Tours, sightseeing tours, activities & things to do | Viator.comEiffel Tower, Seine River Cruise and Paris Illuminations Night Tour
based on 105 reviews of Eiffel Tower, Seine River Cruise and Paris Illuminations Night Tour
Read what other Viator.com travelers think about the Eiffel Tower, Seine River Cruise and Paris Illuminations Night Tour. What they loved, what they liked and what they think could be improved, it's all here to help you make the most of your next trip.
The only glitch was that the recorded presentation on the Illuminations tour was not working and the tour guide had to give the commentary over the PA system. Not quite as good as it might have been.
Reviewed by: Beverly H, Canada, August 2008
The river cruise was wonderful; it wasn't dark enough to enjoy the Illuminations tour. The tower visit was great.
Reviewed by: Anonymous, United States of America, July 2008
Great time, but bus broke down so no Illuminations tour. First part of trip fab.
Reviewed by: Lynne J, United Kingdom, July 2008
The timing of all of the events was perfect. We had enough time to see the Eiffel Tower and still had plenty of time to go down the river Seine. It was raining, but we did not care; we sat on the outside left with umbrellas and had awesome views. The Illuminations tour seemed quick, and the bus would slow down for pictures. However, we were so tired that we fell asleep. Note: we were unable to pay to go all the way to the top via the kiosk, it may have had an issue with credit cards from outside of Europe since our card worked everywhere else, and our debit card did not seem to work either. I would recommend this tour for any first time visitors.
Reviewed by: Debra C, United States of America, June 2008
A good evening and to be able to skip the queue at the Eiffel Tower was well worth it, the queue went for miles!
Reviewed by: Frits L, New Zealand, June 2008
The only caveat would be about 45 minutes delay in starting the trip and lack of organization on the tour guide's part. Once the bus drops you off at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, you are pretty much on your own. The delay in starting the trip cut into your time to enjoy the view from the tower. After that you board on a guided cruise, which is fun. The 1 hour bus tour afterwards shows you the illuminations of the city which is a great experience. Over all, for 50 Euros it is definitely worth it. However, a little more timeliness would have made this experience more enjoyable.
Reviewed by: Anonymous, United States of America, June 2008
We very much enjoyed this jam packed tour. If you don't have a lot of time in Paris, even if you do, the place in huge, this was a great way to see a lot in a few hours. Don't plan on going all the way to the top of the tower, it's a very long wait!
Reviewed by: Bryan T, United States of America, May 2008
We got lost trying to find the tour operator, but when we phoned we were directed accordingly by the extremely helpful staff, who also kept the coach waiting for us for a few extra minutes. Would advise commencing the tour in the evening as Paris is beautiful at night. All in all, very worthwhile and I would most definitely book through Viator again. On the actual tour, instructions were very clear and repeated. The staff were excellent in this regard. If you don't know Paris, like us, then make sure and leave plenty of time to get to the pickup destination.
Reviewed by: Joe M, United Kingdom, April 2008
Very enjoyable except we started 30 minutes late, hence reducing our time at the Eiffel Tower. With Viator's influence, it should be negotiating a much stronger liaison with the end suppliers. The weather was not in favour, but the tour operator should by now have contingencies to cope with adverse conditions; the tour operator did not cope very well. Suggest that Eiffel Tower build a shelter to each entrance, if only to cater for agents like Viator. Alternatively, do not alight from the coach until the entrance undercover is immediately available. It is extremely disappointing to issue a negative report; all four of us would have preferred a 100 positive reaction. We do not pay Viator's fees to receive second-rate results - we expect Viator, with its vast experience and feedback, to give very enjoyable times.
Reviewed by: Roger B, United Kingdom, April 2008
Although you feel rushed from one site to the next like prodded cattle, it was a good tour. Be prepared when going to the Eiffel Tower. This tour only gets you to the 1st floor. You must purchase a ticket to the 2nd floor on the 1st floor, then purchase a 3rd floor top ticket while on the 2nd floor. The ticket machine will slowly and grudgingly take credit cards. The 45 minutes time we had to explore the 1st floor, we used instead to go up to the top. We had enough time to walk slowly around the top, take in the view, the wind, the snow, and then make our way back down. I wished we'd had time to buy a hot chocolate, postcards, etc. but we had to be down at the dock to catch our cruise. We were independent during the Eiffel Tower and cruise. I say we, because I met with 2 ladies on the same package as myself and we clung to each other. In the end, the Illuminations guide was kind enough to drop us off on the route of the tour. The tour ends in the evening and the Paris transit strike meant the metro ends early in the evening. The other ladies and myself were fortunate to be the only ones on the bus and to be dropped off on our hotel streets!
Reviewed by: Sandra L, United States of America, November 2007
Our tour guide was an extremely impatient and angry man. He did not make the trip pleasant at all and practically reduced us to tears by the end of it. My mother has a walking frame and he basically treated her as an invalid and seemed annoyed when we asked him to have the driver store it in the trunk until she needed it. After travelling all the way from Australia after recovering from a stroke and cancer, I felt that my mother was doing really well. In Europe, however, they seem to treat people with a disability as if they should stay at home and not enjoy all that the world has to offer. This trip would have been lovely if the tour guide had simply been nice to us instead of angry and impatient!
Reviewed by: Rebekah B, Australia, November 2009
The idea is good. But you're taken to the Eiffel Tower and then just left by your tour guide to find your way in. Other groups get priority, and by the time you get to the 2nd floor, you have about 20 minutes till you have to leave to get on the cruise. Cruise and Illuminations tour are very good. But organisation of Eiffel Tower not so good! A lot of money for what it is.
Reviewed by: Shane G, United Kingdom, November 2009
The Tower and River Cruise were great, but for us the Night Tour made it all a bit long. I did expect a guide to be escorting us at the tower to provide information and interest but we were left to our own devices with many instructions on what to do and where to go after the visit etc. As there were three different tours being transported the bus announcements were very long in three different languages etc.
Reviewed by: Anonymous, Australia, September 2009
We got into Paris late and had to reschedule our tour, which was very easy, so that is a plus. However, due to some bad luck, it rained during the cruise and the illuminations night tour. It was not possible to take pictures in the rain because the bus windows were wet. Also the audio during the bus tour seemed off a bit. Definitely see the Eiffel Tower, and definitely see the city at night, but do it on your own time so you can make sure you don't get rained on!
Reviewed by: Anonymous, United States of America, September 2009
The information given by the tour guide was very confusing - I felt rushed and did not feel like I had the option to seek clarification. This tour was taken on my first day to Paris and I was still very confused and overwhelmed by being in this huge, but very beautiful, city. My friend and I skipped the illuminated bus ride after the boat ride due to not being sure where we would be dropped off after the ride was over.
Reviewed by: Anonymous, United States of America, September 2009
