Wild Pony Watching Boat Tour from Chincoteague to Assateague
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Virginia, USA
- 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
See the wild ponies of Assateague Island without having to navigate the barrier island on this boat tour from Chincoteague. Board your vessel and enjoy panoramic views of the ponies in their natural habitat as you sail along Assateague Island. Enjoy live narration on board and keep your eyes peeled for other wildlife like dolphins, eagles, and bird species.
- See the wild ponies of Assateague on a boat tour
- Learn about the natural habitat of the ponies
- Take in the scenic views of the Delmarva Peninsula
- Choose from several tour times to fit your schedule
What's Included
- Narration (local knowledge of the island and its wildlife)
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Assateague Explorer Pony Watching Cruise & Kayaking2246 Curtis Merritt Harbor Dr, Chincoteague, VA 23336, USA
The Assateague Explorer captain and the crew will meet you at farthest left side of the harbor at dock #3. After you enter the harbor, stay left, past the restrooms/harbor master building, and go to the very end of the road. Look for the dock #3 sign and the "Assateague Explorer" sign.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
1
Assateague Island NS-VA Unit
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 40 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
Heidi_L
My husband and I both enjoyed the boat tour very much. We saw many dolphins and wild ponies on our excursion. The highlight for me was seeing a mare with her little foal. Captain Shane was very friendly and engaging, and a wealth of knowledge about the area. 10/10!
Reviews
4.4
based on 391 reviews
Suzanne_v, May 2026
Captain Shane did a great job of telling us about the ponies and the history of the area on our tour. He was a lot of fun.
JANE_Y, Apr 2026
Very nice experience with my sisters.
(even though the weather was not good)!
Seeing the new born foal was amazing.
Ellen_S, Apr 2026
There is no guarantee that you will see ponies, but our boat tour Captain was very knowledgeable and entertaining. As a first time visitor, I found it a valuable part of my trip. I would do it again.
Cinda_D, Apr 2026
We enjoyed this adventure. Our captain, Shane, was very knowledgeable about the entire area. We saw many bald eagles (at least six), egrets, loons and many other birds. We did see some ponies, which was great.
Luz_J, Apr 2026
Nice experience, only,it's still spring and
too windy,and cold,be sure to wear your winter coat,or bring a warm blanket..
Overall,we loved the trip.Captain Shane was eloquent....He's well versed of the island and it's history...
CLIFFORD_R, Apr 2026
The boat captain (Shane) was very knowledgeable and friendly (as were the other passengers). My issue was with the boat itself. It was older and not very suitable for taking guests out. It was small and the only seating was along the sides facing each other. We all sat on small, mobile cushions (some of which were ripped). Also, because the boat was so small, we all had to remain seated during the cruise. If we stood up to take a picture or see over the other passengers, we were asked (several times) to remain seated.
On a more positive note, we did get to see perhaps a dozen ponies during the tour as well as a lot of birds. And the boat did have a canvas top (which helped to protect us from the direct sunshine). Overall, I would recommend that other guests take a larger, more durable boat that has seats designed for sightseeing (as opposed to sitting on cushions along the gunwales).
Heidi_L, Apr 2026
My husband and I both enjoyed the boat tour very much. We saw many dolphins and wild ponies on our excursion. The highlight for me was seeing a mare with her little foal. Captain Shane was very friendly and engaging, and a wealth of knowledge about the area. 10/10!
Fred_K, Apr 2026
Captain Shane was a knowledgeable and outstanding tour guide as he took us around Assateague Island on a roughly two hour boat tour. We were able to see ponies, a pair of bald eagles, and more sea birds than we could count. A delightful experience.
Bonnie_B, Apr 2026
Very knowledgeable, funny and made it a fun experience for everyone. We were able to get some great pictures of the horses
Peggy_J, Apr 2026
No Dolphins horses several blocks away. Captin Lucky was good.... ..................................
