I'm an American who's lived in Paris for nearly three years, and one of my favorite tourist attractions I've ever done was a scenic $20 boat ride.
Moriah Costa
I'm an American who's lived in Paris for almost three years. After all this time, I still had one thing on my bucket list: Tour the city by boat.
I took advantage of a good summer weather day and went on an hourlong tour with Vedettes de Paris that cost 20 euros, or about $22.
Over 15 million tourists are set to flood the city this month for the Summer Olympics, and I'm not that interested in fighting through crowds on the streets. Luckily, the boat tour sails by several of Paris' most famous landmarks, so I thought it would be a good way to get my fix from a more comfortable distance.
Here's what it was like.
Moriah Costa
I chose to sail on a 6:30 p.m. boat tour and booked my ticket the day before to save some time at the docks.
The tour company recommended arriving 20 minutes early — they start letting people on the boats about 15 minutes before. Because of the construction happening around the Paris Olympics, I gave myself plenty of time to get there.
Being early also allowed me to get a seat on the top deck, where I could enjoy the best view.
We left on time, and a few people missed the boat because they had arrived just a few seconds before departure.
Moriah Costa
I've hesitated to go on the boat tour in the past because things like this tend to be very touristy. But I was surprised by how many iconic French monuments I saw and learned about in one hour.
Our path started at the Eiffel Tower and went past Notre Dame before turning around after the Arab World Institute. A live guide spoke about nearly all the monuments we passed in English and French — the company's app also provided translations in other languages.
I wasn't expecting to learn much since I've lived in Paris for a few years, but I actually really enjoyed the guide. The tour was very basic but a good starting point for learning more about a city with so much history.
Moriah Costa
The boat tour started with a history of the Eiffel Tower before passing by the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais. We also passed by the National Assembly, the Louvre Museum, and the French Academy.
Because of the preparations for the Olympics, some areas were slightly obscured by scaffolding. I was barely able to see the obelisk at Place de la Concorde as it was hidden behind stands.
I was also only able to quickly glance at other monuments like the Tour Saint-Jacques before they disappeared behind buildings.
Moriah Costa
Notre Dame is one of my favorite monuments, and seeing it appear as the boat came out from under a bridge was incredible. The cathedral is set to reopen in December after a damaging fire in 2019, and they've made a lot of progress on the restorations.
As we continued down the river, many people were having picnics and dancing by the Seine — a popular summertime activity in Paris. Our guide also pointed out the nearby La Tour d'Argent, a famous restaurant with a rooftop terrace.
Moriah Costa
Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and seeing it by boat felt very special. The boat was a bit crowded, and there were a lot of families and tourists, but that didn't interfere with my experience at all.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the tour. One thing I'd do differently next time is to go around sunset. If you time it right, you'll return as the Eiffel Tower starts sparkling, which happens on the hour after sunset every evening.
Whether you're on a budget or just looking for a good value, the boat tour is worth it. I definitely plan to take any visiting friends and family in the future.
