Bobs Wild Horse Tours
Bobs Wild Horse Tours
4.5
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About
See the Corolla Wild Horses in an open air truck. We have custom vehicles that will seat up to 15 people. All tours are safe for all ages. This is a must do tour if you are on the Outer Banks of NC. We have been safely guiding for over 20 years. Please note during Nor'Easters and times of inclement weather we do not see as many horses, however there is much more to the tour than just horses! Come on out and enjoy a tour we cover 25 miles of beach driving and beyond. Our horse sanctuary covers more than 7500 acres and lots of open spaces for the horses to roam.
Corolla, North Carolina
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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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.
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4.5
794 reviews
Excellent
630
Very good
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32
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17
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Fishface222
Atlanta, GA62 contributions
Jun 2020 • Family
We called a couple places but settled on Bob’s because we had a larger group that they could accommodate with reasonable COVID precautions.
I called them once we decided and Bob himself picked up the phone and was able to quickly book the tour. Bob’s allowed us to buy out the remaining seats (4 extra) so that no one else would be put on our tour and we could therefore keep proper social distance. The tour driver is in a truck cab so there was no problem keeping distance from the driver as well.
We took the first tour of the morning and saw many horses in the dunes and on the beach. The truck is not quite as luxurious as the one that uses converted H1 Hummers but it was comfy enough and had lap seat belts. The cover provided sufficient shade. But it is open so bring sunscreen. Also bring your own water.
The tours all seem to all take approximately the same routes so if the horses are out to be seen, you are likely to see horses with them all. Choose based on price, vehicle and flexibility with the COVID situation.
I found Bob’s to be a good choice overall. My two favorite horse pics from the trip are attached.
I called them once we decided and Bob himself picked up the phone and was able to quickly book the tour. Bob’s allowed us to buy out the remaining seats (4 extra) so that no one else would be put on our tour and we could therefore keep proper social distance. The tour driver is in a truck cab so there was no problem keeping distance from the driver as well.
We took the first tour of the morning and saw many horses in the dunes and on the beach. The truck is not quite as luxurious as the one that uses converted H1 Hummers but it was comfy enough and had lap seat belts. The cover provided sufficient shade. But it is open so bring sunscreen. Also bring your own water.
The tours all seem to all take approximately the same routes so if the horses are out to be seen, you are likely to see horses with them all. Choose based on price, vehicle and flexibility with the COVID situation.
I found Bob’s to be a good choice overall. My two favorite horse pics from the trip are attached.
Written July 2, 2020
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.
CaptainTCB
Key West, FL76 contributions
Aug 2020
My wife and I are Extremly serious professional photographers and I'm sure we drove the very nice lady in the office crazy trying to get a 4 seat beach tour vehicle with only us so we could slide side to side. She was never upset with us coming back day after day and was extremely accommodating and pleasant. She is a real asset to your company. Our driver was Brian and he went above and beyond to get us in the proper position to get great shots. He ever let us get out of the four wheel drive vehicle an get on the beach and shoot the horses in the water! He was also very knowledgable about the horses, beach and Corolla. Another great employee. Between my wife and I we got over 700 images. Other liveries were not flexible and one was extremely pricey. If you want the most bang for the buck go to Bob's Wild Horse Tours. YOU WON'T REGRET IT.
Written September 3, 2020
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.
Travis S
3 contributions
Jun 2021 • Family
With five kids — 10, 9, 5, 3 & 3 years old — Bob’s Wild Horse Tour was fabulous! We decided on the 6 PM tour, which made it a little cooler (it was 72 degrees that evening) but the pictures and ambiance were precisely what we hoped for! Kyle was both knowledgeable and personable. We ended up seeing approximately 22 horse (of 107 that current reside on the island)!