Chris_K, Apr 2026
Had an enjoyable trip, and the weather cooperated. Good views of ponies and several bald eagles, mixed in with commentary on the local history and culture.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Very special having you with us. Looking forward to seeing you again.
Jessica_H, Apr 2026
Great tour of the coastlines of Chincoteague and Assateague. The captain was very knowledgeable. We got to see all sorts of wildlife including some shore birds and of course the ponies!
Response from Host, Apr 2026
It was truly a joy to have you with us during the cruise. We look forward to seeing you again soon.
kathleen_h, Nov 2025
Due to high winds my experience was cancelled . The boat operator was pleasant and we totally understand due to the conditions , just waiting to hear back when we shall receive our refund
Response from Host, Nov 2025
You should take this review off since you never experienced the tour, you were refunded of course. We can't go out if the weather is bad, it doesn't happen very often. It's very rare, but glad you totally understand, so thanks for taking it off since you never experienced the tour. Come back next year.
Dawn_J, Nov 2025
The pontoon was not terribly comfortable and filled to capacity. But Captain Shane was very knowledgeable about the area and provided many details about what were able to see. As a native, he was able to provide background with lots of local color.
Judy_B, Oct 2025
We did not go close to the shore at all, that was disappointing. Other boats we saw did get closer. We stayed far away from the ponies.
Claire_P, Oct 2025
Seating was uncomfortable and made it hard to see unless you stood up since we were all facing the middle of the boat. The drive was very pleasant but didn’t give us much information about the area.
Elizabeth_S, Oct 2025
Cap’n Shane was knowledgeable and friendly. We saw dolphins, ponies, and eagles. Well done. . .
And thank you.
Nikki_C, Oct 2025
Bring binoculars for best views of wildlife. Dress warmly. Be friendly and inquisitive your captain loves to answer questions
Tony_H, Oct 2025
Captain Shane was very knowledgeable and delivered! We completely understood from the start that there is no way to control nature and no way to guarantee a sighting but the stars aligned and we saw the Ponies! Not only Ponies, but the Captain also pointed out other wildlife and shared local stories and other information relevant to our tour! He is also a concerned Conservationist and it was very clear that he respects the wildlife and their habitats! Very thankful to have booked our tour with them, one other point I would like to make is that safety is first and foremost! Thank you for a wonderful day spent, very satisfied!
Carston_W, Sep 2025
A $118 boat ride on a converted pontoon boat with very uncomfortable seats with poor views of the surrounding water and shores and very little wildlife. Saw a beautiful bald eagle and some ponies from a very far distance and that was it. The captain gave very little information about anything except a guess as to why there were no dolphins and a few comments that were hard to understand. Ponies are easier seen on the island. Oh, and there is a sign on the boat with a request for a 15% tip, or more ! 15% of $118, really?
Roy_G, Sep 2025
Very dependent on the weather. The tour guide gave no real history of the island, just his own history, living in the town. Total waste of time.
Teresa_Y, Sep 2025
We had a great time on our boat ride and Captain Shane was the best. Unfortunately, we didnt see any ponies but saw TONS of dolphins!! It was incredible to see them swimming and frolicking and some were even close to the boat. 🐬
Crystal_S, Aug 2025
It was a pretty good tour. We enjoyed seeing some of the horses. The captain was very knowledgeable about the islands and area.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Thank you very much. Hope to see you again.
Joseph_L, Aug 2025
Wasn’t as good as expected , Went to see wild horses , No Horses ! If I wanted to go dolphin watching I would have sighed up for it ! Disappointed !
Dmitri_Z, Aug 2025
I received a call at 10:30am asking if we could switch tour times because we were the only 2 on the 2:30 tour. As we were on the road, 2 hours away, I didn't think we could make it to the 12:30 they were suggesting.
However, the gentleman who called us asked us to try, and to keep in touch.
