Boat Tours Lake Tahoe

Boat tours in Lake Tahoe mostly mean one thing: a 2-hour cruise from the South Shore to Emerald Bay, past Fannette Island and Vikingsholm castle. I compared 12 Lake Tahoe boat tours, from $105 to $789, and the cheapest is not the one I’d book first. Prices are in US dollars, checked in October 2026, and the booking links are affiliate links, as I explain on my about page.

My pick for a first Lake Tahoe boat tour is the Bleu Wave Sightseeing Cruise of Emerald Bay: $125, 2 hours, rated 4.8 from 1,032 reviews, with snacks, soft drinks and one beer, wine or champagne included. If you want a bigger boat with live music and dinner, I’d book the MS Dixie II sunset dinner cruise at $170. If you’d rather be on the lake as a group of friends, the private boats start at $665 for the whole boat.

One thing to know in mid October: many Tahoe boats are seasonal. Tahoe Tastings says its cruises run from May to October, and none of the other listings I compared gives a season in its text. I’d check the booking calendar for your dates before you plan around any of these Lake Tahoe boat tours.

Boat Tours in Lake Tahoe

The first thing I look for in Lake Tahoe boat tours in Lake Tahoe is how the trip handles the crowd. The Emerald Bay boat tour in Lake Tahoe from Bleu Wave is the biggest seller in my list, with 1,032 reviews and a 4.8 rating, and the listing says the boat has indoor and outdoor seating with 360-degree views. It crosses about 11 kilometres of open water to Emerald Bay, and the captain narrates on the way. Reviewers praise the crew and the captain, though one wondered whether it was worth the price on a windy day, so it is a good trip, not a bargain.

The other of these Lake Tahoe boat tours is the opposite in size. The Sail Tahoe Blue sailing cruise is $153 for 2 hours, rated 4.8 from 21 reviews, on a 40-foot monohull with a cap of 18 passengers. The listing includes local beer and wine, soft drinks, a licensed captain and safety equipment, and offers morning, afternoon and evening cruises. You check in next to the Riva Grill restaurant at Ski Run Marina. With only 21 reviews, I treat the rating as promising, not proven. If you get seasick on a bigger boat, I’d choose the sailboat, and if you want a toilet, a bar and a deck you can walk around, I’d choose the Bleu Wave.

Lake Tahoe Bleu Wave Cruises, LLC

Sightseeing Cruise of Emerald Bay

• ★ 4.8 (1,032 reviews)
• 2 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: My first-timer pick: $125, 2 hours to Emerald Bay, snack and a drink included, 4.8 from 1,032 reviews.

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$125

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Sail Tahoe Blue

Lake Tahoe: 2-Hour Sailing Cruise with Drinks

• ★ 4.8 (21 reviews)
• 2 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: The quiet option: a 40-foot sailboat for at most 18 guests, $153, 2 hours, beer and wine included, 4.8 from 21 reviews.

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$153

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Lake Tahoe Boat Trips

Lake Tahoe boat trips split by the time of day more than by the route, because every Lake Tahoe boat tour that goes west ends up in Emerald Bay. The two trips in this section are both evening cruises with something to drink. The Bleu Wave scenic sunset cruise is $125 for 2 hours, rated 4.7 from 379 reviews, and boards at Tahoe Keys Marina. The listing describes a classic 1966 yacht with a fireplace, a private lounge, a stateroom and a fly-bridge, plus snacks, soft drinks and one beer, glass of wine or champagne. Reviewers mention a friendly crew and a captain full of historical stories.

The second is the Aramark sunset wine tasting and appetizers cruise, $127 for 2.5 hours, on a double-decker yacht. It pours wines such as Albariño, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah with cheeses, charcuterie and smoked salmon crostini. It has only 28 reviews and a 4.3 rating, so I’d rate it lower than the Bleu Wave, even though the extra half hour is useful. I give every sunset option its own page, with the month-by-month sunset times, in my Lake Tahoe sunset cruise guide.

Lake Tahoe Bleu Wave Cruises, LLC

Lake Tahoe: Scenic Sunset Cruise with Drinks and Snacks

• ★ 4.7 (379 reviews)
• 2 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: The sunset trip I'd start with: $125, 2 hours on a 1966 yacht with a fireplace, drinks and snacks, 4.7 from 379 reviews.

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Aramark Destinations: Zephyr Cove Resort

Lake Tahoe: Sunset Wine Tasting and Appetizers Cruise

• ★ 4.3 (28 reviews)
• 2.5 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: A longer evening with food: $127, 2.5 hours, wine pairings with cheese and charcuterie, 4.3 from only 28 reviews.