A few things you should know: First, there are times when the truck reaches 35 MPH, which in open-air is exhilarating but a little terrifying with our youngest kids. Second, Bob’s Wild Horse Tour is the best value in Corolla. Don’t pay more for other companies — you’ll see them touring the island and it’s all the same roads and routes, so don’t overpay for fancier military-style vehicles or companies with catchier names! Lastly, the tour doesn’t take you to some enchanted desolate land. There are times when you take paths that, in effect, are neighborhood roads. The wild horses roam wherever, including into backyards. I’ve read other reviews by people who are disenchanted by this reality — have appropriate expectations!
This was THE highlight of our trip to OBX and would happily drop the money again for our party of seven to take Bob’s Wild Horse Tour!
A few things you should know: First, there are times when the truck reaches 35 MPH, which in open-air is exhilarating but a little terrifying with our youngest kids. Second, Bob’s Wild Horse Tour is the best value in Corolla. Don’t pay more for other companies — you’ll see them touring the island and it’s all the same roads and routes, so don’t overpay for fancier military-style vehicles or companies with catchier names! Lastly, the tour doesn’t take you to some enchanted desolate land. There are times when you take paths that, in effect, are neighborhood roads. The wild horses roam wherever, including into backyards. I’ve read other reviews by people who are disenchanted by this reality — have appropriate expectations!
This was THE highlight of our trip to OBX and would happily drop the money again for our party of seven to take Bob’s Wild Horse Tour!
Written June 24, 2021
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.
DROS12345
1 contribution
Apr 2022 • Couples
Loved seeing the horses on the beach and roaming in the neighborhood. I was so excited to go on this tour and wish I was giving more stars but our experience was overshadowed by the horrible ride. Our guide was nice when she introduced herself but drove like a maniac making the ride was extremely bumpy. I think that because we were also on wet sand, we were tossed side to side the entire ride (except when we slowed to see the horses). When the guide drove down a super steep hill into the neighborhood at a high speed, it cause us to raised up and hit hard on landing. Because the drop was so steep, the jolt so hard and loud, the whole wagon of guests yelled (3 rows of 4 people and our last row of 2). Because we all yelled, the guide even yelled back asking if we all are were ok. That particular jolt caused me to bang my right arm on the back rail so hard it is now bruised. I think because were in the back and with only two people, we were thrown around more, but combined with the hard hits, continuously jolting our spines and my bruised elbow, our horrible ride overshadowed our whole experience.
It may be fun for teens but their open wagon had minimal seat cushions and no place to hold on, therefore I do not recommend for small kids or anyone who doesn’t want to experience jolts from continuous hard hits snd extreme sliding side to side and driving at high speeds, afraid she would loose control we would tip over.
They advertise that the tour is 2- 2.5 hours long. We did ours in about an 1 hr 45 min.
Since I’m going on day two dealing with the aftermaths of a bruised elbow and sore spine I’ve decided to contact them today to convey our experience; to ask them to require the guides to drive at safe speeds with an open wagon full of people; give fair warning to patrons that the ride is rough be of their wagon style hitched rig, so they can opt out if they so choose. We asked if they would consider giving us a refund for our horrible experience and they said “no, she wasn’t there and we tell folks the ride us bumpy.”
Will will not be back. I would suggest you pay the extra and get a more personalized tour in a smaller rig for a more comfortable and enjoyable ride.
It may be fun for teens but their open wagon had minimal seat cushions and no place to hold on, therefore I do not recommend for small kids or anyone who doesn’t want to experience jolts from continuous hard hits snd extreme sliding side to side and driving at high speeds, afraid she would loose control we would tip over.
They advertise that the tour is 2- 2.5 hours long. We did ours in about an 1 hr 45 min.
Since I’m going on day two dealing with the aftermaths of a bruised elbow and sore spine I’ve decided to contact them today to convey our experience; to ask them to require the guides to drive at safe speeds with an open wagon full of people; give fair warning to patrons that the ride is rough be of their wagon style hitched rig, so they can opt out if they so choose. We asked if they would consider giving us a refund for our horrible experience and they said “no, she wasn’t there and we tell folks the ride us bumpy.”
