Chincoteague, VA is home to the famous wild Chincoteague ponies, as well as bald eagles, ospreys, and other shorebirds. Atlantic bottlenose dolphins even make a visit to the surrounding waters in summer and fall.
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge is managed on the Virginia side of Assateague Island. Assateague State Park is managed on the Maryland side of the island. Both parks make up the Assateague Island National Seashore. Together, the islands make up one of the most beautiful places on the east coast.
Chincoteague is located on the eastern shore of Virginia. It is surrounded by water, with the Atlantic Ocean and Chincoteague Bay on either side. This makes boat tours a great way to experience the natural beauty and abundant wildlife of this unique place.
Chincoteague boat tours also allow you to reach more remote places on the island that are only accessible by water. This can provide you with an even more intimate and memorable experience at this special place. The nature cruises offer close-up views of the world-famous ponies and other wildlife on the islands.
Sunset boat tours are also available, which can give you a chance to experience the region’s beautiful sunsets.
You can learn more about the park, and other national parks in Virginia, by checking out my guide to the Virginia National Parks!
Below are my top recommendations for boat tours in Chincoteague, VA.
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| Where to Stay Near Chincoteague, VA |
| Comfort Suites Chincoteague Island Bayfront Resort (Click here to book) * * * * Channel Bass Inn (Click here to book) |
| What to Bring on a Chincoteague Boat Tour |
| 1. Binoculars – Click here to buy 2. Backpack – Click here to buy 3. Sunscreen – Click here to buy 4. Bug Spray – Click here to buy |
Chincoteague Boat Tours
| Boat Tours | Unique Features | Tickets |
| Assateague Explorer Boat Tour | Offers boat and kayak tours | Click here to purchase |
| Daisey’s Island Cruises | Has both larger capacity and smaller capacity boats | Click here to purchase |
| Assateague Tours | Has kayaks, paddleboards, and canoes | Click here to purchase |
| Barnacle Bill’s Boat Tours | Provides local history and stories | Click here to purchase |
| Captain Barry’s Back Bay Cruises | Floating classroom geared toward hands-on experience with nature | Click here to purchase |
| Captain Dan’s Around the Island Tours | Has an Afternoon Pony Tour that just focuses on pony viewing | Click here to purchase |
| Spider’s Explorer | Officiates marriages on boat cruises | Click here to purchase |
| Chincoteague Island Adventures | Operated by a lifelong waterman from Chincoteague | Click here to purchase |
| Cowboy Cruise Company | Offers a pony tour and shellfish tour with saltwater oysters | Click here to purchase |
| Island Queen Inland Charters | Also offers fishing trips, including trips for young children | Click here to purchase |
Assateague Explorer Boat Tour
Description
Assateague Explorer Boat Tour offers boat and kayak tours around the island. They even offer special dolphin tours. Dolphins are most commonly seen in the summer and fall.
The wildlife tours will give you a chance to see the famous Chincoteague ponies, bald eagles, ospreys, and other birds and wildlife in their natural habitat on the island.
A great bonus of the tour is that it reaches parts of the island that are only accessible by boat. This makes it a more secluded experience where you can get even closer to the natural beauty and wildlife of the island.
The tours leave throughout the day, including a morning tour at 9:30 am, as well as tours at 12:30 pm, 2:30 pm, and sunset.
The company offers several tour options:
Tickets
You can purchase tickets online.
Daisey’s Island Cruises
Description
Daisey’s Island Cruises offer nature tours on pontoon boats. The scenic cruise travels around both Chincoteague Island and Assateague Island.
The tours also travel to Tom’s Cove, which is the southern end of Chincoteague Island and the best location for spotting Atlantic bottlenose dolphins.
They offer several different tours, including:
- Larger Capacity Pontoon Scenic Wildlife Boat Tour (2 hours)
- 6 Passenger Scenic Wildlife Tour (2 hours)
- Dolphin/Adventure Tour (1.5 hours)
- Specialty Cruises for the Spring and Fall Pony Round Up, Weddings, Birding, and other special events (2 hours)
- A private tour is also available.
Tickets
You can purchase tickets online.
Assateague Tours
Description
Assateague Tours offers 6 daily tours to remote locations around Assateague and Chincoteague. The boat tours last from a 1-hour cruise to a 1.5 hours cruise.
The tour also provides a view of the Assateague Lighthouse.
The company also has one and two-person kayaks, paddleboards, and canoes that you can take to explore the nature reserve. They even offer a guided Kayak Eco Tour. You can reserve a private tour for an additional fee.
Tickets
You can purchase tickets online.
Barnacle Bill’s Boat Tours
Description
Barnacle Bill’s Boat Tours is owned by a father and son duo. The company offers several tour options, including a “Explore the Island and Its Wildlife” tour, and a “Sunset Tour and Explore”.
Barnacle Bill and Billy both grew up in Chincoteague, and they have a wealth of local knowledge and provide guests with stories about the history of the island.
Tickets
You can purchase tickets online.
Captain Barry’s Back Bay Cruises
Description
Captain Barry’s Back Bay Cruises sets itself apart by offering a more hands-on experience to nature as part of the boat tours. In fact, the boat is called a “floating classroom”.
Tours are limited to just 6 people, which makes them more private than some of the other tours.
The eco tours focus on other activities that are especially geared toward kids and learning. Some of the activities on the tours include collecting shells, pulling crab pots, harvesting salt oysters, and searching for jellyfish.
There are multiple cruises throughout the day, starting at 8:00 am and ending with sunset cruises (for adults only) at 6:30 pm.
Tickets
You can call for tour reservations. Note that cash and checks are accepted, but credit cards are not accepted.
Captain Dan’s Around the Island Tours
Description
Captain Dan’s Around the Island tours offers three tour types: public, private, and semi-private. The public tour has a capacity of 12 passengers, the semi-private tour has a capacity of 6 passengers and will have a more personal focus based on what the group is interested in seeing.
The company offers a main public tour that covers 25 miles, including 18 miles of Assateague coastline. Along the trip you can see wild ponies, dolphins, and many shorebirds, including bald eagles, herons, and ospreys.
They also offer an Afternoon Pony Tour, which just focuses on seeing ponies.
Tickets
You can call for tour reservations.
Spider’s Explorer
Description
Spider’s Explorer offers two-hour tours around Chincoteague Island.
You can get an opportunity to see a wide range of migratory birds, including herons, egrets, terns, ducks, oystercatchers, swans, pelicans, Canada geese, eagles, osprey, and laughing gulls.
There are also of course many opportunities to see wild horses, dolphins, and even sea turtles. The boat sizes are limited to just 6 passengers.
One of the unique features that Spider’s Explorer offers is an opportunity to get married on a boat cruise. The captain is an official Marriage Celebrant in the commonwealth of Virginia.
Tickets
You can call for tour reservations.
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