A beautiful boat and a fun crew to take you to a very historic location full of cool history all the way back to the early settlers of the west and gold rush. Drinks on board and a great way to see the lake.
Exploring Our Backyard: Cruising to Historic Vikingsholm Castle in Emerald Bay
In partnership with the Sierra State Parks Foundation, Cruise Tahoe is offering the Emerald Bay Cruise and Vikingsholm Castle Walking Tour. The cruise includes light appetizers and lots of Tahoe History. Available Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
We specialize in intimate events and can host up to 21 passengers. Let us help you plan your wedding, engagement, family gathering or corporate function. The Tahoe can pick up and drop off at many locations around Lake Tahoe. We will work with you to create a memorable cruise on Lake Tahoe, and we can recommend top-notch vendors for catering and photography.
The Emerald Bay Cruise & Vikingsholm Castle Walking Tour supports the Sierra State Parks Foundation which operates Vikingsholm Castle and other sites around Lake Tahoe.
Ages 6 and Up • 3 Hours
Up to 16 People!
Ages 12 and Up • 3.5 hours
Up to 16 People!
Ages 6 and Up • 2 Hours
Up to 18 People!
Ages 6 and Up • 6 hours
August 8th & 9th Only!
Visit our friends at Local Freshies and have a look at their Lake Tahoe Travel Guide. Learn how to avoid the crowds, discover hidden spots to grab a bite, and get tips on where to stay! With the local knowledge in this travel guide, they’ll make sure you’re ready!
A beautiful boat and a fun crew to take you to a very historic location full of cool history all the way back to the early settlers of the west and gold rush. Drinks on board and a great way to see the lake.
Awesome day on the water and touring Thunderbird Lodge. The staff were so informative, I learned so much history and facts about Tahoe. They seemed to love their job and the area they work. Cruise was relaxing and so great to see all of the East coast while enjoying my coffee and breakfast. It is a long tour and the website was right that comfortable shoes are a must. About an hour of walking the property with steps and an underground tunnel. Made for a great day! The lunch was homey and delicious.
On our 30th Anniversary I was treated to a trip to South Lake Tahoe as part of our Membership orientation for Diamond Resorts. The captain, mate and deckhand were all amazing. The trip in was just fantastic and the water that day was as smooth as glass, so it made handling my mimosa much easier. 😉 I really enjoyed the fantastic views you can only see from the water and traveling in an oversized paddleboat does not give you the same intimate “water level” experience as on a smaller boat. We were served a light continental breakfast that was just enough for everyone. The overall value of the trip seemed exceptional.
My husband and I have been boating and snow skiing at Lake Tahoe since we were both children. Over the years we’ve visited the many beautiful and informative sites around the lake (e.g., Vikingsholm, Tallac cottages, Hellman-Ehrman Mansion, Emigrant Trail Museum in Donner, Pope Estate, Taylor Creek Stream Profile) and recommend all of them. However, our visit to the fabulous Thunderbird Lodge this past July was a true highlight. Captain Stacey and first mate Chris took the time and care to make the couple hour ride to the mansion from Zephyr Cove a delight. The boat arrival was well-worth the extra time and money compared to arriving to the mansion by bus. The Tahoe cruised us past many beautiful properties and we learned much about the history of the east shore. I recommend bringing a jacket (even if the forecast calls for sun) and a good camera and wearing comfortable walking shoes. If you have time, read The Saga of Lake Tahoe by E.B. Scott to give you a greater appreciation for what you will see and a strong context of what you will learn while you’re on the boat ride and taking the Thunderbird tour.
My wife and I have been to Lake Tahoe many times, but we’ve never actually toured Vikingsholm Castle in Emerald Bay. Cruise Tahoe is one of the few vendors who can provide a boat trip to Emerald Bay and provide a tour of the castle by a docent. Besides that, the trip, handling about 16 people, included drinks and appetizers on this afternoon excursion. Stacy and Brad were great hosts.
We booked the excursion that included a wonderful two hour boat ride from Zephyr Cove to the Whittlel House, and Thunderbird. Our boat captain and tour guide Stacy was top notch. She knew the story of many important properties along the lake, and took the time to share them with us and answer questions too. The tour of the property was truly memorable! It was a day well spent!!
We had a wonderful captain take us on a 2 hour cruise to the Thunderbird Lodge on Tahoe’s East Shore. He was very knowledgeable of the history of that side of Lake Tahoe and made the cruise very interesting. A light continental breakfast was served on the narrated leisurely cruise.
Best tour ever! The cruise to Vikingsholm castle was amazing! They made us feel like a million dollars! Kept offering us drinks and then snacks after the tour of the castle. It was absolutely the best! We only wish we had more cash on us to leave a tip. Thank you Cruise Tahoe! You made our week!!
Several of my friends raved about this tour that my friends and I wanted to take it. We were staying in South Lake Tahoe and opted for the boat ride to the Lodge rather than driving up to Incline Village and taking a bus to the Lodge (there is no public parking at the Lodge so these are your only options). So glad that we spent the extra $$ for the boat ride. Stacy, our captain, gave us an informative talk about the sites we saw on the way and her crew, Chris, kept the guests happy with drinks and danish on the way to the Lodge. Stacy took us on a tour of the lodge explaining the history in detail. The Thunderbird boat was quite a site. We enjoyed a nice lunch outside on the grounds. I had requested a gluten free meal and they served me a very nice lunch. The ride back was equally as nice and I got to sit up front and talk with Stacy some more. She was very sweet and gave me ideas on places to dine at and other sites to see. This is a tour not to be missed if you are in South Lake Tahoe!
Tahoe is a beautiful boat and the 2 member crew were amazing. There were just 8 passengers on our cruise.