Boat trip in Lyon: sightseeing cruise, lunch boat or dinner boat?
4 min read
The answer first
For a first look at Lyon from the water, take the one-hour guided sightseeing cruise. It costs €15, is rated 4.5/5 from 3,738 reviews, and has the most reviews of all the Lyon boat trips in our listing. Book the lunch or dinner boat only if you want a three-course meal as the main event; then the boat is the dining room and the sights are the view.
The one-hour cruises
- Guided sightseeing cruise (€15). One hour on the Saône with live commentary in English and French. The booking page names the Renaissance buildings of Vieux Lyon and the confluence of the two rivers. It starts at 2 Quai des Célestins, the page asks you to arrive at least 20 minutes before departure, and its operator, Les Bateaux Lyonnais, lists the cruise as wheelchair accessible. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
- Lyon Essentials cruise (€15, 4.7/5 from 443 reviews). Also one hour with a live guide in English and French, departing from 11 Quai des Célestins; arrive 15 minutes early. A different operator, the same idea: the old town façades, the hills and the quays seen from the Saône.
- Cruise to Île Barbe (€15, 4.8/5 from 264 reviews). One hour, same departure point as the Essentials cruise, but the route runs up the Saône to the island of Île Barbe, once a monastic site. It is the quieter, greener option. The page lists a live guide in English and French; one reviewer reports that the other passengers were French and the guide translated for them, so expect a mixed-language group.
The lunch and dinner boats
Both are 2.5 hours on the Hermès restaurant boat, with a three-course menu chosen from several options per course. Host in French and English; an audio guide in English and French is listed as included on the dinner cruise and as optional on the lunch cruise. The pages say menus vary with the season, so look at the current menu on the booking page before you choose, especially if you eat no meat. Free cancellation up to 2 days before.
- Lunch cruise (€65, 4.6/5 from 659 reviews)
- Dinner cruise (€75, 4.4/5 from 862 reviews)
Whether drinks are part of the price is not clear from the pages; check the “Includes” section before booking.
Side by side
| Boat trip | Duration | Price per person |
|---|---|---|
| Guided sightseeing cruise | 1 hour | €15 |
| Lyon Essentials cruise | 1 hour | €15 |
| Cruise to Île Barbe | 1 hour | €15 |
| Lunch cruise | 2.5 hours | €65 |
| Dinner cruise | 2.5 hours | €75 |
Who it suits
- First-time visitors with a short stay: the one-hour cruise gives you the layout of the city before you walk it.
- Anyone who cannot manage stairs or long walks: only the first cruise lists wheelchair access on its page (operator: Les Bateaux Lyonnais); for the others, ask the operators. Either way, confirm access with the operator before you book.
- A special evening: the dinner boat, if you want to sit down to a full meal. Do not book it for the commentary alone.
- Not ideal for: anyone who needs every word in English; on a mixed group the guide may switch between French and English.
Our recommendation
For most people, the guided sightseeing cruise: one hour, the most reviews of the five, listed by its operator, Les Bateaux Lyonnais, as wheelchair accessible; confirm before you book. Add a walk through the old town afterwards: see Vieux Lyon and the traboules, all the Saône river cruises and everything else under things to do in Lyon.
