San Diego

Boat Tours & River Cruises

See San Diego's best sights. Learn about the city and enjoy a cruise on the bay. Depending on the option booked, this tour takes you under the Coronado Bridge, past military ships, waterfront landmarks, and marine life for a look at San Diego's scenic beauty and fascinating history. This tour’s luxury ships offer three levels with comfortable indoor and outdoor seating, 360-degree views, and an on-board snack bar serving snacks, soda, beer, wine and cocktails (available for purchase). This is a great way to experience San Diego from the water.

The three-hour Dinner Cruise combines culinary excellence – think crisp salads, braised ribs and oven roasted salmon entrees, and luscious desserts – with unforgettable scenery and ambient music.  This Nightly Dinner cruise is famous around the world and is compared to the dinner cruises in New York and in Paris. San Diego’s dinner cruise combines breathtaking city views, great food, and drinks.  Stroll the spacious decks, watch the sunset before dinner. Dinner is buffet-style with an elaborate wine list, upgrades and additions, and vegetarian option. After dinner, listen to relaxing music, as you enjoy your dessert and coffee. Photos are taken at beginning of the cruise, can be purchased at the end! You’ll be thrilled to know that your dining experience does not have cruise-style seating, you’ll have privacy at your table and not be seated with strangers.

Marvel at the amazing views of San Diego Bay as you look out for sightings of marine wildlife including dolphins, sea lions, gray whales, and more. Your tour will be led by ocean experts as you get a deeper understanding of the ocean ecosystem and the sea creatures that live in it. Discover the San Diego coast on a two-story whale watching yacht, featuring 360-degree views from the main level and upper sundeck, multiple restrooms, and free guest WiFi. You will follow the whale migration path to bring you up close for the best sighting spots, which change every day. Early in the season, whales swim closer to the coast, so the maximum distance is about 3-5 miles. On their return trip, northbound whales swim further out, up to 9-12 miles off the coast. Make sure to wear layers as it can get pretty cool on the bay and don't forget to wear your sunscreen and hat while on this excursion. Bring your camera to capture all the memories you'll make on this exciting adventure.

Splash into San Diego’s most unique sightseeing tour. See the best of San Diego on land and in the water. Take a seat on the San Diego SEAL tour, an adventure that takes you through the most interesting sights in the city before heading out into the harbor of San Diego. Your 90-minute fully-narrated tour will wind through picturesque San Diego streets before splashing into the water for a cruise of San Diego Bay. On land, you will pass the Embarcadero and San Diego International Airport. You will learn about the importance of the military in San Diego and other San Diego icons as you travel along the scenic coast. Once you splash into the Big Bay, you will glide by Navy ships, tugboats and fishing vessels throughout the harbor as you listen to stories of early sailors. Experience the history and ecological wonders of San Diego in the comfort and security of a virtually unsinkable Hydra-Terra. Driven by our experienced captains, these amphibious vehicles are specially designed and built to navigate on both sea and land. Each one is Coast Guard approved and meets all passenger vehicle and department of transportation requirements to ensure safety and comfort for all. Both tour bus and boat, the San Diego SEAL journeys through San Diego by land and sea. Our unique amphibious vehicles are Coast Guard approved, ensuring you a safe, one of a kind experience. Relax and enjoy amazing views during the best sightseeing adventure in San Diego.

Discover San Diego's Marine Protected Area, home to a variety of fish, birds, dolphins, turtles, sea-lions, and whales. With the help of an experienced guide, explore the famous Sea Caves of La Jolla and kayak inside Emerald Cave. Watch sea lions sunbathing on the rocks and swimming in the sanctuary. Marvel at the bright orange garibaldi as they stand out among the vibrant green sea grass and numerous other fish swimming around and delighting the eye. In the summer and fall months, tour groups will often see harmless leopard sharks, and you may also find grey whales in their migration during the winter. You might even see dolphins cruising alongside your kayak before you make your way back and prepare to surf your kayak back to shore.

