A Riverside Tour Along the Seine in Paris

A Riverside Tour Along the Seine in Paris
Amélie
Amélie 
Updated
| 5 min read

It is no secret that Paris holds some of the most stunning sights in the world, often too many to fit into one short trip, and many areas are packed with tourists and inauthentic shops. This article has therefore put together a day plan of the best things to do along the Seine River, prioritizing the most genuine areas in order to get a true sense of what Paris has to offer.

The tour begins in the west of Paris, by the Eiffel Tower, and continues eastward along the river and ends near Hôtel de Ville for an evening drink or meal. The walk has hundreds of beautiful things to do and see, passing the most ornate bridges such as Pont Alexandre III. Famous museums and statues line the river and should be visited if time allows.

The beginning of the day debuts with either a short museum visit to the Musee du quai Branly, or a coffee break, or both. It then goes on to the vast amount of river-side stalls, and passes on to the Pont Des Arts where the famous locks are put on the railings by lovers from across the globe. You can then end your night in style!.

For those who are not so keen on long walks, there is an excellent bus system that would shorten the day and make it easier to access each location. If you also want to take more time enjoying the scenery, it is also a great tour to break up over a few days.

Start the day with scrumptious cappuccino

picture of the Eiffel Tower from the museum

Perhaps after a visit to the Eiffel Tower, there is an eight-minute walk to the museum of Quai Branly, which has a reclusive garden and cafe to relax in. The museum has a variety of excellent exhibits to see, however, if you have a preference for French traditional art, it is better to visit the Musée d'Orsay further on along river. It is important to note that the museum does not open until 11 am and is closed on Mondays, though the cappuccinos are excellent and are served with the usual spéculos biscuits. The cafe itself is made of glass walls and is full of sunshine on a beautiful day, the outside terrace provides comfortable deck chairs to lie back in and has plenty of space to sit and work, have a chat, or just to watch the world go by. The mammoth silhouette of the Eiffel Tower can be seen looming over the horizon and provides an ultimate time for a French coffee for around 4 EUR (4.5 USD). This is also a great location to have lunch, surrounded by a beautiful garden and with excellent service. Though don’t take too long about it, the clock is ticking!

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Browse the best of the riverside stalls

Snapshot of the riverside beauties

A fantastic walk follows this break, (around 45 mins) but if your feet are lagging, the 72 bus gives a quicker tour along the quays. Keep your eyes peeled for the magnificent Pont Alexandre III with its enormous golden statues, the Invalides and the Grand Palais. Towards the Pont du Carrousel you will start seeing the clusters of green stalls along the river, selling vintage postcards, old French books, maps, posters and paintings. This is a great place to commit Paris to memory forever or to buy gifts such as a rolled up oil painting of the river. They also sell locks and keys for anyone who wants to immortalize their love on the Pont des Arts, or just to feel sort of awesome. Along here is also the Louvre and Tuileries Gardens, which are absolutely stunning, and, if you’re peckish, you can usually catch someone selling crepes or roasted chestnuts there. In typical French fashion there is also an abundance of cafes along the quay and all kinds of antique shops that are always fun to look into.

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See the city of love up close

a riverside tour along the seine in paris | see the city of love up close

One bridge over the River Seine is the Pont Des Arts, one of Paris’ most famous bridges that truly lives up to the city’s namesake of “the city of love”. Each joint of the bridge is covered in locks, and it can be extremely entertaining to watch couples throwing the the keys into the river. For those who like that sort of thing, siblings or friends can also add their own lockets to the bridge. In fact this has become so popular in the last couple of years that the bridge has been almost collapsing under the weight of this tradition and new railings have been put in. Not to fear though, the tradition is still upheld and the lockets have spread across to neighboring bridges and other areas of Paris. It’s a great thing to do if you want to leave a bit of yourself behind and look for the locks when you come back.

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Soak up the art

The Musée d'Orsay

One of the hardest things at this point, is choosing between whether to visit the Louvre or the Musée d'Orsay first, both of which face each other across the river. From an architectural point of view, one could sit looking at either for a decade in complete awe, due to the majestic natures of both of them and the intricate details that have been allotted to them. However the art inside the Louvre is also worth a look, with one of the largest collections in the world from some of the greatest artists since before the French Revolution. As magnificent as the Mona Lisa is, there are other even more inspiring works to look at, including the ancient Egyptian section and all the other exhibits organized by the museum. The Musée d’Orsay is also jam-packed full of some of the greatest impressionist works, including pieces by Monet, Degas, and Van Gogh.

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Paris Tour Guide

Angénic  Agnero

Angénic Agnero

Paris Tour Guide

Patricia Bollinger

Patricia Bollinger

<p>My name is Patricia Bollinger and my family is French. I have always had a passion for art and history and I chose to study them when I went to university. I have been a licensed tour guide for the last 30 years and I work in French, English and Italian. My passion and also as part of my work I travel a lot. For this reason, I have a good idea of visitors expectations. Naturally I want to share this passion for my country and its heritage with foreign visitors.<br>I also love cooking and I am a foody.</p>

Tours by Patricia

Kick back and enjoy the view

Les Nautes

Finally, a fifteen minute walk onwards, or the 67 bus, leads straight to Hôtel de Ville, not only a stunning place but also a fantastic area to get a drink or dinner. The Gossip Café has great prices for some stunning cocktails, the best ones served with candy on sticks. It is located in a more private street and serves up a mean burger for about 12 EUR (approximately 13.50 USD). Bagel shops and falafel restaurants are a five-minute walk away, along with marvelous shopping opportunities in vintage shops. Along the quays is an excellent DJ bar called Les Nautes, which play great music to dance to right on the edge of the river. It is an absolutely happening place with picnic tables right next to the water to drink your pint of beer at and have a great end to a packed day.

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Enjoy the best of Paris

Between the cafes, the museums, the shopping, the bars, the restaurants and the iconic landmarks, there is clearly an abundance of things to do. This list of activities is one that can be picked and censured at will, depending on your interest and what you want to get out of a visit to the city. This is more or less a balanced overview of art, history, and activities to do that crosses seven different districts of Paris, each of which offers its own unique attractions. There is rarely a more stunning walk to be had with an intense amount of history and art packed into one main area.

Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
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As a part English, part American, born and raised in Paris, my priorities have always been to learn about different cultures. I travel to discover and because we all have the luxury of designing...Read more

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