consider the place of boarding in your decision-making process. Depending on where you are located, you can easily pair your tours with your cruise. You will avoid waste time in transport. And you will not have to pay extra metro tickets!

Finally, do not miss choosing your Seine cruise in Paris depending on the time of the day. For example, at night, this walk is incredibly romantic and spectacular. The bridges light up a thousand lights, just like the monuments or the dark waters of the Seine.

How to get to the starting point of your Seine cruise?

As mentioned earlier, each company has a different starting point for its Seine cruise in Paris.

The Compagnie des Boats-Mouches

Les Boats-Mouches depart at the Pont de l’Alma right bank, at the Port de la Conférence, 75008 Paris. You can easily reach it by metro with Alma-Marceau stations (line 9) and Champs-Elysées Clemenceau (line 1 and 13). You can also use RER Pont de l’Alma/Musée du Quai Branly (RER C).

The Compagnie des Boats Parisiens

The Parisian boats depart from the foot of the Eiffel Tower, at the Port de la Bourdon-nais, 75007 Paris. To reach the Dame de Fer and thus the ferry, you can take the metro station Trocadéro (lines 6 and 9), Bir-Hakeim (line 6) or Military School (line 8). You can also use the RER Champ de Mars/Tour Eiffel station (RER C line).

Les Vedettes de Paris

The cruises of this company also start not far from the Eiffel Tower, at the Port de Suffren, 75007 Paris. To reach it, you can use the same metro stations as to join the Pari-siens Boat Company.

Les Vedettes du Pont-Neuf

The cruises of this company depart next to Pont Neuf at 1 square du Vert Galant, 75001 Paris. To reach the ferry, you can take the metro to Pont-Neuf (line 7), Cité (line 4), Louvre-Rivoli (line 1) or Châtelet (lines 1, 4, 7, 11 and 14). You can also access it with the station of RER Saint-Michel/Notre-Dame (B and C).

Schedules and rates for a cruise on the Seine

HORARI

As in the previous paragraph, we will refer only to the four main companies:

High Season (April to September)

• Boats-Mouches: a departure every 30 minutes from 10:00 to 22:30
• Vedettes de Paris : approximately every 30 minutes from 10:30 am to 22:05 pm (23h on Saturday)
• Paris boats: departure every hour from 10:30 to 22:00
• Vedettes du Pont Neuf : approximately every 30 minutes from 10:30 to 22:30

Low season (October to March)

• Boats-Mouches: a departure of approximately every 40 minutes from 11am to 21h20 (10h15 weekend)
• Vedettes de Paris : approximately every 30 minutes from 11:15 a.m. to 9:05 p.m. (22:05 a.m. on Saturday)
• Paris boats: departure every hour from 10:30 to 22:00
• Vedettes du Pont Neuf : approximately every 30 minutes from 10:30 to 22:30

RATES

At the time, the rates are generally similar between the different companies for a one-hour cruise on the Seine:

• 15 euros for adults
• 7 euros for children between 4 and 11 years
• Free for under 4 years

You can also book your tickets in advance and online. This solution has several advantages. First, you won’t have to go through long queues at the desks to buy your seats. During a visit to Paris, time is precious and better to optimise it! Second, you can sometimes enjoy lower rates than on site.