Seine River Cruise Bike Tour
Couples, Friends & Solos
Seine River Cruise Bike Tour
Couples, Friends & Solos
8 days
7 nights
Activity Levels 1-3
Small Luxury Ship
2025: Sep2026: May-Jun, Sep
From $6,530 - $11,230 /person
Includes port fees
Paris Lights, the Land of Monet & Normandy's D-Day Sites
This is a new perspective. It's Monet's quiet pools. Joan of Arc's last moments. Richard the Lionheart's medieval château. An American soldier's Omaha Beach. Every turn of the Seine reveals another piece of the past, another impressionist's impression. This storied river is a river of stories. Of France's story. It's one you don't want to miss up close.
Highlights
- Explore the glittering urban playground of Paris as you start and end your cruise in the City of Light
- Journey to Honfleur, Rouen and Giverny, scenes brilliantly captured by Monet and van Gogh, among other luminary artists
- Pedal, cruise and even hike if you wish in the shadows of riverside châteaux both gilded and crumbling
- Bike among hallowed D-Day hedgerows and take a private tour of the American Military Cemetery at Omaha Beach
Start/End Paris
* Start/End locations may vary. Do not book flights until your trip details are confirmed.
Itinerary
Days 1-2
Kick off your trip riding along the leafy bike paths of the Bois de Vincennes • Lunch in a forest, yet tucked in the heart of the French capital? Pourquoi pas? • Pedal along the banks of the Seine, where your floating luxury hotel for the week awaits • Roll through rural Normandy to Les Andelys • Hike to Château Gaillard for impressive vistas of the village and Seine Valley below • The ruins of this medieval fortress beckon a visit • Meet our local friends and try their homemade Norman produce.
Nights 1-2
A custom-designed ship featuring stylish private staterooms, panoramic windows, full balconies, an onboard team of classically trained chefs and inviting areas to socialize with fellow passengers. An Andrew Harper’s Hideaway Report Readers’ Choice cruise line. (pool)
Days 3-4
Bike through the lush landscape and thatched-roof cottages of Marais Vernier • Stroll in colorful Honfleur • Delight in fresh seafood and local delicacies in this picture-perfect town • Join a local historian for a private tour of the American Military Cemetery • Bike along Omaha Beach amid World War II battlefields • On the beach of Arromanches, marvel at the submerged remnants of the Allies' artificial "Mulberry Harbor" from a village promenade lined by windswept stone cottages.
Nights 3-4
A custom-designed ship featuring stylish private staterooms, panoramic windows, full balconies, an onboard team of classically trained chefs and inviting areas to socialize with fellow passengers. An Andrew Harper’s Hideaway Report Readers’ Choice cruise line. (pool)
Days 5-6
Explore vibrant medieval Rouen on foot • On a private tour, see where Joan of Arc was sent to the stake and admire Notre Dame Cathedral, painted by Monet in the 1890s • Wonder at the Romanesque remains of Jumièges Abbey, known as the most beautiful ruin in France • Visit impressionist master Monet's home, gardens and water lily ponds at Giverny.
Nights 5-6
A custom-designed ship featuring stylish private staterooms, panoramic windows, full balconies, an onboard team of classically trained chefs and inviting areas to socialize with fellow passengers. An Andrew Harper’s Hideaway Report Readers’ Choice cruise line. (pool)
Days 7-8
A scenic ride leads you through the sweeping plains of Versailles, Louis XIV’s old hunting grounds, before reaching the Grand Parc de Versailles • Pedal along the Grand Canal and take in views of France’s most iconic château, embellished by generations of architects, sculptors and decorators • Tour Marie Antoinette’s quarters in the opulent Petit Trianon • Raise a glass to your week along the Seine with glittering views from our urban mooring in the City of Light.
Night 7
A custom-designed ship featuring stylish private staterooms, panoramic windows, full balconies, an onboard team of classically trained chefs and inviting areas to socialize with fellow passengers. An Andrew Harper’s Hideaway Report Readers’ Choice cruise line. (pool)
What's Included
See moreStraight Talk
We want to make sure you're on the trip that's right for you. Every Backroads trip is unique and this one is no exception.
The ships we sail on are like floating luxury hotels, so you can visit a new destination each day without touching your suitcase once you’ve settled in. Our ships are custom‐designed with a variety of inviting spaces that offer plenty of room for both relaxing and socializing. These ships are vastly smaller than most cruise ships, with up to just 150 passengers on our river trips and up to only 250 on our ocean trips.
We sail with up to 30 Backroads guests per group. Occasionally there may be more than one Backroads group onboard and you may cross paths with the other group on routes or at restaurants. When this occurs, each group will have their own dedicated onboard Backroads leaders.
