Our top pick91,739 reviews
60 minParis: Seine Cruise departing from the Eiffel Tower
★ 4.4 · 91,739 reviews
- 1h, Departs from the Eiffel Tower
- Water activity
- Bestseller
- Free cancellation
$20$20.00 / hour
Check availability→ The honest answer
Is a Paris sightseeing tour worth it? At $20, yes — with three exceptions
Is a Paris sightseeing tour worth it? On the numbers, the cheap ones are: the one-hour Seine cruise from the Eiffel Tower costs $20 and has been reviewed 91,739 times at 4.4, and the two hop-on hop-off bus tickets at $41 and $44 carry 17,916 and 16,230 reviews, also at 4.4. The best-rated ways to see the sights are private and cost more: a vintage Citroën drive at $144 and an electric tuk-tuk at $261, both rated 4.9. The exceptions are below, starting with the one listing rated 4.0.
Quick answer
The short answer. Yes for the $20 Seine cruise and the bus passes if you have one or two days and want the main sights without planning them. Yes for the private 2CV or tuk-tuk if you want a 4.9 rating and have $144 or more. No for the $190 city-tour-plus-show bundle at 4.0, and no if you would rather walk, because the Montmartre walk here is $22 and rated 4.9.
The numbers behind the answer
- Most reviewed tour
- 91,739 reviewsSeine cruise, 4.4, $20
- Second most reviewed
- 17,916 reviewshop-on hop-off bus, 4.4
- Third most reviewed
- 16,230 reviewshop-on hop-off bus, 4.4
- Best rated sightseeing
- 4.9vintage 2CV drive, 744 reviews
- Also 4.9
- electric tuk-tuk259 reviews, $261
- Lowest rated on the site
- 4.0city tour plus Moulin Rouge show, 1,623 reviews
- Cheapest way to see the sights
- $20one hour on the Seine
- Cheapest guided walk
- $22Montmartre, 4.9, 2,857 reviews
- Bike instead
- $48three hours, 4.7, 2,179 reviews
- Hop-on hop-off by boat
- $26nine stops, 4.4, 6,605 reviews
- Sightseeing tours here
- 25bus, boat, bike, car, tuk-tuk, private
- Night bus
- $32two hours, 4.4, 5,085 reviews
What the numbers say
The three most reviewed tours all sit at 4.4
Cheap and shared: 4.4. Private: 4.9. The bundle: 4.0.
The three sightseeing listings people book most are the $20 Seine cruise and the two hop-on hop-off bus tickets, and all three are rated 4.4. That is a consistent figure across 125,885 reviews: people who buy the cheap, shared version of a Paris sightseeing tour get what the listing says and rate it a little above four stars.
The ratings climb when the group shrinks. The private vintage Citroën drive is 4.9 across 744 reviews at $144; the private electric tuk-tuk is 4.9 across 259 at $261; the city highlights bike tour with a local guide is 4.7 across 2,179 at $48. The pattern is price for rating, and it holds for the shared and private tours in the table below.
One listing breaks it downward. The evening city tour bundled with the Moulin Rouge show costs $190 and is rated 4.0 across 1,623 reviews, the lowest on this site. Its two parts, the $32 night bus and the $158 show ticket, are rated 4.4 and 4.7 bought separately.
Worth it, if…
When a Paris sightseeing tour is worth the money
Each case is tied to a listing and its figures.
- You have one or two days and no plan
The hop-on hop-off bus at $41 for one to three days or $44 for 24 or 48 hours strings the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre Dame and the Arc de Triomphe together; the one-to-three-day ticket adds an audio guide for adults and children. Both are rated 4.4 by more than 16,000 people.
- You want the river for an hour and $20
The Seine cruise from the Eiffel Tower, with audio commentary or a web app for the sights. The most reviewed listing in Paris on this site, 91,739 times at 4.4, and it lists Free cancellation.
- You want the highest rating and can pay for it
The private vintage Citroën drive at $144 for one to three hours, 4.9 across 744 reviews, or the private electric tuk-tuk with photo stops at $261, 4.9 across 259.
- You would rather pedal than sit
The three-hour city highlights bike tour at $48 is rated 4.7 by 2,179 people and passes Notre Dame and the main boulevards with a local guide.
- You want the boat to work as transport
The hop-on hop-off Seine pass at $26 has nine stops and runs 24 or 48 hours, rated 4.4 across 6,605 reviews.
Not worth it, if…
When to skip the sightseeing tour and book something else
Three cases, each with the better listing named.
- You were about to buy the city tour and show bundle
At $190 it is rated 4.0 across 1,623 reviews. The night bus at $32 and the show-only Moulin Rouge ticket at $158 are the same evening at 4.4 and 4.7.
- You like walking and have the time
The small-group Montmartre walk is $22 and rated 4.9 across 2,857 reviews; the Latin Quarter walk is $44 at 4.9. Both are rated higher than the bus and the cruise, and the Montmartre walk costs less than either bus.
- You care about one building more than the skyline
Entry to the Arc de Triomphe rooftop is $18 (4.6, 38,283 reviews) and reserved Eiffel Tower access is $56 (4.7, 7,707). A guided Louvre tour is $70. The bus listings describe stops at the landmarks, not entry to them.
Book direct
The six tours this answer rests on
The three most reviewed sightseeing listings, the bike tour and the two best-rated private options. Live prices and ratings.
