Private Boat Tours of Emerald Bay and Lake Tahoe

What you get for the money

Every tour on this page is priced per group, not per person, so the cost per head drops as the seats fill. The Private Emerald Bay Boat Cruise 2 Hours Lake Tahoe Up To 12 Guest lists $487.50 per group plus a captain fee of $60 per hour paid on board ($100 per hour on holidays). Budget that fee into the total before you compare it with the boats for up to 6.

A couple booking a private boat pays more per head than on a shared Emerald Bay cruise but gets the whole vessel to themselves.

Side by side comparison

Small parties who want a short, focused Emerald Bay trip should look at the 1.5 hour Private Emerald Bay Boat Tours at $575 (per group up to 6). Larger families and friend groups get the best value from the up-to-12-guest cruise. Anyone wanting a half or full day with flexible timing should pick the Private Daytime Boat Charter for 2-6 Hours.

The route

Emerald Bay sits on the lake's west shore. It is about 1.7 miles long and roughly two-thirds of a mile wide at its widest point, and the state park around it covers 1,533 acres. Fannette Island, the only island in all of Lake Tahoe, sits in the bay. Glaciers carved the bay and the island is believed to be a granite rib the ice flowed over, according to California State Parks.

Longer charters can add stops such as Rubicon Bay, Meeks Bay, D.L. Bliss State Park and Sugar Pine Point State Park, which are destinations listed by Boat Tahoe. Expect to idle slowly through the bay, since boats must go slow in Emerald Bay and the lake-wide limit is 5 mph within 600 feet of shore. The deepest recorded depth of Lake Tahoe is 1,645 feet, and the lake is 22 miles long with 72 miles of shoreline, so a 2 hour tour can only cover a slice of it.

Charter versus renting your own boat

Renting a boat on Lake Tahoe means you or someone in your party pilots it, and rental companies on the lake price by the hour. A private charter costs more up front but includes the captain, the fuel and the local knowledge of where the water is calmest. Boat Tahoe describes its charters as better than boat rentals for exactly this reason.

The trade-off is flexibility. On a charter you follow the captain's route and the booked time slot. On a rental you set your own pace, but you also handle docking, anchoring and safety yourself on a lake that sits at around 6,225 feet at lake level.

What to do instead of a rental

Most visitors comparing a rental against a charter end up choosing the charter. For a group of up to 6, the Private Daytime Boat Charter for 2-6 Hours at $789 (per group up to 6) gives you up to 6 hours with a captain, which is more water time than most rentals are booked for. For a shorter trip, the Private Emerald Bay Boat Tours at $575 per group up to 6 covers Emerald Bay in 1.5 hours.

Getting the per person price down

Because every tour here is priced per group, filling the boat is the way to save. The up-to-12-guest cruise at $487.50 plus the captain fee is the boat for a big group. A small party might prefer the 1.5 hour Private Emerald Bay Boat Tours at $575 (per group up to 6) to keep the total down.

If even the lowest group price is above budget, shared public cruises are the fallback. Spirit of Tahoe runs daily year-round Emerald Bay cruises of about 2 hours from Ski Run Marina in South Lake Tahoe, and Tahoe Bleu Wave departs seven days a week from Tahoe Keys Marina.

Sunset alternatives to a dinner cruise

Sunset departures are the popular evening choice. The Sunset Champagne Cruise to Emerald Bay runs from Ski Run Marina in South Lake Tahoe on the Spirit of Tahoe, and the Lake Tahoe sunset cruise page compares the shared sunset boats.

If a private sunset charter appeals more than a shared cruise, ask any of the four tours on this page whether an evening departure is possible when you book.

Matching capacity to your group

Private makes sense when your party is big enough to fill a boat, when you are marking an occasion, or when you want control over the route and pace. Skip it if you are one or two people who mainly want to see Emerald Bay, because a shared cruise costs a fraction per person. Watersports fans should also compare operators carefully, since Boat Tahoe offers tubing, wakeboarding and wakesurfing charters, while not every private tour on this page lists watersports.

Departure points and what to bring

Most South Lake Tahoe charters leave from the marinas on the south shore. Tahoe Keys Marina, at 2435 Venice Drive E, is home to the Tahoe Bleu Wave. Ski Run Marina, at 900 Ski Run Blvd, is the departure point for Spirit of Tahoe.

Private trips are weather dependent, so dress in layers and bring sunscreen. On shared cruises, check-in is 30 minutes before departure, on-site parking is limited and a complimentary shuttle runs from select Lake Tahoe areas if you opt in at booking, so plan to arrive early on a private charter too. If you want to combine a boat trip with time ashore, Lower Eagle Falls is about a quarter mile behind the Emerald Bay visitor center, and the Eagle Falls Picnic Area sits about 8 miles north of South Lake Tahoe on Highway 89. For a full day on the water, the Private Daytime Boat Charter for 2-6 Hours at $789 (per group up to 6) leaves time for a swim stop between sights.