Emerald Bay Cruise on Lake Tahoe: Every Boat Compared

Zephyr Cove, Nevada

The M.S. Dixie II departs from historic Zephyr Cove, Nevada at 760 U.S. Hwy 50. Check in 30 minutes before departure. On-site parking is limited and the dinner cruise listing gives a $12 daily parking fee.

A complimentary shuttle runs from select Lake Tahoe areas when you opt in at booking. The two-level Tahoe Paradise, for 25 to 90 guests, also sails from here on wine tasting and fireworks cruises.

Tahoe Keys Marina

2435 Venice Dr E, South Lake Tahoe, is the busiest dock for Emerald Bay cruises. The Bleu Wave, the Golden Rose and Tahoe Lake Tours all leave from the marina, with free parking at the marina for Tahoe Lake Tours. Emerald Bliss departs from inside the marina, between the boat ramp and the Fresh Ketch restaurant.

BayWatch charters park at 2435 Venice Dr East and walk down the ramp to the dock box. Boat Tahoe also lists the 2435 Venice Dr E address. Note that the walk from the parking lot to the Golden Rose boat is about 300 meters.

Ski Run Marina

The Spirit of Tahoe departs from 900 Ski Run Blvd, South Lake Tahoe. Check in at the office in the Plaza at the marina. From this dock the boat crosses the lake toward the west shore.

Docks at a Glance

The table puts the three docks side by side with the boats that use them and the parking situation as each listing states it.

Choosing by Dock

Staying on the Nevada side near Stateline, Zephyr Cove on Highway 50 is the paddle-wheeler dock, and its free shuttle from select areas saves the parking. Staying in South Lake Tahoe, Tahoe Keys Marina has the widest choice of boats: the yachts, the wine boat and five private charters. All three docks lead to the same bay, so what the fare includes usually decides before the dock does.

Cruise Prices at a Glance

The table compares every cruise type by what the booking listing says it includes. Daytime sightseeing is the cheapest per person. Wine and dinner cruises cost more but food and drink come with the ticket. Private boats are priced per group, so the per-person cost depends on how many you bring.

The pick is the Bleu Wave Emerald Bay Sightseeing Cruise, rated 4.8 from 1,036 reviews, at $125 per person for 2 hours with snacks and one drink included. The cheapest per-person ticket is the M.S. Dixie II Emerald Bay Day Cruise at $105, a 2-hour narrated paddle-wheeler run from Zephyr Cove, Nevada. Food and drinks are sold on board, not included.

What Is Not in the Fare

Several costs sit outside the ticket price. The M.S. Dixie II Sunset Dinner Cruise lists parking on site for a $12 daily fee, and alcoholic drinks are extra. Tips are not included on the Bleu Wave or the Golden Rose. The BayWatch Private Emerald Bay Cruise looks cheapest per group, but a captain fee of $60 per hour is due on arrival, rising to $100 per hour on holidays.

If you would rather see Vikingsholm from land, skip the boat and drive Highway 89. Parking at Emerald Bay State Park is $10.00 per vehicle for the day or $3.00 per hour, and the Vikingsholm tour costs $18 for adults.

What Cruises Offer

No cruise in this list includes a landing at Vikingsholm. All of them view the 38-room castle from the water. One operator outside this list, Cruise Tahoe, sells a 3-hour cruise that steps ashore with castle admission included.

Seeing Vikingsholm on Land

Drive Highway 89 to the Vikingsholm parking lot. Parking costs $10.00 for the day or $3.00 per hour, by cash with exact change or card, and federal passes are not accepted. From the lot the walk down is a steep mile, and the climb back is the same mile uphill.

A less steep 1.5-mile trail reaches the castle from the Eagle Point Campground campfire center. Allow the full round trip on foot for the steep route.

The Castle Tour

Tours cost $18 for adults and $15 for students 7-17, college ID holders, active-duty military and seniors. Children 6 and under are free. A tour lasts 30 minutes.

They run every half hour from 10:30 am, 7 days a week from May 23 to September 30, first come first served, so arrive early in the day in peak summer.

