RIVER & CANAL CRUISES
Reviewed, compared and ranked by the people aboard.
The 15 best sightseeing cruises for seeing a city from its water. The bridges, the waterfront landmarks and the old quarters, narrated as you drift past, in an hour or two.
See Torre del Oro and La Maestranza on a quiet 1-hour eco cruise along Seville’s Guadalquivir. Live commentary and onboard bar.
Most Popular“Loved our boat trip, lovely staff, helpful polite & informative trip on a beautiful boat!”
For about $31, cruise Dresden on the Elbe for 90 minutes, passing the Elbe palaces and the Blue Wonder bridge with audio.
“excellent knowledge of local landmarks. Great staff on board highly recommend”
1h10 Seine cruise with 360° views, smartphone audio, and must-see landmarks from Pont de l’Alma to the Eiffel Tower.
“Smooth and comfortable very informative about the history of Paris and the culture loved it”
See Liverpool’s waterfront from a classic 1950s-style Mersey Ferry, with free QR-code audio, Beatles stories, and skyline views.
“commentary was not keeping up with what we were viewing, all in all a great trip”
A 1-hour Budapest Danube night cruise with a welcome drink, 30-language audio, and great bridge-and-palace views from a glass-topped boat.
“Boat is old. Chairs are broken and dangerous. The headphone system doesn’t work in most chairs to hear the commentary and then the commentary doesn’t line up to where the boat is at in the river. Book another boat. Should have a negative score!”
Cruise the Mersey with live-style recorded commentary, Beatles tales, and big waterfront views of Albert Dock and the Three Graces.
“Commentary on the history of the Mersey River, the Albert Docks and buildings was superb, very informative. Nice smooth ride too, the weather was fantastic and the Mersey was flat 👍”
A 1.5-hour guided cruise on the St. Lawrence for views of Château Frontenac, Montmorency Falls, Île d’Orléans, plus bilingual commentary and a bar.
“We really enjoyed the river cruise with friendly staff, different views of the city & surrounding landscape and a lovely change of pace after walking around Quebec City.”
Relax on a 90-minute Tagus cruise past Lisbon’s icons, with audio guide, Wi‑Fi, and bistro snacks for about $21.
“This was absolutely perfect for me. I looked at another boat ride that would have been 2.5 hours. 1.5 hours was the perfect amount. Great boat. Beautiful weather. Highly recommend.”
A 50-minute Neckar cruise with a free drink. See Old Bridge angles, Heidelberg Castle views, and Philosophenweg from the water.
“Boat was comfortable. English translations were a nice surprise. A lot for 50 minutes.”
Ride the Paris Seine with Bateaux Parisiens: English audio commentary, iconic sights from the Eiffel Tower, and flexible departures from day to night.
“Great service. Turned up at 4.45, got on at 5, even though it was busy, queue went fast and very organised. Finished at 6, just in time to see th beautiful flashing lights on the Eiffel Tower. Great experience for my daughter’s 16th birthday.”
A 50-minute Vltava River cruise in Prague with a warm modern boat, onboard audio in 3 languages, and big views of Charles Bridge and Prague Castle.
“It was really easy to find the location and loved the boat giving a luxury cruise vibes. We took the morning session so less crowded! Am”
Prague Vltava River sightseeing cruise with open-deck views, Czech beer onboard, and a pass through the Smíchov water lock.
“Beautiful tour of this fantastic city, nice quite electric boat, so it was very peaceful.”
Guided St. Lawrence cruise from Montréal’s Old Port with bilingual commentary, outdoor decks, and a drink on happy-hour departures.
“Sarah was an excellent guide and we learned lots of information that we would not have done otherwise. The pace of the tour was just right and Sarah took us to several interesting places we had not seen before. I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone visiting Montreal for the first time.”
50-minute Neckar River cruise in Heidelberg with views of the Old Bridge and Castle, plus an included drink. Easy, family-friendly fun.
“Great, pre-recorded guide was in German, English and French, included drink was a nice touch”
90-minute Tejo River cruise from Praça do Comércio to Belem and the 25 de Abril Bridge. Clean boat, snack bar, audio guide included.
“It was calm and nice trip. But in order to use guide you need to bring headphones with you, but no one tells about it. Music was unbeatable cool, so I enjoyed views and music.”
Pick a canal city, a famous river, or the kind of cruise you want to be on.
