Amazing experience and a great way to experience Syracuse from a completely different perspective…read more Annette was our river guide and she was delightful and very knowledgeable about the history of the area including the Erie Canal. She even sang the Erie Canal song for us! We might consider chartering the whole boat for a sunset cruise party. Way above our expectations

My husband & I took the 2 hour Three Rivers Cruise it was a perfect day for being out on the water…read more The staff is friendly & did a great job of letting us take photos. I highly recommend you give them a try.

Captain Dave was so easy to work with. He was extremely thoughtful, friendly, and helped make our…read moreengagement super special! Would recommend Ithaca Boat Tours to everyone :)

Very nice and relaxing Sunset Cruise along Cayuga Lake for a great price. We were about two minutes…read moreaway from when they were going to launch and Captain Chris called to check in if we were on our way before they left without us. Our tour guide was very sweet and made sure we were all comfortable during the two hour ride. They also have Eco tours, which we could definitely tell she was into. A smaller lake close by was closed off completely due to a deadly algae, which she then collected algae from the lake and took the sample under a microscope and invited anyone to come check it out. Her interest made it that much more personable and I enjoyed it. Not the bad algae though, obviously. She even offered to take pictures for us. The sunset was beautiful and on the way back we saw some water falls. Something to consider before booking. The difference between this sunset cruise and the Charter sunset cruise is because it is more private with 6 passengers per tour at a higher rate and starts at 6:30pm-8:30pm with daily cruises available, whereas Ithaca boat tours allows up to 24 people starting at 7:30pm-9:30pm with cruises only on Friday/Saturday. We didn't mind if there was going to be more people on board, but there were only about 8 of us on the boat that night anyway. I also like that it starts at a later time so we could relax and get a nice meal beforehand. I would recommend this tour. Don't forget it's BYOB! Have fun!

This is a must do if you're in town!! The lake is so beautiful and clear and this is the best way…read moreto be able to see all of the beauty and take it all in! The ride was $25 for adults and it includes a 1 hour narrated tour. You're able to see all of the beautiful homes on the water and hear the stories of the owners and developers of the properties. I would highly recommend this boat ride!

We did the dinner cruise and had a wonderful time. It was partially narrated so we learned a little…read moreabout the houses along Skaneateles lake but it wasn't distracting, you were still able to enjoy your company. The drinks were priced well and the food was good.

The Sam Patch Tour Boat offers various tours of the Erie Canal. One is at night, others for…read morebirders, another for kids. I took the 90 minutes tour through Lock 32, which goes through it, tours a bit, and turns around. Light refreshments including beer and wine are available. The tour guides are well informed and the staff very friendly. It's a pleasant and educational trip. Adults pay $30, with lower fees for seniors, military and kids. Very much worthwhile.

Pre-pandemic, I took my initial tour on a Sam Patch boat. It was very nice, but the leaves were not…read morein full fall color. Last October, when the Fall color was at its peak, I decided to take another canal tour. A lunch tour to lock 32. At the last minute a friend wanted to join me. I called the office, and they were able to accommodate us, but not able to get the lunch for her. We had a blast. We shared the Fairport Lunch, drank seltzer water and beer and shared the boat with a group on a surprise tour that ended on the canal tour. This trip was completely different from my previous one in the opposite direction. The experiences were different and the colors of the foliage enviable; gold, reds, oranges. The weather was perfect, partly cloudy, and then the sun broke and warmth came up and we had a sunny day Toward the end of the ride, the wind started to pick up. Along the way there were historical facts given by the crew. And we sang the famous "Low Bridge" song I was very happy, and my friend was also impressed with the trip. I highly recommend this tour.

I did a late July sunset cruise. Gorgeous on the water, super educational, and learned that salt is…read moremined from the bottom of this freshwater lake. Musical interludes break up the history.

Educational, clean and helpful! The staff was very knowledgable and welcoming; and the boat was…read moreclean & COVID-safe. And the views were breath-taking!