If you’re new to Backroads active cruise trips, there are a few things you need to know. Our cruises are smaller, and much more intimate than a typical cruise. They are also quite lively, social experiences, shaped by both our Backroads group and the larger ship community. Additionally, even with an itinerary subject to fixed nautical schedules that may occasionally limit our time on shore, we get out and explore far beyond the cruise norm. If you love meeting new people, enjoy the ease of unpacking once, and don’t mind a set schedule of port departure times, you’ll love our approach to active river and ocean cruising. Nobody does it like we do.
On our active cruises, we seek out diversity by including regionally authentic and inventive meals for onshore lunches, picnics and the occasional onshore dinner. On-ship meals, though delightful, are meant to appeal to a wide cross section of passengers and may at times feel more conventional for some, and less reflective of the region than on Backroads hotel trips.
Every river has its own unique temperament and for centuries water levels have shifted due to rain, temperature and agriculture. High water levels may mean the ship cannot pass under a bridge, low water levels result in slower sailing, and a disabled lock can also lead to some extra cruising time. Should any unforeseen change happen during your river cruise, we will work closely with AmaWaterways’ captain and staff, who are very experienced in going with the flow.
In contrast to our usual land-based trips, which have similar room categories, the AmaWaterways ships offer a wide range of stateroom categories. The top-tier staterooms often fill fast, so book as early as possible if this is important to you.
Most port conditions require that ships tie up alongside each other, in which case you may need to walk through another ship to access our ship. This is a part of river cruising due to its popularity. You may experience obstructed views from your stateroom when the ship is double-docked, but as soon as we set sail again your beautiful views will be restored.
Accommodations
Small Ships, Big Adventures
Our small ships feel more like boutique retreats, offering an experience a world away from the typical large cruise.
Ship may vary based on departure. Any variations will be displayed when selecting a departure under Dates & Prices.
Nights 1-7
A custom-designed ship featuring stylish private staterooms, panoramic windows, full balconies, an onboard team of classically trained chefs and inviting areas to socialize with fellow passengers. An Andrew Harper’s Hideaway Report Readers’ Choice cruise line. (pool)
Gallery
Bikes
Choose Your Perfect Bike
Our bikes are designed and built with specific cyclists and riding styles in mind, so we can always offer you a perfect ride. Please note that bike requests are subject to availability and prioritized based on the date they're submitted.
Included in your trip price
- Ideal for avid cyclists
- Redesigned for 2024
- Next gen titanium frame with carbon wheels
- Responsive, efficient and comfortable
- Drop handlebars only
Included in your trip price
- Suited for a wide range of cyclists
- Comfortable ergonomic seat
- Long wheel base adds to the bike's control and stability
- Upright handlebars only
Included in your trip price
- One of the lightest e-bikes available
- Provides plenty of power and more than enough battery
- Lower top tubes for easier mounting and dismounting
- Upright handlebars only
- Limited availability on Unplugged Bike Tours; learn more
Min. age to ride e-bike: 16+
Review Snapshot
by PowerReviews
Reviewed by 15 customers
Best guides with a behind the scenes feel of France
Our trip with Backroads on the Seine was amazing. The guides Otis, Marion, Renna and Leo really cared about us. The rides were challenging and not ridiculously hard, the scenery spectacular, and little tips and tricks along the way were special. Backroads has it figured out!
Trip of a lifetime that I hope to experience again and again
I had heard great things about Backroads trips from two co-workers, so we decided to check it out. We picked the Seine cruise because of the timing, the trip to Omaha beach and the wide options given my husband isn't much of a biking fan. It was outstanding. Every day was different and filled with options. We had one person on our trip who didn't bike at all, but joined us when practical or when on side trips organized by the cruise line. The trip leaders were incredible and came up with fun little surprises and treats each day. We got to see incredible scenery along the Seine and through little towns and wide open fields: something different each day. We sometimes ate on the ship and sometimes locally. I love that they support local businesses and we had so much delicious food. Everything felt luxurious. We had fun and fresh air and lots of exercise and they kept feeding us every couple of hours. I highly recommend this trip. And we're already planning our next Backroads trip.
Backroads can't handle their growth.
