Booking choice: The 8:30 pm dinner cruise, from $144 per person. Check dates Compare the options below
Bateaux Parisiens runs two dinner cruises from the foot of the Eiffel Tower: the 2.5-hour gourmet cruise at 8:30 pm with a singer and musicians, and a shorter 6:15 pm cruise. Both are sold in service levels that decide your menu, your drinks and, most importantly, where you sit.
Official prices below are from the Bateaux Parisiens website; review figures are from the Viator listing.
The quick answer
For a special night, most guests say yes: the 8:30 pm cruise rates 4.4 from 7,463 Viator reviews. Official prices start at 115 euros and climb to 245 euros for a front window table. If the view matters more than the evening, book a window tier or the higher-rated lunch cruise; if you want to be back early, take the 6:15 pm cruise.
Is the dinner cruise worth the money?
Yes for a celebration or a first night in Paris: guests rate it 4.4 out of 5 and praise the service, the music and seeing the monuments lit up.
The recurring complaints are worth knowing before you pay: glass reflections that spoil night photos, music that some find loud in parts of the boat, and expensive tickets that did not come with the view guests expected. Choose your service level with the seating in mind and most of those problems go away.
Planning a special night? Check your date: the dinner cruise cancels free up to 24 hours before.
Check dates for the 8:30 pm dinner cruiseHow much does the dinner cruise cost, and what do the service levels mean?
On the operator's site the 8:30 pm cruise runs from 115 euros (Etoile service) to 245 euros (Premier Baie Vitrée); on Viator it is from $144.
Each level changes your seat, your number of courses and your drinks. The seating is the part that matters most:
| Service level | Where you sit | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Etoile | Centre of the boat | The entry level; three courses with a kir |
| Découverte | Centre, with a panoramic view | Three courses, a better position |
| Privilège | By a window | Adds cheese and petits fours |
| Premier | Front of the boat | More courses and Champagne; not always at the glass |
| Premier Baie Vitrée | Front, by the bay window | The top tier and the best view |
How do you get a window seat?
Book Privilège for a window table, or Premier Baie Vitrée for a window at the front; the Etoile and Découverte tables are in the centre of the boat.
Read the tier names carefully. Plain Premier puts you at the front of the boat, but guests have written that their Premier seats were not at the glass and that the view was harder to see than they expected. If a window is the reason you are booking, pay for a tier that names one.
What is on the menu?
A seasonal gourmet menu of three or four courses depending on your level, with wine or Champagne, water and coffee, chosen from set options.
The menu changes with the season, and you pick your dishes on board. The operator offers vegetarian starters, mains and desserts at the same price, and can prepare gluten-free, lactose-free and diabetic menus if you ask when you book. Guests generally rate the food well for a boat; a few found individual dishes uneven.
Ready for the full evening? The 8:30 pm cruise includes a gourmet menu, wine and a live singer.
Explore the 8:30 pm dinner cruiseCan you take good photos through the glass at night?
Not easily: with the lights on inside, the glass reflects the dining room, and several guests say night photos were near impossible from their table.
The fix is to step out on to the open-air deck for the big moments, especially the Eiffel Tower on the way back. Turn off your flash, brace the phone against a rail, and do not expect sharp shots from a moving boat. If photos are the priority, the daytime lunch cruise is the better choice.
Is there a dress code?
Yes: the operator asks for smart dress on the 8:30 pm cruise, with no jeans, sports shoes, shorts or caps; the Viator listing calls it smart casual.
In practice most guests dress up a little, as they would for a nice restaurant. Bring a light layer for the deck: it can be windy on the river even in summer.
Outfit sorted? Check your date and pick a service level with the view you want.
Check dates for the 8:30 pm dinner cruiseShould you take the 6:15 pm early dinner instead?
Take the early cruise if you want to be back before 8 pm or eat earlier; take the 8:30 pm cruise for the full evening with music and the monuments lit.
The early cruise lasts 1 hour 15 minutes, starts from 99 euros on the official site and is from $132 on Viator. It has no singer, and guests note it can feel rushed, since the boat is turned around for the next sitting. In summer it sails in daylight; the 8:30 pm cruise ends around 11 pm, well after dark.
Prefer an earlier night? The 6:15 pm cruise includes dinner and wine and is back before 8 pm.
Explore the early dinner cruiseIs the Bistro Parisien package a dinner cruise?
No: it is a three-course dinner at the Bistro Parisien, a restaurant on a barge moored at pontoon 2, plus a separate one-hour sightseeing cruise.
You choose whether to eat first or cruise first, and you collect your cruise ticket at the bistro. At $83 it is much cheaper than a dinner cruise, and guests who ate first recommend doing it that way round. Just book it for what it is: several reviewers expected to dine on the move and were disappointed. See the best Seine river cruises compared.
Happy with dinner and a cruise, not on one boat? The Bistro Parisien package is the budget option.
Check dates for the Bistro Parisien dinner and cruiseFrequently asked questions
How long is the Bateaux Parisiens dinner cruise?
The 8:30 pm cruise lasts about 2.5 hours and returns around 11 pm. The early dinner cruise at 6:15 pm lasts 1 hour 15 minutes.
What time should I arrive for the dinner cruise?
Arrive at pontoon 5 or 7 at Port de la Bourdonnais at least 15 minutes before departure; the boat leaves on time. Check-in for the 8:30 pm cruise opens at 7:45 pm.
Are children allowed on the dinner cruise?
Yes, but every seat is charged, including young children. The operator applies child rates on the Etoile service.
Is the dinner cruise better than the lunch cruise?
It is a more atmospheric evening, but the lunch cruise rates higher (4.7 against 4.4) and gives much better views and photos. See the lunch cruise guide.
Ready to book
Choose your cruise
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Seine Dinner Cruise with Live Music
- Dinner cruise from the Eiffel Tower, 8:30 pm departure
- Three or four course gourmet menu chosen by option
- Wine, Champagne or kir by option, water and coffee
Early Gourmet Dinner Cruise with Wine
A shorter 6:15 pm dinner cruise, back before 8 pm
Seine Lunch Cruise with Live Music
- Lunch cruise from the Eiffel Tower (boarding pontoon 5 or 7)
- Three or four course seasonal menu, depending on the option
- Wine or Champagne by option, water and coffee or tea
