emerald bay lunch cruise

Emerald Bay Cruise

Visit Emerald Bay and the Vikingsholm

Our Private Emerald Bay Cruises are 2-hours, departing either in the morning or afternoon. Explore Lake Tahoe’s picturesque west shoreline and experience the pristine waters of Emerald Bay and Rubicon Bay. See Lake Tahoe’s most breathtaking views including Fannett Island, Eagle Falls, Rubicon Point and Sugar Pine Point.

We depart from the Tahoe Keys Marina and take guests along the beautiful west shore into Emerald Bay to view or unload and visit Lake Tahoe’s hidden castle the Vikingsholm and Fannette Island. Along the way we can drop anchor for a swim or enjoy a packed lunch, snacks and beverages. Then, we cruise through the Caribbean waters of Rubicon Bay and Meeks Bay. From there we continue back across the lake to the Marina.

We provide a cooler with ice, bottled water and sodas. Guests are welcome to bring snacks, packed lunches and beverages of their choice. Alcohol is allowed.

Moms ride free on Mother's Day (with each paying adult) Book Now!

The Tahoe Gal

Daily sightseeing and event cruises on lake tahoe.

• Most popular!

Lunch Cruise to Emerald Bay

See sites like the Ehrman Mansion at Sugar Pine Point and Vikingsholm Castle as you cruise over the crystal clear waters of Lake Tahoe to Emerald Bay.

• Tags 3.5 Hours , Daily Cruises
• Tags 1.5 Hours , Daily Cruises

Happy Hour Cruise

Enjoy a fun-packed boat cruise along the breathtaking north shore of Lake Tahoe.

Shoreline Brunch Cruise

Learn about Tahoe’s early tourism on this narrated cruise. See some of California’s most lavish properties, including the famous Kaiser Estate, home of the Godfather II.

• Tags 2.5 Hours , Daily Cruises

Sunset Dinner Cruise

Travel along the West Shore of Lake Tahoe cruising by the site of The Godfather II, as you enjoy California cuisine and a wine list of more than 30 wines!

An iconic 120 passenger paddle wheeler located in Lake Tahoe, California, The Tahoe Gal cruises daily to Emerald Bay and along the North and West Shores of Lake Tahoe.

We had the best time on the Happy Hour Cruise! The boat is charming and the views of the lake are stunning and beautiful! The staff were all incredibly friendly and accommodating from check in to the photo guy to the captain! We brought our own captain's hats to be goofy and the captain and staff got such a kick out of it that they let us get a look at the cockpit (is it a cockpit on a boat??) and pretend to drive! It was a fun, relaxing activity before going to dinner.

A group of 14 of us threw a surprise party for my wife, to celebrate an upcoming milestone birthday. The folks at the Tahoe Gal could not have been nicer! From the initial booking, they did everything with excellence. The music dinner cruise was extraordinary! The lake was calm. The views were stunning. The table for our group was perfect. The musicians were talented and even played Happy Birthday for my wife. The food was better than any restaurant (I had the prime rib ... not to be missed!). And I cannot say enough about our server, Christian. He was terrific and handled our large group with ease. Kudos, Tahoe Gal! Well done!!!

This was a perfect way to enjoy the lake. Took the Tahoe Gal over to Emerald Bay for a Sunday lunch cruise. The day was beautiful and the bay, beyond words. Enjoyed learning about the lake and the history of the area. The captain did a great job with all the information, however, the sound system could be improved. The food, albeit a bit pricey was good and the mixed drinks yum! The crew did a great job and were always smiling even though they were kept busy... Overall we loved it and would definitely do it again!!!

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Lake Tahoe Emerald Bay Lunch Cruise on the Tahoe Gal

On a chance encounter last winter, my wife and I ran into the owner of the Tahoe Gal at dinner. After striking up a friendly conversation, he generously gave us two tickets to our choice of cruises. The Tahoe Gal offers a variety of cruises from a brunch and sunset cruise, to lunch and dinner cruises. Larry, the owner, suggested we take the Sunday sunset cruise, which offers a live band on the 3 hour ride around Lake Tahoe. On any of the cruises, you can order food and drinks to create an amazing, unique lake dining experience. Here is all the information.

You can go to their website to check out their various daily and specialty cruises, view their dining menu and even take a virtual tour.

After reviewing the website, we decided to take the three hour lunch cruise to Emerald Bay.  The boat itself is two stories tall with outdoor and indoor dining on the upper floor and an indoor bar, kitchen, and dining room on the lower floor.