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Lake Tahoe Boat Cruises

Of all the boat tours in Lake Tahoe, the one on the largest boat on the lake is a different experience from the yachts. The Daytime Scenic Cruise on the MS Dixie II is $105, the cheapest ticket in my list, for a 2.25-hour narrated trip to Emerald Bay. It leaves from Zephyr Cove, Nevada, at 760 US Highway 50, which is the Nevada side of the South Shore, and the listing includes a restroom on board, shuttle transportation and all fees and taxes. Food and drinks are extra, and you can buy them on board.

The rating is 4.5 from 426 reviews. One reviewer loved the views and the bar but wished for more staff and a better organised photographer, and another was happy to get a table. That tells me the bigger boat is busy at the busiest hours, and I’d pay for a table or arrive early if sitting down matters to you. The cancellation window is 2 days, one day longer than the Bleu Wave. From Zephyr Cove it is about 9.4 miles in a straight line to Emerald Bay State Park, using the coordinates of both places.

Aramark Destinations: Zephyr Cove Resort

Lake Tahoe: Daytime Scenic Cruise

• ★ 4.5 (426 reviews)
• 2 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: The cheapest ticket: $105 for 2.25 hours on the MS Dixie II with narration and a restroom, 4.5 from 426 reviews.

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Best Boat Tour Lake Tahoe

If you ask me for the best boat tour in Lake Tahoe for a special evening, I’d say the Dixie dinner cruise, with a caveat on the rating. It is $170, 2.5 hours, rated 4.4 from 230 reviews, and it is the only trip in my list with a four-choice dinner: cowboy ribeye, roasted chicken, broiled salmon or a mushroom ragu, all with broccolini. You choose the main at least 24 hours ahead by contacting the operator, which is easy to forget.

Soft drinks, coffee or tea, an audio guide and all fees and taxes are included. Alcohol is not, and neither is parking on site, which the listing puts at $12 a day. Reviewers mention the live music, the singer and the narration on local history, and one said the meal was good rather than great. The dinner cruise also counts as a sunset trip, so my Lake Tahoe sunset cruise page compares it with the wine boats. For a cheaper evening I’d take the Bleu Wave at $125, and for a better rated one the 5.0 Tahoe Tastings sunset boat below.

Aramark Destinations: Zephyr Cove Resort

Lake Tahoe: Sunset Dinner Cruise

• ★ 4.4 (230 reviews)
• 2.5 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: The dinner option: $170, 2.5 hours on the MS Dixie II with a choice of four mains and live music, 4.4 from 230 reviews.

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Paddle Boat Tour Lake Tahoe

People who search for a paddle boat tour in Lake Tahoe are usually after something they move themselves, and the only Lake Tahoe boat tour in my list that fits is a kayak tour. It is the Sand Harbor small-group clear kayak tour from Tahoe Paddle Sports: $139, 1.5 hours, rated 4.4 from 28 reviews. The kayak has a transparent base, so you look down at rock formations, fish and sandbars, and the listing says no experience is needed.

The price includes the kayak and paddle, a life jacket, a safety briefing, a guide, photos taken by the guide and a dry bag on request. Tours run in the morning, midday or at sunset. This is the one place on the page that is not on the South Shore: it starts at an office in Incline Village, and Sand Harbor State Park sits about 20 miles from Emerald Bay by straight line. The cancellation window is the strictest I found, 14 days, so I’d book it only when your dates are fixed. It is not a motorboat trip, and that is the point.

Tahoe Paddle Sports

Sand Harbor: Small-Group Clear Kayak Tour on Lake Tahoe

• ★ 4.4 (28 reviews)
• 1.5 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: The clear-kayak option on the North Shore: $139, 1.5 hours with a guide, 4.4 from 28 reviews; cancel 14 days ahead.

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Private Boat Tour Lake Tahoe

A private boat tour on Lake Tahoe makes sense if you are four to six people who want to choose the pace. The Lake Tahoe Boat Rides 2-hour captained trip is $665 for the boat, rated 5.0 from 52 reviews, and the listing calls 2 hours the right length for Emerald Bay, Fannette Island, the Tea House, Vikingsholm and Eagle Falls. The captain is US Coast Guard licensed. For more than 6 passengers the captain costs an extra $95 an hour, paid directly in cash or Venmo, plus an 18% tip.

