Sydney · CRUISES & BOAT TOURS

The 15 Best Boat Trips in Sydney

84 tours  ·  from $23

The harbour is the reason the city is here, and it is still the cheapest good thing to do in it. These 15 run from a 30-minute jet boat to a full day under sail, each priced and clear about how long you actually spend on the water.

Sydney: Big Bus Hop-On Hop-Off Tour with Optional Cruise - The Red City Route, from Circular Quay to central Sydney
Cruises & Boat Tours, Sydney Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Sydney: Big Bus Hop-On Hop-Off Tour with Optional Cruise

1.Big Bus Hop-On Hop-Off Tour with Optional Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 2,697 reviews · 1 - 2 days · from $51Our pick

See Sydney from an open-top double-decker bus across the City and Bondi routes, with commentary in eight languages. Add the Captain Cook harbour cruise for Taronga Zoo, Watsons Bay, Manly, and better Opera House views. A night tour may also be included, depending on your ticket.

“Without this service, I’d either have not gone far on my own or would’ve wasted money hiring cars to take me places I wasn’t sure about going. This was a wonderful way to cover a lot of ground. I wish I’d hopped off a lot more, but I kept starting late in the day and worried about missing the last bus. If I were to do it over, I’d start as early as possible and hop off a lot more. Thank you!”

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Sydney: Whale Watching Adventure Cruise - What the catamaran is like on board
Cruises & Boat Tours, Sydney Whale Watching Cruises, Tour Reviews, Whale Watching

Sydney: Whale Watching Adventure Cruise

2.Whale Watching Adventure Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 1,790 reviews · 2h 45m · from $63

Set out from Circular Quay for 165 minutes of whale watching aboard a spacious catamaran. Your English-speaking guide shares facts about humpbacks as you pass the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, then search the open water. Bring warm layers and seasickness tablets.

“We enjoyed our excursion. The naturalist was very interesting and we learned a few things we didn't know about humpback whales. The beautiful weather and scenery made it a lovely outing on its own, but seeing whales, including a mother and offspring, was wonderful.”

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Blue Mountains Day Tour Including Parramatta River Cruise - Kings Tableland gives you a quieter viewpoint
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Blue Mountains Day Tour Including Parramatta River Cruise

3.Blue Mountains Day Tour Including Parramatta River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,585 reviews · from $68

Spend about 10 hours touring the Blue Mountains from Sydney with pickup, a small coach, and a guide such as Les or Bruce. See Australian wildlife at Sydney Zoo, walk near Wentworth Falls or Leura Cascades, visit Leura and Katoomba, add Scenic World rides, and cruise back to Circular Quay.

“Went on the Blue Mountains tour yesterday, and it was the best money spent! Our driver Les was the BEST! Very informative, very helpful. He was a fantastic driver, probably the best I've seen driving and acting as tour guide. Got us evRead more”

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Sydney: Morning or Afternoon Harbour Sightseeing Cruise - Starting at Eastern Pontoon in Circular Quay
Cruises & Boat Tours, Morning, Sydney City Highlights Sightseeing Tours, Sydney Harbour Cruises, Tour Reviews

Sydney: Morning or Afternoon Harbour Sightseeing Cruise

4.Morning or Afternoon Harbour Sightseeing Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,520 reviews · 1h 30m · from $38

Cruise Sydney Harbour from Circular Quay on a 90-minute morning or afternoon trip. Your skipper points out the Opera House, Harbour Bridge, Royal Botanic Gardens, and lesser-seen waterfront sights. Guides such as Ron and Bruce are known for lively commentary, while tea, coffee, water, fruit, and biscuits are included.

“Very nice cruise! Nice tour guide!! We learned a lot of interesting things about Sydney! And the views were amazing!!”

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Sydney Harbour Sunset Dinner Cruise from Darling Harbour - Choosing the right table and window option
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Sydney Harbour Sunset Dinner Cruise from Darling Harbour

5.Sydney Harbour Sunset Dinner Cruise from Darling Harbour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 1,122 reviews · from $89

Board Captain Cook Cruises at King Street Wharf for a roughly 1-hour-45-minute dinner cruise past Sydney’s icons. Choose a 3-course à la carte meal or upgrade to 4 courses, with a confirmed window seat available for an extra fee. Live music runs on weekends.

