Three Operators, One Comparison
Argosy Cruises, Waterways Cruises & Events and Seattle's Tall Ship each run a different kind of trip on Seattle's water. Every detail here comes from their own listings, side by side.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
Seattle Harbor Cruise & Seattle Boat Tours
Discover Seattle from the water with a Seattle Harbor Cruise showcasing the city’s iconic skyline, bustling waterfront, Elliott Bay, and unforgettable Pacific Northwest views. Explore our handpicked Seattle Boat Tours, from classic narrated sightseeing cruises to sunset sailing and elegant dinner experiences, and find the perfect way to experience the city.
Book With Confidence
Why Book Your Seattle Cruise Here
Free Cancellation Within 24 Hours
All three cruises can be cancelled up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. Hold the date you want now and change your mind later if the forecast does.
Traveler-Rated Cruises
We feature only highly rated Seattle cruises backed by positive traveler feedback. Each experience is selected for its quality, service, atmosphere, and memorable views, helping you choose from some of the city’s most trusted ways to get out on the water.
EXPLORE SEATTLE BY WATER
Seattle Waterfront, Puget Sound & Lake Union
Discover the waterways, landmarks and views that make Seattle one of America's best cities to explore by boat.
Seattle's water is not one body but a chain of them, joined end to end. The three cruises on this site each work a different link in that chain, which is the real difference between them.
- Lake Union Fresh water in the middle of the city. Fisherman's Terminal sits at its western edge; the Dinner Cruise runs from here.
- Lake Washington Ship Canal The cut that links Lake Washington and Lake Union westward toward the sound.
- Ballard Locks The lock chamber that lifts and lowers boats between lake level and sea level.
- Puget Sound & Elliott Bay Salt water, open horizon, mountains on both sides. The Sunset Boat Tour sails out into it.
- Seattle Waterfront Piers 55 and 66 on the downtown edge of Elliott Bay — the departure points for the harbor cruise and the sunset sail.
Seattle's waterways, west to east — and where each cruise operates.
Follow the chain and the choice makes itself: the Dinner Cruise stays inland on the lakes, the Sunset Boat Tour sails out into open Puget Sound, and the Original Guided Harbor Cruise works the bay in between.
Elliott Bay Classic Harbor Views
Where the Original Guided Harbor Cruise runs its narrated hour past Harbor Island and the downtown skyline.
Ballard Locks Lake to Sound
The step between fresh water and salt water that separates the lake cruises from the open-water ones.
Puget Sound Open-Water Scenery
Where the Sunset Boat Tour sails, with the Olympic Mountains behind the sunset and Mount Rainier on clear days.
CHOOSE YOUR CRUISE
Seattle Boat Tours & Harbor Cruises
From iconic Seattle sightseeing to dinner on the water and sunset sailing, there’s a cruise for every kind of traveler. Choose the Seattle Original Guided Harbor Cruise for classic city views, enjoy an elegant evening aboard the Seattle Dinner Cruise, or catch the golden hour from the water on the Seattle Sunset Boat Tour.
BEST OVERALL
Seattle Original Guided Harbor Cruise
A narrated hour on Elliott Bay from Pier 55, past the Space Needle, Harbor Island and the downtown skyline. Running since 1949.
BEST DINNER CRUISE
Seattle Dinner Cruise
Two and a half hours on Lake Union and Lake Washington with a plated three-course dinner, a private table and a prosecco greet on boarding.
BEST SUNSET CRUISE
Seattle Sunset Boat Tour
A sunset sail on the schooner ‘Bay Lady’ from Pier 66, with an onboard bar and the chance to help raise the sails.
Before You Book
Seattle Harbor Cruise: Frequently Asked Questions
The three cruises on this site leave from three different points on the water. The Seattle Original Guided Harbor Cruise departs from Pier 55 on the Seattle Waterfront. The Seattle Sunset Boat Tour checks in at the ticket booth by the Bell Harbor Marina office on Pier 66. The Seattle Dinner Cruise boards at Fisherman's Terminal Dock 9, north-west of downtown on Lake Union. Each tour page shows its own meeting point on a map.
Parking is arranged by each operator, and only the Seattle Dinner Cruise publishes its own: eight-hour parking is available to the right as soon as you turn into the Fisherman's Terminal parking lot, plus a few spaces in front of Dock 9. Neither the Pier 55 nor the Pier 66 departure lists operator parking, so check the arrival details on your booking voucher before you travel.
Prices start at $43 per person for the Seattle Original Guided Harbor Cruise, $80 per person for the Seattle Sunset Boat Tour and $132 per person for the Seattle Dinner Cruise. Those are the operators' starting prices; the exact price for a given date and party size is shown on each cruise's booking page.
The Seattle Original Guided Harbor Cruise runs for one hour. The Seattle Dinner Cruise runs for two and a half hours on Lake Union and Lake Washington. Seattle's Tall Ship does not publish a set length for the Seattle Sunset Boat Tour, so check the departure and return times shown when you select a date.
Departure times are set by each operator and change with the season, so no fixed timetable is published here — a timetable copied once would be wrong within weeks. The booking calendar for each cruise shows every date and time that is genuinely available, and you can compare all three from the cruises section on seattle-harbor-cruise.com.
Traveler ratings suggest so: the Original Guided Harbor Cruise and the Sunset Boat Tour both hold a 4.8 rating, and the Dinner Cruise holds 4.2. Which one is worth it depends on what you want from the water — a narrated hour past the Space Needle and Harbor Island, an evening under sail as the skyline lights up, or a three-course dinner on the lakes. Compare all three side by side on Seattle Harbor Cruise, Seattle Boat Tours.
Booking ahead is worth it for the Seattle Sunset Boat Tour, which the booking platform flags as likely to sell out. All three cruises can be cancelled up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund, so booking early holds your place on the date you want without locking you in.
Seattle Looks Different From the Water
An hour on Elliott Bay, an evening under sail, or dinner on the lakes — all three run from the middle of the city and all three cancel free within 24 hours.
FROM THE DECK
What Travelers Say
See what real travelers say about Seattle Boat Tours and Harbor Cruises before you book. Read firsthand reviews from guests who joined these experiences, discover what they loved about the views, guides, service, and atmosphere, and use their feedback to choose the right Seattle cruise for you.
★★★★★
We had one free afternoon and picked the hour-long harbor cruise almost at random. It turned out to be the part of the trip everyone still talks about — you get the whole city laid out from the bay in a way no viewpoint on land gives you.
★★★★★
We booked the dinner cruise for our anniversary and spent most of it on the outside deck between courses. Take the jacket they suggest — the lakes get cool once the sun drops.
★★★★★
The sunset sail was the one I was least sure about and it ended up being my favourite. Actual sails, actual wind, and the skyline switching its lights on behind us on the way back in.
★★★★★
My father is eighty and did not want anything strenuous, so the hour out of Pier 55 was ideal. He sat inside with the commentary, we stood out on the open deck, and everyone got the trip they wanted out of the same ticket.
★★★★☆
Booked the dinner cruise on a grey evening expecting to be disappointed and the lakes were glassy the whole way. Two and a half hours goes quickly when you are not rushed between courses.
★★★★★
We did the tall ship on our last night. They handed round blankets once we were out on the sound, which tells you everything about how well they know that stretch of water. Rainier was out too.
Sailings Fill Up Through the Summer
Evening departures are the first to go, and the tall ship sunset sail is flagged as likely to sell out. Check which dates are still open.