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.
We had it out on a perfect day with eight others on an antique large Chris-Craft boat with a cover. Nice and clean with two crewmembers, and coffee, donuts, and muffins were served to start us out. We cruised out of Zephyr Cove and paused in front of several magnificent mansions. We were given a history of the famous people who lived there including Harrah from Harrah’s Casino, Larry Ellison, and the owner of Costco. Wowza! We continued on to the Thunderbird house and had a full tour of the grounds, house, ending with a wonderful lunch served on the back terrace. We then cruised back, and drinks were served. Would highly recommend this to see the lake, some of the wonderful houses and history of Tahoe.
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!
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.
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!!
This is an excellent way to spend a portion of the day. A beautiful boat trip from Zephyr Cove to the incredible Thunderbird Lodge. Along the way you will get a narrated tour of the Lake Tahoe coastline. The Lodge is beautiful and extremely interesting. The walking tour will take you through the property and give you the history of George Whittell. We were offered a continental breakfast on the boat and a nice lunch at the lodge. Your guides are fun, interesting and informative. This is a really good tour. Highly recommended.
All I can say is “WOW!”– we booked Cruise Tahoe on a whim for our wedding and it ended up being the highlight of the entire day. They picked us up at Ski Run Marina after our church ceremony and took us to our reception area at Valhalla across the lake. We were graced with Captain Stacie and a helper (can’t remember his name!) and they were just incredible. The boat was clean, the ride was smooth, and the customer service was perfect. They understood our needs, allowed for tons of great photos and overall made it a fun and memorable experience. Chris was a pleasure to work with as well during the research and booking process. I would highly recommend this company–pictures coming soon!
We have been to Tahoe numerous times and wanted to tour Vikingholm. This year we went on the cruise and home tour. The boat is a nice wooden one which takes about 17 people on it. The size of the group adds to the experience. Our boat left from the near by Hill top resort beach/pier. Our boat Captain, Stacy, was friendly and informative. On the cruise to Vikingholm, they serve beverages, after the house tour, they serve a substantial appetizer plate. At Vikingholm, you tour the grounds with a guide who tells about the property’s history. Photos are ok, but without flash. After the tour, you reboard the boat and cruise back to your launch point. This was a very enjoyable trip that I would highly recommend. One piece of advice, it is a small boat and bobs on the water accordingly. If you are susceptible to sea sickness, take a few meclazine (ingredients in Dramamine II) to avoid getting ill.
We took the Tahoe from Zephyr Cove up to the Thunderbird Lodge. It was about 2 hours but didn’t seem like it. The boat is beautiful, and they served refreshments and danish on the way. The captain and mate were very knowledgeable about the boat and the lake.
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.