Lake Tahoe: Tahoe Queen’s Emerald Bay Sightseeing Cruise

Take a few hours and cruise the lake on your next trip to Lake Tahoe! The Tahoe Queen cruises out of the Ski Run Marina in South Lake Tahoe and is 2 and a half hours of relaxation, beauty, sunshine, and cool mountain air!

The 312-passenger Tahoe Queen, is the lake’s only authentic Mississippi paddlewheeler. This elegant Lake Tahoe icon recently underwent major renovations to reflect the allure and luster of the early 1900’s when there was truly no finer way to travel.Daytime Scenic Cruises feature a tour through South Lake Tahoe history on the way to Emerald Bay, and the Sierra Sunset Dinner Cruise offers an unforgettable elegant evening cruise complete with famous Tahoe sunsets, breathtaking views, local cuisine and live music. Food is available for purchase and drinks can be bought at our full bar.

Two levels on the boat are indoors with full bars and food service provided by waitstaff where you can order drinks, snacks, and lunch items such as sandwiches and salads.  You can spend as much or a little time here you want.

As you board you can find a table to make your home base.  My oldest daughter gets a touch motion sick so with some Dramamine and a fabulous window seat, she found herself enjoying the cruise, snapping pics on social media, and snacking during our trip!There’s a lot of great outdoor space on each level to stand or sit the duration of the trip.  These are the spots with the best views!

As you leave port, you watch the water change colors and take in the scenery around you. Here you can see just over Stateline, the casinos towering above the pines!Water watch was definitely a highlight for all the kids to experience.  Not to mention the stunning snow capped mountains.

We slow down and take some time when you reach Emerald Bay.

The island in the center is neat, has a little castle looking structure at the top and some of the trees have large nests in them.At the end of the bay is Vikingsholm Castle, you can hike to it from a trailhead off Emerald Bay Road, my husband I have done it and it’s short and appropriate for children!The views never stop!

On the way back from the bay, my youngest was fascinated by the paddlewheel windows.There’s a gift shop on board with toys, clothing, souvenirs, and books to please everyone in your party.
Prior to boarding every group snaps a photo, these photos are available for purchase the last ten minutes of the cruise.  I’m a sucker for these kind of memories!The cruises are scheduled about 4 times per day and more often on the weekends with sunset cruise options as well as dinner cruises.  Check out the Tahoe Queen’s Emerald Bay Sightseeing Cruise and more Tahoe Cruises here for prices and schedules, http://www.zephyrcove.com/cruises.aspx.

Our cruise was hosted, food, drinks, opinions, and gratuities all our own.