The is the best deal @ Pier 39. The kiosk is located across Trish's mini donuts. I've taken visiting family and friends on this tour. $20 per person. They take you to see the Goldengate Bridge, Alcatraz, sea lions and more. Last night we did the night tour for the first time and was amazed. Captain Ryan was fun, knowledgeable and made the experience very special for us. read more

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Watching Love on the Spectrum on Netflix lead my partner and I to this place on a Sunday. It is now $20 per person. Apparently they try to avoid using the antique boat on the weekends, so we were put on a water taxi. I was pretty bummed that they only use the actual boat on weekdays. Nevertheless, it's a quick 30 minute ride to the sea lions, and WWII ship. The captain briefly talks about the Alcatraz island, but we were quite far from it so don't expect it to come close to the actual island. He was quite knowledgeable and engaged in conversations with the passengers. He also got us pretty wet with the water splashing into the boat, which was quite fun! If you get seasick easily, this might not be for you. The boat is quite small so you would end up feeling the swells a lot more than in a regular sized boat. Note: You don't wear life jackets for the entire ride, due to sanitization costs. You get to use it for FREE if somehow the boat starts to sink. Stating this on here, because I saw some people get off when they found out lifejackets weren't given out. I don't think they got reimbursed either. read more

This was a last-minute decision to take a ride on the Emerald Lady - and I am so glad we did! Chris, working the desk, was so great! Really personable and nice. Captain Michael was amazing! He had a great sense of humor and was very knowledgeable! He even let my 8yo niece steer the boat, which she loved! I highly recommend this tour. At $15 for 30 minutes in the bay waters - it is totally worth it! read more

Emerald Lady Boat Rides - Toni steering the Emerald Lady! - Boat Tours Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This was a really fun ride. Captain Ryan made the trip really funny and interesting! He was very polite and nice to everyone in the boat and even gave us all a chance to steer and drive the boat! Next time I come to San Francisco, I'm going to take this tour again and I want to bring more people along. Thanks for making my trip memorable and awesome :) read more

Emerald Lady Boat Rides - Sea Lions from the boat's view - Boat Tours Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Ryan gave us a great ride and Ray couldn't have been more patient in explaining the various options that were available. Reasonable prices and a great time. read more

My kids and I did the 30 min tour for 15$. It was so fun and the kids (9 & 7 years old) had a blast!! Probably one of the best adventures of the day. The kids got to drive the boat for a min and the captain made them laugh and feel totally comfortable. I highly recommend this adventure for anyone looking for a fun, cheap and memorable experience while in San Francisco. read more

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Everything was fantastic about this boat ride! While we were eating our Dryers ice cream, we sat down on a wooden platform just behind the booth and heard the call for the 30 min boat ride. $15 for adults and $10 for kids. We figured it was a great end for our son's 5th birthday. From the start Capitan Ryan was a terrific guide. He wasted no time getting us boarded safely and moving. With a lot of comedic flair, he kept us engaged from the time we casted off and all through the trip. The trip included a close look at the resident sea lions and a great look at SF lit up. Although we are locals, it was still fun excitement for the evening. The rocking boat and waves gave us a light thrill to end the warm night. The kids and adult Hams all got an opportunity to take a photo op with a Skippers hat steering the boat. It was a wonderful treat for my boy as Captain Ryan led a sailors birthday song in honor of his birthday! Arrrr! Totally Awesome!! read more

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One guy waited in the distance for interested tourist for a $10 boat ride with a small print out of things to see on the boat ride. The actual captain arrived after dropping off some people from previous ride. The staff is quite friendly although the ride wasn't quite what we expected. It was probably a good deal though. The boat went around the dock rather than closer to the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. Thirty minutes went by quickly as the Captain talked and steered around. We got an upclose look and sniff of the Sea Lions. The boat ride didn't make me nauseous but toward the end of the ride I did make my stomach start to feel a little uneasy. So I got off at the right time. The photos were a little misleading on the "brochure" as far as how close they were captured. I would recommend this to families and anyone who want to try out boating for the first time. Optional to wear life jackets. read more

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I just recently took some friends to Pier 39 and we took the Emerald Lady Boat Ride. This 30 min ride was fun, informative and just $10 per person. It felt like our little private ride! Since we were 10 people and the boat just about 15 people max. My kids and our friend's son had a blast, sailing the boat while wearing a captain's hat and even got the sailer's sticker !!! The ride gets is close to the sea lions, the world war boat and you will definitely get a closer view of Alcatraz. I will highly recommend it !! read more

Emerald Lady Boat Rides - Boat Tours Near Me - San Francisco, California

$15 dollars well spent! My sister and I stumbled across their boat rides as we were touring the city. The man working the desk was kind and funny, as well as the captain of the boat. I sadly cannot remember his name but he made the trip worth it. The views are nice, not that much better than on land but it's cool to be out on the water. The captain let someone in every party drive the boat and took plenty of pictures. He made sure to turn the boat so everyone could get a nice photo with the Golden Gate and SF skyline. Great activity for families, tourists, and locals. As a local myself, I enjoyed the ride and will do it again when my family comes to visit. read more