Will will not be back. I would suggest you pay the extra and get a more personalized tour in a smaller rig for a more comfortable and enjoyable ride.
Written April 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.
Kathy N
3 contributions
Aug 2020 • Family
Tour guide Karen was incredibly disrespectful when we asked if others could wear a mask, rolling her eyes. No social distancing. I realize businesses need income but shouldn’t be at the expense of safety. When I then asked for information on how to put child seat in truck she was not listening and continued to dismiss my previous request for masks. If people won’t wear masks should only fill every other seat. Terrible customer service.
Written August 10, 2020
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.
Karen is great guide and her reviews bear that out, to say anything less is simply not true. As to social distancing and masks, we have statements on our website about these issues and how we are handling them. Our mask recommendation is not an enforceable law according the Currituck Sheriff's dept. We have asked all of our guests to wear a mask, both verbally and in writing. If they choose not to, we are not going to ask them to leave. We risk the making one party angry or the other upset and possibly ruining a highlight of their vacation. We have no mixed parties on the same row. Each row is about 3 feet from the next one and all of seats face forward, thus each person is not face to face. I would further add that these tours are open air and no one is breathing in your face. We have done the best we can in an untenable situation. While it seems easy to space out every other seat. We would be bankrupt in not time as the expense of running the business did not change. We have also created a private tour, anyone can avail themselves of that option if they do not wish to ride with other patrons and do! The following statement is directly from my booking page under health and safety; North Carolina has mandated a mask policy in public spaces where social distancing is not achievable. Please be prepared to wear a mask on your tour as we cannot offer social distancing. Each row is made up a single party, you will not be on the same row with a random party. If you have a condition that precludes you from wearing one, just let us know. We will not ask anything further as it is a violation of your rights. If you have any concerns for your safety if others do not wear a mask, do not book this tour. We cannot ensure every person will have one on.
Written August 13, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Cathy K
Hampton, Virginia, United States9 contributions
Jul 2022
Not what we expected at all. When I booked this for our family vacation I was under the impression that there is a beach where the wild Mustang horse roam and that the only way to actually see them is through a tour like this one plus we were going to learn some history about the area from our guide.
Wrong, anyone with a 4wd vehicle and a pass can drive on to the beach and actually hang out on the beach, there are also lots of houses back off this beach that people can also rent and some look like they live there year round.
These tours actually take you back through these houses to find horses. The ones we saw were in peoples yards and looked like they belonged to these houses. There was 2 horse near a house being built that she was going to drive right by until we all yelled then she backed up for a few minutes to let the first couple rows see . Mind you we were in the back row when she started to pull forward she said something and we thought it was about seeing more horse somewhere else she took off so we really didn't get to see them.
Then to find out she was heading back not to see more horses and this was at the 1 hour 10 minute mark. I spent over $250 for 4 of us and my husband tipped the guide cause she stated she works for tips and he felt bad for her.
The tours is suppose to be 2 -2.5 hours it's actually only about 45 minutes to an hour of actually looking for horses. one due to the location of the business were you get on the truck and the beach they take you too and they have to drive pretty far up the beach before they head up to start looking and the history she gave us was about a 5 minute stop on the beach where she got out and talked but we could barely hear her, again I assumed there would be some type of speaker system that she could talk to us while driving .
She seemed like she was rushing to finish her day as we were the second to last tour of the day the other one was 15 minutes behind us. Safe your money and rent a 4wd if you don't have one and just follow one of these tours
Wrong, anyone with a 4wd vehicle and a pass can drive on to the beach and actually hang out on the beach, there are also lots of houses back off this beach that people can also rent and some look like they live there year round.
