City Cruises Boston Whale Watching Cruise by High-Speed Boat
Badge of Excellence
Boston, USA
- 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Experience the best of New England’s marine wildlife on this guided whale-watching cruise around the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. Hop on a high-speed boat in Boston that gets to and from the whales in the least amount of time possible. Look out for humpback and fin whales, plus Atlantic white-sided dolphins, with the help of a naturalist guide. The on-board galley offers food and beverages for purchase during the trip.
- Maximize your sightseeing time aboard a high-speed vessel
- Have the best chance of spotting whales, dolphins, and more
- Discover a side of the region that many other Boston visitors miss
- Learn insider facts and stories from your on-board naturalist guide
What's Included
- Whale Watch Cruise aboard Catamaran
- See a variety of whales, including Humpbacks, Finbacks, and Minkes.
- Visit Stellwagen Bank Marine Sanctuary, a rich feeding ground for whales other marine creatures
- Narrated by a New England Aquarium Naturalist as your Guide
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Restroom (on board)
- Food and drinks (available to purchase on board)
- GratuitiesOptional.
- Sea sickness medication (for guests prone to motion sickness)
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 1 Long Wharf, Boston, MA 02110, USA
The Ticket Center is located at 1 Long Wharf, Boston, MA 02110, next to the Marriott Hotel, with a statue of a Humpback whale on its roof.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.What To Expect
Beginning at Long Wharf in Boston, hop aboard a high-speed boat and embark on a whale-watching cruise to Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. This stretch of open water at the mouth of Massachusetts Bay serves as a rich feeding ground for whales, dolphins, sea birds, and many other marine creatures.
Look out for humpback, finback, and minke whales, with the help of a naturalist from the New England Aquarium. They share their knowledge about the animals’ behaviors, conservation status, scientific tracking, and more.
In between whale sightings, relax in the comfortable, climate-controlled indoor cabin, which also features a galley offering food and beverages for purchase. The location of the whales may require more travel time, extending the trip beyond the allotted time. Please allow for additional time in your schedule.
After half a day of exploring, your tour ends back at Long Wharf.
Look out for humpback, finback, and minke whales, with the help of a naturalist from the New England Aquarium. They share their knowledge about the animals’ behaviors, conservation status, scientific tracking, and more.
In between whale sightings, relax in the comfortable, climate-controlled indoor cabin, which also features a galley offering food and beverages for purchase. The location of the whales may require more travel time, extending the trip beyond the allotted time. Please allow for additional time in your schedule.
After half a day of exploring, your tour ends back at Long Wharf.
1
Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- Remember sunscreen and sunglasses
- Boarding begins 30 minutes prior to departure. Guests must arrive early, as late arrivals will miss the boat.
- Bring a light sweater or jacket, as well as sunscreen and sunglasses.
- Not recommended for guests prone to motion sickness
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 350 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Landis_S
Was an incredible experience! Would absolutely do this again anytime! Was such a beautiful time. The crew were awesome!!
Reviews
4.5
based on 3,248 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Holly_V, Jul 2026
This was a seriously amazing experience. It’s July which is a prime whale watching time(no rhyme intended). There were humpback and orcas all around our boat the entire time we were there. The Naturalist as he called himself (person on the mic) was very knowledgeable and you could tell he loved his job and was just as much excited as everyone else was. It was so cool to see whales close to the ship and far away. A couple of dolphins even visited us. Would highly recommend this tour, pesically during this season.
Chris_T, Jul 2026
Saw +|- 25 whales - very exciting and worthwhile. Smooth sailing and excellent experience. Food available but carry it on and support Boston small business.
DEBORAH_R, Jul 2026
Staff was friendly, knowledgeable and very accommodating. Came around periodically to answer any questions. There was someone on the speaker giving us direction of spottings.
rebecca_g, Jul 2026
Simple wonderful pleasant...we saw whales! Boat ride was great. Not everyone gets to go on the Atlantic!
Aniruddha_S, Jul 2026
Wonderful experience! We saw 15 whales and it was very smooth ride overall. They informed us well regarding the whales and the conservation process. Kids really enjoyed it.
n4k6hm5fdm, Jul 2026
Friendly guides and very clean boat. Saw 2 whales. Long ride to the sanctuary- spent 2 hours in transit.
Dianna_S, Jul 2026
Fun great family trip lots of whales food and drink were a fair price two out of three toilets were broken by the end of the tour
Ruidong_W, Jul 2026
The boat departure was at 3PM and we arrived at 2:45PM, but there is no sign and nobody telling us which ship to get on, and we missed it when we found out. There is a reminder to let us arrive earlier, but we didn't see it until that day. Usually Viator providers will kindly give us instructions the day before, but with this one we have zero guidance. I am so disappointed.
