Bateaux Parisiens Lunch Cruise 2026: Menu, Wine & Tips

Booking choice: The lunch cruise, from $96 per person. Check dates Compare the options below

The lunch cruise leaves the foot of the Eiffel Tower at 12:45 pm and spends about two hours on the river, passing the Invalides, the Musee d'Orsay, the Louvre and Notre-Dame while you eat. Like the dinner cruise, it is sold in service levels that decide your seat, your courses and your drinks.

Official prices are from the Bateaux Parisiens website; ratings and guest comments are from the Viator listing.

The quick answer

The lunch cruise departs at 12:45 pm from pontoon 5 or 7 and lasts about two hours. The operator charges from 79 euros (three courses, centre table) to 134 euros (five courses and Champagne at the front window); children are 40 euros on the standard levels. On Viator it is from $96 and rates 4.7 from 2,928 reviews, the best of any Bateaux Parisiens cruise.

A waiter in an apron among diners at tables in a glass-roofed restaurant boat in daylight — The dining room is under a glass roof, so every table gets some view.

What time is the lunch cruise, and how long does it last?

It departs at 12:45 pm and lasts about two hours; arrive at least 15 minutes early, because the boat leaves on time.

Boarding is at Port de la Bourdonnais, pontoon 5 or 7, next to the Eiffel Tower. That timing makes it an easy first afternoon in Paris: one guest who arrived on an overnight flight called it the perfect way to stay awake, see the city and eat well.

Want a relaxed first afternoon in Paris? Check your date for the lunch cruise.

Check dates for the lunch cruise

How much is the lunch cruise?

From 79 euros per adult on the operator's site at the Etoile level, up to 134 euros for Premier Baie Vitrée; Viator's from-price is $96.

Children pay 40 euros on the standard levels. On the Premier levels, children pay the full price. Every seat is charged, including young children.

Service level	Adult (official)	Seat	Courses	Drink to start
Etoile	79 euros	Centre of the boat	Starter, main, dessert	Kir with white wine
Découverte	89 euros	Centre, panoramic view	Starter, main, dessert	Kir with blanc de blancs
Privilège	99 euros	Window	Starter, main, cheese, dessert	Kir with blanc de blancs
Premier	119 euros	Front of the boat	Appetiser, starter, main, cheese, dessert, petits fours	Glass of Champagne
Premier Baie Vitrée	134 euros	Front, by the bay window	As Premier	Glass of Champagne

What do you eat on the lunch cruise?

A seasonal French menu of three to five courses, depending on your level, with choices for each course.

The menu changes through the year; dishes named on the listing have included chicken pâté, marinated prawns, salmon with freekeh pilaf, and a morello cherry and lime pavlova. Vegetarian dishes are available at the same price, and gluten-free, lactose-free and diabetic menus can be requested when you book.

A braised beef main course with mashed potato and jus on a pale blue plate — Mains are plated and served at your table.

How much wine is included?

Wine is included on every level, plus water and coffee or tea; the higher levels start with Champagne instead of a kir.

Guests are often surprised by how generous it is. One reviewer on the Privilège level reported a glass of Champagne to start, two glasses of white and a bottle of red for two. Extra drinks beyond the package are charged.

A layered crab starter in a glass with toasted bread, with glasses of white wine and kir behind it — Lunch opens with a starter and a glass of kir or Champagne.

Is a window table worth paying for?

Yes, if you can: guests who booked Privilège or a Premier window say the views made the lunch.

The centre tables still see out through the glass roof, but a window table puts the Louvre and Notre-Dame right beside your plate. Premier without "Baie Vitrée" is at the front of the boat, not necessarily at the glass.

Diners at a table inside a boat, looking through the glass at the Louvre's riverside wing and a stone bridge — From a window table, the Louvre slides past at eye level.

Want the view with your meal? Pick a window level when you check your date.

★ 4.7 2,928 reviews · 2 hours · from $96

Explore the lunch cruise

Why is the lunch cruise rated higher than the dinner cruise?

Daylight: guests can see and photograph everything, and there are no night reflections on the glass. It rates 4.7 against 4.4 for dinner.

Reviewers praise the timing of the courses, the attentive service and the table settings. The trade-off is atmosphere: there is no sunset and no lit-up monuments. Viator sells it as a cruise with live music, but the operator's own lunch page does not promise music, so do not book it for that.

Lunch or dinner: which should you book?

Lunch for views, photos and value; dinner for romance and the lights.

First day in Paris, or you love photos: lunch.
Anniversary or proposal: the 8:30 pm dinner.
Tighter budget: lunch starts at 79 euros against 115 euros for dinner.
Want both: lunch, then the one-hour sightseeing cruise after dark.

More on the evening option in the dinner cruise guide.

Views and value win? The lunch cruise is the best-rated Bateaux Parisiens cruise.

Check dates for the lunch cruise

What do you see along the way?

The Eiffel Tower, the Invalides, the Musee d'Orsay, the Louvre, the Institut de France, Notre-Dame and Ile Saint-Louis, among others.

The longer meal cruises cover more of the river than the one-hour loop. If you just want the sights without the meal, the one-hour sightseeing cruise ($21) follows the same heart of the route.