Day Cruises in California

Explore one of California's most iconic settings from the beauty of San Francisco Bay. This hour-long, narrated Golden Gate Bay cruise journeys alongside Alcatraz and Angel Island State Park, past the shores of Sausalito and beneath the Golden Gate Bridge. You can choose to view the sights from inside your boat or out on deck.

Enjoy a relaxing outing on San Francisco Bay with a 60-minute cruise. Take in panoramic views of the city skyline, marvel at Alcatraz Island and journey beneath the Golden Gate Bridge. Choose to sit indoors or savor cool bay breezes from an outdoor deck and experience San Francisco in a whole new way from the water. You can even learn about the sights that you're seeing from a free audio tour"”available on any personal wifi-enabled device. This ticket allows you to skip the box office line and go straight to the gate.

Cruise across San Francisco Bay twice in one day on this combo tour that includes entrance to the former island prison of Alcatraz, one of those most popular - and often sold-out - attractions in the city. Start with the ferry ride to San Francisco's famous jail, which you'll explore with a self-guided audio tour. After returning from Alcatraz, take a sunset or twilight cruise (depending on time of year) on the bay with an onboard buffet of hors d'oeuvres and a glass of wine or beer.

Spend a few hours relaxing, sunbathing and sightseeing in the placid waters just off San Diego during this 1- to 2-hour San Diego Harbor cruise. Sit back and relax as you take in a fully-narrated tour, offering top-notch sight lines of the San Diego skyline, a cruise under Coronado Bridge, a look at the bustling US Naval fleet and a chance to spot some of the harbor's resident sea lions. Choose between 1- and 2-hour cruise options, offering you two trips to fit your schedule and interests.

See San Francisco's top attractions from the water on this 1.5-hour tour by rigid inflatable boat. Your guide will provide gear to keep you dry and warm as you take off from Pier 39. Pass the infamous prison of Alcatraz, Coit Tower, the Presidio and glide under the Golden Gate Bridge while your captain provides insightful narration. Numbers are limited to 12 people to keep this small-group tour as intimate as possible.

Sail along the San Diego Bay on this relaxing 1-hour cruise. While aboard, enjoy views of the city, as well as US naval vessels, the Star of India, and the Coronado Bridge. Catch sight of the Hotel del Coronado, and spot sea lions in their natural habitats. Along the 1-hour route, you can pick up a snack and drink at the snack bar (own expense), and relax as you cruise the water.

Take in the sights of Sacramento from the river on this 1-hour cruise. Snap photos of Old Sacramento's landmarks and highlights while listening to live, onboard narration. Multiple departure times available to fit your schedule.

See San Diego from a marine vantage point on this 2-hour harbor cruise, including some potential sea lion sightings. Listen to live narration from your captain and enjoy for-purchase snacks from the onboard snack bar. Multiple departure times to fit your schedule.

Learn stories behind the SF Bay Area's most notorious former federal penitentiary on a fascinating Escape from the Rock cruise. Board a boat for 90-minute journey through the bay while listening to audio recordings (available in several languages) from ex-prisoners and guards about daily life on 'The Rock.' Learn about the Birdman of Alcatraz and the infamous 1962 'Alcatraz Escape,' and come to know why Alcatraz instilled fear into the hearts of even the worst-of-the-worst criminals. Tours are accessible on any of your own wifi-enabled iPads, smartphones or other devices. This ticket allows you to skip the box office line and go straight to the gate.

Sure. You can hop on the standard ferry to Alcatraz and explore the prison with the rest of the tourists. Or you can catch a ferry over to Sausalito and see a few parts of the Bay. But this combo-tour tour combines best of both worlds. The 'Bay Voyager' is a ship that takes you closer to the sights than any other ship. Make use of complimentary wet-weather gear in case you get a little too close to Mother Nature. After your RIB Boat experience, head  over to Pier 33 to join the famous Alcatraz Prison tour and see the grounds and the notorious solitary confinement wing.*You must submit all passenger names on checkout to redeem your Alcatraz Cruise tickets

On this San Francisco bridge cruise, get an up-close look at the city's two engineering marvels "” the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge "” as you travel across San Francisco Bay. You'll see major city sights like AT&T Park, Alcatraz, Coit Tower, and the Ferry Building, and listen to recorded commentary about the city's legendary architecture while you glide under both bridges. Snacks and drinks are available for purchase.

Take a thrilling whale-watching excursion off the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Travel along the coast of Los Angeles and experience marine wildlife up close. Enjoy a glass or wine or beer, a light snack, or other beverage from the boat's galley. Sit either inside or out on our 45-passenger vessel as you search the Pacific for Gray, Humpback, and Sperm whales, sharks, seabirds, dolphins and sea lions on this memorable outing.

Take a boat tour on Lake Tahoe to soak up the alpine beauty of Emerald Bay, one of the lake's most scenic spots. As you glide across the water on the M.S. Dixie II, admire the surrounding Sierra Nevadas, and cruise past Emerald Bay's Fannete Island, the lake's only island, as well as Vikingsholm Castle, a unique home on the shore. Plus, watch a video on board about the interesting underwater features of the lake.

Travel in ultimate style from downtown Napa to San Francisco with a private, one-way river yacht charter about the Kiwi Cat, a luxurious catamaran custom built by ESPN for the America's Cup. Enjoy many deluxe amenities aboard the spacious vessel that can accommodate up to 12 as you travel downriver through scenic Napa Valley into San Francisco Bay on a 4-hour journey.