“It was a great way to see Sydney Harbour from the water. The timing is too early for a 'Sunset' dinner in Summertime but it was still a great experience dining with good food on a ship. Wait staff were attentive and helpful. We had a window seat, but you could go out on deck to look if you wanted.”

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Sydney: Harbour Dinner Cruise with 3, 4 or 6-Course Menu - What the menu looks like at the table
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Sydney: Harbour Dinner Cruise with 3, 4 or 6-Course Menu

6.Harbour Dinner Cruise with 3, 4 or 6-Course Menu

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 925 reviews · 105 minutes - 3 hours · from $88

Board Captain Cook Cruises’ MV Sydney 2000 for a 105-minute to 3-hour dinner on Sydney Harbour. Choose three, four, or six courses, add Penfolds wine pairings, and watch the Opera House, Harbour Bridge, sunset, or city lights from the water.

“Went with my 15 year old daughter. Absolutely stunning evening and views. 3 course dinner was lovely, staff very attentive and friendly. Would highly recommend!”

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Sydney Whale-Watching Cruise Including Lunch or Breakfast - The Harbour View: Bridge, Opera House, and Fort Denison
Cruises & Boat Tours, Lunch Experiences, Sydney Whale Watching Cruises, Tour Reviews, Whale Watching

Sydney Whale-Watching Cruise Including Lunch or Breakfast

7.Sydney Whale-Watching Cruise Including Lunch or Breakfast

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 878 reviews · from $74

Spend about four hours on Sydney Harbour and the Pacific Ocean, pairing landmark views with whale watching from May to November. Your cruise includes breakfast or BBQ lunch, tea, coffee, live commentary, and a free return trip if no whales are found. Bring warm clothes and motion-sickness medicine.

“The waters outside of Sydney Harbour are known to be rough. At least 50% of the passengers were seasick. Unfortunately they did not follow the crew’s instructions and use the provided “barf” bags. Therefore the restrooms were a mess. Not the crew’s fault. The preliminary safety instructions were clear to those of us who are fluent in English. Perhaps the company could provide laminated written instructions for the non-English speakers. The Captain tried his best to locate and follow the whales we saw, but dang it, the whales were not cooperating with us! Be prepared for wind and swells …”

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30-Minute Sydney Harbour Jet Boat Ride on Thunder Twist - Getting ready for a wet 30 minutes
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30-Minute Sydney Harbour Jet Boat Ride on Thunder Twist

8.30-Minute Sydney Harbour Jet Boat Ride on Thunder Twist

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 841 reviews · from $60Top rated

Meet at Circular Quay for a 30-minute Thunder Jet ride with spins, fishtails, wave riding, and power stops at speeds up to 75 km/h. You’ll pass the Opera House, Luna Park, Rose Bay, and Taronga Zoo. Drivers such as John and Tom add plenty of personality. Expect to get wet.

“Fun. As described...helpful and well organised. We booked for the shorter one but they combined us with a longer one at no extra charge. Great service”

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Sydney: Harbour Cruise with Buffet Lunch - Lunch with the skyline passing by
Buffet Experiences, Cruises & Boat Tours, Lunch Experiences, Sydney Dinner & Lunch Cruises, Sydney Harbour Cruises, Tour Reviews

Sydney: Harbour Cruise with Buffet Lunch

9.Harbour Cruise with Buffet Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 804 reviews · 2h 15m · from $53

Meet at Circular Quay for a 135-minute Sydney Harbour cruise with a generous 13-choice buffet, tea, coffee, and English commentary. Guides such as Ron and Ellen add history and humor as you pass the Opera House, Harbour Bridge, Botanical Gardens, and Darling Harbour. The boat runs rain or shine.

“Our guide Rin was amazing, full of fun. She played Mama Wombat to our bus load of baby wombats. Every stop had extraordinary views of the Blue Mountains. Lunch was delicious and plentiful. We got to pet the koalas & kangaroos at Ferndale Wildlife Park and saw the little penguins as well as several other animals. Overall an awesome day!”

