Enjoy a two-and-a-half-hour adventure on your own private boat. Your Master Captain will guide you safely through the Calibogue on a falling tide to the isle. This mile long sandbar is exposed for only a couple of hours per day, allowing beachcombers the chance to collect sand dollars, seashells and the occasional shark's tooth. We’ll stop along the way to look for wild dolphins playing in the sound. We’ll share information about the island, the salt marsh and the surrounding ecosystem. Your Captain is also a Lowcountry Master Naturalist, and will assist you in identifying the various shells, mollusks and other invertebrates to be found on this tour! This is an ideal outing for families and small groups. With up to 6 passengers, there’s plenty of room onboard and a comfortable seat for everyone.
On the way to the Mile Isle, we’ll cruise past the iconic red and white striped lighthouse. The Harbour Town Lighthouse is a lighthouse at the Harbour Town Marina at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. It was privately built and is a private aid to navigation.
We’ll continue down the beach line of Daufuskie, looking for wild dolphins as we go. Daufuskie Island, located between Hilton Head Island and Savannah, is the southernmost inhabited sea island in South Carolina. It is 5 miles long by almost 2.5 miles wide – approximate surface area of 8 square miles.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Vanishing Mile Isle Beachcomber Tour lasts about 2h 30min. The itinerary has 2 stops.
Prices start at $429 per person for this Hilton Head Island experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
The meeting point is Enter the parking lot of Cross Island Boat Landing, just under the Cross Island Parkway. Plenty of parking available. Walk down to the docks to meet your Captain. Hotel pickup is not part of this experience.
The experience is available in EN.
It is a private experience: only your party takes part. Up to 15 travellers can book together.
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
This trip does require some level of mobility, as it involves stepping down onto a step and wading in two to six inches of water
We had a wonderful time. We learned a lot about the area and came home with sand dollars to remember our trip. Captain Mark was wonderful
Thank you, Christie! The Beachcombing Tour is truly my favorite tour, as it combines both seeing dolphins and getting a chance to explore the sandbar. Very happy that we were able to find some expired sand dollars to take home! Looking forward to seeing you again soon!
A great way to spend the afternoon! Captain Mark was so friendly and knowledgeable. We were interested in finding seashells and he was so accommodating and took us to as many spots as possible to collect seashells. We found tons of sand dollars, awesome oyster shells, saw dolphins, stingrays and a shark !!!! Highly recommend this tour. Thank you captain Mark
Thank you so much, Anna! It was a lot of fun having you all out exploring. The sandbar is always changing, but it continues to be my favorite tour! Really appreciate you guys coming out and look forward to seeing you again soon!
Amazing experience from start to finish! We received text messages the day prior to our excursion noting expected weather and conditions. The messages also gave a few friendly reminders on what to bring with us and where exactly to meet. Communication on the day of the trip included visuals of where we were meeting - an excellent touch! Capt. Mark was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable of the area and answered all of our questions along the way. We had a relaxed trip, visiting different locations to watch dolphins and beachcomb. We could not have had a better trip and look forward to booking again with Cross Island Cruises!
Thank you so much for the wonderful review! It was a pleasure having the family aboard, and I'm thrilled that you enjoyed the experience from start to finish. We put a lot of thought into the little details before and during each trip, so I'm especially glad the weather updates, reminders, meeting information, and photos helped make everything easy and stress-free. Once you're on the boat, my goal is simply to let you relax and enjoy the adventure! I'm so glad we were able to combine dolphin watching with some beachcombing and exploring the Lowcountry. I look forward to having you back again soon!
Captain Mark was outstanding. So knowledgeable of the area and so patient with our group (including 3 energetic young boys). The tour itself was unique - we saw dolphins, tons of starfish, and had a captain to guide us and answer every question. We were also able to avoid storms that day with his ability to work with the weather. Cannot recommend this tour enough!
Thank you so much, Steph! Absolutely loved the questions and the energy the boys brought to the sandbar. Very glad that the weather worked in our favor, and I'll look forward to you guys coming back soon!
We had the best time/afternoon with Captain Mark! We learned a lot of interesting things about the island and got to see some amazing views! The kids loved seeing the dolphins! Mark was so sweet with our kids, taking and interacting with them. The sandbar was still not totally visible so he took us to another location to get some shells! We had the best time and will definitely book again!
