No need to rent a car to tour Fort Lauderdale! You can see the sights of the city by taking a boat cruise. Grab a water taxi and ride a few stops, climb aboard an amphibious vehicle for a sea-and-land tour or take a ride on a riverboat. It’s a great way to tour the city.
With more than 160 miles of canals and waterways, Fort Lauderdale is boater’s heaven. The local trolley service, Sun Trolley, begins operating a free water trolley across the New River in downtown Fort Lauderdale this month. The water trolley will travel between the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, on the east bank of the river, to the Cheesecake Factory on the river’s west bank.
Other opportunities to explore Fort Lauderdale by water include:
For nearly 20 years, Water Taxi has been shipping people around Fort Lauderdale. The multi-ship taxi line makes 19 scheduled stops each day, including nine on the main Fort Lauderdale run. The Fort Lauderdale route cruises from Las Olas Boulevard to near the Galleria Mall.
Your all-day pass allows unlimited boarding on the line. The service runs from about 10 a.m. until around 11 p.m. Passengers also can ride the Northern Route and the Hollywood Route on the all-day pass.
Cost: $22 for adults, $11 for kids age 11-5. Children under 5 are free, and there are deals for seniors, military members, and later cruisers who board after 5 p.m.
From April through November, you can explore Fort Lauderdale – on both land and sea – in an amphibious vehicle. The line’s Hydra Terra ship is 39 feet long, eight feet wide, and can seat around 45 passengers. The vehicle is certified for travel on the highways and on the waterways.
The line’s 90-minute tours begin at Las Olas Boulevard downtown, where the tour travels by land through the city’s historic district. Once in the water, the ship passes by the magnificent mansions of Millionaire’s Row on the New River.
Cost: About $40 for adults, about $20 for children age 3-12, and about $6 for infants.
You have three ways to enjoy Fort Lauderdale on a real river boat. Grab a 90-minute morning tour up the New River, take a 3-hour extended tour of the river, or book an evening dinner cruise that features post-meal entertainment.
After nearly 70 years in business, the Jungle Queen’s operators say it has served more than 18 million passengers. The trip’s longer excursions feature a stop at the company’s private island. Dinner – which includes ribs, chicken and shrimp – is served on the island. The 500-passenger ship is departs from Bahia Mar Harbor.
Costs: 90-minute tour>, $22 for adults and $12 for kids age 3-12; 3-hour tour> $24 for adults and $14 for kids age 3-12; 4-hour dinner cruise> $45 for adults and $24 for kids age 3-12.
Ask the front desk at Rodeway Inns & Suites Fort Lauderdale for shuttle fees to downtown Fort Lauderdale.