Boat tours offer unique experiences on inland rivers or lakes, with options ranging from dinghies to large steamships. Most boats have an open upper deck, air conditioning, and a tour guide. Some tours include one-way trips, while others offer romantic dinners and close-up views of natural features like Niagara Falls.
A boat tour is a unique way to experience a specific area from the water. Often taking place on a multi-level boat, passengers taking a boat tour will often have the choice of sitting on an exposed upper deck or a more confined lower deck. Unlike a cruise, the typical boat tour takes place on an inland river or lake and does not include overnight occupancy, although some stern-wheeled riverboats may offer overnight passage on designated extended tours.
Several boat tour options are available, ranging from dinghy or inflatable whitewater boats to large stern-wheeled steamships. The most commonly used type of vessel on a boat tour is a two- or three-level vessel with an open upper deck. Commonly diesel-powered, these boats offer conveniences, such as air conditioning and refrigeration for cool drinks. Many boat tour crews consist of a captain and a tour guide. There are, however, many tours that use the captain as both boat captain and tour guide. Some of the boat tours are connected to another tourist attraction, such as an amusement park, while others are independently operated and compete for business with other boats and tours.
Some of the whitewater tours include a one-way trip on the water, with passengers and sightseers receiving a vehicle ride back to the tour’s point of origin. Other tours using diesel-powered vessels often include a round trip and many of these tours take place at night on so-called romance tours. This type of tour commonly includes a drink, such as champagne, and dinner for two complete with an elegant dessert. Depending on the size of the boat, a band or violinist may accompany the trip to set a romantic mood for the trip.
Many of the tour operators offer excitement by maneuvering the boats very close to stones, rock faces and other natural features. Some of the boats get so close that passengers can touch the feature. Some boat tours, such as those operating to Niagara Falls in New York, USA, and Ontario, Canada, get so close to the falls that the nose of the boat actually travels into the waterfall and gets wet. Experienced captains and crew make these maneuvers possible and provide a once-in-a-lifetime experience for boat tour passengers.
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