The best way to get close to Lake Tahoe - if you don't own a boat - is on a Lake Tahoe cruise.
4 Reasons to Take a Lake Tahoe Cruise
- The lake is different on a Lake Tahoe cruise than it is if you drive around it or walk on the shore.
- If you stay on shore, you'll never see the lake water's color change from aquamarine to cobalt as it grows deeper beneath you.
- A Lake Tahoe cruise is an easy way to get to Emerald Bay, where the Vikingsholm castle crowns a fjord-like scene. On the bay's tiny Fannette island, Vikingsholm owner Lora Knight's abandoned tea house broods above 300-year-old, naturally-formed bonsai trees.
- On a Lake Tahoe cruise, you can best see bowl-shaped mountain terrain encircling the lake.
Lake Tahoe Cruise Practicalities
- Reserve your Lake Tahoe cruise in advance if the area is busy.
- I took my cruise on the Tahoe Queen. If you're taking it, walk to the dock or take their free shuttle. Parking at Mariner's Village just adds to your cost.
- From inside the boat's cabin, the views seem like scenes from a movie. To fully enjoy the experience, get outside and feel the wind and sun and spray.
- Wear PLENTY of sunscreen - thin air coupled with reflection from the water can burn much faster than normal.
Lake Tahoe Boat Tour Companies
- North Tahoe Cruises: Scenic Lake Tahoe cruises on the paddle-wheeler Tahoe Gal.
- Tahoe Bleu Wave: Departing from Round Hill Pine Beach, they offer Emerald Bay cruises and adults-only dinner cruises.
- Tahoe Star : Daily cruises to Lake Tahoe's Emerald Bay in the private yacht of gaming legend William Harrah.
- Woodwind Cruises: Sailing excursions from Zephyr Cove Resort or Camp Richardson Resort. They also offer classic motor yacht cruises to Thunderbird Lodge Historic Site and along the West Shore.
- Zephyr Cove Marina: Cruises to Emerald Bay on the sternwheelers M.S. Dixie II and Tahoe Queen, dinner cruises and Sunday brunches.
As is common in the travel industry, the writer was
provided with a complimentary cruise on the Dixie II for the purpose of reviewing it. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our ethics policy.
