Cruises

Sunset Cruise with Live Music every Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday through Labor Day

Looking for a fun way to end your fun day in Wilmington? Look no further! Come aboard The “Wilmington”, our comfortable 49 passenger motor catamaran, for a Sunset Cruise on the Cape Fear River. Our full bar offers refreshments and snacks for all ages.

Whether you are looking for a special setting for a date night or looking to enjoy some quality time with family and friends, our Sunset Cruise is the perfect choice for an evening activity on the Cape Fear River.

This is a one-of-a-kind music venue in Wilmington and this is one of our most popular excursions, so be sure to book early! This is a 90 minute cruise. Boarding 15 minutes prior. Check our Tour Calendar for the featured musicians for each cruise.

Join us on a scenic 50-minute narrated eco-history cruise featuring 360° views of unspoiled nature and a variety of wildlife daily. Our captain and crew will delight you with anecdotes about the Cape Fear River and our historic town.

Cruise on the Cape Fear River with Wilmington Water Tours while enjoying the sights, sounds and tastes of the Holidays
Friday & Saturday nights. See the Wilmington cityscape all lit up from the river.

Unwind with a scenic cruise aboard The Wilmington, a comfortable, fully enclosed 49-passenger catamaran offering panoramic views of the Cape Fear River and surrounding landscapes. This leisurely evening cruise glides past Wilmington’s vibrant downtown waterfront and along the serene edges of Eagles Island, offering a front-row seat to a breathtaking sunset. Sip on a handcrafted cocktail or your favorite drink from our full-service bar while enjoying a laid-back soundtrack curated by the captain. As day turns to night, watch the river glow with the final golden light, then take in the charm of Wilmington lit up after dark. A perfect outing for couples, groups, and anyone looking to end the day in a beautiful way.

Join Dr. Chris Fonvielle Jr., Professor Emeritus in the Dept. of History at UNC Wilmington, for a fun- and fact-filled cruise.

This morning, two-hour cruise goes up the Northeast Cape Fear River to the upper reaches of the black water system of this storied river. Captain Doug Springer will share his extensive knowledge of the history of the area while you take in the flora and fauna along the river banks. We will cruise through the Castle Hayne Aquifer and by the bluffs of the Rose Hill Plantation. Visit our full bar for a freshly brewed cup of coffee or the best Bloody Mary on the river.

This is a great cruise for photographers, birders and nature buffs. Bring your camera to capture the untouched beauty of this early morning adventure.

Join Wilmington Water Tours and our wine expert, Lauren Dixon with Winebow, for a 90-min. wine tasting as you cruise the Cape Fear River with five wines paired with light bites.  If you like the wine you can buy a glass.  We have a full bar for refreshments. Bring your friends and family for this relaxing and informative cruise.

Whether you’re a novice or a long-time nature lover, you are sure to appreciate the birdlife our area has to offer.  Get out on the Cape Fear River with Wilmington Water Tours for this Specialty Cruise with local bird expert Jill Peleuses from Wild Bird and Garden.  Enjoy a continental breakfast on board.

This is a 90 min. cruise from 10am to 11:30am.

The Wilmington is available for private charters, wedding receptions, dinner cruises, corporate functions, planning committees, birthdays, family reunions, church groups, and tour groups.

Wilmington Water Tours Presents!

In addition to our sold out Wilmington Film History Cruises, Wilmington Water Tours is adding a new Horror Film-themed Cruise just in time for the Fall Halloween Season. This cruise will delve into the stories behind the movies and will take a closer look at projects like “Firestarter”, “Silver Bullet”, “Scream”, “Halloween Kills”, “Sleepy Hollow”, “I Know What You Did Last Summer”, and “The Night Flier”.  

Hunter Ingram, former film reporter for the Star-News, will bring some scary insights into these films shot locally in and around Wilmington. For more than four decades Wilmington and the Cape Fear Region have been seen around the world in hundreds of locally produced film an TV projects, each one a little time capsule of an every-changing community. There is no better place to tell the fascinating stories of those projects than on the Cape Fear River, which has flowed through this Hollywood history. On this lively cruise we may even surprise you with things you never even knew were shot in town. “

If you are a film buff, don’t miss this interesting and exciting cruise with two dates to choose from–Septeember 13 and October 25.

This is Wilmington’s only Christmas ghost story that takes place on the Cape Fear river. The story follows a Christmas Eve cruise that encounters a ghostly presence with ties to the Revolutionary war.

This Cape Fear river cruise is like no other. Dr.Fonvielle lives & breathes the history of the Cape Fear area, and makes sure he tells you some folk lore. Join us on Wilmington Water Tours for this fascinating History Cruise.

On our August 24th cruise, Dr. Chris will discuss that in 1864 how Wilmington was the most important city in the Confederacy. He will also tell fascinating stories of Cape Fear locals during the troublesome time like the great escape of William B. Gould and other enslaved African Americans during the horrific yellow fever epidemic in 1862 and much more.

“The Day of Blood: Race and Revolt in 1898”  Sept. 21 10:00-12:00 $45

In the post-Civil War years and up to the end of the nineteenth century, Wilmington experienced turmoil as a result of the U.S. Army occupation and unexpected arrival of thousands of released Union POWs and homeless refugees. As conditions deteriorated, citizens and displaced persons alike suffered. African Americans, however, relocated to Wilmington in droves as they came to see the city as a Mecca for economic and political opportunities. But growing racial tensions led to confrontations and eventually the Riot of 1898, which dramatically affected race relations for decades to come. Wilmington remained the most populated city in NC and busiest seaport in the second half of the nineteenth century.