Add Lower Eagle Falls

Lower Eagle Falls is about a quarter mile behind the Emerald Bay visitor center. The trail is not a loop, so you walk out and back the same way. It pairs well with a castle tour in the same visit, since both start near the Highway 89 lot.

Season

The M.S. Dixie II Emerald Bay Day Cruise sails from Zephyr Cove all year: the boat runs daytime, dinner and private cruises year-round. The Bleu Wave also departs seven days a week, year round, from Tahoe Keys Marina, and the Spirit of Tahoe runs daily year-round Emerald Bay cruises of about 2 hours from Ski Run Marina. The Golden Rose Sunset Wine Cruise is the seasonal exception, running May to October with up to 4 cruises a day.

On shore, Vikingsholm tours run 7 days a week from May 23 to September 30, so a winter visit means seeing the 38-room mansion from the water only.

Time of Day

The state park notes that afternoon winds often rise on the water, so mornings are the calmest hours for a cruise or a paddle. Sunset cruises move with the light. The Spirit of Tahoe Sunset Champagne Cruise runs 4:30-6:30 pm until October 18, then shifts to 4:00-6:00 pm as the sun sets earlier.

Weather and What to Wear

Air temperatures at the lake average a 79 F high and 43 F low in July, and a 36 F high and 16 F low in January. Lake water runs 40-50 F in February and 65-70 F in August. Even on a warm summer day the water is cold and the breeze on deck can bite, so bring a layer on any Emerald Bay cruise.

Fannette Island Closure

Fannette Island, the only island in Lake Tahoe, is closed in April and May for wildlife breeding. This changes nothing from a cruise. Boats pass the island and its stone tea house ruin all year, so the view from the deck is the same in every month.

Winter on the Road, Not the Water

Highway 89 around the bay can close after heavy snow. In January 2023 Caltrans shut it for removal after record snow and slides, one slide 50 feet tall and 300 feet long. That affects drivers and the Vikingsholm lot, not the boats, which leave from Zephyr Cove, Tahoe Keys Marina and Ski Run Marina on the south and east shores.

Boat Speed and Anchoring

Boats must go slow in Emerald Bay, and the lake-wide limit is 5 mph within 600 feet of shore. Vessels may not pass through the buoy field reserved for registered campers at the boat-in campground, which lists lakefront campsites at $35 per night with no vehicle access. Boats may anchor only in the designated anchor zone, a rule meant to protect the historic artifacts on the bay floor, where the underwater state park created in 1994 sits below.

Fannette Island Rules

Fannette Island is day use only, from sunrise to sunset. Camping and dogs are prohibited. The island can be reached only by watercraft, and swimming to it is prohibited.

It rises about 150 feet above the water, with the stone shell of the 16 by 16 foot tea house at the top.

Can You Swim at Emerald Bay?

Yes, from a private boat at anchor, with one firm rule: swimming to Fannette Island is prohibited. A private boat may anchor in the designated anchor zone, and one listing, the Tahoe Lake Tours Private Emerald Bay Cruise, reports a swimming stop in the bay. Remember the water is 65-70 F in August at best.

Kayaks

Kayak rentals at the bay run first-come, first-served from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through summer. Mornings are best because afternoon winds often rise. Hand-launched kayaks get a free inspection at any Tahoe watercraft inspection station, and all gear must be clean, drained and dry before and after launching.

Bringing Your Own Motor Boat

A single inspection for a motorized boat costs $65 for vessels up to 17 feet and $95 from 17 ft 1 in, with 7 consecutive days of sealing. The Tahoe In & Out annual sticker costs $70 or $115 on the same size split. The Tahoe Only sticker costs $50 for sealed vessels that launch only at Tahoe, Fallen Leaf or Echo Lakes.

Decontamination runs $60 simple, $100 complex and $350 with attached mussels, and arriving clean, drained and dry saves 50 percent except for the mussel fee.

The Maritime Heritage Trail

California's first maritime heritage underwater trail opened at Emerald Bay on October 1, 2018. It has four dive sites at depths of 10 to 60 feet, for certified divers who want to see the bay's sunken history up close.