◉ The Bateaux-Mouches cruise pier

Pont de l'Alma

Standing at the Pont de l'Alma? The Bateaux-Mouches pier is right below the bridge, on the Right Bank. The Zouave statue keeps watch over the Seine from the bridge pier, and the Flame of Liberty is a two-minute walk away. Here is what to see, and what to book on the spot.

A cruise boat on the Seine in Paris
◉ A cruise on the Seine Photo: Shalev Cohen / Unsplash
BoardBateaux-Mouches below the bridge
SeeThe Zouave flood gauge
2 min awayThe Flame of Liberty
Métro / RERAlma-Marceau (9) · RER C

One bridge, two eras

The first Pont de l'Alma was built between 1854 and 1856 and opened by Napoleon III on 2 April 1856. It is named after the Battle of the Alma, a Crimean War victory in 1854. Too narrow, and an obstacle during floods, it was completely replaced between 1970 and 1974 by today's 153-metre bridge.

It links the Quai Branly on the Left Bank (7th arrondissement) to the Avenue de New-York on the Right Bank, a natural crossing between the Eiffel Tower and the Champs-Élysées.

Three things to see at the Pont de l'Alma

The Zouave, the Seine's gauge
The only survivor of the four soldiers carved for the old bridge, Georges Diebolt's Zouave is Paris's unofficial flood gauge. Feet in the water: riverside roads close. Water up to his thighs: boats stop. In 1910 the water reached his shoulders.
The Bateaux-Mouches pier
Right below the bridge at the Port de la Conférence (Right Bank, 8th). The sightseeing cruise lasts about 1h10 and passes the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame, the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay.
The Flame of Liberty
Above the tunnel, on Place Diana: a full-size replica of the Statue of Liberty's flame, which became a memorial to Princess Diana.
Good to know: buy your cruise online before you arrive. It is cheaper than at the ticket desk and you go straight to the gates.

Things to do nearby

Getting there

Address
Pont de l'Alma, 75007 / 75008 Paris Between the Quai Branly (Left Bank) and the Avenue de New-York (Right Bank). View on Google Maps ↗
Getting there
9C
Métro Alma-Marceau (line 9) on the Right Bank, RER C Pont de l'Alma on the Left Bank.
Directions
Access
Free and open at all times. Only the cruise is paid.

Source: Wikipedia (FR), Pont de l'Alma. Some links to ticket sites are affiliate links (see Transparency).

Frequently asked questions

Where do Bateaux-Mouches cruises leave from at the Pont de l'Alma?

The pier is right below the bridge on the Right Bank, at the Port de la Conférence (8th). Departures run all day, 7 days a week.

What is the Zouave of the Pont de l'Alma?

A statue of a soldier carved by Georges Diebolt, the only one kept of the four statues of the old bridge. Parisians use it to judge floods: when his feet are wet, riverside roads close; in 1910 the water reached his shoulders.

Where is the Flame of Liberty?

On Place Diana, right above the entrance of the Alma tunnel, a two-minute walk from the bridge on the Right Bank.

How long is the walk to the Eiffel Tower?

About 15 minutes along the Seine on the Left Bank, via the Quai Branly.

At the bridge? Hop on board

The Bateaux-Mouches pier is right below. One hour on the Seine to see Paris from the water, then the Eiffel Tower is a 15-minute walk away.