Cruise on the Saint-Martin Canal and the Seine River

Discover Paris from the water on a cruise along Canal Saint-Martin and the Seine River. This scenic route combines well-known landmarks, quiet canal sections, and the unique atmosphere of the underground vault.

Details

Explore the French capital on a sightseeing cruise along the River Seine and continue along Canal Saint-Martin.

Along the way, see Parisian landmarks such as Notre Dame and the Hotel du Nord before entering the underground vault.

Your cruise begins in the center of Parc de la Villette, where the boat moves gently along the canal to Rue de Crimée and across the Bassin de la Villette, before passing the Rotonde by Ledoux.

At the Récollets Center, you will catch sight of the Hotel du Nord and continue through Canal Saint-Martin, with its pedestrian bridges, chestnut trees, and relaxed waterside paths.

The route then enters a long underground tunnel, where the boat travels through the vaulted passage with light holes overhead.

When you emerge at Arsenal Port, you will see the July Column near Place de la Bastille before joining the River Seine.

From there, the cruise continues past Île Saint-Louis and Île de la Cité, ending just after midday at the Musée d’Orsay.

Important Info

• The cruise will take place rain or shine.
• Daily cruises from May to August and subject to availability outside these dates.
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What is included in activity

Cruise
Commentary in French and English

What is not included

Hotel pick-up and drop-off
2 hrs 30 min
Group size up to 70 persons
Mobile ticket
English
Full refund for cancellations up to 24 hours
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance to receive a full refund

River cruise ship

Meeting point

Meet outside the Parc de la Villette in the Paris 19th district.
Walk straight on from the subway station, Porte de Pantin (Exit No. 1), and follow the "Gallerie de la Villette" (the walking area with a grey undulating roof) until you see the canal.
The Paris Canal white board will be on the left, at Parc de la Villette.

Places you will see

• Eiffel Tower
• Les Invalides
• Musée d'Orsay
• Ile de la Cite
• Notre Dame Cathedral
• Hôtel de Ville
• Louvre Museum
• Place de la Concorde
• Grand Palais

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Reviews by travellers

5.0 out of 5
1128 reviews
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Evelyn
It was great! It was very interesting to travel through the locks—9 of them! Some were very slow going, but the tour announcer (who was excellent, presenting everything in French and English) explained it was because of police action to remove swimmers from the canal. Loved the 15 minute ride through the underground vault. I wasn’t expecting much on the Seine in the end, but that was a beautiful full 30 minutes of the 2 1/2 hour trip with great commentary. The chairs are rather uncomfortable, but otherwise all was perfect. Highly recommended!
29 days ago
Leanna
Upstairs seat arrangement could have been a little more spaced. Other than that the whole experience was absolutely amazing.
about 2 months ago
Virginia
A lovely cruise on the canal. The guide was informative and it was an enjoyable way to hear about the canal and sights and see the locks work.
3 months ago
Cherington
Highly recommend this trip for this multigenerational family vacations.
3 months ago
Cindy
Excellent guide though the crowd was noisy so it was sometimes hard to hear. But he was so interesting. It was a cold rainy day so I would love to do this again when warm enough to sit outside.
3 months ago
Diane
The ride was good, guide explained all the facts along the route, a few locks to navigate, the underground part was great.
3 months ago
Tina
Fantastic boat ride down the canal to the river. Going through all the locks was great. The guide gave so much information. Would highly recommended this activity.
3 months ago
Louise
Fantastic canal/seine cruise. Passed through locks and tunnels that we had no idea existed in Paris. Commentary was excellent, being interesting and funny. 100% recommend.
4 months ago
Bernadine
The tour guide, Francois was amazing. he shared so much information with us, not only about the canal, the locks , he also told us a lot about the history of Paris. He made the whole tour very enjoyable.
4 months ago
Kathrin
Very interesting and entertaining. The Rede is beautiful and François, our guide, loves his job and makes this trip very worthwhile. We enjoyed every minute.
4 months ago
Route details changed.
More info
Starting point of the tour
Meet outside the Parc de la Villette in the Paris 19th district.
Walk straight on from the subway station, Porte de Pantin (Exit No. 1), and follow the "Gallerie de la Villette" (the walking area with a grey undulating roof) until you see the canal.
The Paris Canal white board will be on the left, at Parc de la Villette.