The lunch cruise starts in Tahoe City and takes passengers around Fannette Island in Emerald Bay, the only island on the lake.

In the early 1900s, ferries were the only mode of transportation around the lake. Visitors would take a train from San Francisco to Truckee and then board a second train from Truckee to Tahoe City. The line ended on a dock where the train unloaded the vacationers directly onto the ferry, where they were able to travel around the lake. It wasn’t until the 1930s when the first roads were built.

Some of the notable points of interest on the cruise:

• Sugar Pine Poin t. A state park which includes the 100-year-old Ehrman Mansion.
• Rubicon Point and DL Bliss State Park . Here the rock face drops over 1,500 feet into the lake.
• Fannette Island in Emerald Bay which contains a ‘Tea House’ on its top. One local legend says a ghost haunts it.
• Vikingholm Castle . Also, in Emerald Bay, It is considered to be one of the finest examples of Scandinavian architecture in America.

Overall the cruise was a great way to experience Lake Tahoe. If you are visiting, the Tahoe Gal is a relatively inexpensive way to get on the lake, have a meal, and learn about Tahoe’s history.

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• RESERVATIONS

Emerald Bay Cruise

Visit Emerald Bay and the Vikingsholm

Our Private Emerald Bay Cruises are 2-hours, departing either in the morning or afternoon. Explore Lake Tahoe’s picturesque west shoreline and experience the pristine waters of Emerald Bay and Rubicon Bay. See Lake Tahoe’s most breathtaking views including Fannett Island, Eagle Falls, Rubicon Point and Sugar Pine Point.

We depart from the Tahoe Keys Marina and take guests along the beautiful west shore into Emerald Bay to view or unload and visit Lake Tahoe’s hidden castle the Vikingsholm and Fannette Island. Along the way we can drop anchor for a swim or enjoy a packed lunch, snacks and beverages. Then, we cruise through the Caribbean waters of Rubicon Bay and Meeks Bay.

Continuing up the west shore passing by Sugar Pine Point to view the historic Pine Lodge also known as the Ehrman Mansion built in 1902. From there we continue back across the lake to the Marina.

We provide a cooler with ice, bottled water and sodas. Guests are welcome to bring snacks, packed lunches and beverages of their choice. Alcohol is allowed.

Lake Tahoe - Bleu Wave Cruises

Review Highlights

“ A few of us families went on the Lake Tahoe Cruise to Emerald Bay on Tuesday, December 6th and had THE BEST TIME! ” in 56 reviews

“ We were celebrating a 60th birthday and the Captain and crew were fabulous, accommodating, and entertaining. ” in 101 reviews

“ The captain was excellent and gave great information about what we were viewing, without yammering on and on. ” in 55 reviews

Location & Hours

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2435 Venice Dr

South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150

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Lake Tahoe Sightseeing Cruises. Emerald Bay Tours, Lunch Cruises, Sunset Cruises, Private Charters, Weddings and Special Events. …

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Would I have to pay for my 2y/o?

Good morning Tamara, We are charging full prices during this time due to limited passenger capacity for safe social distancing. However, we are not charging families with very young children such as babies and… more

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Overall rating

246 reviews

Wonderful experience. The crew was friendly, knowledgeable, funny, and courteous. The views were amazing!! Enjoyed every minute...and the music was great.

50 out of 5 stars! What a great time. The boat was really nice, there were 5 main areas. the front/bow of the boat with deck chairs to really experience the water, a really nice bar area at the water line to sip a cocktail, two indoor parlor rooms and a semi-open deck on the roof for great views. The tour was nice, the captain gave just the right amount of narration so you could learn about the history, the natural environment - you'll learn something but its not so much info that you feel like its a lecture. The staff was fantastic - really attentive, helpful, friendly and informative. Our group ranged from 3 to 73 and everyone had a good time - even the teenagers cracked smiles.

We had an excellent experience on the Bleu Wave yacht. It's family friendly and such a great way to explore the lake. We did the tour to Emerald Bay, which was absolutely beautiful. We had a nice smooth ride filled with drinks (alcoholic and nonalcoholic) and small snacks (chips, goldfish, popcorn). They also have hot cocoa too. The captain and staff were kind, excellent hosts. There are also bathrooms onboard. One important note: I think you need to pick up actual tickets at a storefront before boarding. We missed this ( and so did 16 other people) but they worked with us onsite on it.

See all photos from Lauren M. for Lake Tahoe - Bleu Wave Cruises

Great crew and tour! Highly recommend a look at these guys if you're interested in a boat tour!