Bestseller17,916 reviews
1 - 3 dayParis: Tootbus Hop-on Hop-off Tour with Optional Cruise
★ 4.4 · 17,916 reviews
- 1 - 3 days, One, two or three-day ticket
- Hop-on Hop-off
- Bestseller
- Free cancellation
16,230 reviews16,230 reviews
1 - 2 dayBig Bus Hop-On Hop-Off Tour with Optional River Cruise
★ 4.4 · 16,230 reviews
- 1 - 2 days, 24 or 48-hour ticket
- Hop-on Hop-off
- Mobile voucher accepted
- Free cancellation
2,179 reviews2,179 reviews
3 hParis: City Highlights Bike Tour
★ 4.7 · 2,179 reviews
- 3h, Main landmarks by bike
- Guided tour
- Mobile voucher accepted
- Free cancellation
$48$16.00 / hour
Check availability→ 
Rated 4.9744 reviews
1 - 3 hParis: Discover Paris 2CV
★ 4.9 · 744 reviews
- 1 to 3 hours, Private drive in a vintage Citroën
- Private group
- Private tour
- Free cancellation
$144
Check availability→ 
Rated 4.9259 reviews
2 - 8 hParis: Private Electric TukTuk Highlights Tour
★ 4.9 · 259 reviews
- 2 to 8 hours, Private electric tuk-tuk with driver
- Mobile voucher accepted
- Instant confirmation
- Free cancellation
$261
Check availability→ Every trip, current fare
The sightseeing listings, priced by the hour
Nine sightseeing tours from $20 to $261. Cost per hour is blank where the listing sells a day pass or a range of hours.
| Tour | Length | Price | What you get | Cost per hour | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paris: Seine Cruise departing from the Eiffel Tower | 60 min | $20 | Departs from the Eiffel Tower | $20.00 | 4.4 · 91,739 |
| Paris: Hop-On Hop-Off Seine Cruise Pass with 9 Stops | 1 - 2 day | $26 | Nine stops along the Seine | — | 4.4 · 6,605 |
| Paris: Big Bus Panoramic Night Tour by Open-Top Bus | 2 h | $32 | Open-top bus after dark | $16.00 | 4.4 · 5,085 |
| Paris: Tootbus Hop-on Hop-off Tour with Optional Cruise | 1 - 3 day | $41 | One, two or three-day ticket | — | 4.4 · 17,916 |
| Big Bus Hop-On Hop-Off Tour with Optional River Cruise | 1 - 2 day | $44 | 24 or 48-hour ticket | — | 4.4 · 16,230 |
| Paris: City Highlights Bike Tour | 3 h | $48 | Main landmarks by bike | $16.00 | 4.7 · 2,179 |
| Paris: Discover Paris 2CV | 1 - 3 h | $144 | Private drive in a vintage Citroën | — | 4.9 · 744 |
| Paris: Private Electric TukTuk Highlights Tour | 2 - 8 h | $261 | Private electric tuk-tuk with driver | — | 4.9 · 259 |
| Paris: Evening Sightseeing Tour and Moulin Rouge Show | 4 h | $190 | City tour plus Moulin Rouge show | $47.50 | 4.0 · 1,623 |
For how much
What a worthwhile Paris sightseeing tour costs
Under $48 you have the whole shared tier: the Seine cruise at $20, the hop-on hop-off boat at $26, the night bus at $32, the two day-bus tickets at $41 and $44, and the bike tour at $48. Ratings run 4.4 to 4.7. For a first visit, one of these is the sensible spend.
Between $144 and $261 the tours are private and rated 4.9. You are paying for the car or the tuk-tuk and the driver to yourselves, with Free cancellation listed on both.
Above that, the private boats on the Seine run $445 to $547 and a private full day with a personal guide is $814. They are rated 5.0 on 403, 146 and 38 reviews, which is a smaller base than the 4.4 of the Seine cruise rests on. The price page sets out all six bands.
Want every price in one place? All 74 tours in six bands, cheapest first.
Paris tour prices by band→Common questions
Is it worth it, answered
Is a Paris sightseeing tour worth it?
For the $20 Seine cruise and the hop-on hop-off buses at $41 and $44, yes on the numbers: 91,739, 17,916 and 16,230 reviews, all at 4.4. The private 2CV and tuk-tuk are rated 4.9 from $144. The one to avoid is the $190 city-tour-plus-show bundle at 4.0.
Which Paris sightseeing tour has the best reviews?
By rating among the sightseeing tours, the private vintage Citroën drive at 4.9 across 744 reviews and the private electric tuk-tuk at 4.9 across 259. By number of reviews, the Seine cruise with 91,739 at 4.4.
Is the hop-on hop-off bus worth it in Paris?
The two tickets are $41 for one to three days and $44 for 24 or 48 hours, rated 4.4 by 17,916 and 16,230 people. Both stop at the main landmarks and list Free cancellation; the one-to-three-day ticket comes with an audio guide.
Is the Seine cruise worth it?
At $20 for an hour from the Eiffel Tower with audio commentary, it is the most reviewed listing here, 91,739 times at 4.4, and it lists Free cancellation.
Is a private sightseeing tour of Paris worth the extra?
The private vintage Citroën drive at $144 and the private electric tuk-tuk at $261 are the two best-rated ways to see the sights here, both 4.9. That is half a point above the shared bus and boat.
Which sightseeing tour should I avoid?
The evening city tour bundled with the Moulin Rouge show, $190, rated 4.0 across 1,623 reviews. The $32 night bus and the $158 show ticket cover the same evening at 4.4 and 4.7.
Is a walking tour better than a sightseeing tour?
Rated higher and cheaper, if you have the legs: the Montmartre walk is $22 at 4.9 across 2,857 reviews. The bus and the cruise cover more ground in less time.
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