Thank you so much, Rachel! It was great having the family out exploring. Very glad we were able to get the kids in front of some dolphin pods and collect some shells during our tour. Looking forward to seeing again soon!
Captain Mark was very knowledgeable and made the experience very personalized in a fun!
thank you so much! The sandbar is truly my favorite excursion as it is always a different experience. Really enjoyed having the family out on tour and hope to see you again soon!
Great experience. Captain Mark was very nice and knowledgeable of the area. It was great to just have the four of us on the boat and not a huge group. We got to see a good amount of dolphins prior to heading to Vanishing Mile Isle. He also showed us the Dafuskie Lighthouse. Mark took us to a sandbar that is not as commonly used by other shell tours. We found alot of great shells, starfish and hermit crabs. We were the only ones at that sandbar which was awesome! I highly recommend booking Captain Mark and Cross Island Cruises!! Remember to put on your sunscreen ahead of the trip. Depending on weather, the ride can be bumpy but still alot of fun!
Thank you so much for the fantastic review and recommendation! It was a pleasure having your family aboard. I'm so glad we were able to see plenty of dolphins before heading over to sandbar, and that you enjoyed seeing the Lighthouse along the way. One of my favorite parts of the tour is taking guests to quieter sandbars where they can explore without the crowds, so I'm happy you found so many shells, starfish, and hermit crabs, and even had the beach all to yourselves! Thank you again for coming out, and I look forward to seeing you again soon!
From the very start, Captain Mark was extremely friendly and welcoming. He was knowledgeable and shared facts about the local eco system and marine life. Because it was a private tour, our group didn’t feel rushed at all. We saw tons of dolphins and had a vanishing isle all to ourselves. Captain Mark helped our group find shells and marine life. He was very accommodating and our entire group had a fantastic time. It was definitely the highlight of our vacation! Highly recommend this tour with Captain Mark!
Thank you so much, Kristen! The sandbar tour is truly my favorite outing as it gives us an opportunity to really explore! It's great when we have the place to ourselves before the big boats show up. Really appreciate you guys coming out and look forward to seeing you again soon!
Great small boat tour, 6 people. We were able to go to our own sandbar and collect tons of shells. We ended on the way back watching the dolphins playing. Highly recommend!!
Thank you, Amy! I'm so glad you enjoyed the experience. Having a small, private boat allows us to visit quieter sandbars, where you can take your time searching for shells without the crowds. I'm also happy the dolphins decided to make an appearance on the ride back, that's always a perfect way to end the trip! Thank you for your recommendation and for choosing Cross Island Cruises! Hope to see you back again soon!
Captain Mark was great. He knows the area and he was great with our teenage girls. We got to see many dolphins, learned about the ecosystem, and took home some sand dollars. Was the favorite part of our stay in Hilton head for one of the girls.
Thank you so much for the wonderful review, Jennifer! It was a pleasure spending time with your family, and I'm so glad your daughters enjoyed the tour. Seeing dolphins in their natural habitat, exploring Vanishing Mile Isle, and finding sand dollars always makes for a memorable adventure, but hearing that it was the favorite part of your Hilton Head vacation for one of your girls truly means a lot. Thank you for including my tours into your vacation plans, and I hope to have the opportunity to welcome your family back the next time you're visiting Hilton Head Island. Safe travels!
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanishing Mile Isle Beachcomber Tour | 2h 30min | 5.0 (132) | $429 | |
 Hilton Head Vanishing Island & Beachcombing Cruise | 3 hours | 5.0 (16) | $77 | View |
 2-Hour Hilton Head Guided Kayak Nature Tour | 2 hours | 4.9 (1,716) | $47 | View |
 Hilton Head Island Dolphin Boat Cruise | 1h 30min | 4.9 (1,678) | $40 | View |
 Daufuskie Island Guided History Tour from Hilton Head | 4h 30min | 4.9 (1,176) | $135 | View |
 Hilton Head Pirate Ship Adventure Sail aboard the Black Dagger | 1h 30min | 4.9 (738) | $48 | View |
 History and Movie Tour of Beaufort by Golf Cart | 1 hour | 4.9 (661) | $38 | View |