Reviews

We did the east shore tour with Thunderbird Lodge. Amazing tour. The 2 man crew was great. Very knowledgeable about the area and the Lodge. Told us about many former residents of the houses along the shore. The tour at the lodge was wonderful and very informative. I learned a lot. We ate lunch on the grounds with amazing views all around. The sites from the boat were amazing.

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 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.

Tahoe is a beautiful boat and the 2 member crew were amazing. There were just 8 passengers on our 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!!

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.

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.

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.

We took the 5 hour tour to Thunderbird and it was awesome. Our Captain was so good with my kids and gave an interesting tour. Lunch was great in an idyllic setting. It was expensive but considering the length of the stay and the tour, we felt it was well worth it.

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.

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.

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!

I took both of their cruises. The boat is lovely. The crew, Stacey and Chris were fabulous. Both of their tours were very informative and fun. I highly recommend.

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!

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!!

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.

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.

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.