These Are The Best City Cruises In America, According To Passengers

For city-loving travelers, little is more exciting than setting out on unfamiliar concrete and exploring the lights, smells, sounds, and experiences of a new locale. If there's a waterway running through the city, one of the best ways to kick off such a journey is by getting a lay of the land with a well-informed boat cruise run by tour guides who know not just the geography but the culture and history of a place. It's a great way to learn what makes a city tick while picking up tips on things like where to find the best local cuisine and off-the-beaten-path shopping, or even which neighborhoods you might not want to head into without a resident (or two) to back you up.

To find out which city cruises represent the very best the United States has to offer, we compiled a list of major U.S. metro areas with significant waterways and then combed the internet for local cruise reviews. In doing so, we learned that the U.S. is full of excellent city cruises that offer iconic and breathtaking downtown skyline views to rival anything you could see from the shadow of a skyscraper. Charge your phone and clear out your storage because these are tours you'll definitely want to film.

Aside from the Alamo, which disappointingly does not have a basement, the biggest must-see destination in San Antonio is the scenic and iconic River Walk, the dreamy pedestrian area built along the San Antonio River that sits roughly in the same area as the 18th-century Spanish outpost upon which the city was founded. It's lined with shops, restaurants, and historic sites. And the best way to see it is by way of an adorable, Mexican pop art-inspired Go Rio barge.

Unlike some city cruises, which can be hard to book tickets for, you shouldn't have any trouble nabbing a spot aboard the Go Rio boats since the 35-minute narrated River Walk tour runs from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily with tours leaving every 15 to 20 minutes (weather permitting) from one of three boarding docks. General admission tickets are a budget-friendly $15.50 a pop — even less for seniors, military folks, locals, or kiddos. It's also a fairly intimate ride with seats for up to 20 passengers max. And there's even a Spanish-language cruise available so your sweet abuelita doesn't feel left out. You can carry your cocktails on with you, and they even offer dining and cocktail cruises available during the summer months.

The tour focuses on the area's history and architecture from its witty, personable boat captains who are usually full of insights on the best places to eat and shop along the River Walk. And it's even lovelier after dark.

If you've ever driven around Washington, D.C., you know that getting close to some of the city's many historic monuments can mean fighting it out with some pretty heavy city traffic. Even on a hop-on and hop-off sightseeing tour around town, the crowds can seriously subtract from the experience. That's why many D.C. tourists say the best — if not the only — way to check out the city's historic sites is by waterway. And one of D.C.'s highest-rated water cruises is Capitol River Cruises, a family-owned small tour business that has been showing visitors around the city from the Potomac for more than three decades.

Along with their cruise specialties like all-you-can-eat crab feasts and private charters, the tour company offers a handful of different sightseeing cruise options including magical sunset and moonlight cruises. The long list of sights on this informative narrated 45-minute tour includes the Washington Monument, the Kennedy Center, the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the U.S. Capitol Building, the Maritime Memorial, the Arlington House, the Watergate Complex, the LBJ Memorial, Roosevelt Island, Washington Harbor, and the Key and Arlington Memorial bridges.

General adult tickets cost just $25, and snacks and drinks are available for purchase. Remarking on the beauty of the monuments lighting up along his sunset cruise, one Google reviewer advised, "If you're looking for a relaxing way to finish the day in D.C., this would be a perfect way to do so."

If you're in the market for stunning unobstructed views of the Manhattan skyline presented by a guide who knows the city's history and geography inside and out, Manhattan's excellent Circle Line Cruise is your best bet. The highly rated tour line offers a range of tours to fit every itinerary. In less than an hour, you can take a cruise from the Statue of Liberty downtown or to Midtown. Longer tours run from 1.5 to 2.5 hours, with the full-island Best of NYC cruise circumnavigating Manhattan with a route that takes guests under 21 bridges including the Williamsburg, Brooklyn, George Washington, and Manhattan bridges and to all five NYC boroughs — that includes Staten Island, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens.

You'll see 130 landmarks including the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, Gracie Mansion, Yankee Stadium, High Line Park, Ellis Island, the historic South Street Seaport, and the U.N. headquarters. The cruise even gets you within 100 feet of Lady Liberty, dropping anchor at the perfect spot for incredible photos. Food, beverages, and cocktails are available for purchase on the roomy boat ride. As one Redditor advised, "I always recommend the Circle Line, there's a reason it's been going strong for nearly eighty years. ... It's even a bit of a different tour every time, as the guides have some leeway to talk about what piques their own interest."

Easily the coolest city in Texas, Austin is a hip arts and music destination brimming with eclectic world cuisine and a vibrant live music scene. It's also home to the lovely Lady Bird Lake, named in 2007 for the Texan first lady who advocated for the reservoir's beautification after a visit to London's Thames. The 416-acre reservoir glitters the backdrop of downtown Austin and is large enough to accommodate a range of watercraft including the friendly all-electric boat fleet of Capital Cruises. Starting at $14 for adults, the tour line offers laid-back sightseeing tours on which visitors can appreciate Austin's beauty just as Lady Bird intended.

