Seine River Cruise and Paris Canals Tour
4
Full view
LIKELY TO SELL OUT*
Seine River Cruise and Paris Canals Tour
By Paris Canal
This Paris cruise takes you on the Seine River, as well as the lesser visited Canal Saint-Martin. Cover more of the city in less time and take the stress out of your sightseeing when you see Paris by boat. See top attractions, including Île Saint-Louis and the Louvre, at a time that suits you. Cruise along Napoleon’s 19th-century canals—going under bridges and through locks—with live on-board commentary for historical context.
from per adult
$24.61
from per adult
$24.61
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 0-99, max of 90 per group
Duration: 2h 30m
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
English, French
Highlights
- Admire top Paris attractions including the Louvre from the Seine River
- Experience the bridges, tunnels, and locks of Canal Saint-Martin
- Live on-board commentary from your guide
- Convenient meeting point at Musée d'Orsay or Villette Basin
- Cruise
- Live onboard commentary
What's not included- Gratuities
- Hotel pickup and drop off
- Food and drinks, unless specified
- Hop aboard your sightseeing boat near the Musée d'Orsay or Villette Basin (depending on departure time selected). Then, take a seat on the outdoor viewing deck or inside the cabin as you begin your cruise. With informative, live on-board commentary, admire top Paris attractions including Île Saint-Louis, the Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, and the Notre Dame Cathedral. From your vantage point on the water, enjoy clearer views than from the city streets. Next, cruise onward along the Saint Martin Canal and explore narrow waterways constructed by Napoleon in the early 19th century. Pass through a dimly lit tunnel beneath the Place de la Bastille to horse chestnut tree-lined stretches of water, and see sides of the French capital many visitors miss. When your canal cruise comes to an end, alight back at the Musée d'Orsay or Villette Basin to conclude your tour.
- Departure details
- Quai Anatole France, 75007 Paris, France 09.45AM from Port de Solférino/Quai Anatole France. The closest metro is Solférino (line 12) As soon as you exit the metro, join the Orsay museum. When you have the Orsay museum on your back, go downstairs at the level of the Seine, and walk on the left.
- La Villette, 211 Av. Jean Jaurès, 75019 Paris, France 02.30PM from Parc de la Villette. The closest metro is Porte de Pantin (line 5) As soon as you exit the metro, walk straight on through the park, past Grande Halle de la Villette, until you get to the canal. The departure will be on the left, opposite the My Boat restaurant.
Return details- La Villette, 211 Av. Jean Jaurès, 75019 Paris, France
- Quai Anatole France, 75007 Paris, France
- Not wheelchair accessible
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 3001CRUISE- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Most travelers can participate
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 90 travelers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- Which attractions will I visit with Seine River Cruise and Paris Canals Tour?
- During this experience, places you will visit include:Discover and book Seine River Cruise and Paris Canals Tour on Tripadvisor
- How much is Seine River Cruise and Paris Canals Tour?
- Seine River Cruise and Paris Canals Tour price starts from $24.45. Discover and book Seine River Cruise and Paris Canals Tour on Tripadvisor
- What is the Seine River Cruise and Paris Canals Tour cancellation policy?
- Seine River Cruise and Paris Canals Tour cancellation policy: For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience. Discover and book Seine River Cruise and Paris Canals Tour on Tripadvisor
- Which company provides Seine River Cruise and Paris Canals Tour?
- Seine River Cruise and Paris Canals Tour is hosted by Paris Canal. Read reviews, discover additonal experiences or contact Paris Canal on Tripadvisor. Discover and book Seine River Cruise and Paris Canals Tour on Tripadvisor
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 3001CRUISE
Itinerary
- You’ll have 2 starting optionsSee departure details
- Pass byMusee d'OrsayPlace de la BastilleCanal Saint-MartinCathedrale Notre-Dame de ParisLouvre MuseumParc de la VilletteSeine RiverCite des sciences et de l'industrieIle Saint-LouisLa GeodeParis CanalBassin de la Villette
- You'll end atSee departure details
+
–
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator.
philippeo368
00Gorgeous day
I took a group of 35 people on a 6-hour Seine and Marne rivers. It was flawless. The lunch was delicious, the bilin…
vivianasarmiento2020
00Amazing boat tour
circuit was from Musee de l´Orangerie, and finishes in la Villete. Departure was on time, good explanation of every…
hendrikwille
00Great!