Backroads Don't take this trip. I love the original concept of backroads but they can't handle their growth. This trip, my fourth trip, has 30 people. Too many. My last trips had half this amount. With 30 people, they have no additional vans and only one additional person for double the people. On the first day, o e guide got several of us most several times because she did not know the route. At Versailles, all four trip support people went to support 8 bike riders while 22 of us were left with a contracted guide at Versailles. The bus driver never showed to get us at Versailles to take us to the boat. We were literally stranded at Versailles with no way to get to the boat. After over an hour of waiting with no water in baking sun, I finally called an Uber at a 55 Euro loss. On the boat, our room was roasting and we were the last to be served dinner in the "backroads" area. The dining room was also hot, the service was slow and lacking. The hot tub has no water., and We have also been advised at the start that the last day of biking has been cancelled. This is not what backroads was and not what I expect. This will be my last backroads trip. I am so disappointed.
Backroads Guest Services
Thank you for sharing your recent experience, and we sincerely apologize for the challenges you faced. Your feedback is crucial, and we regret falling short of the high standards you expect from Backroads. We understand your concerns about the group size and regret the mishaps on the first day and at Versailles. Our river cruise trips take a max of 30 people, and we do increase the number of trip leaders and vans on trip to accommodate this group size. Regarding the boat experience, we are sorry for any discomfort with room temperature, dinner service, and the hot tub. Your comments will be shared with our partners at Ama Waterways for improvement. We certainly have been growing a lot recently, but we believe our growth allows us to provide a better experience for our guests overall, for example, the very existence of a new river cruise segment would not have been possible in our smaller days! We're also proud that despite our growth, our Overall Experience on post-trip surveys from our guests was higher in 2023 than any of our previous 44 years. That said, we understand your disappointment and sincerely hope you reconsider giving Backroads another chance to provide the outstanding adventures we strive for.
Another wonderful Backroads experience!
Can't say enough about our leaders, Laurent and Otis, who made our experience even better than I had hoped. Biking along the Seine, the history, exercise and all the rest made this a memorable trip. Will be looking to Backroads in the future for another adventure vacation.
Trip of a lifetime.
This trip far exceeded our expectations. Our leaders Clem and Otis absolutely made the trip the best of our lives. They were extremely knowledgeable and so much fun. I highly recommend Backroads.
Surprised and delighted!!
Wow. Wow. Wow. Our recent France Backroads Biking Cruise on AmaWaterways was the trip of a lifetime. Don't sweat it if you're only a recreational cyclist. These tours are for folks who like to exercise and enjoy exquisite meals, sites and companions. Challenging rides were there for the hardcore yet most of us enjoyed the moderate or easy rides so there's plenty of time off bike in quaint cafes and small intimate tours learning about the culture. Routes were truly quiet backroads filled with stunning views. E-Bikes are amazing. My wife is a weekend sometime biker and she can't contain her joy at biking this trip 125+ miles with ease and pleasure. Highly recommend. Worth every cent.
BACKROADS IS SIMPLY THE BEST
AFTER 6 BIKE TRIPS TUSCANY, VENICE, 2-FRANCE, IRELAND,PRAGUE VIENNA AND TRYING ALL 4 MAJOR BIKING COMPANIES I FEEL I AM UNIQUELY QUALIFIED TO SAY BACKROADS IS SIMPLY THE BEST BEST PEOPLE, BEST BIKES, BEST OVERALL PERIOD. JERRY BEDRIN
Epic experience
Beautiful biking routes Scrumptious food First class accommodations Awe inspiring stops and tours And most of all: fun and supportive biking leaders
Exploring the BackRoads way. Perfe
Just got back from a really fantastic tour in Normandy. The wonderful BR personnel oversaw all our needs outside of the cruise. Other BR guests were delightful and interesting. No issues whatsoever. AMA waterways was outstanding in every regard. Sightseeing, food, wine, cheese, galore but all at the perfect pace. Used ebikes ... great for hills but a bit more work on the flats. Tried a regular bike the last day ... great on flats but those hills get long. I'm thinking of regular bike on flatter trips but I love the ebike on hills! We are 60ish and casual bikers but felt great the hole time ... even went on a couple of the longer rides. Could have spent more time in Normandy but saw a lot.
Wonderful adventure made all the better by the BR team!
The Seine River ... Paris to Normandy and back ... wonderful lessons in French history, beautiful emersion in to the French culture and countryside. Outstanding leadership and service from a young, energetic, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic BackRoads team. I'm hooked on e-bikes and the BackRoads experience! Can't wait to schedule my next trip!!!
Dates & Prices
Dates & Prices
Click on dates for pricing, itinerary variations and to book your trip.
Note: Your stateroom will be assigned based on availability. Please contact us if you are interested in booking multiple Stateroom Categories for your party, selecting a specific stateroom, or Single Supplement pricing.
Please Select a Group Size
Group size is required to show per-person pricing. Your group size can be approximate and can change.
