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Seine river cruise at night and at sunset
It is the same route and the same price, but not the same experience. At night Paris stops being a city you look at and becomes a city that reflects: the lit bridges double in the water and the monuments stand out against the sky.
What time to book
The sweet spot is boarding shortly before sunset: you set off in daylight, watch the sky change colour over the water during the trip, and come back with the city already lit. Here it works in your favour that the ticket has no assigned time: you can decide on the day, depending on how the evening looks. Since sunset shifts a lot through the year — past ten at night in June, around five in December — check the exact time for the day of your visit.
The Eiffel Tower sparkle
Every hour on the hour after dark, the Eiffel Tower sparkles for five minutes with thousands of white lights. Seeing it from the water, with the whole tower above you, is one of those things that alone justifies picking an evening departure. If your cruise coincides with the hour, try to be out on deck a couple of minutes beforehand.
A couple of tips
It gets noticeably colder on the water than on land, even in summer: bring a layer if you want to stay out on deck, which is where the views are. And if you plan to take photos, rest your phone on the railing: in low light with the boat moving, a steady hand is not enough.
Where do the Seine boats depart from? Cruise prices Paris at night