Joan Rattner Heilman
Joan Rattner Heilman, an inveterate traveler and seasoned journalist based in Mamaroneck, New York, is author of more than a dozen books. She specializes in 50-plus travel.
Planning a vacation? For a relaxing sightseeing trip in a big city, try touring the town by boat. Here are a few of the best city boat tours in the US…*
Manhattan, surrounded by water, offers more boat excursions than any other city in the country. Of course, there’s the famous Circle Line and the Staten Island Ferry, which have been cruising New York for decades, but there also are newer options…
The East River Ferry runs every 20 or 30 minutes all day long every day of the year, taking you from East 34th Street to Wall Street (or vice versa) in a half hour, giving you close-up views of Long Island City’s waterfront, the “Dumbo” section of Brooklyn and three of Manhattan’s major bridges. You stop in three places in Queens and Brooklyn on route. Hop on and off as you please.
Information: 800-53FERRY, www.EastRiverFerry.com. One-way ticket, $4…all-day pass, $12.
Classic Harbor Line’s three-hour Architecture Tours circle the island of Manhattan top to bottom aboard a handsome motor yacht. You will enjoy a running commentary by experts about the most significant historic and contemporary buildings along the East, Harlem and Hudson rivers, including such famed structures as the Woolworth Building, Gracie Mansion and the new skyscraper at 8 Spruce Street designed by Frank Gehry.
Information: 212-627-1825, www.Sail-NYC.com. $75 per person. Runs once or twice a day, two to three days a week, depending on the season (not in winter).
Free 90-minute round-trip on the M/V Sam Houston. Cruise along the Houston Ship Channel through one of the world’s busiest ports, passing international cargo ships loading and unloading their goods. Among the sights: Operations at the port’s Turning Basin Terminal where ocean-going freighters turn around.
Information: 713-670-2416, www.PortOfHouston.com. Free.
A half-hour tour of the city’s historic Buffalo Bayou on a 21-passenger pontoon boat is scheduled on the second Saturday of the month by the Buffalo Bayou Partnership, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the restoration of the area. You will glide along the bayou through the middle of downtown Houston under many bridges before heading into lush wilderness. The Partnership also offers a two-hour history tour scheduled once a month through the oldest section of Houston and again into the wilds, while a local historian discusses landmarks, the first settlers, early bridges, historic structures and other aspects of Houston’s past.
Information: 713-752-0314, www.BuffaloBayou.org. Saturday tour: Adults, $7…children ages four to 12, $5…under age four, free. History tour: $40 per person.
The Savannah riverboat has a 10-mile one-hour narrated tour operating every day of the year. Boarding the 600-passenger riverboat at the River Street landing, you sail up the Savannah River past the Historic District’s collection of 1700’s buildings. The captain relates Savannah’s history and role in the Civil War and points out the major sights such as the Waving Girl statue that commemorates the lovelorn girl waiting for the return of her lover, a Confederate soldier.
Information: 800-786-6404, www.SavannahRiverboat.com. Adults, $24.20…65+,10% off adult fare…children ages four to 12, $14.25 (fares include taxes and fees)…under age 3, free. Departures vary according to season.
The Savannah Belles Ferry, part of the area’s public transportation system, runs all year and costs nothing. Leaving from City Hall Landing, the ferry links the city with Hutchinson Island, site of the Savannah International Trade & Convention Center, and returns to Waving Girl Landing. Each segment takes 10 minutes.
Information: 912-447-4029, www.Catchacat.org. Hours: 8 am to midnight, every half hour, 7 days a week. Free.
The Chicago Architecture Foundation’s 90-minute Architecture River Cruise aboard a two-decker yacht is justifiably popular—and often requires reservations far in advance. As you chug along the banks of the Chicago River, expert volunteers relate the city’s history and interesting facts about more than 50 architecturally significant structures from the modern Trump and Willis towers to the historic Wrigley Building and Tribune Tower.
Information: 847-358-1330, www.Architecture.org. $38 per person, $35 with an advance reservation.
The Skyline Lake Tour offers a look at the city and its famous buildings from the perspective of Lake Michigan. Departing frequently from Navy Pier, a top visitor destination, the six-mile voyage heads north along the lakefront past the Gold Coast’s opulent homes, then loops south for a panorama of downtown and the famous skyline, all in 30 minutes. This company also offers an hour-long narrated Architecture Tour. Information: 312-222-9328, www.ShorelineSightseeing.com. Skyline Lake Tour: Adults $17…65+, $15…children ages 12 and under, $8. Architecture Tour: Adults, $29.50…65+, $26.50…children ages three to 12, $15.50…under three, free.
The Gateway Arch Riverboat is a replica of a 19th-century paddlewheeler. Step aboard for an hour’s look at St. Louis, whose bustling port on the Mississippi River served as the Gateway to the West for early pioneers. On the tour, the captain and a National Park Service ranger tell you about the river and its effects on the city…the Gateway Arch commemorating the western expansion…and other major landmarks, including the first bridge built across it. You also will learn about the city’s role in the Civil War and other aspects of St. Louis’s rich history. Information: 877-982-1410, www.GatewayArchRiverboats.com. Adults (ages 16 and older), $14…children ages three to 15, $8…under age three, free.
*Be sure to check for seasonal closings.