You bring your own food and drinks, since the boat has a cooler with ice, a small bathroom and a Bluetooth stereo. Dogs are welcome for $30 each. The sums are simple: $665 split between six people is about $111 each, which is close to a shared Bleu Wave ticket, and with two people it is $333 each. The ticket is non-refundable, the only one in my list, so I’d watch the forecast before booking. It leaves from Tahoe Keys Marina, where you check in at Captain’s Corner Tahoe 30 minutes early.

Lake Tahoe Boat Rides

Lake Tahoe: 2-Hour Private Captain-Led Emerald Bay Boat Tour

• ★ 5.0 (52 reviews)
• 2 hours

My pick: Private boat for up to 6 guests: $665, 2 hours to Emerald Bay, licensed captain, 5.0 from 52 reviews; non-refundable.

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Lake Tahoe Boat Rides Prices

Lake Tahoe boat tour prices range from $105 to $789 across the 12 trips, and the real question is what is in the price. The Emerald Bay cruise with a full bar from Tahoe Cruises is $117, 2 hours, rated 4.8 from 116 reviews, and it is the one I’d put in the middle of the table. It departs from Ski Run Marina and the listing says a full bar and food are available to buy. Nothing alcoholic is included in the ticket. Reviewers like the yacht rock playlist and the views, and one disliked the boarding line.

This card is a leftover in my allocation, not the best match for a price section, and I’d say so plainly: it is neither the cheapest ride nor the most expensive. For the lowest cost I’d choose the MS Dixie II daytime cruise at $105, and for the lowest cost with drinks included I’d choose the Bleu Wave at $125, which includes a beer or glass of wine. Group size changes the comparison, so check the table: the private boats cost $665 and $789 for the whole boat, and the shared trips cost $105 to $170 each.

Tahoe Cruises

Emerald Bay Cruise with Full Bar

• ★ 4.8 (116 reviews)
• 2 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: A mid-priced Emerald Bay cruise: $117, 2 hours from Ski Run Marina, full bar on board to buy from, 4.8 from 116 reviews.

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Lake Tahoe Cruises

Lake Tahoe boat tours that pour wine are the group I’d take a friend on. Tahoe Tastings runs a daytime wine tasting cruise from 11 am to 1 pm on The Golden Rose, a 1953 Chris-Craft Venetian water taxi. It costs $150 for 2 hours and holds a perfect 5.0 rating from 90 reviews, the highest of any shared trip in my list. The ticket covers a sightseeing cruise to Emerald Bay and a tasting of 8 boutique wines, and soda and water are free.

The boat is small, and the listing stresses an intimate group. Food is not included, but you can bring snacks or buy a sandwich or charcuterie box from the Pirate’s Chest at Tahoe Keys Marina. The cruise starts at Tahoe Keys Marina and passes Emerald Bay, Vikingsholm and Fannette Island. The cancellation window is 2 days. I’d choose this over the Bleu Wave when you care about the hosted tasting more than the narration, and I’d skip it with children, since the point is the wine.

Tahoe Tastings

Lake Tahoe Wine Tasting Cruise on a Boat | Emerald Bay Tour

• ★ 5.0 (90 reviews)
• 2 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: The wine cruise: $150, 2 hours on a 1953 Chris-Craft, 8 wines, 5.0 from 90 reviews, small group.

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Lake Tahoe Cruises MS Dixie II

The MS Dixie II is the boat most people mean when they search Lake Tahoe cruises, and I should be straight about the card in this section, because no Dixie boat tour in Lake Tahoe from my list has a spare card. Two Dixie trips are above, the $105 daytime cruise and the $170 dinner cruise, so they sit on their own cards. The card below is a different boat: the Tahoe Tastings sunset wine cruise, which I’d pick if the Dixie feels too big for you.

It is $150, 2 hours, rated 5.0 from 83 reviews, on the same 1953 water taxi, and the listing says the season is May to October with up to 4 cruises a day, seven days a week. Tours begin at the Tahoe Keys Marina, circle Emerald Bay, go around Fannette Island and view Vikingsholm. You taste 8 wines from boutique California wineries, and you can buy bottles at the end. Because the season ends in October, a trip in the last days of the month may sell out or stop, so I’d check the calendar first. My sunset cruise page has the sunset times.

Tahoe Tastings

Lake Tahoe Sunset Wine Tasting | Golden Hour Boat Cruise

• ★ 5.0 (83 reviews)
• 2 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: Not a Dixie trip: the Golden Rose sunset wine cruise, $150, 2 hours, 8 wines, 5.0 from 83 reviews; May to October.

