48.86° N · 2.34° E · Paris
You leave from the tip of the Île de la Cité, go down to the Eiffel Tower and come back along the other bank, under a dozen bridges. It is the best way to understand the city on your first day, and it works with children, in the rain and at night.
Who offers it
Independent companies: you book with them, on their terms. Prices are as they publish them and may change.
Step by step
You go down the steps from the Pont Neuf to the square du Vert-Galant, at the western tip of the Île de la Cité. Have your ticket on your phone.
The boat goes down the Seine between the Louvre and Orsay, passes the Pont Alexandre III and turns in front of the Eiffel Tower.
It comes back along the other bank, circles the Île de la Cité and the Île Saint-Louis behind Notre-Dame and returns to the Pont Neuf.
The Seine is the main street of Paris and its banks, between the Pont de Sully and the Pont d'Iéna, are a World Heritage Site. From the boat you see in one hour the Louvre, Orsay, the National Assembly, the Grand Palais and the Eiffel Tower, and you understand where everything is before exploring it on foot.
It is run by Vedettes du Pont Neuf, the boat company that has sailed from the square du Vert-Galant, at the tip of the Île de la Cité, since 1959. Its boats are small, with an open-air deck on top and a heated indoor saloon, so they sail all year, by day and by night. The guide gives a live commentary in French and English; in Spanish you have the company's free app, with commentary in six languages.
Since May 2026, the artist JR has covered the arches of the Pont Neuf with an installation 120 metres long and 18 high. From the boat you see all of it.
There are several departures a day, including at night. In November 2026, for example, at 10:45, 12:00, 14:00, 15:15, 16:00, 18:15, 20:15 and 20:45; each day's timetable is on the website.
Buying online gives a €2 discount and guarantees you a place on the departure you choose. The same company offers a one-hour version with a snack designed for children (€20 adults and €15 children online), another with a glass of champagne at sunset (from €29) and cruises with lunch or dinner, longer and more expensive.
The landing stage is at 1 square du Vert-Galant, in the 1st arrondissement. By metro, Pont Neuf (line 7) or Cité (line 4). From Notre-Dame and the Sainte-Chapelle you walk across the island, and from the Louvre, across the Pont Neuf. Have your metro ticket loaded.
It works with children of any age: an hour is what they can manage, and the heated covered saloon saves you on rainy or cold days. If you go with small children, the departure with a snack is designed for them. With a pushchair, bear in mind the steps from the Pont Neuf down to the quay.
Who it's for
It is your first day in Paris, you are with children or with grandparents who can't manage much walking, or you want to see the illuminated monuments without paying for a dinner.
You are looking for a special dinner: for that there are the cruises with a menu, longer and quite a bit more expensive. If you only want to get from one place to another, this boat always returns to the point of departure.
What to bring
Map
What you have around the starting point.
More to do
Itineraries
Tips
In the last hour of light and the first of night you see the illuminated facades, and on the hour the Eiffel Tower sparkles.
Downstairs, behind the glass, photos come out with reflections. Upstairs you see the bridges above you.
You save €2 per person and guarantee the departure you want.
Questions
One hour, departing and arriving at the same Vert-Galant quay.
On the website, €15 per adult and €7 per child, with the online-purchase discount. At the quay, €17 and €9.
The guide speaks French and English. In Spanish you have the company's free app.
Yes. The boats have a heated indoor saloon and sail all year.
Geocaliahttps://www.geocalia.com/en/france/ile-de-france/paris/things-to-do/seine-river-cruise
