Sailing in Seattle

If you search for sailing Seattle offers, the sailing boats I found on GetYourGuide are few: two. One is a tall schooner for a crowd, the other a private ketch for a group. I compared both, and for the whole choice of trips in the city see my guide to boat tours in Seattle. Sailing in Seattle means Puget Sound, so the skyline, ferries and mountains are the scenery. The water is open, the wind decides the speed, and both boats turn the trip into a slow, quiet alternative to a motor cruise. Neither listing is a racing or training day, so think of them as sightseeing under sail.

My pick for most people sailing in Seattle is the Seattle’s Tall Ship sunset cruise at $80, 2 hours, 4.8 from 267 reviews. I’d spend $445 on Sail Bainbridge only for a private group that wants to steer. Prices are in US dollars from the listings, checked on 17 October 2026, and the booking links are affiliate links.

Night tour

Seattle's Tall Ship

Tall Sailboat Sunset Harbor Cruise

• ★ 4.8 (267 reviews)
• 2 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: My sailing pick for most people: schooner from Pier 66, $80, 2 hours, 4.8 from 267 reviews.

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$80

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Seattle Sailing Tours

The table sets the two Seattle sailing tours side by side. Both list free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start for a full refund.

Tour	Operator	Price	Duration	Rating	Departs from	Boat
Tall sailboat sunset harbor cruise	Seattle’s Tall Ship	$80	2 hours	4.8 (267 reviews)	Pier 66, Seattle	Schooner Bay Lady
Sail Bainbridge and Seattle waters	Sail Bainbridge	$445 per private group	2 hours	5.0 (5 reviews)	Bainbridge Island	44-foot classic ketch

The Bay Lady listing describes a sunset cruise through Seattle Harbor on comfortable seats and spacious decks, with an onboard bar serving cider, beer, wine, champagne, soda and water, and snacks for sale. Included are the cruise, the captain and crew, two restrooms, food and drinks and hotel pickup and drop-off. It lists the Space Needle, Smith Tower and, on clear days, Mount Rainier’s snowy peak.

Sail Bainbridge

Sail Bainbridge Island & Seattle Waters - Classic Sailboat

• ★ 5.0 (5 reviews)
• 2 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: The private sail: $445 for the group, 44-foot ketch, USCG captain, take the wheel, 5.0 but only 5 reviews.

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Sail Bainbridge is the hands-on option. The listing says the operator has 10 years in business, a USCG licensed captain with over 5,000 miles of ocean passage experience, life jackets, coffee and tea, and the chance to take the wheel. A reviewer saw a bald eagle and seals. The rating of 5.0 comes from only 5 reviews, so it’s a thin signal. The meeting point is at Harbour Marina, 233 Parfitt Way SW on Bainbridge Island, which the listing places a 30-minute ferry ride from Seattle. The Washington State Ferries timetable decides your day, so plan the crossing first.

Sailing Tours in Seattle

What separates the sailing tours in Seattle is size. The schooner carries a public crowd and sells tickets per person, so you meet strangers and the price stays low. The ketch is yours alone: the booking is for the private group, and the listing doesn’t state a maximum, so ask the operator how many you can bring before booking a family or a party.

Neither listing is a lesson, and neither is a charter where you sail alone. Sail Bainbridge says you can learn the ropes, but it is a 2-hour experience, not a course. For a longer or more technical trip, check the operators on the Maps list, like Sailing Seattle, which I have no prices or reviews for from GetYourGuide. I’d treat those as a phone call, not a comparison.

Seattle Sailing Cruise

A Seattle sailing cruise on the tall ship has one more thing going for it: you don’t have to organize anything. Hotel pickup and drop-off are listed as included, you walk to the boat together from the Bell Harbor booth, and the bar is on board. The sailing cruise runs through Elliott Bay at golden hour, so the timing matters. Sunset on the 15th, calculated for the city’s coordinates, is about 9:10 PM in June, 8:23 PM in August, 7:23 PM in September, 6:22 PM in October, 4:34 PM in November and 4:20 PM in December, so the cruise is a daylight trip in mid-summer and a dark one in winter.

I computed these sunset times with the sunrise-sunset.org service for the America/Los_Angeles time zone, so the clock change is included. The listing doesn’t give departure times, so pick the slot on the booking page that starts about an hour before the sunset time for your date. The sunset cruise page has the full month table and the Argosy sunset boat as the cheaper alternative.

Seattle Sailboat Tours

For Seattle sailboat tours that are about the boat, not the meal, these two are the whole list in my data. The tall ship is a traditional schooner. The ketch is a 44-foot classic sailing ketch, with a captain who talks about marine wildlife, sea birds, boating history, local industry and the tribal use of these waters.

If you’re deciding between them, I’d ask three questions before you book anything in Seattle sailing. Do you want to steer? Then Sail Bainbridge. Is there a group of five or more? Then the private price becomes about $89 or less a head, which is close to the tall ship. Are you on a short city break with no car? Then the tall ship, since it leaves from Pier 66 and doesn’t need a ferry.

Seattle Boat Trips

Sailing is one of several Seattle boat trips, and not the cheapest. The Argosy harbor cruise is $43 for an hour, and the Argosy sunset cruise is $51 for 1.5 hours, both from Pier 55. If wildlife is the draw, the whale watching page compares four tours, and the dinner cruise page covers the meals on Lake Union. The sailing tours give you the quietest ride of the lot, because there is no engine noise in the listing’s description of traditional sailing.

Sailing Seattle Reviews

The review base is lopsided. Seattle’s Tall Ship has 267 reviews at 4.8, and the snippets praise the professional and kind crew, the catering on board and the informative commentary. Sail Bainbridge has 5 reviews at 5.0, and the snippets mention a magical day, a bald eagle, seals and a captain, Ben, who shared a lot about sailing and the area. One returning guest says they loved the sail so much they brought others back.

I’d weigh the two differently. The 4.8 from 267 is a sound average. The 5.0 from 5 tells me the guests were happy, not how the next group will rate it. Check the booking page for newer reviews before you pay $445.

How I’d Choose a Sailing Trip in Seattle

• Most people, one evening: the Bay Lady at $80, 2 hours, from Pier 66.
• Private group that wants to steer: Sail Bainbridge at $445, with a ferry crossing.
• Cheaper evening on the water: the Argosy sunset cruise at $51, 1.5 hours.

Whichever sailing in Seattle you pick, check the departure point, bring a warm layer and look at the forecast. Compare these two with every other trip in my guide to every Seattle boat trip I compared, or start from the Harbour Advisor home page.