Capitol River Cruises
Capitol River Cruises
Capitol River Cruises
3.5
12:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Monday
12:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
12:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
12:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
12:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Friday
12:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
12:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
12:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Full view
About
Capitol River Cruises is a small family owned and operated Tour Boat Agency that has been cruising on the Potomac River in Washington, DC for 29 years! We have 2 vessels. Nightingale and Nightingale 2. We offer Narrated Boat Tours, All You Can Eat Crab Charters, Booze Cruises and Custom Private Charters. Our everyday narrated tours are 45 minutes long. We board every hour on the hour at Washington Harbor in Georgetown, cruise past the 14th St. Bridges and turn around near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. You'll learn all about the history of Washington, DC monuments, memorials, statues and the surrounding area. Our Crab Charters include 3 hours of all you can eat crab & corn and all you can drink beer & wine (upgrade to full bar available). Create your own custom charter for company outings, birthday parties, bachelor/bachelorette parties, celebrations, etc. Visit our website for more information or contact us! We hope to see you aboard one of our vessels!
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Capitol River Cruises
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
3.5
149 reviews
Excellent
35
Very good
49
Average
25
Poor
16
Terrible
25
BobKPgh
Pittsburgh, PA202 contributions
Apr 2023
It was a little confusing about where to board the boat and where to park the car. We even called them to ask about parking and was told there was parking right near the dock. We found a parking garage, Colonial Parking on Thomas Jefferson St SW, about 1 1/2 blocks away from the dock for $20. There is a small sign on the dock for Capital River Cruises in front of Fiola Mare restaurant. I think Capital River Cruises should include a small map with the reservations ticket to help find parking and the boat. They should also include their phone number on the reservation ticket to help with finding them if you are lost in Georgetown. Once we were on the dock the crew were very helpful with boarding. For people with mobility problems be aware there are some big steps from the dock to the boat that must be tackled during boarding. A gangway from the dock to the boat would be a better option. At times, the recorded guide was out of sync as we had passed the point of interest and didn’t know what where to look. The captain should have a way to pause the recording to keep it in sync with the boat speed. This would not be hard to implement. We sat at the front of the boat in the bow and had a great view of everything. The 45 minute cruise is the perfect amount of time to see everything in DC along the river. I would have liked to see the waterfront in Alexandria but I guess that would be too far for the 45 minute timeframe. Overall we had a great time on the boat. Note: We went on April 7th and the cherry blossoms were in full blume.
Written April 9, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
starla729
Burlington, CT166 contributions
Sep 2022
This tour is a fun quick ride up the Potomac and provides a nice perspective from the water. I felt the 45 minute ride was just enough, narrated with a few fun facts. It was also fun to see all the planes fly over and land at Ronald Reagan airport. We went for the sunset tour which was lovely. I'll note we went in late fall, which was much less crowded than what I've seen in the spring or summer, so the boat was not too packed with people. The Georgetown area the boat leaves from makes for a great place to grab dinner/drinks before or after the cruise as well. I recommend this as a fun little filler to your trip if you have time, especially to wind down after a busy day.
Written October 22, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gardensalot
Washington DC, DC62 contributions
Mar 2024 • Friends
A fun way to see the iconic DC monuments, especially the cherry blossoms, without the crowds on the Mall. The narrative on board is just enough — not incessant — and the views are unbeatable. We went at sunset and it was beautiful light.
Written March 27, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alex M
Charlotte, NC11 contributions
Apr 2022 • Family
We had purchased tickets online to join this cruise… the boat arrived 15 minutes late and there was a large party (30+ people) that had missed the previous cruise… well, the captain decided to give the late comers priority board and gave them prime seating, then offered us and a couple more families the “back” of the boat with a really bad attitude instead of offering a quick solution!! I understand about making money but his attitude was what made me cancel and ask for a refund.
Our on-time parties should have been the first ones to board and give us priority, add the bad attitude from the captain and is the perfect recipe for a bad night on the water.
My kids were very excited but the Captain’s attitude for a simple solution was a red flag of the bad experience that was coming.
Still waiting on my refund !!
Our on-time parties should have been the first ones to board and give us priority, add the bad attitude from the captain and is the perfect recipe for a bad night on the water.