I sent 2 screenshots of our ETA at various times and determined by 11:30 that we would not make it in time for the 12:30. I texted that we would need to take a refund and he said, "It's not cancelled yet, so still come." I stopped at the Visitor Center, inquired of other companies, as my confidence was not high that this tour company would hold the tour.
I called at 2:20 to let him know we were at the dock. The gentleman had to "call the office" and then Joy from the office called me, reporting that it would be cancelled.
I understand cancelations happen for various reasons, however, they just kept leading me on. They should have told me at 11:30 when I called that the 2:30 would be cancelled instead of encouraging me to, "keep coming!"
My paraplegic daughter and I were left standing on the dock...literally. Joy wasn't apologetic, she had an, "oh well" attitude and suggested we drive to an overlook to try to see the ponies. This was very poor business.
Good business practice would have been to assist us in finding a tour that had availability. Just like the airlines do when they cancel a flight.
While business competitors, these captains are all acquaintances and it would have been prudent for the Assateague captain, who walked right past us, to lend a helping hand.
In the end, we found a competitor who was going out on a tour. They made it happen, including calling another captain over to lend assistance to safely load and unload my daughter's wheelchair.
Assateague Explorer, ya need to step up your customer service, be genuine & honest with your guests, and stop leading them on.
Krysten_P, Aug 2025
Captain Shane took us out on the boat and gave us some great information about the islands. We were able to see some horses, wildlife and even some dolphins on the way back!! We had a great time!
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Krysten,
Thank you so much. We are very happy that you got to enjoy being out with Capt. Shane plus seeing the horses and dolphins. Yes, the wildlife is amazing here and we like amazing nice people like you too. See you again soon.
Nancy_P, Aug 2025
This was a wonderful trip. Captain Shane was so knowledgeable, pleasant, and engaging. It was a perfect day!
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you so much, Nancy. We really appreciate that., it's great to hear your kind words and it is nice of you to let people know how nice it is.
Marjorie_L, Jul 2025
We booked a 12:30 trip, were told it was wheelchair accessible, but it was not. So called to complain and was told to wait 2 hours for the wheelchair boat and we did, but inconvenient as riding around town we didn't find any WC friendly places to eat.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
The title of your review should say wild horses are wild dolphins because they are not in a zoo. It clearly states there are no wildlife guarantees on our website and brochure. We see them easily most of the time, but not every single time all season, the best thing to do is go out twice while you are here, but we do see them almost every time and it is the best way to see them and the only way to see them this good in such a beautiful setting. Just look at our website and you will see all the photos and videos look at our YouTube channel. We get many many people in Wheel Chairs as a matter of fact. Don't know why you couldn't "find any places around town to eat that are WC friendly".
Terry_B, Jul 2025
We booked the Pony viewing tour in early July for July 26. When we got on the tour boat the guide informed us the ponies had all been corralled for the Pony swim next week. This was know to the company but was not revealed to the tourist on board until leaving the dock. No discount given. The kids on the tour were very disappointed. We would or have gone if this was told to us ahead of time. We only went to see the wild ponies. There are none to see
Response from Host, Aug 2025
That person that wrote that is lying the guide never told them all of the horses have been rounded up, in fact during the special event while this person said they visited nobody knows if they temporarily catch them all for the pony swim right before it, sometimes they miss some of them just like in the book Misty with the Phantom. We've seen it where they missed a whole group of teenager horses. In fact on the Pony swim day we saw a group of horses that were out there right along the shoreline just before we saw the dolphins. You came during the Pony swim event timeframe. The other people loved it.
jnw6pk5qrq, Jul 2025
The boat tour was great! Even my crabby teenager enjoyed it. Our captain and guide were very knowledgeable, giving us lots of history and information on the area. They were also very accommodating and went out of their way to be sure we got good views of both horses and dolphins. These guys knew just where to look for everything so we were able to see it all! I would highly recommend this tour!
From $66.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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