Hilton Head Sunset Cruises and Sunset Dolphin Cruises
Every boat that goes out for the sunset, shared or private, with times, prices and the summer fireworks nights.
Book a Sunset Cruise in Hilton Head
Sunset cruises and sails 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.
Sunset Cruises: Buy a Seat
Narrated evening trips on bigger boats and guided tours, sold by the seat, most of them looking for dolphins on the way.
Captain Mark's Dolphin Cruise: narrated dolphin, sunset and Tuesday fireworks cruises on the Holiday from Shelter Cove Harbour, Monday to Saturday.
Dolphin Seafari at Shelter Cove Harbour: a family-run 90-minute dolphin cruise on Broad Creek from $40, plus donut mornings, sunset and fireworks trips.
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.
Island Head on Hilton Head: pontoon boat rentals, parasailing, water skiing, kayak tours, hibachi dinner cruises and the Daufuskie ferry, from two marinas.
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.
Jet skis, kayak and paddleboard tours and dolphin trips from Palmetto Bay Marina.
Captain Hook at Shelter Cove Harbour: a 70-foot party fishing boat with 5.5-hour offshore trips, inshore shark fishing and a Tuesday fireworks trip.
Bike and beach gear rentals delivered island-wide, plus dolphin tours on the Island Explorer.
Dolphin cruises where children meet a mermaid, plus private sunset charters, from Broad Creek Marina.
Private Sunset Cruises
Just your party, usually up to six, priced per boat: sailboats, catamarans and captained powerboats.
Salt Marsh Sailing at Shelter Cove: private dolphin, sunset and fireworks sails for up to six on a 27-foot catamaran on Broad Creek, from $359.
Island Time Charters on Hilton Head: private, captained cruises for up to six, from dolphin trips and $350 sunsets to fireworks nights and Bluffton.
Cross Island Cruises at Shelter Cove Harbour, Hilton Head: private dolphin, sunset and strand-feeding trips with a naturalist captain.
Native Son Adventures at Shelter Cove Marina: private tiki-boat dolphin tours, fishing charters and custom days on the water for up to six people.
Anchors Away Sailing Charters at Skull Creek Marina: private monohull sails for up to six, or twelve on Seas The Moment, from $385, plus half days.
Carolina Breeze Charters at Broad Creek Marina: private dolphin tours, sunset cruises and custom trips for up to six on a 31-foot boat with a bathroom.
Solaris Boat Charters runs a 32-foot Chris Craft launch on private charters from the Harbour Town dock in Sea Pines, from $450 for two hours.
Outside Hilton Head at Shelter Cove Harbour: kayak and paddleboard rentals, guided kayak tours, dolphin tours, fishing and pontoon rentals, how to book.
Inshore fishing and dolphin trips from the Hudson Road docks on Skull Creek.
Captain Moto Adventures
Book on their site ↗Private boat trips from Hilton Head Harbor on Jenkins Island.
Sunset Times and When to Book
Sunset on Hilton Head comes as early as about 5:15 pm in early December and as late as about 8:30 pm in late June. Boats leave about 90 minutes before it and are usually back around dark, so a summer sunset cruise is a late evening and a winter one fits before dinner. Summer evenings and the Tuesday fireworks nights sell out first; spring and fall have the mildest air and the fewest bugs.
Sunset Dolphin Cruises
Most sunset cruises here are dolphin cruises too: the dolphins feed in the creeks in the evening, and the boats work the same water as the daytime dolphin tours. From Harbour Town the boats watch the sun go down over Calibogue Sound and Daufuskie; from Shelter Cove and Broad Creek Marina it sets across Broad Creek and the marsh. The Salty Dog’s sunset cruise from South Beach is the other Sea Pines option.
What a Sunset Cruise Costs
A seat on a shared boat: about the price of a daytime dolphin cruise, from about $40 for an adult. Island Head Sailing’s Golden Hour sail on its 36-foot catamaran is from $79.
A private boat for up to six: $350 for Island Time’s two-hour sunset, $399 for Salt Marsh Sailing’s Dolphin Sunset Sail. Priced per boat, so six people share it.
Dinner as well: the sunset dinner cruises are on the Hilton Head dinner cruises page.
Fireworks Cruises
On Tuesday nights in summer, Shelter Cove ends the evening with fireworks over Broad Creek, and the boats anchor off the harbour to watch. Captain Mark’s, Dolphin Seafari, Bluewater Adventure and Captain Hook all run a fireworks trip, and Salt Marsh Sailing’s Sunset Fireworks Sail is $479 for the boat. These are the first dates to sell out. For a bigger group, see the private boat charters, and every other kind of trip is on the Hilton Head boat tours page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time are sunset cruises on Hilton Head?
They leave about 90 minutes before sunset: around 7 pm in June and July, and around 4 pm in December. Each operator moves its start time through the year, so check the time on the day you book.
Will we see dolphins on a sunset cruise?
Usually, yes. Most sunset cruises are sunset dolphin cruises on the same creeks as the daytime dolphin tours, and dolphins feed in the evening.
Can we bring drinks on a Hilton Head sunset cruise?
On many small private boats, yes: they are bring-your-own. The larger boats sell drinks on board or don’t allow outside alcohol, so ask when you book.
Is there a fireworks cruise on Hilton Head?
Yes. On summer Tuesday nights several boats leave Shelter Cove and Broad Creek Marina for the Shelter Cove fireworks, including Captain Mark’s, Dolphin Seafari, Bluewater Adventure and Salt Marsh Sailing.
Local guides like this come standard for Guests of Partner Properties — one small part of what a Partner Property gives every guest.
Book Partner Properties