Hilton Head Boat Tours and Island Cruises
Every way to ride along on the water here: dolphin tours, sunset and dinner cruises, skiffs, sails and Daufuskie runs.
Kinds of Boat Tour
Hilton Head dolphin tours and cruises compared: shared boats from about $40, private boats, drive-your-own tours and kids' pirate cruises, with prices.
Hilton Head sunset cruises and sunset dolphin cruises: shared boats, private sails for up to six, sunset times by season and summer Tuesday fireworks.
Every Hilton Head dinner cruise: the Harbour Town sunset dinner cruise, hibachi and Lowcountry boil boats, dinner on Daufuskie, and fireworks nights.
Hilton Head boat charters compared: yacht charters, private sailboats and six-seat boats, with prices, group sizes and the marina each one leaves from.
Book a Hilton Head Boat Tour
Sightseeing cruises, ferries and tours with live availability. Booking opens here on HHI.com, with the operator’s own booking system.
Booked through FareHarbor, the island operators’ own booking system. HHI.com may earn a commission.
Hilton Head Boat Tour Companies
Vagabond Cruise runs sightseeing boats off the Harbour Town dock in Sea Pines: dolphin trips, sunset dinners, the Daufuskie ferry and a Savannah day trip.
Bluewater Adventure at Shelter Cove: guided two-hour tours where you drive your own two-seat catamaran, $135 for adults, plus sunset and fireworks tours.
Guided tours where you drive your own skiff through the creeks, from Broad Creek Marina.
Island Head on Hilton Head: pontoon boat rentals, parasailing, water skiing, kayak tours, hibachi dinner cruises and the Daufuskie ferry, from two marinas.
HHI Boat Charters at Hilton Head Harbor: private dolphin, sunset, sandbar and party cruises on three boats for 6, 10 or 20 guests. Bring your own drinks.
Outside Hilton Head at Shelter Cove Harbour: kayak and paddleboard rentals, guided kayak tours, dolphin tours, fishing and pontoon rentals, how to book.
Dolphin cruises where children meet a mermaid, plus private sunset charters, from Broad Creek Marina.
Hilton Head Sport Fishing at Shelter Cove Marina: private inshore and offshore charters on four boats, 3 to 10 hours, from Dock B since 1989.
Private Boat Tours
Private boats, from six-seat bowriders to crewed yachts, are on their own page: Hilton Head boat charters compares every one by group size, price and marina. This page covers the trips where you buy a seat or join a guided group. To drive a boat yourself, see boating on Hilton Head.
How to Pick a Hilton Head Boat Tour
Boat tours in Hilton Head, South Carolina, split three ways. A shared cruise sells seats on a bigger boat with a narrating captain and a restroom, and is the cheapest way onto the water. A small guided group puts you in a skiff or a two-seat catamaran behind a guide, so you drive and the guide finds the dolphins. A private boat takes only your party, usually six at most, and goes where you ask. Nearly every trip of any kind finds dolphins: Broad Creek, Calibogue Sound and Skull Creek all have resident pods.
Families with small children: a 90-minute shared dolphin cruise, or the pirate and mermaid cruises at Harbour Town and Broad Creek.
Grown-ups who want to steer: Bluewater Adventure’s two-seat catamarans (drivers 18 and over; $135 for adults, $115 for children, two hours) or Island Skiff’s guided skiffs from Broad Creek Marina.
An evening out: a sunset cruise, or a dinner cruise with the meal on board.
A group, a birthday or a proposal: a private boat charter.
Daufuskie, Sandbars and Skiff Tours
The longer Hilton Head island cruises cross Calibogue Sound to Daufuskie Island, which has no bridge: Vagabond and Island Head both run the ferry, and Vagabond also runs a Savannah day trip. At low tide the sandbars off the south end come up out of the water. Hilton Head Boat Charters puts sandbar stops into its private cruises, and Hilton Head Dolphin Tours runs trips to the one locals call Disappearing Island. Check the tide chart before booking one: a sandbar only shows for a few hours either side of low tide. For a skiff tour, Island Skiff Adventure Tours leads small boats you drive yourself through the creeks behind the island.
Sailing and Eco Tours
Island Head Sailing’s 36-foot catamaran at Broad Creek Marina takes 24 on shared day sails from $49.99, and Vagabond sails the America’s Cup boat Stars & Stripes from Harbour Town. For a Hilton Head eco tour, the naturalist-led trips are the kayak tours run by Outside Hilton Head and the outfitters on the kayaking page, which get you closest to the marsh, the birds and the dolphins.
Where Hilton Head Boat Tours Leave From
Shelter Cove Harbour, mid-island: Captain Mark’s, Dolphin Seafari, Bluewater Adventure, Outside Hilton Head and the private boats. Free parking.
Harbour Town, in Sea Pines: Vagabond, the pirate ship and H2O Sports. Unless you are staying in Sea Pines, the gate fee is $10 a day for a car.
Broad Creek Marina, mid-island at 18 Simmons Road: Island Head, Island Skiff, Mermaid of Hilton Head and several of the small dolphin boats.
Hilton Head Harbor and Skull Creek, on the north end: Hilton Head Boat Charters and the sailing charters, closest if you are coming from Bluffton.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best boat tour in Hilton Head?
For most visitors, a 90-minute dolphin cruise from Shelter Cove or Harbour Town: it is the cheapest and you will almost always see dolphins. If you want to steer, a guided skiff or catamaran tour; for just your group, a private charter.
How much is a boat tour in Hilton Head?
Shared dolphin cruises start at about $40 for adults. Guided drive-your-own tours are about $135 for two hours, and a private boat for six runs from about $350 for two hours.
Can you take a boat tour to Daufuskie Island?
Yes. Vagabond Cruise from Harbour Town and Island Head both run the Daufuskie ferry, and several private boats will take you over for lunch.
Are there private boat tours in Hilton Head?
Yes, dozens. Most take up to six, a few take 12 to 49. They are compared on the Hilton Head boat charters page.
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