My kids were very excited but the Captain’s attitude for a simple solution was a red flag of the bad experience that was coming.
Still waiting on my refund !!
Written April 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Linda W
McLean, Virginia, United States2 contributions
Jul 2022
In the heat of July, we needed a way for our daughter's wedding guests to enjoy the sites of Washington, D.C. We didn't want a stuffy, enclosed river dinner - floating restaurant. We wanted to feel the wind in our faces! We rented the entire boat for a 2 hour sightseeing trip. It was perfect. Our guests were able to move around the boat. The children loved to sit up front and there were table to sit around. We were able to hire our own caterer and just had a simple fare of Empanadas and Salads. We purchased drinks that were very reasonably price from Capital River Cruises! I am planning my 70th Birthday Party cruises with Frank and his crew next spring. It was a perfect sunset cruise!
Written October 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shey
Washington DC, DC481 contributions
Sep 2022 • Couples
The sunset cruise duration is only 45 minutes. It leaves on time, so make sure to be there before the departure time. There is a bar and you can purchase drinks.
There was no enough seats for everyone and a few people had to be standing the entire time. This is the reason that I’m not giving them 5 star. Otherwise everything else was fine.
There was no enough seats for everyone and a few people had to be standing the entire time. This is the reason that I’m not giving them 5 star. Otherwise everything else was fine.
Written September 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mary B
6 contributions
Jun 2022
This was an awesome cruise! We did this cruise a couple days ago in June; we left at 8pm with beautiful sunrise and could see the sunrise throughout out the cruise. The cruise had a recording of a voice giving a description of sites and monuments we were passing along the cruise and their history. I appreciated this even as a local! There were plenty of seats to enjoy the view, and the view was beautiful no matter where you were sitting!
Written June 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gerson S
Dania Beach, FL100 contributions
Apr 2022
We're longtime DC residents and love to show our beautiful city to visitors. This time, our grandkids, ages 7 and 3, were visiting us for the first time and we needed something fun, short, and informative. Of all the possibilities, Capital River Cruises have always worked best for us, and this time it was ideal. We don't need fancy dinner cruises or costly private cruises. This one is just a traditional, no frills, basic, 45-minute cruise that is fun for all ages. You'll want to check the weather first since it can be chilly out on the water, but that goes for all the cruises.
Written April 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Melanie M
Chicago, IL2 contributions
Mar 2023 • Couples
The boat didn’t have any signage, so it required asking around. As it was the peak of cherry blossoms and a weekend, it was overbooked. We had to wait for the next tour. Once started, it was a good choice. 45 minutes felt sufficient. At times, the recorded guide was a bit confusing as we had passed the point of interest and didn’t know what/where to look. The docking area was ridiculously crowded due to the festival but would’ve offered great dining choices. Give them a try!
Written March 28, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Katy
Diamond Bar, CA2 contributions
Aug 2022 • Couples
If you do not belong to a big tour group and just decide to take a boat tour with your friends and/or family, DON’T use this company! They would let everyone who belongs to the big tour to board first even if those people are way back in line. The boat operator also was very rude to small groups like us, he actually told us that he always ‘let’ the big tour groups board first. So, if your party is less than 30 people, it doesn’t matter if you get there early to form in line, the operator would make you stay in the hot sun and wait for everybody in the big tour to board first before let you get on the boat. Extremely poor customer service and utterly unreasonable.
Written August 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Por favor me podrían indicar el precio ida y vuelta a Alexandra y los horarios en junio? Muchísimas gracias
Written May 25, 2017
no sabria decirte porque me invitaron. Pero se saca por la web.
Written May 26, 2017
Estaria intersado en realizar un crucero desde puerto de Washington Georgetown (31 y K Street NW) para conocer Alexandria (virginia) Estoy viajando a fines de junio. Somos 2 personas. Podrian suministrarme informacion relativa a precios (ida y vuelta), horarios y detalles de estos viajes. Muchisimas gracias
Written April 25, 2017
does the boat go North or South on the Potomac, where does it leave from, and what sights does it drive by?
Written March 23, 2016
who runs the boat named the Dandy? It was recommended to us.
Written March 23, 2016
Our flight is arriving late (11:00pm) do we have to call hotel and arrange for shuttle service?
Written February 3, 2015
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