We stayed here in the yurt. We were able to take canoes, kayaks, and the paddle board. The owners…read moreare extremely friendly and always willing to be available! They have so much to choose from! Kayaking on the canal is definitely a must. You don't want to miss out!

Paddle yourself in a canoe or kayak or take a guided hot trip and Canalside offering a mix of Great…read morehistory, nature (abundant osprey, great blue herons, beavers, turtles) and quiet waterways ... An experience to remember!

Had a fabulous time on the 12:15 lunch tour with a group of friends. Annette, the owner was on…read moreboard as well as the Captain (a teacher at Soule Rd School) and an assistant. As we left the dock and headed out into the SENECA River, Annette gave us a history of the Erie ( now called "Barge") canal. Our captain contributed a few stories to make it even more interesting. As we glided down the River on our pontoon boat, we saw sea birds both at the rivers edge and in flight. As we got ready to go through the Baldwinsville lock, the lock tender gave us some info on the equipment. This is the oldest operating lock in the system. After going through the lock, we stopped and picked up lunch from a man working for the Angry Smokehouse. We had a delicious lunch on the return trip. The crew couldn't be more gracious and we had a blast. There is a bar on board the boat, which made trip even better! Check out the website for the list of tours available. The boat looks to be new and it is quite comfortable. I highly recommend this.

Such a fun experience. The employees were all super…read morefriendly. The ticket and drinks were all affordable. Highly recommend grabbing a group of friends and heading out onto the lake for a few hours. Hopefully we'll get back out there soon!

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.

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.

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.

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.

We were asked to leave because we had a 12 month old dog with us, and there were going to be 70…read morepeople on the boat. I put in special needs that I was disabled and would have a dog and was not contacted before we stood in line for 30 minutes to go on the boat. The person admitting people on the boat was very negative towards us, and we ended up going home after getting a refund.

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

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.

We booked a Mother's Day Erie Canal tour on the Riverie, leaving from the picturesque town of…read moreBrockport. The morning was clear and sunny - a perfect day to be out on the canal. I had purchased tickets ahead of time, which was very lucky as the tour did sell out. When we arrived at the (pier) the check in at the office was friendly and efficient, and we were soon boarding the boat for our tour. All of the moms on board were given a free drink, and there was a nice selection of options ranging from freshly mixed mimosas to canned cocktails and beer. Our guide was awesome - he was informative and entertaining and he sang a great rendition of the Erie Canal song. Sadly, I've forgotten his name, but I remember it began with a E. The tour itself was awesome - such a different perspective being on the canal rather than seeing it from the shore. I especially loved seeing the bridge go up and down, and i really enjoyed being able to move around the boat with access to indoor and outdoor spaces so I could have a great view. Although we didn't go through a lock (I believe the Pittsford tour actually does go through a lock), the tour was awesome and I would definitely do it again.

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!

Our family of five had an amazing experience with Finger Lakes Cycle Boats! From the moment we…read morearrived, the friendly staff, Chris and Joe, made us feel welcome and excited for our day on the water. The cycle boat was such a unique and fun way to explore the beautiful Seneca Lake.. Each member of our family had a blast pedaling together, and it felt like a true team effort! The kids loved spotting fish and ducks along the way, while my partner and I enjoyed the stunning scenery. The boats were comfortable and spacious enough for all of us, and we appreciated the safety measures in place. It was a fantastic way to disconnect from our screens and connect with each other and nature. The highlight of our trip was seeing a family of Bald Eagles. The experience was well-organized, and we felt completely at ease. Overall, we can't recommend Finger Lakes Cycle Boats enough! This outing brought us closer together and created memories we'll cherish forever. We're already planning our next visit! If you plan to be in the Finger Lakes for any Reason and are near Seneca Lake in Watkins Glen, Book with these guys!!!

Yesterday we went on the leaf peeping cruise on the colonial belle. It was the 1st time we've ever…read morebeen on it. I very much enjoyed it. The weather was beautiful as the scenery was also. This is a woman owned business who has a an all woman staff. The staff were nice nice & knowledgeable and also walked around and asked us if we'd like a drink they had alcohol on board as well as coffee, water and soda and/ or a snack The captain was also our tour guide giving us some history on the boat and the Erie Canal. We will be back again next year. I do recommend this to anyone who is into the fall season, it's something different to do.

We love the Colonial Belle. Our only complaint is the amount of spiders under neath where the…read moreseating is. We went on a dinner cruise and the spiders were everywhere. Understanding it's a boat, we would have liked it a little more clean.