View from Lake Tahoe southwest shoreline enroute to Emerald Bay

This is the second cruise we have done with them. Highly recommend! The crew is nice, funny, want everyone to have a good time. The ticket price includes a drink. They offer several different launch times (10am, 1pm, 4pm) I think they also offer a sunset cruise. The views are beautiful!

Emerald Bay

Had the best time on Lake Tahoe with Captain Augustine and his first mate. Great highlights, stories, and playlist!! Highly recommend!

Great tour! We scheduled this tour with our family of 5. We have 3 little kids. They were able to walk about and enjoy the boat and staff. The staff was amazing! Shout out to Willin! He made the best "Mop Water" drink. The staff even did a birthday shout out for my 10 year old daughter. Thank you guys for making it a memorable trip.

Incredible afternoon spent on the Bleu Wave learning about Lake Tahoe and enjoying the views and beverages. Highly recommend this comfortable boat and crew. Each guest receives two drink tickets for alcoholic beverages. Water, soft drinks and snacks are all included in price of ticket. Beautiful vessel built in the early 1960s and well maintained. Has had several owners before becoming a Lake Tahoe tourist vessel. I wish the trip would have been longer than two hours, which took us to beautiful Emerald Bay. Highly recommend.

Sebastian and Captain Auggie are the best! We had the best time with the best views!

Our sunset cruise was cancelled. Yet nobody called to tell us. There was nobody at the Marina. And nobody answered their phone. They had our number and email yet nobody reached out to us to let us know. So a whole day of vacation was wasted since they wanted us there by 2 pm. Then have the nerve to reach out and ask me to leave a review. So here it is.

28 other reviews that are not currently recommended

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Come Cruise Lake Tahoe

From daytime to sunset, Lake Tahoe Cruises offer spectacular views, fresh air and an unforgettable journey. 

Daytime Scenic Cruise

Voted the "Best Cruise in Nevada" by Nevada Magazine. Enjoy the sunshine and fresh Lake Tahoe air to Emerald Bay on our Daytime Scenic Cruise. 

Sunset Cruises

Have an unforgettable evening completed with sunsets, breathtaking views, local cuisine, cocktails and more! 

• Sipping at Sundown Cruise (not operating for 2023)

Luxurious private charters available for your group and reason for gathering together. Full-service event planning with your creativity sets the perfect event.

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Lake Tahoe's Emerald Bay Cruise on M.S. Dixie II

• 2-hour narrated sightseeing cruise of Emerald Bay
• Admire majestic views of mountains and cascading waterfalls
• Learn the history of Fannette Island and Vikingsholm Castle
• Enjoy delicious lunch, cocktails and other refreshments available for purchase

Inclusions & Exclusions

• M.S. Dixie II cruise
• Video presentation of "The Sunken Treasures of Lake Tahoe"
• Local taxes
• Gratuities (optional)
• Hotel pickup and drop-off
• Food and drinks (available to purchase)

Departure & Return

Cruise departs from Zephyr Cove, Nevada

Returns to original departure point

What To Expect

Your Lake Tahoe cruise starts at Zephyr Cove, where you'll hop aboard the M.S. Dixie II. Set off toward Emerald Bay, listening to onboard narration about the formation of the bay, considered one of Lake Tahoe's most beautiful locations. Learn about its 'little rock island,' Fanette Island, the only isle on the lake, and hear about the history of Vikingsholm Castle, a stone mansion built right on the shore. You'll have plenty of photo opportunities of the mountains, forests and beautiful shoreline during the 2-hour cruise. Also on board, watch a video presentation 'Sunken Treasures of Lake Tahoe,' which depicts what lies beneath the lake's surface. Take a visual journey 500 feet (150 km) underneath the waters of Glenbrook Bay to explore the Steamer Tahoe, a boat that operated on the lake for 50 years before she was sunk. See underwater bluffs and canyons, travel through a forest of ancient petrified trees that caused scientists to reevaluate their theories of the lake's size and evolution, and roam the bottom of Emerald Bay for a look at sea mounds. If you are on the morning cruise during the summer months, you have the option for a buffet lunch, made up of deli meats, salad, soup, cheese, bread, chili, cookies, tea, soda and water. Beverages may also be purchased from the onboard bar (own expense). Your cruise ends when you return to Zephyr Cove.

Additional Info

• Confirmation will be received at time of booking
• This tour cannot be booked or amended within 24 hours of departure
• Smoking is permitted on the 3rd deck and outside viewing areas only
• Wheelchairs are permitted on M.S. Dixie II, however there are no elevators on board servicing the 2nd level

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel At least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

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