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Bucket list experience:

Last updated: 19 November, 2022
Expert travel writer: Anna Brooke

There’s no better way to see the sights in one magical sweep than by boat along the Seine.

From the filigree girders of the Eiffel Tower to the giant clock of the Orsay Museum and the Mansard rooftops of the Louvre – not to mention the statue-studded bridges – the waterway provides a unique and crowd-free viewpoint for taking in the city’s treasures.

Book a dining cruise on a riverboat, hire your own private boat or opt for the hop-on-hop-off boat-buses. They’re all good, but for extra romance, go at night, when the monuments are lit up and the Eiffel Tower sparkles.

Recommended itineraries by our writers that include this experience

Price from: £15
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 4+
When: All year around
Duration: 1+ hour

Getting there & doing it

For dinner cruises, Ducasse sur Seine is consistently excellent, offering modern French cuisine and panoramic windows.

Batobus’ hop-on-hop-off service covers nine stops, making it a fun option for sightseeing while getting around town.

But the most dramatic way to do it – with the wind in your hair and rosé in your hand – is with Lakana Paris Cruise, whose captain-commandeered four-person boats give you a bespoke ride along the ripples.

When to do it

Boat trips and dinner cruises run all year round, so check individual websites for times. Spring and autumn are the best times, when it’s hot but not scorching. And at night, when the city twinkles.

Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity

Paris Seine River Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Cruise

Paris Seine River Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Cruise

Paris

Cruise along Paris’ Seine River on a hop-on hop-off sightseeing cruise! Use a 1-day ticket (24H) to travel to top Paris attractions such as ...

€20 | Rating 4.07 / 5 [2454 ratings]

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Heart of Paris Walking Tour: with Seine Cruise & Skip-the-Line Sainte Chapelle

Heart of Paris Walking Tour: with Seine Cruise & Skip-the-Line Sainte Chapelle

Paris

Île de la Cité is a small island in the Seine River with a huge influence on the history of France. It’s where Paris was first settled, wher...

€36 | Rating 4.76 / 5 [80 ratings]

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Tour supplied by:

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Paris Evening Bike Tour with 1-hour Seine River Cruise

Paris Evening Bike Tour with 1-hour Seine River Cruise

Paris

This Evening Bike + Boat Tour takes you to the best lit monuments in Paris and then on a 1hr Seine River Cruise, to share the most beautiful...

€50 | Rating 4.74 / 5 [111 ratings]

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Champagne Tasting on a Seine River Cruise

Champagne Tasting on a Seine River Cruise

Paris

If sipping Champagne while cruising down The River Seine is your idea of heaven, this champagne tasting cruise will be a highlight of your t...

€69 | Rating 4.44 / 5 [360 ratings]

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Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first

Shangri-La Paris

Paris, Ile-de-France, France[2.4 miles]

Experience a truly imperial lifestyle in the former residence of Prince Roland Bonaparte (Napoleon’s great nephew), with unbeatable views of the Eiffel Tower.

Official star rating:

Hotel du Champ de Mars

Paris, Ile-de-France, France[2.6 miles]

Bargain prices and boutique style at this family-run hotel near the Eiffel Tower. One of city’s most popular affordable hotels.

Official star rating:

Hotel Saint James Paris

Paris, Ile-de-France, France[2.8 miles]

Live out your country house fantasies at this delightfully eccentric, handsomely revamped chateau hotel in a smart western suburb of the city.

Official star rating:

Hotel Le Royal Monceau Raffles

Paris, Ile-de-France, France[3.8 miles]

Soak up the buzz at design legend Philippe Starck’s gloriously decadent take on a grand palace hotel – in a very convenient location for seeing the sights.

Official star rating:

Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

Paris

Ile-de-France, France

Crammed with iconic buildings, world-class art and a culinary scene steeped in history, Paris is one of the world’s great capitals, overflowing with style, romance, and art de vivre. 

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Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first

Marmottan-Monet Museum

Paris, Ile-de-France, France[1.6 miles]

The world’s largest collection of Monet’s paintings, displayed in a grand 19th-century mansion – including his world-famous ‘water lily’ canvases.

Best for ages: 13+ | £10

Rodin Museum

Paris, Ile-de-France, France[2 miles]

This exceptional collection of works by one of the world’s most famous sculptor, is presented in his former home and gardens in Paris.

Best for ages: 13+ | £10

Eiffel Tower

Paris, Ile-de-France, United Kingdom (UK)[2 miles]

Gustave Eiffel’s eccentric, iron-clad tower built as a temporary exhibit for the World Fair in 1889, has views all over the city and has become iconic symbol of Paris.

Best for ages: 4+ | £23

Quai Branly Museum

Paris, Ile-de-France, France[2.4 miles]

Fascinating primal art and indigenous artefacts from all over the globe, theatrically presented in Jean Nouvel’s striking modern building. 

Best for ages: 13+ | £10

Other worthwhile experiences near this experience if you have time or interest..

Louis Vuitton Foundation

Paris, Ile-de-France, France[3.5 miles]

One of Paris’ main museums for Contemporary & Historical art exhibitions, set in a stunning avant-garde silver and glass structure designed by Frank Gehry.

Best for ages: 18+ | £16

view of undeground cellar with two pillars and a wall of skulls
Experience

Paris Catacombs

Paris, Ile-de-France, France[4.4 miles]

These eerie bone-lined passages, set in a former quarry 20m underground, contain the remains of several million Parisians. The residents – including many victims of the notorious guillotine – were buried here when existing cemeteries overflowed during the French Revolution.

Best for ages: 13+ | £23

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Overview >
internal view showing extraordinary stained glass windows
Experience

Sainte-Chapelle

Paris, Ile-de-France, France[5.2 miles]

Paris’ most exquisite Gothic monument was built by Louis IX in 1248 to house his collection of Passion relics, including Christ’s Crown of Thorns (now at Notre-Dame Cathedral). It has one of the most extensive 13th-century stained-glass collections anywhere in the world.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free

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