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$150

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Boat Ride Lake Tahoe

A boat tour in Lake Tahoe does not have to be a ticket on a shared boat. The Boat Tahoe private daytime charter is $789 for 2 to 6 hours, rated 4.8 from 33 reviews, for up to 6 people. It includes a US Coast Guard captain, fuel and watersports gear: a tube, a wakeboard and waterskis. That makes it the only trip here where you can spend an afternoon on tubing instead of sightseeing.

The listing names Emerald Bay, Vikingsholm, Fannette Island, D.L. Bliss State Park and Rubicon Bay as places to visit, and gratuity is not included. You meet at the boat in Tahoe Keys Marina, by the large flagpole with a US flag on the north side of the parking lot. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before. It is the most expensive item on the page, so it fits a group of six that wants a long day, and at about $132 each for six people it compares with the shared dinner cruise.

Boat Tahoe

2-6-Hour Private Daytime Boat Charter

• ★ 4.8 (33 reviews)
• 2 - 6 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: A long private day for up to 6: $789, 2 to 6 hours, captain, fuel and tube, wakeboard and skis included, 4.8 from 33 reviews.

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$789

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What You See on a Lake Tahoe Boat Tour

Every boat tour in Lake Tahoe I compared that goes to the west shore passes the same short list of sights, and the infographic shows the order the wine cruise lists them: South Lake Tahoe, the open lake, Emerald Bay, Vikingsholm and Fannette Island. Emerald Bay is a glacier-carved inlet, and Fannette Island is the only island in the lake, with the ruins of a stone tea house on top. Vikingsholm, a Scandinavian-style mansion built in 1929, sits at the head of the bay, and Eagle Falls drops into it from the Desolation Wilderness side.

The distances are short. Using the coordinates of the places below, Tahoe Keys Marina is about 5.8 miles in a straight line from Emerald Bay State Park, Ski Run Marina about 8 miles and Zephyr Cove about 9.4 miles. That is why the standard cruise is only 2 hours and why a 2.5-hour trip has time for dinner. Wildlife is part of the pitch: the Bleu Wave listing mentions bald eagles, black bears and wild geese, and the Tahoe Cruises listing mentions osprey and bald eagles, but I’d treat them as a bonus. For the state park’s own visitor information, the California State Parks page for Emerald Bay is the source I’d read.

Where the Boats Leave From

Most Lake Tahoe boat tours leave from three South Shore docks, and which one you pick decides your morning. Tahoe Keys Marina hosts the Bleu Wave sunset yacht, Tahoe Tastings and the two private boats. Ski Run Marina hosts the Tahoe Cruises full-bar boat and Sail Tahoe Blue. Zephyr Cove, across the state line in Nevada, is the home of the MS Dixie II. Arrive 30 minutes early on the listings that say so, and note that the Bleu Wave sightseeing cruise checks in at the Rubicon Pier.

Which Lake Tahoe Boat Trip Type Fits You

The table below groups the 12 Lake Tahoe boat tours by type, with the cheapest price in each group and the typical length from the listings. Only the sunset trips have their own page, so I link that one.

Trip type	Price from	Typical duration	Best for
Daytime Emerald Bay cruise	$105	2 to 2.25 hours	First-timers who want the standard sightseeing trip
Sunset cruise	$125	2 to 2.5 hours	Couples and anyone after golden-hour light
Wine tasting cruise	$150	2 hours	Adults who want a small boat and a hosted tasting
Dinner cruise	$170	2.5 hours	A celebration with a set meal and live music
Sailing cruise	$153	2 hours	A quiet boat for up to 18 guests
Clear kayak tour	$139	1.5 hours	Active travellers on the North Shore
Private captained boat	$665 per boat	2 to 6 hours	Groups of up to 6 who want to set the route

How I’d Choose a Lake Tahoe Boat Tour

Here is how I’d pick a boat tour in Lake Tahoe from this comparison, in order of the questions I’d ask.

• First time on the lake, any budget: the Bleu Wave Emerald Bay cruise at $125, rated 4.8 from 1,032 reviews.
• Lowest price: the MS Dixie II daytime cruise at $105.
• Couples at sunset: the Tahoe Tastings sunset wine cruise at $150, rated 5.0, or the Bleu Wave sunset yacht at $125.
• A big dinner: the MS Dixie II dinner cruise at $170.
• No engine noise: the Sail Tahoe Blue sailing cruise at $153.
• Groups of 4 to 6: a private boat, from $665 for 2 hours.
• North Shore and active: the Sand Harbor clear kayak tour at $139.

In mid October I’d also confirm the season and the cancellation window before I paid, because the boat tours in Lake Tahoe that run to October may not run into November. Check the departure times in the booking calendar, since the listings do not give a fixed schedule.