Lachae_F, Jul 2026
My husband and I came for our 14th anniversary! We enjoyed it, there were places to watch both in and outdoor and 3 levels. Plenty of space even with lots of people. I did get seasick and threw up twice however the staff was caring helpful and understanding! They cleaned up and gave me a bard bag and some ginger candies! The narration was quite extensive, good especially for those visiting Boston
Leonard_E, Jul 2026
Awesome experience
I’m about to do another one, can’t wait to see those amazing creatures, God is great
Jennifer_C, Jul 2026
What an amazing trip! We saw so many whales, it was awesome! Well run and everyone was friendly, helpful and knowledgable!
Valerie_B, Jul 2026
The crew was gracious and tentative to passengers needs. The captain guided us to the best activities and even stayed longer because the whales were so active.
Chanda_S, Jul 2026
Plenty of room, knowledgeable naturalists, just the right amount of time. We saw so many whales up close! Amazing trip.
Cathy_T, Jul 2026
This is the highlight of our trip! When we first set sale, it was very foggy with limited visibility. It took a very long time to find any whales, and we were very concerned that we would head back to shore without seeing any. However, the staff did not give up and eventually found seven whales that were very interactive with us! Be sure to bring a jacket because it gets very chilly. Arrive early to grab a seat inside because you will not last long on the deck!
Staff were very attentive and even let us borrow a phone charger when our phones were almost dead.
Brett_B, Jul 2026
Great experience. Not enough seating though. We had to sit in the back since all seats were taken. Other than that, great experience.
Deb_E, Jul 2026
This experience was incredible! The team of people who support this trip have so much love for what they do it's contagious. We saw so many things, whales, a sunfish, great weather and amazing people. I highly recommend this to anyone! Even if we didn't see whales, I would still give them 5 stars.
Cindy_G, Jul 2026
The guides said it was an unusual day, but we saw 19 different whales and some dolphins (or something like dolphins). Great experience
Charles_N, Jul 2026
Amazing!!! We saw so many whales! 4 babies! Loved how this was set up. No bad seats in the house! Will try to come back!
Ty_M, Jul 2026
Trip was incredible from start to finish. The crew and naturalists were extremely friendly and knowledgeable. The captain charted the boat to the perfect locations to see a ton of whales. The whales also performed for our cruise. Nearly 50, yes 50 whales were spotted during our cruise. Many of these whales came up to around 30 ft from the boat. We saw breaching, fin waving, tail slapping, and even a whale pooping.
D_N, Jul 2026
Amazing experience that I know was a once in a lifetime experience with all the whale action. Please continue to host these eco-trips with the New England aquarium workers. They are so knowledgeable and helpful answering questions.
Kathy_S, Jul 2026
Absolutely fantastic! Lots of seating and air conditioning. A little snack bar and tables for the hour and a half ride out to the whales. Great spotting when we got out there. A perfect day.
Dawn_G, Jul 2026
Great opportunity but our boat lost an engine and we had to rerun to shore. We enjoyed the two hours we were on board
Valerie_W, Jul 2026
Highlight of our Boston trip this summer! Wonderful crew who did a great job explaining what we were seeing. Saw whales breech 3 different times and saw mom & calf together. We saw both fin whales and humpback whales. It's a MUST DO when you're in Boston!
Nancy_L, Jul 2026
I have been on whale watching trips in Hawaii and Alaska and this was simply the best! Who would have thought that I only had to travel 2.5 hours to experience a magnificent site! I lost count of how many whales we saw. And some were very close. You know you are seeing something special when the crew gets excited!
Maria_T, Jul 2026
It was an excellent experience! The crew was quick to point everything out and we saw more whales than expected. Definitely recommend!
Phillip_S, Jun 2026
Absolutely fantastic experience but be prepared for colder weather on the water
Reasonably priced food and drink onboard.
Caitlin_D, Jun 2026
We booked this after our whale watching tour in Maine was cancelled last minute on our road trip- and we’re so glad it was. Not only did we see 20-30 whales, the Naturalists provided so much information about what we to expect and what we were seeing that we were able to appreciate it that much more. We took this tour with 3 little kids and they answered all of their questions, gave them new facts about what they saw, and they even let them hold whale bones! The Naturalists even provide the names of the whales they can identify which has been so much fun to explore after. This trip is a must-do for all families!
Katy_R, Jun 2026
This was an awesome experience. While we went in knowing we might not see whales, we ended up seeing a lot of them. We saw some behaviors that were very rare and even the naturalists were excited to see. It was a really fun time and I would definitely do it again.
Christopher_B, Jun 2026
What makes or breaks a tour is whether you see whales. We saw wells! Despite horrific fog, we still managed to enjoy a lovely view of 3 whales, often doing dives and a couple of breaks for us.
The crew is kind and helpful, but often clueless about whether they are blocking your camera view. They religiously hold to evolutionary, long-earth model theories as if they are proven science; however, most of the information is whale-centered and interesting.
Werner_H, Jun 2026
An amazing experience. I never imagined seeing so many whales (12 according to the crew) . Nevertheless, it was surreal. A fantastic, scenic excursion topped off by a goods hours worth of whale watching. Great time!
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