Best $15 bucks you will spend at Pier 39. A 30 minute boat ride, but you get up close to the sea lions and get to see great scenery around the bay. The Captain (whose name I am forgetting) was hilarious and entertaining. This particular Captin was bilingual for our spanish speaking guest which I found quite charming and let the kids drive the boat which was a hoot. The Captian offered to take photos for everyone and really just made the whole trip worth while. I would do it again in a heart beat. read more

The Emerald Lady! This is that nondescript "BOAT RIDES" sign next to the bungee trampoline thing, and it's probably the best deal on Pier 39 in my opinion, at least in terms of "activities." It's just $10 a person for a half-hour tour of the bay in an awesome TINY little boat that probably only holds eight or ten people, driven by a rad sea captain! It's a real change of pace from the zillions of other bay tours on giant monster ships that are totally impersonal and feel like you're on a bus. I really felt like I was IN THE BAY on the Emerald Lady boat -- i.e., it's so small that while you're sitting down you could probably stick your arm over the edge and touch the water, easy. (Though I imagine that's probably not encouraged.) The best part was that it goes around the dock where the zillions of sea lions gather, and you get a WAY better, closer view of them than you do from standing on Pier 39 itself!! SEA LION FANS UNITE! read more

We picked up one of these while visiting Pier 39 one evening. The trip at night shows you near the Pier, our towards the Bay Bridge (though not under it) and by the bay front, so you can enjoy the lights. The captain and the guy giving us the tour were fun, though it was ironic to hear him promote the "last trip" of the evening again, after we heard him do the same with us earlier. :) read more

The Emerald Lady boat was very beautiful inside and outside. Captain (Michael) was super entertaining and explained about the features seen from the boat a lot. I was so excited to see the sea lions so close and was even more excited to have steered the boat. You cannot have this experience at anywhere else, I believe. read more

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Worth the 15$ a person for the 30 min! Captain Ryan kept us informed and entertained. Kids had fun was beautiful, fun, safe tour for us and our kids! My kids are going to forever talk about driving the boat! Worth every penny! read more

Had a great time on this boat cruise that offers some of the best value in the City. For only $15 you get a great 30 minute tour of the harbor, and best part is you get to go right up by the sealions without battling the crowds. Also contrary to other reviews they DO accept Credit Cards, so don't be out off if you don't have cash. To get tickets go to the small boat ride both on fisherman's wharf, it is right by the bungee trampoline thing. This is one of my favorite things I have done it the city, and is the best way to get out on the water. read more

$10 for 30 minutes in the San Francisco Bay, what a deal! The captain was awesome. The tour was fun and covered just enough. We waited only 15 minutes to get on the 1pm boat ride on 7/6/13, and had a lovely time. Not sure why the address is "Sausalito" unless that is their base. You pick up this water taxi at Pier 39 in the Fisherman's Wharf area. read more

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So much fun. Charismatic and educational tour. Best deal you're going to find on the pier! Definitely recommended. For $15 you can't beat it. You get to see the sea lions and war ships up close; though Alcatraz and the Golden Gate only in the distance. Michael was our captain and he was excellent! You can find the ticket booth across the way from trish's mini donuts. read more

This was my third time in San Francisco on business, but my first time to get out and about. I was having lunch in Neptune's on Pier 39 when I saw this lovely little boat through the window. I looked it up on my phone and went looking for it (I love boats - I'd only been on one boat ride that day, which is not enough). It's located on Dock C, which is not the easiest to find. If you go through the 'main entrance' to the pier where all the shops and restaurants are, you'll find Dock C on the right hand side, down some steps. If you get as far as the carousel you've gone too far. The chap selling tickets ($10 for 30 minutes - great value) was really friendly. It was the end of the day and the last boat ride was about to go. As I was waiting for a friend, he offered to try to organise another ride if she didn't arrive in time. Luckily, that was not necessary, and we set off at 5.30pm. The captain we had was lovely. Informative and charming - I used my own Irish charm to convince him to let me drive the boat (his mother was Irish - he was helpless against me). This is a small boat, so if you're afraid of the boat bobbing around, then be warned - I for one loved the bobbing but it's worth knowing if you have nervous people in your party. There was a little girl on the boat who seemed to be thrilled with the trip and it was a cosy, friendly experience - something which is difficult to find around the touristy craziness of Pier 39. Loved it! read more

We took the tour with captain Ryan in early April of this year and we took the shorter 30 minute tour, it was great. Although short (we have a toddler) it was very nice and it offers some great photo opportunities. Also, we floated up decently close to the sea lions! Wonderful tour and we'll definitely go back to see them the next time we're in town. read more

Watched Americas Cup Final from this Gem of a ride. The best deal in SF. Captain was great. It was the perfect seat for the race. It was the highlight of our day. read more

Was on vacation this past NYE and decided to browse the many charter boat tours at the pier and found this company. At the time it was $15 per person Kids and adults for 30 minutes. The tour was perfect because rate is under $20 but side note, they only accept cash. It wasn't too long, just enough to see the pier, fisherman's wharf and this particular boat takes you up close to the seal lions, perfect for the kiddos. Also, if you are not a boat person, this tour is short enough so that you are not out in the water too long. But keep in mind it does depend on the weather. The waters were choppy that day but since my family and I are use to boats we didn't mind the waves. Our captain was very nice, friendly and even let the kids "steer" the boat. There is about a 15 passenger capacity perfect for a larger group. Overall I would recommend this boat tour if you want the pier 39 boat experience but on a budget and entertaining for kids. read more