Hotels near Seine River Cruise

A cruise along the Seine passes nearly every major landmark on this list from a completely different angle. The standard one-hour loop operated by Bateaux Mouches and Bateaux Parisiens departs from the base of the Eiffel Tower, glides past the Musee d'Orsay and the Louvre, loops around both tips of the Ile de la Cite (passing directly beneath Notre-Dame's flying buttresses), and returns along the Left Bank. The stretch of the Seine through central Paris is a

UNESCO World Heritage Site, and viewing it from water level reveals bridge details and building facades that are invisible from the street.

Standard cruises cost EUR 16 to EUR 19 for adults. Dinner cruises run EUR 70 to EUR 150 depending on the menu. Boats depart every 30 minutes from multiple docks; the main ones are at Pont de l'Alma and near the Eiffel Tower. Cruises operate year-round, with departures from 10:00 to 22:30 in peak season. Evening cruises after dark let you see the Eiffel Tower's light show and the floodlit facades of the Grand Palais and Notre-Dame.

Pro Tip: Take an evening cruise departing around 21:00 in summer to catch the sunset from the water and the Eiffel Tower's light show at the top of the hour. Sit on the upper open-air deck for unobstructed photos. The Vedettes du Pont Neuf, departing from the tip of the Ile de la Cite, offers a less crowded alternative to the larger Bateaux Mouches boats.