Wild Pony Watching Boat Tour from Chincoteague to Assateague
Badge of Excellence
Virginia, USA
- 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Why travelers loved this
·
Explore our promoted experiences
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
Supplied by
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 438 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Heather_G, Jul 2026
It’s a beautiful boat ride. It has a little history, a little wildlife, and a lot of fun. Captain Lefty was great.
John_E, Jul 2026
Guide was very knowledgeable and gave a lot of info on the flora and fauna, sadly horses aren't guaranteed, we still got to see a small pod of dolphins, a pelican, and a bald eagle
Travis_W, Jun 2026
Capt Lefty made the experience great. Took extra time to make sure tour group had a unforgettable trip.
Sue_C, Jun 2026
Our highlights were seeing the beautiful horses, the rocket launch which was amazing and our fun captain!!!
Diana_S, Jun 2026
Captain Mark was great! Great stories along the way and worked hard to take us to nature sites and where the ponies were.
Whitney_T, Jun 2026
Captain Mark was cool. The Misty was great. Unfortunately, we didn't see any dolphins or horses, but we got to see pelicans. My family enjoyed the ride. We would go back.
Eric_S, Jun 2026
Great time, first time kayaking and the guides were extremely helpful. Would recommend and do again!
Timothy_T, Jun 2026
A lot of fun and wildlife. Captain Lefty was great. He really wanted us to see the wildlife and he shared facts and history, etc.
Donald_J, Jun 2026
No guarantee that you will see any wildlife. Especially going midday. It was our anniversary, I surprised my wife with this boat tour ,because shile loves horses and ponies. So not seeing any was a little disappointing. The boat ride was nice.
Dana_R, Jun 2026
The boat was too full for the number of people on it. It was a rough ride. We were actually scared a few times. We saw a few ponies at one spot. For the price, thought we’d at least be comfortable.
Alisa_F, Jun 2026
The tour guide and captain were very knowledgeable about the area and wildlife. I enjoyed seeing the wild horses
Mike_R, Jun 2026
Captain Shane was knowledgeable and responsive to all questions we had. He was very personable and seemed to be enjoying himself and his job.
Max_A, May 2026
Good to communicate with. Due to rain we were able to pick a time fir the next day when the weather would be better.
We enjoyed our cruise. We saw wild ponies on the beach. It was informative too.
SCOTT_N, May 2026
Our captain, Shane, was great. I am an inquisitive guy, and he was patient and seemed eager to answer in detail. We had great views of large herd complete with the alpha stallion down to three foals. We also were luck to see them swim. Great time. Even got a history lesson.
Carol_S, May 2026
The boat and captain were just fine but unfortunately we didn't see any wild ponies. No fault of the captain...they were just not around. But that's why we took the cruise, so very disappointing.
Patricia_R, May 2026
Amazing! We saw all types of wildlife, eagles, dolphins and of course the ponies. Captain Shane was very friendly and exceptionally knowledgeable. Would recommend to everyone.
Melissa_P, May 2026
Captain Shane gave a great tour of the island, we saw two herds of ponies as well as eagles. Lots of island history made it even better.
Kathleen_M, May 2026
We were able to see bottlenose dolphins, the Assateague Island ponies and different bird species. The captain provided lots of facts about the area as well.
Candy_S, May 2026
Beautiful day on the water. Excellent view of the horses. Guide was very friendly and helpful. Would recommend.
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.
Response from Host, May 2026
Great to hear you enjoyed it. We'd loved having you with us and we look forward to seeing you again.
JANE_Y, Apr 2026
Very nice experience with my sisters.
(even though the weather was not good)!
Seeing the new born foal was amazing.
Response from Host, May 2026
Great to hear from you, we hope to see you again soon someday.
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.
Response from Host, May 2026
Great to have you onboard. We hope to see you again soon.
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.
Response from Host, May 2026
Very nice having ya on board with us, we look forward to seeing you again
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!
Response from Host, May 2026
Very nice having you with us, you be sure to come back and visit again
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.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much glad you were enjoying the ponies, bald eagles and sea birds. We look forward to seeing you again.
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
Response from Host, May 2026
Always fun to have nice people like you with us. You be sure to come visit again.
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.
From $66.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Wild Pony Watching Boat Tour from Chincoteague to Assateague
436
2 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$66.00
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Explore Similar Things to Do