These tours actually take you back through these houses to find horses. The ones we saw were in peoples yards and looked like they belonged to these houses. There was 2 horse near a house being built that she was going to drive right by until we all yelled then she backed up for a few minutes to let the first couple rows see . Mind you we were in the back row when she started to pull forward she said something and we thought it was about seeing more horse somewhere else she took off so we really didn't get to see them.
Then to find out she was heading back not to see more horses and this was at the 1 hour 10 minute mark. I spent over $250 for 4 of us and my husband tipped the guide cause she stated she works for tips and he felt bad for her.
The tours is suppose to be 2 -2.5 hours it's actually only about 45 minutes to an hour of actually looking for horses. one due to the location of the business were you get on the truck and the beach they take you too and they have to drive pretty far up the beach before they head up to start looking and the history she gave us was about a 5 minute stop on the beach where she got out and talked but we could barely hear her, again I assumed there would be some type of speaker system that she could talk to us while driving .
She seemed like she was rushing to finish her day as we were the second to last tour of the day the other one was 15 minutes behind us. Safe your money and rent a 4wd if you don't have one and just follow one of these tours
Written July 9, 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.
Jay A
Princeton Junction, NJ15 contributions
Jun 2021 • Family
I am yeah overall great experience like I would definitely recommend if everybody there I was super nice. It was long to 2 1/2 hour tour and I will do the big thing is the horses could be hit or miss I didn’t say too many horses but I definitely recommend it. Our driver and tour guide Karen was really good a lot of information and she was helpful in getting us in and out of the truck overall I will definitely recommend it to anybody and the price is pretty good too! you know so it’s between $30/$40 a person depending of child adult senior etc.
Written June 14, 2021
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.
Don B
Dayton, OH31 contributions
Oct 2021
On Saturday, October 16, 2021, four of us friends experienced an exceptional adventure looking for and finding over 50 of the wild horses that roam Corolla, NC with Bob’s Wild Horse Tours. We were fortunate to book the last available seats for the 4:30 - 6:30 pm tour the day prior after visiting the Corolla Wild Horse Fund and Museum during our vacation in the Outer Banks. Our guide Brian shared much useful information, and worked hard to ensure everyone on board got great looks and photo opportunities of as many horses as possible. And he provided a fun ride along the beach in the tour vehicle also. We would go again and happily use Bob’s again.
Written October 19, 2021
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.
samster77
48 contributions
Jun 2020 • Family
Booking online was easy and the tour itself was interesting and we enjoyed seeing both the horses and the houses out on the 4x4 beaches. However, the seat belts and safety systems are sorely lacking. Young children can not be easily affixed in their seat belts. My 8yo son had about 6 inches of slack in his belt and it couldn't tighten anymore. One big bump and he easily could tumble out or slam his head into the bench in front of him. And although car seats are required by law, there is absolutely no way to safely install a car seat on these trucks. There us no latch system and the wonky seat belts can't tighten correctly. If you're traveling with kids, I'd highly recommend calling around to see what safety systems the tour operator have in place for kids.
Written June 20, 2020
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.
All of the tour companies use lap belts. They use of tether systems just don't work in this environment and neither do the retractable seat belts. They fill with sand in about a minute and then cease to work all together.
Thank you for taking the tour I hope you had a good time otherwise.
Written June 24, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Terrie H
Dover, NH11 contributions
Apr 2022 • Friends
We had so much fun! Herb, our guide, was really informative, providing information about the horses, the Corolla Wild Horse Fund, and the area.
It was a very windy Spring day for our tour and Herb warned us that the front row was going to be very cold and warned us several times to make sure we were bundled up.
We were also forewarned that the horses may not be on the beach this early in the season, but we’d find them among the yards.
Herb wasn’t lying, the wind whipping in our faces full on was indeed cold, but if you are bundled up and prepared for it, it’s ok. Even with the wind, I wouldn’t give up those front seats - tooling down the beach and driving over the sand dunes was an absolute blast.
We saw several small bands of horses enjoying themselves grazing, as well as a young bachelor stallion who very casually walked right beside our truck on his way for a good roll on someone’s lawn.