San Diego is one of the best locations to watch whales year-round. Gray Whales migrate winter-spring from feeding grounds in Alaskan waters to calving lagoons in Baja California and back. In summer, the legendary Blue Whales, the largest animals on Earth, commonly feed off-shore of the San Diego coast. You may also spot Fin, Blue, Humpback, and Minke whales during the summer whale watching season. Additionally, you'll often see pods of Dolphins including Risso’s, Common, Pacific White-Sided, and Bottlenose Dolphins. Your captain will also highlight other wildlife such as Sea Lions, various fish like Mola Mola (Sunfish), and a variety of marine birds such as Herons, Terns, Pelicans, and Gulls.  View these extraordinary mammals in the wild on this spectacular cruise. The expert crew will help you locate these creatures and additional marine wildlife, such as dolphins and sea lions. Learn about marine life and local environmental efforts from professional captains and whalers who work at the San Diego Natural History Museum. You may even spot a whale calf traveling with its mother as they return from the Arctic. This is a fantastic and exhilarating journey for all age groups. Guaranteed whale or dolphin sighting. If you don't sight some type of whale or dolphin during the cruise, you'll be issued a pass that's good for another San Diego whale watching or harbor cruise. San Diego is quickly becoming one of the world’s best whale watching locations. The city is home to whales, dolphins, and sea birds, and features one of the world's most beautiful coastlines.  Enjoy live educational narration from captains and trained naturalists employed by the Natural History Museum.  Watch blue whales and dolphins in comfort on a large, fast, and stable boat!

Enjoy an awe-inspiring sunset as you discover the beauty of San Diego Bay with a U.S. Coast Guard-certified captain. In 3 hours, you will be able to visit the most memorable landmarks in San Diego Bay. Sail through the Maritime Museum, the Midway Museum, Downtown San Diego, and other exciting spots, or head out to the Pacific Ocean. If you're lucky, you may even see a host of wildlife along the way such as sea lions, seals, dolphins, and whales. With multiple departures daily, you'll be sure to find a tour to fit perfectly into your schedule. All beer, white wine, non-alcoholic drinks and snacks are complimentary and unlimited. Just in case it gets a bit chilly on the bay, jackets, hats, and blankets are provided. And to protect yourself from the hot California sun, sunscreen and sunglasses are also provided.

Enjoy a professionally narrated harbor boat tour of more than fifty storied landmarks on San Diego Bay. You'll cover over thirteen miles on the harbor, passing by Seaport Village, Shelter Island, ship-building and dry-docking facilities, Coronado Island, Point Loma, and Cabrillo National Monument, among many others. See delightful marine animals, including sea lions and majestic sea birds. Learn about what local environmental efforts are doing to protect them. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to capture all the sights in photos and video. The fully stocked snack bar is always open.

Sample a variety of breakfast and dinner dishes with fantastic views, and then head to the outdoor deck for fresh sea air and a narrated bay cruise. San Diego’s most popular and unique Sunday Champagne Brunch features views that change with the courses. This brunch is complete with bountiful selection of breakfast and lunch entrees, carving stations, salad and dessert bar, and free flowing champagne. Lovely light music and sightseeing completes your entertainment! You’ll be thrilled to know that Hornblower Cruises doesn’t participate in cruise style seating, you’ll have privacy at your table and not be seated with strangers! SAMPLE BUFFET MENU Accompaniments Basket of Fresh Croissants & Cinnamon Rolls with Strawberry Jam, Whipped Honey Butter and Seasonal Fruit Seasonal Salad Chef's Selection Seasonal Green Salad Entrees Seafood Selection Shrimp Cocktail w/ Lemon Wedge & Cocktail Sauce | Grilled Brown Sugar, Soy & Ginger Salmon Duet Entree (Select One Egg Course and one Carving Board Course below)  - All Entrees served with Roasted Red Creamer Potatoes with Colorful Roasted Peppers Poached Egg on Buttermilk Biscuit with Spinach Supreme and Hollandaise | Fluffy Omelet with Ham & Cheese or Spinach & Artichoke topped with Salsa Fresca  Duet Entree (Select One Egg Course above and one Carving Board Course) - All Entrees served with Roasted Red Creamer Potatoes with Colorful Roasted Peppers Carved New York Strip with Pico de Gallo | Herb Roasted Turkey Breast with Cranberry Mango Chutney Breakfast Upon Request Hickory Smoked Bacon | French Toast with Maple Syrup & fresh Berries | Chef's Selection Vegan Menu Available Dessert Dessert Trio New York Style Cheesecake | Chef's Chocolate Creation | Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce

Embark on a thrilling adventure on the San Diego bay as you zip and zoom past military ships, along the downtown skyline, and under the iconic Coronado Bridge. With rock music pumping, feel the wind and the refreshing spray of the San Diego bay as the Patriot carves 360-degree turns and reaches speeds upwards of 50 miles per hour. There's no experience like it. Enjoy gorgeous views on a 30-minute tour on an open-air jet boat. No two Patriot trips are the same, but this is not just a random joy ride through the bay. You will be taken past San Diego's most beautiful waterfront sights including: USS Midway Aircraft Carrier, North Island Naval Air Station, Coronado Bridge, Star of India and the iconic ships of the Maritime Museum, as well as the San Diego skyline. You may get wet, but ponchos are provided.