Tahoe Bleu Wave Emerald Bay Sightseeing Cruise

What your ticket pays for

The $125 fare is per person and covers the full 2 hour sailing, snacks, soda, juices, coffee, water and one beer, wine or champagne. Further alcoholic drinks are sold at the bar.

Extra costs on the day are practical ones. If you drive to the bay itself rather than cruise to it, parking at Emerald Bay State Park and the Vikingsholm lot is $10.00 for the day or $3.00 per hour, by cash with exact change or card, and federal passes are not accepted, according to California State Parks. The cruise itself leaves from Tahoe Keys Marina, so that park fee only applies if you visit the bay by car separately.

The crossing into Emerald Bay

The boat leaves Tahoe Keys Marina and Yacht Club and crosses roughly 6 miles of clear water to the bay. Emerald Bay itself is about 1.7 miles long and about two thirds of a mile wide at its widest point, so the yacht can cover the landmarks at an easy pace. Boats must go slow inside Emerald Bay, and the lake wide limit is 5 mph within 600 feet of shore, which keeps the trip calm.

On the way you see Fannette Island, the only island in Lake Tahoe, sitting in the bay on the west shore. Glaciers carved the bay, and the island is believed to be a granite rib the glacial ice flowed over. Vikingsholm Castle stands on the shore near the island, and Eagle Waterfall drops into the bay beside it. The Rubicon stretch of shoreline completes the circuit. Emerald Bay was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1969 and became an underwater state park in 1994, with California's first maritime heritage underwater trail opened there.

Finding the marina

The address is 2435 Venice Dr, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150. Tahoe Keys Marina and Yacht Club sits at the end of the Tahoe Keys canals, a few minutes drive from the Highway 50 strip. Plan to arrive with time to park and walk to the dock.

Precise departure times and trip duration are not stated on the operator's own pages, so confirm the exact boarding time when you book rather than guessing from a general afternoon slot.

The boat and the experience

The vessel is a 1966 classic yacht described as a million dollar classic yacht that has been around the world. Seating is indoor and outdoor, with 360 degree panoramic views of Lake Tahoe, the snow capped mountains and the sights inside the bay. You can move between decks during the trip, which matters for photography.

Beyond a second drink at the bar, the only extra costs are practical: layered clothing in cold months, and transport to the marina. Lake level sits at around 6,225 feet and open water feels colder than the shore. Dress warmer than you think you need outside of summer.

The same yacht also runs private charters for weddings, anniversaries, corporate meetings and life celebrations, with a coordinator, florist and photographer available. Wedding ceremony locations include Emerald Bay, Rubicon Point, Mt. Tallac, Cave Rock and the middle of the lake. A 4th of July sunset dinner and fireworks cruise goes to Emerald Bay for sunset and then to the Nevada side for the fireworks show.

What travellers praise

"The captain gave a very good narrative of the lake and area which made the trip even more enjoyable," wrote James from the United States. Terry noted that the cruise "was as advertised" and that the captain handled a windy day well. The classic yacht gives you both sheltered indoor seating and open air spots, so a breezy afternoon is still comfortable.

Bring layers: the deck is colder than the shore.

How they compare

Spirit of Tahoe departs from Ski Run Marina at 900 Ski Run Blvd, closer to the south shore casinos and hotels, with daily year round Emerald Bay cruises of about 2 hours. Its schedule shifts with the seasons and sunset, and exact sailing times change through the year. The Bleu Wave sails from the quieter Tahoe Keys Marina and includes snacks and a drink in the fare.

Check both departure points against your accommodation, since South Lake Tahoe traffic on Highway 89 and Highway 50 can make the wrong marina an inconvenient start. If a drink in the price matters to you, the Bleu Wave's $125 fare already covers snacks and one beer, wine or champagne.

Book it if, skip it if

Book it if you want the maximum scenery for minimum effort. You see Fannette Island, Vikingsholm Castle, Eagle Waterfall and the Rubicon without parking at the bay or hiking down to Vikingsholm. It also works well in the off season, since it is one of the few Tahoe cruises running seven days a week year round.

Skip it if you want to set foot in Emerald Bay State Park itself. The cruise views the bay from the water and does not land you on shore, so hikers who want the Vikingsholm trail should drive instead, with park parking at $10.00 for the day or $3.00 per hour per California State Parks. Also skip it if you want a fast, party style boat. Emerald Bay requires slow speeds and the limit is 5 mph within 600 feet of shore anywhere on the lake.

Where is Billionaire Row in Lake Tahoe?

Billionaire Row is the stretch of luxury lakefront estates on the west shore of Lake Tahoe, near the Rubicon shoreline that the Bleu Wave cruise passes on its Emerald Bay circuit. The cruise route itself is the easiest way to see that shoreline from the water, and the Rubicon coast is one of the named sights on the sailing.

Is there a nudist beach in Lake Tahoe?

Not stated. None of the pages covering the Bleu Wave, Emerald Bay or Tahoe cruise operations name a nudist beach on the lake, so there is nothing reliable to point you to here.

Where did the Kardashians stay in Tahoe?

Not stated. The source material for this page covers the cruise, the marina and the bay, and contains no information about celebrity accommodation on Lake Tahoe.

Practical booking advice

Reserve the 2 hour sightseeing cruise in advance, especially in summer and around holiday weekends, because the shared yacht has a fixed passenger capacity that is not published. Confirm the exact departure time when booking, since the operator's own pages do not list set sailings. Give yourself margin to reach 2435 Venice Dr in the Tahoe Keys, which sits away from the main strip.

For weather, the lake is a high alpine environment at around 6,225 feet, and Highway 89 around Emerald Bay has closed in the past for snow removal after heavy storms, so winter travellers should keep a flexible day in their itinerary. Dress in layers with a warm outer layer regardless of season, and bring sunglasses, since the reflection off the water is strong even on cool days.

Scale and depth

The lake spans 22 miles north to south and 12 miles across, with 72 miles of shoreline, per the US Forest Service. Its average depth is 1,000 feet and the deepest recorded point is 1,645 feet. The Tahoe basin sits at around 6,225 feet at lake level, which is why snow caps the mountains around the water for much of the year.

Emerald Bay is a small fraction of that shoreline but holds most of the named sights. The state park around it covers 1,533 acres. The bay's clear water and granite walls, carved by glaciers, are the payoff for the 6 mile crossing from Tahoe Keys.