Staff of the ship was competent (good explanations in French and English) and friendly! We will recommend this sigh…
grayham75
00A lot of canal, not much river
This was a 2.5 hour cruise, entitled River Seine Cruise. We were expecting to see a lot of the city from the river…
moeon
00winter season Pari view
I could enjoy one of beautiful Pari view in high winter season.It was slow and good time on cruise!!
gudrun870
00Mal etwas anderes
we had a very nice trip on a cold day! It was very interesting to listen the famous guide on the boat.
645lenka_
00Super experience
Paris in another view, beautiful, funny. Guide was perfect, possibility to drink wine while you look around.
Livia T
00Too long not enough commentary
It’s a long trip in cold damp weather and we needed more and better commentary and history. The poor quality of the…
MCikka
00It was very nice
The cruise was very interested but we would have appreciated if there was coffee service while on cruise. Thanks
RobinA_13
00Another way to view the Seine
I was happy to discover that we could explore another way to enjoy a Paris boat ride. Leaving from Parc du Viliett…
Biz957
00Quite boring
We don’t recommend this trip. It seemed like a long 2 1/2 hours. There were two overall problems. First, the guide’…
rkava6
00Paris Canal
The tour was outstanding! Unlike any other river tour that simply runs up and down the Seine River in town. This to…
lottehuus
00Very exiting boattrip in Paris
A very exiting boattrip which exeeded all expectations. The reason it only get four "stars" is that it was very dif…
BobK1715
00Absolutely the best!
What a wonderful way to spend 2&1/2 hours in Paris. Our outstanding guide was Bruno who explained the locks and the…
Explorer111400
00Really interesting and different
Although I've done this before it's a great way to discover Paris off the beaten track- going through neighbourhood…
Contribute
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
133 reviews
Excellent
68
Very good
26
Average
18
Poor
6
Terrible
15
Chuggie B
Leeds, UK39 contributions
Feb 2023 • Friends
My mother enjoyed this. Booked this as felt good money for what it offered. It was enjoyed a lot by the children and "young pensioners". Those on the cruise were a mix of nationalities. The commentary by Francis in French and English was entertaining and detailed. It did feel a bit more canal than siene river cruise - really 80% canal - so better for those seeking off the beaten track type cruises. I think you pay a lot more for cruises that just focus on the landmarks. I'd recommend definitely.
Written February 20, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
ms72311
2 contributions
Feb 2023 • Family
Our guide was fantastic!! So knowledgeable and with just the right amount of humor occasionally thrown in. Going through the locks was very cool! Each one different and a learning experience. Definitely worth the money. Byo snacks and beverage if you want, but even with that, I would totally recommend!!
Written February 20, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Judi M
Pittsburgh, PA1 contribution
Oct 2022
This was the trip from HELL! Viking canceled flights, we were never told, missed 2 days of our cruise, because we were never picked up at airport, emergency no. never answered, got there by taxi in middle of night, lost luggage, when we finally started cruise, locks broke, had to be bused everywhere, caught covid on return trip, flight home was delayed, had to sleep in airport, on and on had no clothing or meds for 5 days. It was a nightmare, and Viking will do nothing to support us. Purchased insurance, but they seem to only pay for cancelled trip. Viking gave us no support, and were very rude over the phone. MY ADVICE- go with anyone but Viking. For someone we thought had a good reputation, they did nothing for us but take our $14,000.00 for the worst experience of our lives, and will not compensate us a DIME. VIKING, as far as customer service, YOU STINK!!
Written November 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Vinay S
Brookline, MA2 contributions
Nov 2022 • Couples
We unfortunately could not make it for the trip. There was a national wide protest and public transport was severely affected. We would have loved to make the trip but could not reach the location. I had requested Viator for a refund but they were unwilling to offer a refund.
Written November 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Thomas M
Littleton, NH5,238 contributions
Oct 2022
The Paris Canal Tour of the St. Martin Canal was excellent. We took the 2:30 tour from the pier in Villette, that ended at the Musée d'Orsay. Our trip took a little longer than normal; but since we had no other commitments, it was fine with us. When we started there were only a few of us on the boat. Four folks came running just after we got underway and the captain pulled over to let them onboard. After a lock or two we pulled over again. Everyone was trying to speculate why. The answer came about 10 or 15 minutes later when what appeared to be about two or more busloads of people (who were obviously part of a contracted tour) were allowed to board. We continued on to our final destination. The tour guide was very informative and spoke several languages. I picked up on the French, English and German - but believe he may have also used 1 or 2 others. It was a sunny day, perfect for this tour. Cruising through the tunnels was very interesting and of course once we neared the Seine the yachts and power boats tied up along the quays were impressive. We considered this tour well worth the fare. If you're in Paris and have the time this tour is well worthwhile.