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Sydney Harbour Starlight Dinner Cruise from Darling Harbour - The four-course dinner and what to expect
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Sydney Harbour Starlight Dinner Cruise from Darling Harbour

10.Sydney Harbour Starlight Dinner Cruise from Darling Harbour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 774 reviews · from $111

Board Captain Cook Cruises at King Street Wharf for a two-hour evening sail past Sydney’s Opera House, Harbour Bridge, and lit skyline. Enjoy a four-course dinner with seafood, meat, vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free choices, then head upstairs for sweeping harbor views. Window seats are available as an upgrade.

“My friend and I took the 7pm tour around the harbor. The sights were stunning!!! We had a fantastic meal!!”

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Sydney: 2-hour Express Whale Watching Cruise - Leaving Circular Quay with Sydney’s icons behind you
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Sydney: 2-hour Express Whale Watching Cruise

11.2-hour Express Whale Watching Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 756 reviews · 2 hours · from $63

Board Fantasea Crystal at Circular Quay for a fast two-hour whale-watching trip. You get nearly 90 minutes in the open ocean, with an air-conditioned cabin, covered deck, and open sun deck. Guides such as Josh, Wayde, and Kate have helped make past cruises lively and informative.

“Perfect, the whales where around us all the time, beautiful spectacle, 100% recommended, only advice is to go with very warm clothes because is freezing outside the boat”

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Sydney Harbour Sightseeing Cruise from Circular Quay - Mrs Macquarie’s Chair and the harbour’s wider frame
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Sydney Harbour Sightseeing Cruise from Circular Quay

12.Sydney Harbour Sightseeing Cruise from Circular Quay

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 727 reviews · 1 day · from $23Best value

Sail from Circular Quay Wharf 6 with English commentary, passing the Opera House, Fort Denison, Taronga Zoo, Kirribilli House, Luna Park, and Harbour Bridge. The one-hour route offers open-air views, an onboard bar, and helpful guides such as Scott and Martin.

“It great way to see city views and the surrounding areas.”

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Sydney Harbour Sightseeing Cruise Morning or Afternoon Departure - A 90-minute circuit around the harbour
Cruises & Boat Tours, Morning, Sydney City Highlights Sightseeing Tours, Sydney Harbour Cruises, Tour Reviews

Sydney Harbour Sightseeing Cruise Morning or Afternoon Departure

13.Sydney Harbour Sightseeing Cruise Morning or Afternoon Departure

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 704 reviews · from $39

Board at Sydney’s Eastern Pontoon near Circular Quay for a 90-minute harbour cruise with live commentary from guides such as Ron. You’ll pass the Opera House, Harbour Bridge, Royal Botanic Gardens, Luna Park, sandstone cliffs, beaches, and smaller bays. Morning, afternoon, and sunset departures fit different schedules.

“The cruise offered amazing views of Sydney. The staff was all friendly and accommodating and Ron was an excellent tour guide - he was both very informative and engaging.”

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Sydney: Blue Mountains National Park Tour with River Cruise - Early pickup and the road out of Sydney
Blue Mountains Tours, Cruises & Boat Tours, National Parks, Tour Reviews, Tours

Sydney: Blue Mountains National Park Tour with River Cruise

14.Blue Mountains National Park Tour with River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 701 reviews · 10h 30m · from $70

Join Oz Trails for a 10.5-hour Blue Mountains trip with pickup, bushwalks, waterfalls, Three Sisters, and a Parramatta River cruise. Guides such as Les, Bruce, and Wayne add local history and humor. Sydney Zoo and Scenic World are optional paid extras.

“Our guide Les was knowledgeable and entertaining. He clearly loves his subject, as he took as much pleasure from the sights and experiences as we did, seeing all these things for the first time! Breathtaking, majestic scenery. The day was fabulous!”

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Whale Watching Boat Trip in Sydney - Beneath the Harbour Bridge and past the Opera House
Cruises & Boat Tours, Sydney Whale Watching Cruises, Tour Reviews, Whale Watching

Whale Watching Boat Trip in Sydney

15.Whale Watching Boat Trip in Sydney

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 571 reviews · from $99

Join Whale Tales from Darling Harbour for a 2.5-hour cruise beneath the Harbour Bridge and past the Opera House, then out beyond Sydney Heads to seek migrating humpback whales. Guides such as Rex, Mette, Alex, and Mawi share marine facts, while the small boat and onboard photos make the trip personal.

“It was awesome, ans i decommend it yku tontry it! All.the staffs were helpful and they even semt ua some pics after.”

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