The bridges
The dinner cruise runs the same stretch of the Seine as the daytime sightseeing boats, out past the bridges toward Notre-Dame and back.
The route is a round trip from the same pier, so each bridge passes twice: once heading toward Notre-Dame, once coming back.
- Pont de l'Alma
Boarding beside the bridge
Dinner cruises board at Port de la Conférence, on the right bank directly under Pont de l'Alma, between 7:30 and 8:15pm for the 8:30pm departure.
- Pont Alexandre III
The grandest bridge on the river
The first bridge downstream is Pont Alexandre III, built between 1896 and 1900 for that year's Exposition Universelle and decorated with gilt Fame statues and Art Nouveau lamps.
- Pont des Arts
Past the Louvre
Further along, the boat passes Pont des Arts, the footbridge opposite the Institut de France, with the Louvre lit on the right bank.
- Pont Neuf
Paris's oldest standing bridge
The route continues to Pont Neuf, begun in 1578 under Henry III and finished in 1606, which still spans the western tip of the Île de la Cité.
- Notre-Dame and the Conciergerie
The turning point
The outbound run ends near Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Conciergerie and Île Saint-Louis, where the boat turns back downstream.
- Back past the Alma
The Eiffel Tower, sparkling on the hour
The return retraces the route to Pont de l'Alma, close enough on a clear evening to catch the Eiffel Tower's five-minute sparkle on the hour, a light show it has run since 2003.
A fleet built for the river since the 1867 exhibition
A name from a Lyon boatyard, not an insect
Bateaux Mouches sounds like it means “fly boats,” but the name comes from the Mouche district of Lyon, where the first boats of this kind were built.
Steamers at an 1867 exhibition
Boat tours on the Seine trace back to steamers shown at a Paris exhibition in 1867, with modern river tourism picking up again after the Second World War.
Open decks built for a thousand people
The open excursion boats used for Paris river tours are built to carry up to 1,000 passengers each, with glass roofs and sliding canopies for cover.
From an hourly sightseeing run to a dinner table
The same company that runs the hourly daytime sightseeing cruise past the Louvre and Notre-Dame also lays dinner tables on board for the 8:30pm sailing, with the bridges lit for the evening.
The dinner, by menu
The 8:30pm sailing is sold across three dinner menus, served at the same tables before the boat turns back toward the Alma.
Live music through dinner
A violinist and pianist play at the tables through the 8:30pm dinner sailing.
Window seats, by priority not guarantee
No dinner menu guarantees a window seat — seating depends on the boat and the night — though the Excellence menu is given priority for window-side seating when possible.
Vegetarian and vegan options
Vegetarian and vegan dishes are on all three dinner menus.
Dress for the evening
Evening sailings require formal dress across all three dinner menus — Harmonie, Prestige and Excellence alike.
Three menus, one sailing
| Menu | What comes with it | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Harmonie | Three courses à la carte — an aperitif with appetisers, a main, then cheese or dessert — with a glass of wine or a soft drink each, plus water, tea and coffee | A first dinner cruise, with a glass of wine included |
| Prestige | The same three courses with half a bottle of wine (or two soft drinks) per person, plus water, tea and coffee | A fuller dinner with the wine already poured |
| Excellence | Four courses opening with a Champagne aperitif and serving both cheese and dessert, half a bottle of wine or Champagne per person, and priority for a window table when possible | The best view of the bridges, and the occasion to match |
Want the Champagne aperitif and priority for a window seat? See the Excellence menu on this listing ↗
Paris after dark, on the river and off it
Pick your date
A handful of other after-dark listings GetYourGuide shows next to this cruise.
Other Seine evenings on GetYourGuide
Boarding at the Alma, and what to wear
Port de la Conférence
The pier sits on the right bank at Pont de l'Alma, reached by Métro line 9 (Alma–Marceau), line 1 (Franklin D. Roosevelt) or RER C (Pont de l'Alma); parking sits about 20 metres from the boats, with ramp access from the bridge.
Boarding and departure
Boarding for the dinner cruise runs from 7:30 to 8:15pm, the boat casts off at 8:30pm, and it's back at the pier by about 10:45pm.
Dress code
Evening sailings require formal dress across all three dinner menus — Harmonie, Prestige and Excellence alike.
Changing your booking
Cancellation and date-change terms for your booking are shown at checkout on GetYourGuide before you pay.
FAQ
Before you book
What time should we arrive at the pier?
Boarding for the 8:30pm dinner cruise runs from 7:30 to 8:15pm at Port de la Conférence, under Pont de l'Alma; the boat casts off at 8:30pm and returns by about 10:45pm.
What's the difference between the Harmonie, Prestige and Excellence menus?
Harmonie is three courses with a glass of wine each; Prestige keeps the three courses and pours half a bottle of wine per person; Excellence adds a Champagne aperitif and a fourth course so both cheese and dessert are served, with half a bottle of wine or Champagne per person and priority for a window seat when possible. Formal dress applies to all three.
Is a window seat guaranteed?
No — seating is specific to each boat and depends on availability. The Excellence menu is given priority for window-side seating when possible, but no menu guarantees it.
Is there live music?
A violinist and pianist play through the 8:30pm dinner sailing.
Is there a dress code?
Yes — evening sailings require formal dress across all three dinner menus, Harmonie, Prestige and Excellence alike.
Are there vegetarian or vegan options?
Yes — vegetarian and vegan dishes are part of all three dinner menus.
How do we get to Port de la Conférence?
The pier is at Pont de l'Alma on the right bank, a short walk from Métro line 9 (Alma–Marceau), line 1 (Franklin D. Roosevelt) or RER C (Pont de l'Alma); parking is about 20 metres from the boats.
Can we change or cancel the booking?
Cancellation and date-change terms for your booking are shown at checkout on GetYourGuide before you pay.
Planning your evening on the Seine
Planning your evening on the Seine
A Bateaux Mouches dinner cruise, step by step
From the gangway at Pont de l'Alma to the last bridge on the way back, roughly in the order it happens.
Read this guide →the river itselfThe route, and the bridges you pass
The dinner cruise follows the same central stretch of the Seine as the line's daytime sightseeing boats, bridge by bridge.
Read this guide →what's on the tableThe dinner menus, by option
Harmonie, Prestige and Excellence are the same sailing with three different tables laid.
Read this guide →getting thereDress code, timing and boarding
What to wear, when to arrive at the Alma, and how to change a booking if your plans move.
Read this guide →choosing your eveningWhich seating and menu to choose
A short guide to matching the menu to the evening you want, from a casual first cruise to a window table for a proposal.
Read this guide →planning for an occasionAnniversaries, proposals and group tables on the Seine
What to book, and what to ask for, when the dinner cruise is built around a celebration rather than just an evening out.
Read this guide →