United States
Michigan (MI)
Grand Traverse County
Traverse City
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Tall Ship Manitou - Day Tours
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Tall Ship Manitou - Day Tours

See all things to do
See all things to do
Tall Ship Manitou - Day Tours
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About
Join us aboard the 114' SCHOONER MANITOU as we ply the sparkling waters of Grand Traverse Bay. Sailing out of Traverse City, MI, Manitou offers four two hour sails per day. Help haul sail, take a turn at the wheel, or just sit bax and relax. During the month of September Manitou plies the waters of northern Lake Michigan and Grand Traverse Bay on four and five day windjammer cruises. Step back in time as we visit the islands, bays, and coastal villages of this magical region.
Traverse City, Michigan
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2022
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Tall Ship Manitou - Day Tours
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(138 reviews)
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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5.0
1,529 reviews
Excellent
1,324
Very good
139
Average
42
Poor
14
Terrible
10
lawrenceschacht@gmail.com
20 contributions
Experience of a lifetime
Jul 2021
A lucky find two weeks ago from a brochure in the motel. Website purchase of our two tickets was easy. For value and convenience we recommend the linked restaurant for dinner: a fixed price 3-course meal with choice of entree, very tasty and walk-in convenient.
Perfect weather for the cruise. Crew (all except the captain were enthusiastic college summer break students) were always helpful and we learned lots of nautical terms. I was one of the 8 volunteers each on port and starboard who got to haul line and raise the main sheet (sail). Others just went along for the ride.
Written August 11, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Lisa K
Portage, IN23 contributions
Haunted Lighthouse Tour on Tall Ship Manitou
Sep 2021
My husband and I and another couple of our friends enjoyed a four-day cruise around the Grand Traverse Bay, Michigan aboard the Tall Ship Manitou in late September 2021. There were 22 passengers total and we met some interesting people. There was never a lack of conversation and stories to hear or tell. The theme for the trip was Michigan's Haunted Lighthouse, a book written by Dianna Stampfler, who in the evenings provided wonderful insights into Michigan's lighthouse history and ghosts as well as female lighthouse keepers. The captain, Jamie, and the whole crew were gracious and attentive. We got to try our hands at raising and lowering the sails, piloting the ship, and experience how much work it takes to sail a ship that size. The cook, Lexi, was phenomenal! She prepared wonderful meals on a wood burning stove in the galley and every dish was a treat. The weather was fantastic for late in September and we enjoyed calm winds and sunny days. As part of the trip we toured the Grand Traverse Lighthouse, hiked on Power Island, had a sea shanty sing-a-long one night with the captain who played the mandolin, and explored shops at Suttons Bay. For a first time sailing experience we couldn't have asked for a better time. It was a great adventure!
Written October 15, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Donna M
1 contribution
Awesome Outting on the Tall Ship Sail
Jul 2021
Our family group of nine had a great time on the “Moomers” afternoon sail. A generous scoop of Ice Cream or pre-order Sorbet was served. A very nice treat as we relaxed on a beautiful day in July.
The crew was friendly, it was fun to see them hoist the sails as we set off. They told us about the history of the Manitou, ships such as this one in the waters, what each sail was. “Spoiler Alert” – the crew asked for volunteers to hoist up a sail as we set out. The crew moved rather quickly about the ship as the captain gave orders to direct sails as we changed directions in the bay. The crew worked the riggings but had time to answer any questions we had. The crew was quite engaging, as our group told a few “Pirate Jokes” and the captain joined in with a few of his own. "Why did the pirate buy an eye patch? Because he couldn’t afford an iPad" - Arrgh!
I would highly suggest this for Families or anyone. You will enjoy it. Wear a light jacket, long sleeved shirt or purchase one at the ticket office. They are really neat.
Written July 21, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
sweetnessncharm
Cadillac, MI1 contribution
sunset trip
Aug 2022
Although we booked an evening dinner and sunset tour, we did not experience the sunset that we were expecting. The tour was fine, the title of sunset tour was a little misleading because we were done and back at the pier before any setting of the sun. The crew and captain did an excellent job and the dinner at Harrington's by the Bay was delicious. We did enjoy the tour but as it was an anniversary trip, it just wasn't what we were expecting for the "sunset" tour. The map provided for out of town patrons was also a little misleading. We parked, as suggested, in their parking area and "walked" to the dinner restaurant, which was quite far from what was pictured on their "map". We had to stop and ask for directions because it was so much farther than what was shown on their site map and it was well over 80degrees outside at the time of the walk to the restaurant. All in all we would rate this an average tour, just not up to what we expected. It should have told us to park at the restaurant and then drive to their parking area plus when advertised as a sunset tour, make it coincide with the setting of the sun hours for that day.