The best time to go is between March and September. That's when Austin's favorite vacationers come to stay for the summer — a massive colony of around 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats who stop by the Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge on their annual migration. The bridge serves as the colony's maternity roost, and they give birth to around 750,000 adorable pups before heading back south each fall. Their emergence around sunset most nights from under the bridge in a stunning column — viewable on Capital's bat cruise — is one of the most breathtaking sights in the nation. "It was spectacular," raved one happy tourist on Facebook. "From learning about the river, to the buildings that make up the Austin skyline, to seeing and hearing all the beautiful bats. What a beautiful city."

Folks have been touring the majestic Mississippi River by paddleboat for more than 200 years, and it's still one of the best ways to check out the lights of Memphis, Tennessee. The home of the blues, the birthplace of rock 'n' roll, and Grind City depending on who you're asking — not to mention a beautiful, overlooked alternative to Nashville with fewer crowds — Memphis sits right on the Mississippi, where visitors can immerse themselves in the local culture by way of a riverboat tour on a boat designed by the Memphis Riverboats company in the image of an authentic sternwheeler.

Each of the company's boats was built by a member of the same family. Per the company's Facebook page, "Capt Jake Meanley and Capt Dale Lozier were brother and sister. Their grandfather — Tom Meanley's shipyard was right in his backyard off Shelby Drive." A fourth generation would also join the family business, with two of Lozier's grandkids getting their captain's license and a third working in drydock as a boat fabricator for the riverboat company.

The 90-minute sightseeing tour takes guests down the mighty river where they are treated to a well-informed introduction to the history of life on the Mississippi while passing through beautiful views of the city. Both indoor seating and outdoor seating are available, and guests have the opportunity to purchase snacks, drinks, cocktails, and souvenir photos along the way. Or if you want to get truly immersive, the company also offers a longer two-hour tour with Memphis-style barbecue and a killer house band.

Further along the Mississippi River is the Gateway to the West, St. Louis. The city is most recognizable for its 630-foot Gateway Arch, the United States' tallest monument. But it's also home to a fascinating skyline that includes the Wainwright Building, a 10-story 1891 Gilded Age marvel with a 17-story tower and the first example of a successful steel frame construction.

The Riverboats at the Gateway Arch company offers a fascinating way to take in the city by way of the replica 19th-century paddlewheel riverboat the Tom Sawyer — although unlike the original paddlewheel boats, the Tom Sawyer comes with a climate-controlled interior. Several different cruise opportunities are available including the National Park Service Ranger-led educational cruise and the Ag Coast of America Cruise, a one-hour tour available once a month that focuses on the freight highway system along the Mississippi River. Missouri History Museum also offers a monthly history cruise, and special tours like the Black Heritage Water Trail River Excursion Cruise also arise from time to time.

Sights on the tour include the historic Eads Bridge, the world's first steel truss bridge, which was completed in 1874 as part of a Reconstruction-era expansion of the U.S. railroad system, as well as downtown St. Louis, the Gateway Arch, and the riverfront. "The best part of the cruise is seeing the Gateway Arch from the river," wrote one Tripadvisor user, adding that it "made for a relaxing way to end the day." Cocktails and food are also available. 

All the way at the end of the Mississippi is New Orleans' Creole Queen, an incredible historic river cruise narrated by a local New Orleans historian. This cruise takes tourists through three centuries of New Orleans history. After boarding at Spanish Plaza's Poydras Street dock, the cruise sets off downriver to the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Chalmette Battlefield, the site of 1815's Battle of New Orleans, a major victory site from the War of 1812, as well as home to a house from the 1830s and the Chalmette National Cemetery. The cruise includes a battlefield tour narrated by park rangers before returning to Spanish Plaza.

Along the way, tourists learn about Hurricane Katrina, the Louisiana Purchase, the founding of New Orleans, and the origins of historic neighborhoods Marigny and Tremé. "It was an unforgettable experience, blending history, culture, and the undeniable resilience of New Orleans," shared one recent cruiser via Facebook. And for a mere $25, guests can add bottomless mimosas to their admission price. Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Or if you're more interested in checking out the Big Easy and its endlessly busy ports at night than indulging in a history lesson, check out the Creole Queen Jazz Cruise, which features an energetic jazz band and Creole cuisine.

If your Windy City tourism goals involve avoiding Chicago tourist traps in favor of more edifying attractions, the Chicago Architecture Center's River Cruise aboard First Lady — commonly called "the architecture tour" — should top your list. It comes up in just about every subreddit dedicated to Chicago tourism, and for good reason. The highly rated city cruise gives tourists a chance to check out dozens of Chicago's skyscrapers while learning about its remarkable neoclassical, art deco, and Gothic architectural marvels from the comfort of a super chill boat ride.

