City Sights by Sea: Historic Narrated Boat Tours of Providence
Recommended by 97% of travelers
Providence, USA
+3
- 50 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Get an in-depth look at Providence from a boat cruise that travels along the waterways of Rhode Island’s capital city. Your guide shares live commentary about historical landmarks and modern destinations as you take in sites including the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier, Providence Industrial Harbor, Providence River, Waterplace Park and the pedestrian paths of Riverwalk. Choose a daytime or evening cruise, and feel free to bring your own refreshments on board.
- See more of Providence from a boat
- Insightful commentary provided by the guide
- Hear about history, architecture, and nautical lore
- Choice of departures makes it easy to fit into your schedule
What's Included
- All taxes, fees and handling charges
- Local guide
- Price does not include parking fees. There is free & metered parking throughout our neighborhood.
- Gratuities (optional). Our Captains and Crew appreciate your cash gratuities!
- Soft drinks, coffee/tea, ice cream & water are available for purchase in our cafe, or you may BYOB.
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 101 Dyer St, Providence, RI 02903, USA
We are located at 101 Dyer Street, Providence, RI 02903, a leisurely 20 minute walk or 5 minute drive from the Rhode Island Convention Center, Kennedy Plaza and most downtown hotels. Come inside The Landing to check-in, and explore our new gift shop and ice cream store!
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
Providence River (Pass By)
Water Place Park (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Minimum drinking age is 21 years
- Stroller accessible
- We do not operate in severe or unsafe weather conditions. In the case of cancellation due to weather, you will be offered an alternative or full refund.
- Service animals allowed
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 17 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
This experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If you cancel or ask for an amendment, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.8
based on 373 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
ryan_m, Sep 2026
Captin Tom is a true RI institution. Great facts helpful knowledge and a joke or two. Best way to see the river.
Deborah_M, Sep 2026
Great way to see the sights of
Providence! I really enjoyed seeing the hurricane bridge and all the engineering
Barbara_M, Aug 2026
The boat tour was very informative and gave us a great introduction to the city of Providence. Our captain/guide was knowledgeable and happy to answer all questions.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much for the 5-star review, Barbara! We’re thrilled to read that our tour gave you a great introduction to Providence—and that your Captain was able to answer all your questions along the way. We love showing off our city from the water and hope you had a fantastic visit.
Laura_M, Aug 2026
We arrived 35 minutes before the tour and enjoyed cookies from the coffee shop check-in point. We went on a Thursday and parking was plentiful in the area.
The boat is small, holds 14 or 15 guests. The captain is full of knowledge and brings the river's history to life.
The only downfall for me was the hard bench seating and back rest. Otherwise the tour was good and we are glad to have done it.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for cruising with us and for sharing such a thoughtful review, Laura. We’re so glad you enjoyed the cookies, the easy parking, and especially hearing Providence’s history brought to life by your Captain.
We’re sorry the seating wasn’t quite as comfortable as you’d hoped. We must be mindful of the continuous exposure to the elements, and frequent use, so our boats were designed and built with that in mind. Thanks again for joining us, and we’re glad you enjoyed the tour!
Corrin_B, Aug 2026
Very informative and lots of rich history. Just a quick little cruise on the river to see the sights , lovely time
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thanks for the great review, Corrin!
Julissa_M, Aug 2026
Captain and staff was very friendly we arrived 30 min early, since we’re not familiar with the area, the experience was amazing. We learned a lot from the captain he showed us the history of providence. Would recommend this tour.
Anne_J, Aug 2026
Enjoyable ride and learned a lot about Providence history. Check in was a little confusing but it all worked out.
MARCIA_B, Aug 2026
Great orientation about all the changes to the downtown I hadn’t been to the downtown since 1970. Amazing transformation with the help of the three colleges.
Summer_K, Aug 2026
We had a fun and informative tour with Tom. Even when the weather didn't cooperate for a few minutes, Tom parked us under a bridge to wait it out, all the while continuing to share facts and history of PVD with us. We would recommend this activity for families!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much for your kind review! We're thrilled to hear you had a fun and informative tour with Tom. He's passionate about sharing Providence's rich history, and we're glad he was able to keep the experience enjoyable—even with a brief interruption from the weather! Sometimes a little rain gives us the perfect excuse to take shelter and share a few extra stories.
We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you and your family back on the water again soon!
Susan_P, Jul 2026
Friendly and very knowledgeable Captain and a small boat so you’re right there. Providence is a beautiful and historic city and this ride is a great introduction.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for your wonderful review! We're so glad you enjoyed the experience and appreciated our captain's friendly personality and knowledge of Providence's history.