Set sail for True Love, a truly enjoyable time!…read more Bottom Line Up Front: We had a wonderful, relaxing, and fun time for a good price. The Good: The history of the John Alden designed schooner is worth reading before you go. We had some more "salty" members of our group that recognized the name of the schooner from the 1956 movie "High Society" starring Bing Crosby, Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra and after that we were on board for a wonderful time. We even were seated in the seats once occupied by Gene and Bing. We purchased our tickets after being approached by Terry who negotiated a decent price with us because he wanted a full boat for the next trip. Captain Bill was an experienced Captain and is well known in the area. He got us underway and was a delightful host regaling us with stories about the "True Love", Seneca Lake and surroundings, as well as, some stories about racing the "True Love" and his crew, Spencer and Marena. Captain Bill even assisted another sailing boat that was in distress and precariously close to the lake edge. The trip was two hours long and on time. The crew served non-alcoholic and adult beverages (some free, some for a price) while underway and also sold some souvenirs (Whisky and glasses). The Bad: There was nothing bad, from start to finish, this was a very enjoyable trip and the crew definitely enjoyed sharing their love of the "Trie Love" with the joyful passengers. The Ugly: Absolutely nothing other than we could not be out for longer. If you find yourself in Watkins Glen, this is definitely an enjoyable to kick back, relax, and let the wind fill your sails. They say a picture is worth 1000 words, so I am going to end my post with a few that we snapped along the way. May you have fair winds, and following lake waters!

Excellent sailing experience The crew was great and was…read morevery eager to make sure we had a great time The boat was in excellent condition

Great captain & crew members! Variety of snacks and drinks. Alcohol and non-alcoholic beverages…read more Wonderful scenic views. Very relaxing as well. It's about 1.5 hrs. long. Restrooms provided on the ship.

Had an awesome time. I hadn't been on a river cruise since I was a kid, with my dad in the 90s. At…read morethat time in Corn Hill, it was the Sam Patch Boat. Nostalgia and adventure all wrapped into one. I do plan on bringing my kids to the youth one. So excited to see this tour still going strong, years later. It is a treasure that everyone should do annually.

OMG we had such a great experience with Captain Chris and Mate Andy on the yellow-topped cycle…read moreboat. Our group of 4 booked at 80 minute tour on July 4th and it was so memorable. The boat seat up to 16 people and the also have a 6-person tiki boat you can rent. SUPER fun and definitely a great activity to do with friends or family in the summer.

Have you ever seen a picture of something (an activity, maybe) and thought, "I seriously wish we…read morehad that here?" It turns out, if you know where to look, you might be able to turn that picture into a reality. Finger Lakes Cycle Boats was that image for me. Upon learning that yes, we did have a cycle boat option in the region, I made plans to check it out, turning images into motion (literally, in the case of those pedals!) Something to take into consideration is that given the season that the boats are in operation, you may be dealing with speedway traffic. If you go to Watkins Glen in the summertime, you need to take into account that there might be a race that day and in that case, trust your GPS. We made it to the dock with seconds to spare and while it worked out okay, it might be a problem on busier days. If you're worried about not being able to pedal, don't be - the boat is motorized. Think of the seats like a spin class, you'll need to adjust to find your correct height. I ended up adjusting the seat a few times and ultimately didn't pedal as much as I thought I would. But if you have a big group and everyone pedals, you won't even need the motor. We went up the lake on a breezy night, going just under halfway through the lake and then back again. Our tour was about an hour and a half ish long, but I bet a longer tour would be seriously fun if it worked out. You can bring your own drinks and snacks and there are options for add ons for parties if you so choose. Chris and Sam, the owners, have a nice setup going and are full of fun facts about the area. FLX is full of history and it's such a nice perspective to see it from within the water. I can't wait to go on another tour when the season permits. And let's be real, this would be an amazing Yelp event waiting to happen. What do you say? See you on the water!