Paris Seine River Sunset & Evening Champagne Cruises
Description
Don’t miss the chance to relive the magic of the Paris 2024 Olympic Opening Ceremony: step onto a cruise along the Seine River, Champagne in hand, and sail past the very riverbanks where the world watched Paris shine. From the historic Pont Neuf, you’ll board a comfortable boat with an open terrace and indoor seating, then glide along the river as the sky darkens and the monuments of Paris light up one by one. With background music, cozy blankets on cooler evenings and a friendly crew, this is a relaxed and convivial experience. As you sail past the Île de la Cité, Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Louvre Museum, the Orsay Museum and of the Eiffel Tower, you can simply sit back, sip your glass of wine, Champagne, beer or a soft drink and enjoy the views. With a limited number of passengers on board and a central departure point that’s easy to reach by metro or on foot, this evening cruise is an effortless way to experience Paris at its most beautiful.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Start your evening at Vert-Galant Square, the tiny park at the tip of the Île de la Cité, just under Pont Neuf. From the statue of Henri IV in the middle of the bridge, walk down the stairs to the riverbank where your boat is waiting.
As you leave Pont Neuf, you circle Île de la Cité, where Paris was born. From the water you can see the medieval towers of the Conciergerie, the Courthouse and the elegant riverfront façades – like sailing around an open-air history book.
Gliding along the south bank of the island, you’ll enjoy a clear, unobstructed view of Notre-Dame Cathedral. Even under restoration, its flying buttresses and towers are one of the most powerful symbols of Paris, and the river is the perfect place for photos away from the crowds.
The cruise continues past Île Saint-Louis, lined with 17th-century mansions and calm quays. This is one of the most romantic corners of Paris: warm apartment windows, tiny balconies and reflections of the façades in the Seine.
Sailing back towards the Right Bank, you pass the ornate Hôtel de Ville (City Hall) and the lively riverside promenades. Here you really feel local life along the Seine, with people strolling, chatting and enjoying the evening by the water.
Further west, the immense façade of the Louvre stretches along the river, facing the domed French Institute on the Left Bank. Between them, the Pont des Arts footbridge offers one of the best viewpoints in Paris – from the boat you can see all three in a single glance.
On one side of the boat you’ll see the former railway station that is now the Orsay Museum; on the other, the gardens of the Tuileries and the obelisk of Place de la Concorde in the distance. This stretch feels like cruising through a postcard, especially at sunset when the sky turns pink behind the monuments.
You then pass under Pont Alexandre III, one of the most beautiful bridges in Paris with its golden statues and Art Nouveau lamps. Nearby you’ll see the glass roof of the Grand Palais and, on the Left Bank, the golden dome of Les Invalides, where Napoleon is buried.
As the boat heads further west, the Eiffel Tower comes into full view, rising above the Trocadéro and the Champ de Mars. In the evening she is lit up, and if you’re there at the right time, you’ll see her sparkling – the moment everyone waits for, with Champagne glasses raised and cameras ready.
On the way back, enjoy a final drink and a last look at Paris’s bridges and monuments reflected in the water. The cruise ends back at du Vert-Galant Square , just a short walk from the lively cafés and restaurants of the Latin Quarter and Saint-Germain, perfect to continue your evening.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- 2 cruise options: Champagne Evening Seine River & Champagne Sunset Seine River
- Our office is open daily from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
Reviews(469)
Sights and the boat were fab. Queue system bit shambolic so get there early and in the queue for a top deck seat. Staff were OK.
Get in line 1/2 hour before to be on upper deck. Tables and chairs available Sparkle at 10 pm was perfect!!
Our time slot got cancelled so they told us to come back for a later cruise. We were cut off from being able to go on the cruise and had waited for the new time provided. This had us miss opportunity to do other sight seeing and move on with our evening AND we didn’t get a cruise
Book this cruise NOW! Make sure to book so that you'll be going by the Eiffel Tower at 10pm (when the first glittering light show begins). Our cruise was timed perfectly and we got some AMAZING pictures! The music was fun and upbeat (think Mamma Mia vibes) which made for a lively and fun time. We were traveling with teens and they loved it!
Great to be on a smaller boat, 9:15pm was perfectly time to see Eiffel Tower lights. Was a perfect activity our first night in Paris, saw lots of sigbts along the Seine
Cruise itself was wonderful. However, the directions about where to meet were entirely unclear. Listed the meeting spot as the middle of Point Neuf at 8:45. The actual meeting spot is the wharf and boat dock area beneath Point Neuf. If you want a limited seat on the top deck of the boat for the best views, arrive early by 8:30. Lovely cruise nevertheless.
The boat takes off exactly on time, so arrive 15-20 minutes early. There was a line and limited seats on the open air top floor deck. Many had to stand or stay inside (downstairs). We were lucky we got chairs. The cruise itself was fun- the sun had just set, and it was a great glimpse of all the activity happening on the banks of the Seine, plus a wonderful view of the monuments and architecture in a relaxed manner.
So much fun!! Friendly staff, amazing views, and easy to get to. It was a great way to see parts of Paris you’d never know to look for.
We did the 9:15 PM cruise. I would recommend arriving early to secure a seat. We stood on the top deck and took in all the beautiful sites. The cruise was perfectly timed to sail by the Eiffel Tower at 10 PM, right woot began to sparkle, adding to a most magical experience.
Was pleasantly surprised to have a live guide on the cruise. Paul was fabulous, sharing lots of interesting facts about the sights along the Seine River, in both French and English. Cruise comes with complimentary champagne or bottled soft drink. There is also an app for the cruise which provides pre-recorded narrator comments, along with written transcripts for additional sites. Would highly recommend this cruise at sunset.