I read some of the reviews here before booking and to those who post negative reviews for issues with weather, mechanical issues, or not seeing the desired horses or where you’d like to, get a grip. Set your expectations appropriately; weather is weather and cannot be controlled, the ride WILL be bumpy - you are driving over sand which is rutted in a number of spots (for us that added to the fun), and the horses are not there to entertain us, we are there to try to catch a glimpse of their lives.
The truck was clean, the bench seats were perfectly comfortable and spacious (I’m an extra large woman and I fit comfortably along with three of my sisters (all average sized) - the seat belts are generously sized, so no issues there as well.
If you think you couldn’t enjoy this adventure as is, there are options to take a tour with another company in a Humvee with really padded seats and a windscreen. However, for us, the safari type open air truck was half the fun.
It was a very windy Spring day for our tour and Herb warned us that the front row was going to be very cold and warned us several times to make sure we were bundled up.
We were also forewarned that the horses may not be on the beach this early in the season, but we’d find them among the yards.
Herb wasn’t lying, the wind whipping in our faces full on was indeed cold, but if you are bundled up and prepared for it, it’s ok. Even with the wind, I wouldn’t give up those front seats - tooling down the beach and driving over the sand dunes was an absolute blast.
We saw several small bands of horses enjoying themselves grazing, as well as a young bachelor stallion who very casually walked right beside our truck on his way for a good roll on someone’s lawn.
I read some of the reviews here before booking and to those who post negative reviews for issues with weather, mechanical issues, or not seeing the desired horses or where you’d like to, get a grip. Set your expectations appropriately; weather is weather and cannot be controlled, the ride WILL be bumpy - you are driving over sand which is rutted in a number of spots (for us that added to the fun), and the horses are not there to entertain us, we are there to try to catch a glimpse of their lives.
The truck was clean, the bench seats were perfectly comfortable and spacious (I’m an extra large woman and I fit comfortably along with three of my sisters (all average sized) - the seat belts are generously sized, so no issues there as well.
If you think you couldn’t enjoy this adventure as is, there are options to take a tour with another company in a Humvee with really padded seats and a windscreen. However, for us, the safari type open air truck was half the fun.
Written April 29, 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.
During the tour do you ever stop to get out and look around, or are you on the truck the whole time?
Written January 14, 2018
We did get out once and were able to take a family photo with a horse in the background! So cool! I think stops depend on the guide and how many horses you actually get around to see since obviously more horses will take more time.
Written July 23, 2018
Where would be the best place to stay near where this tour is?
Written July 17, 2017
My husband and I would like to know if there are tours that are calmer for handicapped people. I noticed some said that the ride is bumpy but that you can ask for a more sedated one. Is this true? Would love to go but not sure if ride would be too rough,
Written March 12, 2017
Depends on the time of year and where you sit in the vehicle. There are times when you cannot avoid a rough ride due to conditions.
Written March 12, 2017
Brenda S
Vesuvius, Virginia
Hello.
We will be visiting Corolla from March 7-15. Our party includes a 95 yr old gentleman & his 75 yr old wife. Both are on walkers and need assistance getting in and out of vehicles. He was a real cowboy prior to WW2 and wants to see wild horses again. Can you accommodate us? If so, what is the price per person for a tour? How far in advance do we need to book the tour?
Thanks for your help.
Brenda Spillers
Written February 15, 2015
To answer your question, I have one of my own. While the trucks are high of the ground we have a stair case that we can back up to. If they can climb 4 stairs than it should not be a problem. We can use step stools to assist getting them in the cab of the truck. In March that may be a good idea as it is still quite chilly. The cost is $29 senior and $39 adult. We will re open in March and you would only need a day or two advance notice to book. Please call us in March with any questions or just respond to this tread!
Thanks and hope we can be of service to you!
Bob
Written February 16, 2015
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