One of the things we love most about our small boats is that they create a more personal, up-close experience on the river, allowing guests to take in the city's beauty from a unique perspective. Thank you for choosing to explore Providence with us, and we hope to welcome you aboard again soon!
Janice_H, Jul 2026
Captain Mike and Guide Forest were really good. He crammed the river tour into an hour and a half, which was just the right amount of time. Forest also recommended some restaurants. His stories were entertaining. Overall worth the price and we got a quick run down of the city history.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for your fantastic review! We're so glad you enjoyed your time with Captain Bob and Forrest. They both love sharing Providence's history and helping guests discover great local spots, so it's wonderful to hear their stories and restaurant recommendations added to your experience.
We're also happy to know the tour length felt just right and that you found it to be a great value. Thank you for choosing to explore Providence with us, and we hope to welcome you back aboard on a future visit!
Laura_T, Jul 2026
Tour is a little over an hour. Great history of Providence, fun insights from tour guide who has lived there for decades.
Kristin_K, Jul 2026
Super informative and well worth the cost. Guide and boat captain were great. Highly recommend! The meeting spot is at a little shop with local arts and gifts — get there early and grab a drink or ice cream for the boat ride.
Samantha_B, Jun 2026
Well worth the cost. There were a lot of interesting facts conveyed! The guide attended RISD and had a lot of cool stories as well.
Patric_M, Jun 2026
This former Ohio native did a great job in describing the history and sites of Providence while casually motoring down the river. A tour that should not be missed when visiting the city. Finding it on Google maps was challenging when walking but he was patient in waiting for us being a little late.
Carolyn_S, Jun 2026
Great tour on the river, the only reason I’m giving 4 stars is because of an hour delay waiting for the tour guide. Once on board, however, the guide gave us non stop info about his city. Very interesting tour.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We truly appreciate it, and we’re very sorry for the inconvenience you experienced.
A delayed start is not reflective of our standards. Beginning a tour 30 minutes late is unprecedented for us, and in this case, a staff member made an honest scheduling mistake that we addressed immediately. We understand how frustrating that can be, especially when you’ve planned your day around a specific departure time.
Out of respect for our guests, we offered full refunds to anyone who did not wish to wait, and we did our best to get the tour underway as quickly and safely as possible.
Providing exceptional experiences is something we take great pride in. Thank you again for joining us for a tour this week!
Kristin
Christy_H, Jun 2026
Loved hearing the history of city. Tour guide was friendly, professional and knowledgeable. Weather was amazing as well.
Tracy_I, May 2026
Nice calm relaxing boat ride with a history/cultural experience. I would recommend this when visiting Providence, RI
Joaquin_L, May 2026
Viator and Providence Tour Companydid not communicate. Viator sent messages that the tour was taking place at 11:00 and. Providence said the tour would take place at 1:00. When I tried contacting them no one called me back to confirm
Response from Host, May 2026
Yes, they are two different systems, which is why we called and spoke to you, and also emailed you on May 6th to confirm the correct time of arrival and departure, which you confirmed. As you are aware, we also refunded your full fare paid as a courtesy, but thank you for the review.
Anthony_D, Oct 2025
awesome experience and great knowledge
very personable and humerous
allowed questions and had vast knowledge of all surroundings not just architecture
Patricia_M, Sep 2025
Very enlightening about the history of Providence. Boat captain/tour guide was very entertaining. !!
Janet_L, Sep 2025
Open air boat , met my expectations. Guide friendly and knowledgeable. Check in process went smoothly
Elizabeth_F, Sep 2025
Tour was great. Boat left promptly. Ride was enjoyable and we learned a lot. Tour guides were easy to hear and understand.
Maria_S, Sep 2025
Very informative and well presented.
Interesting stories about the architecture and bridges along the river.
Debra_H, Sep 2025
Very informative wonderful boat trip. Learned a lot about Providence in the area. The captain was a great guy.
Nicole_B, Sep 2025
Great tour! Captain was very informative and shared great history of providence. We really enjoyed the tour.
Len_U, Sep 2025
Wonderful boat tour and storytelling! A lot of interesting history and very enjoyable. We also lucked out with weather
Charlaine_M, Aug 2025
Our boat captain and our guy was amazing. He knew everything about the area. It was a nice little trip down the river would recommend this for everyone.
Lisa_H, Aug 2025
Captain Tom was so fun.... We learned all about the history of the river. Well worth taking this tour to learn about the history of Providence and its impact on the building of America and history.
Gail_T, Aug 2025
Stephanie was outstanding. We had a very small group and yet she gave us the whole tour and didn’t take any short cuts.
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