Every award-winning docent who hosts the First Lady cruise brings a high level of expertise to the gig. According to the CAC cruise website, every guide is an architecture historian, an architect, or an architecture student. It's so good that many locals report taking repeat turns at the tour through the years. "I am an architect and grew up in Chicago and moved away after high school," one Reddit user wrote. "Highly recommend it for architects and non-architects alike." USA Today's readers voted the tour America's Best Boat Tour in 2025.

Depending on when you book, tours range from 90 minutes to two hours long. As the First Lady cruises the Chicago River, docents cover more than 50 historic sites from skyscrapers to bridges, touching on topics like the role of the Great Chicago Fire in the formation of the city's now-iconic skyline.

Oklahoma City is much more than just a run-of-the-mill transition state city. It's a vital city in the heart of Native America known for its multiculturalism, lively streets, and a unique vibrant tunnel system full of art hidden beneath its streets. At the heart of this stereotype-defying Bible Belt city is Bricktown, an entertainment district built on the site of what was once a warehouse neighborhood. Bricktown's focal point is a mile-long canal that links the Oklahoma River to downtown OKC. And traveling down that canal by boat via Bricktown Water Taxi is the perfect way to catch a taste of the city's vibes.

At less than $14 per adult ticket, rides are very affordable, with tourists throwing around words like "delightful" and "pleasant" in online reviews. Many guests report setting out expecting little more than a leisurely boat ride only to find themselves surprised by the informed tour guides' introduction to the local landmarks, monuments, and murals lining the canal. It's also a good way to get tips on the local hot spots.

Reporting on their second trip in as many years, a tourist visiting OKC from Tucson told Tripadvisor, "The water is clean, the mood is festive, and we even saw an egret, very close to the water, eyeing us as we sailed by." Tours board every 15 to 20 minutes during the busy season and take about 40 minutes.

Argosy Cruises is a sightseeing cruise line with an outstanding selection of high-quality city cruise opportunities for folks looking to check out Seattle by boat. There's Seattle's Original Harbor Cruise, a one-hour narrated cruise around Elliott Bay that offers unparalleled views of both the Olympian and Cascade mountain ranges, Puget Sound, and the Seattle skyline complete with its iconic Space Needle. The tour looks at the city's historic role as a major U.S. shipping port and the city's architecture.

During the summer months, Argosy also offers a 1.5-hour Summer Views Cruise scheduled to coincide with golden hour — the ethereal time just after the sun dips below the horizon when the sky is ablaze with summer glory. This longer cruise adds Alki Point to the tour sites of Argosy's popular Harbor Cruise. The cruise line also offers a Locks Cruise, a scenic city cruise they say covers "over 120 years of Seattle history in 120 minutes." The cruise takes guests through the Ballard Lock and into Puget Sound and Lake Union before cruising down a freshwater canal to check out historic Seattle communities full of fishing boats, seaplanes, and floating homes.

It's the kind of cruise even a local can appreciate. "I recommend it to everyone — tourist or local," reported one Redditor who moved to Seattle in 2008. "I found it really helpful to have a better understanding of the architecture in downtown Seattle."

With more than 165 miles of canals running through the city itself and 300 in the greater area connected to the Intracoastal Waterway, it's no wonder Fort Lauderdale is considered by many to be the Venice of America. Carrie B Cruises' Venice of America Tour has been in business for more than three decades and offers a city cruise in Fort Lauderdale's largest tour boat, a 115-foot boat with good old air-conditioning. This is a must-have for any amount of time on the water in Florida heat. And there's a selection of snacks and cocktails like the "famous" Carrie B Cooler, which is three kinds of rum with fruit juice to help you stay frosty along the way. 

The professionally narrated cruise takes guests on a tour of everything that makes Fort Lauderdale what it is. If you've ever wanted a chance to check out the lifestyles of the rich and famous, this is your chance. "It's about a 2-hour tour to ogle mansions and yachts on the river and it also went right by the cruise port before it turned back," one Redditor reported. That includes a trip down to Billionaires' Row to see the mansions and super yachts of Fort Lauderdale's wealthiest. The cruise also travels to Port Everglades and gives tourists a chance to check out cruise ships in the harbor. 

If most of your Boston lore still has to do with the city's notoriously unhinged tea party, a ride on Boston Harbor City Cruises offers an excellent opportunity to expand your knowledge. The hourlong cruise gives tourists a view of the Boston skyline, traveling through Boston Harbor to check out historic sites like the Bunker Hill Monument, Boston Harbor Islands, and the USS Constitution, aka "Old Ironsides." The guide gets into local sea legends and the real story behind how the harbor became one of the nation's most pristine.

Although the boat offers outdoor viewing spaces, large windows offer a view from inside for those of us Southern folk who can't take the chill. A la carte snack options and a full cash bar are available as well. "The historic city cruise was excellent," noted one Google reviewer while praising the tour guide's ability to hold everyone's attention while regaling them with Boston's historical tea.