Best Sunset Cruise Boat Tours in St Augustine, FL
Seeing towns or cities by land is a great experience, but seeing those same spots by the water is even better in my opinion. I love taking boat tours to see different views and usually get a history tour along the way. Having experienced a few of the tour options in Florida as well as others all over the world, I am excited to chat about the best sunset cruise in St Augustine, as well as the perfect options for during the day as well. There are several boat tours in St. Augustine and it’s a wonderful way to see the downtown area and the nearby waterfront.
If it’s your first visit to St. Augustine, I highly recommend planning a few days in the area. Explore the town, take a trolley ride, visit the museum and enjoy the beautiful beaches before ending your day with a sunset cruise. Check out these guides to find the best place to have the greatest overall experience for your family.
We recently moved to St Augustine, which means we have visitors to the oldest city often, and we want to show them around…we also have a lot to see for ourselves! Several boat tours are on my list for this year, and we’re continuing to check them off as we have new visitors!
A few things to keep in mind when you are looking for the right tour:
- Do you want a private tour or to join others? There are plenty of private charters as well as guided options where you will reserve seats on a tour.
- Are you looking for an informative and historical tour, are you hoping to see the sights, or is your goal to relax and spend a few hours kickin’ back?
- Are you hoping to see anything special? Nights of Lights, dolphins, the lighthouse, local wildlife, etc.
- What is the age range of your group? Will this be an opportunity for the adults to enjoy delicious wine while viewing historic landmarks or an experience for the family who may be celebratin’ a wee pirate (can you guess the theme of one of the tours?)
- Cruises may be cancelled in case of inclement weather, it’s always important to check in advance. In most cases you will recieve a full refund if a cancellation occurs.
All of the above is important to think about as you plan to book St Augustine boat tours. Also, be sure to check into the pick up location for each tour. Some will require street parking in the city, while others have free parking in a marina.
Boat Tours in St Augustine: Sunset Tours
Some of the very best sunset cruise options are in St Augustine, Florida. The views of historic downtown, the calm waters of the Intracoastal waterway, the variety of sunset cruises to choose from are benefits to this type of experience on the Foast coast.
Cruisin’ Tikis offers a unique boat tour experience where you will experience the sun set from a circular bar floating on the water.
A scenic boat tour around St. Augustine while you learn about the area and relax as the sun goes down. This is geared towards seeing the historic city and learning from the captain as he talks about St Augustine and is operated by Florida Water Tours. They have a family focused option and an option for 21+, both tours will have an onboard bar.
Sunset Adventure Boat Tour to hopefully see dolphins, include the entire family and even pets with advance notice, it is also BYOB with small coolers. This tour is operated by Red Boat Tours.
Sunset Boat Tour in St Augustine on a Cycle Boat is a fun experience with party lights and music which is perfect for a fun group. These tours are 21+ and are BOYB for just over an hour trip.
Black Raven Pirate Ship Sunset Cruise is fun pirate cruise for everyone. Whether you are looking for a fun pirate ship ride for your family or a good ol’ pirate booze cruise (but not too much booze because there are lil’ mateys around!), this 2-hour tour will be great!
Sunset Cruises with Fury Water Adventures is new to St Augustine, but experience in Florida waters as they started in Key West and has made their way to St Augustine. The sunset cruise includes live music, open bar (with soft drinks, beer, wine, margaritas and more!) and light snacks for everyone onboard a catamaran that can hold 100 guests. It’s a spacious boat with room for friends!
Boat Tours in St Augustine: Daytime Tours
Now let’s chat about daytime cruises! There is so much to see along the shores of St Augustine that it’s fun to see it all during the day as well!
- St. Augustine Dolphin & Wildlife Boat Tour
- Price: starting at $39 per person
- Duration: 90 minute boat tour
- Details: Your caption will provide historical information throughout the tour, while you look for wildlife along the shores and in the water.
- Dolphin and History cruises with Fury
- Price: $47.96 Per Guest 11+ yrs / $23.96 Per Guest 4-10 yrs
- Duration: Two hours
- Details: Where you will enjoy complimentary drinks and snacks while learning about the history of the Oldest City from expert guides.
- Historic Tour and Views
- Price: Starting at $26
- Duration: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Details: A great tour option with room for multiple larger groups where you will see views and learn about the history of St Augustine.
- Historic Matanzas Bay Cruisin’ Tikis
- Price: Starting at $65
- Duration: 90 minutes
- Details: This tour will take you on a 1.5 hour boat tour and provide in-depth knowledge of the waterways, history and thoughtful events of St Augustine.
Boat Tours: Specialty Tours
- Night of Lights boat tour
- Price: Starting at $38 per person
- Duration: 1 hour
- Details: Experience the #1 event in St. Augustine. Night of Lights is when the entire downtown area is decorated for Christmas with over a million lights! The views from the water are incredible.
- Private Tour for up to 38 people
- Price: Starting at $47 per person
- Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Details: Tailored to your requests and group desires
- Wine tasting cruise & boat tour
- Price: Starting at $49 per person
- Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Details: A tour with beautiful views, great drinks and usually- dolphins!
- Moonlit Mysteries boat ride
- Price: Starting at $29 per person
- Duration: 75 minutes
- Details: A haunted history tour
- Pirate cruises
- Price: Starting at $40
- Duration: an hour and a half
- Details: An interactive and fun for the whole family! Includes the St Augustine Treasure hunt and a show on the floating performance stage.
- St Johns River wildlife tour
- Price: Starting at $79.95
- Duration: One hour and a half
- Details: This tour isn’t in the city of St Augustine, but it’s nearby!
The most recent time we set sail was on a daytime sightseeing boat tour of St Augustine and had a great experience with the whole family! We left the marina located in the old town of St. Augustine, got up close to many historic sights, and people watched the many boats ashore on the island beaches.
- up close and personal under the Bridge of Lions
- toured around the outside of the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument
- made our way to the inlet and Vilano beach
- got a stunning view of the St Augustine lighthouse just before sunset
With an start and end point in such a great location, we were able to end our evening with dinner in old town!
A few additional tips:
- Parking can be difficult, but there is street parking right near the marina entrance.
- Be sure to go to the desk and pick up your tickets before you line up for the boat.
- There are some snacks on board but it’s always nice to bring a few if you’re traveling with kiddos
- Most tours are around 1.5 hours
Whether your goal is to find an option for private cruises for corporate parties, a family-friendly wildlife adventure, a friendly sunset cruise, or watch a pirate show on a real pirate ship, there is something for everyone in St Augustine! We can’t wait to continue exploring all of the options and learning more about this beautiful city we call home.
Do you enjoy boat tours when traveling?