Written September 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Barbie072021
Lansing, MI1 contribution
Sailing on the Manitou
Jul 2021
The trip in itself was nice, the weather was perfect, the water was calm, and we had great seats. It was frustrating that we follow the rules as posted on the website and sent in the emails, however, we noticed some people drove right back to the launch area to park whereas we had parked a ways away per the instructions. We also noticed a group brought on coolers with their own adult beverages and nothing was said to them, so that was frustrating because if one group can get away with it, why shouldn't we all be able to do so. It took a while to get drink orders in, and get our order, no time for more. The biggest turn off was at the end when the captain starts lecturing about how we should tip his staff. I'm sorry but after paying over $50 per person and doing the calculation on how many people sailed, it adds up, so maybe he should just consider paying his people better. It was an okay trip, something everybody should do once, but I doubt I'll ever care to do it again, Oh, and one more thing to be aware of, if you buy the boat ride and dinner and you plan to do the evening tour, go eat your dinner first, we were late getting off the boat and by the time we got to the restaurant it was 8.57pm and the restaurant closes at 9:00pm. The tickets say you can go before or after the boat ride, but you won't have time for dinner after if you're on the last sail of the day.
Written July 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
charlesmccarthy2022
1 contribution
Tall ship Manitou
Aug 2022
Not much was good. Motor out down around west end of bay. A can of water was $3.00 and a bottle of root beer was $5.00 Very disappointed. Boat trip was way over priced and liquid refreshments price was outrageous. Would not recommend this trip to anyone. In fact, I would discourage it. Better things to do in Traverse City
Written August 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Rob & Chari V.
Grand Rapids, Michigan16 contributions
Looking for a fun, unique and absolutely beautiful sailing experience... This is it!
Jul 2022
This was my fifth time sailing on the Manitou, including 1 sunset sail and an overnight stay on board. My wife and I have no complaints. if we could give you 10 stars, we would. The captain and crew are always fun, knowledgeable and entertaining. This time (7-16-2022) we got to enjoy a new experience, we got to sail away from the dock without even starting the motor, very cool! Can't wait to go again. For anyone looking for a fun, unique and absolutely beautiful sailing experience, this is it! Thanks to everyone at Tall Ship Manitou for another job well done!
Written July 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
skyraider2022
Canton, MI1 contribution
Beautiful Entertaining and Informative
Jun 2022
The Manitou dock is easy to get to, with ample nearby parking. The ship was clean and in great condition. The safety presentation prior to boarding was short, but informative, mixed with an appropriate amount of humor. It was fascinating to watch the crew and passenger volunteers raise the sails and get underway, all while the captain shouted instructions. Once underway, the captain and crew members circulated amongst the passengers to answer questions and provide historical insight. We had a beautiful sunny evening, perfect for this landlubber to enjoy. Every employee of the company was friendly and welcoming, which added to the pleasure of a truly enjoyable sail.
Written June 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Laura M
1 contribution
Brunch Cruise
Jun 2021
We went on the Father’s Day Bruch cruise. It was a wonderful experience. Check in was easy, the food was amazing, the crew was fantastic, friendly, engaged in conversation with the passengers and answered everyone’s questions. Captain Lily was very informative about the ship and the history of schooners. The views were beautiful. We would highly recommend taking a Tall Ship sail when in the Traverse City area.
Written June 22, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
mcgow2012
Athens, GA1 contribution
Great adventure amidst COVID-19
Jul 2020 • Family
We have 3 young children (ages 3, 4, 5) and wanted to take them on something fun during our trip to Traverse City. I actually called other tour companies first thinking the Manitou would be touristy / dull, but the other companies were crazy expensive. So I called the Manitou and it fit in our budget (less than $200 for 5 people) and seemed like it was worth a try. Our boys LOVED it and I think it was way better during coronavirus than it would have been at other times b/c there were so few people (25?) on the boat due to "social distancing" restrictions. We really had a great time! Also, it was a solid 90 degrees when we left the port and we were afraid we would be burning up and fried the entire time. We did put on plenty of sunscreen and had sunglasses for everyone, but the breeze off of the water was great and we never felt too hot. The ice cream helped too!! Lastly, 2 hours was a perfect amount of time for kids. They really got to experience everything and had a great time.
Written July 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Tall Ship Manitou - Day Tours (Traverse City) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go