Awesome experience! The ship captain did a great job narrating the history and present of Tampa Bay, which is a beautiful city to view from the Bay and Hillsborough River.





One of the most picturesque harbors in Florida, Tampa Harbor abounds with history on all sides. The waterfront features museums, shipyards and million dollar homes. See the Pirate ship "Gabriella" up close, view the most beautiful building in Tampa "the Plant Hotel" and learn how Tampa became a city.
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 9.
With 4,000 years of people living in Tampa on this cruise, you will learn about how this this city grew from a Spanish outpost to the fastest growing city in Florida. This tour takes you step by step through the evolution of the city and as you cruise along the waters, the history unfolds all around you. Your guides will divulge little known facts about this city and share them with you. Many locals have said "I have lived here all my life and never knew that about Tampa!" When you leave this tour, you will know more than locals! Learn more than you image possible about Pirates and their history in Tampa. See the Pirate ship “Gabriella” up close and be sure to ask your guide "what's a Pirate beard in Tampa?" You will be surprised at the answer!
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Excurgo comparison of 168 Viator tours, recalculated daily.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Tampa History Cruise lasts about 1h 30min. The itinerary has 2 stops.
Prices start at $31 per person for this Tampa experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There are 2 booking options, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs every day, starting at 12:30 PM and 4:00 PM.
Children aged 2–7 pay from $13, adults from $31. Infants go free.
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
The meeting point is Departure Point: Behind The Tampa Bay History Center at the dock Tampa FL. Address: 801 Old Water Street Tampa, FL 33602 Directions: Dock (water taxi dock #3) behind the Tampa Bay History Center 801 Old Water Street. Parking at parking lots on Chanelside drive. Board the blue boat with yellow top. Hotel pickup is not part of this experience.
The experience is available in EN.
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 30 participants.
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller Child rate applies only when sharing with 2 paying adults Children must be accompanied by an adult
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Travellers rate it 4.2 out of 5 across 923 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor; it is run by Tampa water taxi.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Awesome experience! The ship captain did a great job narrating the history and present of Tampa Bay, which is a beautiful city to view from the Bay and Hillsborough River.
We had a wonderful time on the Tampa History Boat Cruise! It was such a fun and interesting way to learn about Tampa’s history and architecture while enjoying the beautiful views from the water. Our captain was incredibly knowledgeable and did an amazing job sharing fascinating stories and historical details throughout the cruise. You could really tell how passionate and knowledgeable he was about Tampa. Highly recommend this cruise to anyone looking for a reasonably priced, fun and informative experience!
Marc was very knowledgeable about the history of the area and the locals. He was welcoming and gave a great tour of all the waterways. He allowed everyone to bring refreshments on board and provided cold water.
This was our 4th time with visiting family members on the Tampa History River Cruise with the same captain and he was knowledgeable about Tampa!
Very knowledgeable. Was great. Knew the area very well. Would go again in a heartbeat. Super interesting
The cruise was very informative. The guide was kind enough to have waters for us. He was on -time and tour lasted as long as it was supposed to. The boat was covered which was great. Great price for the experience, could have been because it was an older looking boat but I wasn't there to look at the boat....
Supposedly the tour was cancelled but we were not notified. We waited for 30 minutes with two other couples. When one of those women called, they were told the tour was cancelled due to weather.
This is a very well done museum telling the history of Tampa and surrounding areas of Florida. There is a cinema inside being remodeled so missed that. There is a variety of displays and a video about Tampa. The Columbia Cafe is located inside the museum in addition to an outside patio (the Cuban Sandwich and Spanish soup is very tasty). It can be easily accessed by the downtown trolley and adjacent to the riverwalk
Knowledgeable tour guy. Fun and lots of information in an absolutely beautiful area. Would do it again!
Great experience! Our tour guide was excellent, and the instructions for finding the boat were very clear and easy to follow.
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Tampa History Cruise | 1h 30min | 4.2 (923) | $31 | |
1.5-hour Dolphin Sightseeing Cruise from Tampa | 1h 30min | 4.1 (687) | $31 | View |
Best of Tampa City Tour: History, Waterfront Views & Landmarks | 1h 30min | 5.0 (23) | $49 | View |
Pirate Adventure Cruise on Tampa Bay | 1h 30min | 5.0 (2) | $42 | View |
Iconic Ybor Cuban Sandwich and History Tour | 2 hours | 5.0 (1) | $70 | View |
Private Transfer from Tampa Airport(TPA) to Tampa Bay Cruise Port | 25 min | — | $56 | View |
Guided Tampa Sightseeing Tour in a Deluxe Street Legal Golf Cart | 1h 30min–2h | 4.9 (1,572) | $49 | View |