Written October 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
John M
Cassis, France4 contributions
Oct 2022
Pleasant views. Interesting scenery. The guide was full of information but hard to understand the English.
Recommend going up the canal away from the Seine. More exciting in the locks. Picture taking on the Seine is best done from the back of the boat in the morning due to the sun.
Recommend going up the canal away from the Seine. More exciting in the locks. Picture taking on the Seine is best done from the back of the boat in the morning due to the sun.
Written October 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Renata M
6 contributions
Sep 2022 • Friends
This is a great and informative cruise. There is a lot of interesting commentary. It would be great if the speaker system was better from every part of the boat.
Written September 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
GrandTour672376
5 contributions
Sep 2022 • Couples
Booked the 14:30 departure from Parc de la Villette going to Musee d’Orsay. Absolutely brilliant from start to finish. Wonderful guide explaining in both French and English all the history and sights. Bar (and toilet) on board. Booked the trip direct with the company “Paris Canal” - a reduction given to the over 60’s. Would highly recommend this trip.
Written September 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Stephanie J
9 contributions
Sep 2022
The first part of the cruise was lovely. However, going the locks took so much time and there was little guidance from the guide. We were at the last lock sitting for almost 45 minutes. THat was very disappointing. I would have preferred just the Seine cruise.
Written September 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Sean C
2 contributions
Aug 2022 • Family
I would give this experience a 5/6 out of 10.
What we liked -
- Going through the first three locks was fun, the additional 6 locks got really boring and time consuming.
- Seeing the canals and this section of Paris, unfortunately there was little commentary except for “check out the street art”
- Seeing La Seine from on the water and going around the island of Paris.
The downsides -
- Going through 9 locks to get from the start to finish. I understand why the number of locks with a 27m drop in elevation from where we start to where we finish. But after the first three it was getting old, others on the tour said the same.
- Commentary was in French and English though the English was simpler and there was further commentary in French that I know was not translated.
- Going through the canals is interesting but could use more historical commentary. They were built for bringing drinking water and fountain irrigation to parts of the city, it uses locks, it’s cleaned every 15 years by the city. That’s the summary.
What we liked -
- Going through the first three locks was fun, the additional 6 locks got really boring and time consuming.
- Seeing the canals and this section of Paris, unfortunately there was little commentary except for “check out the street art”
- Seeing La Seine from on the water and going around the island of Paris.
The downsides -
- Going through 9 locks to get from the start to finish. I understand why the number of locks with a 27m drop in elevation from where we start to where we finish. But after the first three it was getting old, others on the tour said the same.
- Commentary was in French and English though the English was simpler and there was further commentary in French that I know was not translated.
- Going through the canals is interesting but could use more historical commentary. They were built for bringing drinking water and fountain irrigation to parts of the city, it uses locks, it’s cleaned every 15 years by the city. That’s the summary.
Written August 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Tracey C
Brisbane, Australia
Hi if this is a one way cruise what are the options to get back to the centre of Paris.
Thanks
heatherleas
Shoreview, MN20 contributions
I believe there is also a taxi station near by. We walked and enjoyed seeing a lit of Paris that way.
EDISIR
Buenos Aires, Argentina126 contributions
Estare en La Villette. Adonde me dirijo para embarcar por Canal St Martin hasta Orsay?
janne byrne
Copenhagen, Denmark1 contribution
Hvorfor kan jeg ikke bestille til 1 voksen og 3 unge
Jazmine
14 contributions
How long is the tour?
bagdad-by-the-bay
San Francisco, CA53 contributions
About 3 hours. I would be weather-wise, bring a map of the area you end up in and roll with it!
hazelhillier
Brisbane, Australia6 contributions
Can you only book online or can i book in Paris on the day?
bagdad-by-the-bay
San Francisco, CA53 contributions
You can come to the pier directly but it’s probably booked. Vous pouvez venir directement au quai mais les voyages sont souvent complets.
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.