City Sights by Sea: Historic Narrated Boat Tours of Providence
Description
We're thrilled to kick off our 35th season of boat tours along the shores of Downtown Providence, Rhode Island in May 2026! Join us for an award-winning, historic journey through the heart of Rhode Island's capital city, and learn about Providence’s rich history, stunning architecture, and fascinating landmarks from our USCG licensed Captains and expert guides. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a lifelong local, Providence River Boat Company delivers an exceptional on-the-water experience, and the perfect way to experience Providence from a whole new perspective. Book your spots in advance, as we often sell out, and discover why we have led Providence tourism for over three decades!
Tour Options
Itinerary
Narrated tour of the Providence waterways!
Narrated tour of the Providence waterways!
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Minimum drinking age is 21 years
- We do not operate in severe or unsafe weather conditions. In the case of cancellation due to weather, you will be offered an alternative or full refund.
Reviews(361)
The guide was great very knowledgeable.
Captain and staff was very friendly we arrived 30 min early, since we’re not familiar with the area, the experience was amazing. We learned a lot from the captain he showed us the history of providence. Would recommend this tour.
Enjoyable ride and learned a lot about Providence history. Check in was a little confusing but it all worked out.
Great orientation about all the changes to the downtown I hadn’t been to the downtown since 1970. Amazing transformation with the help of the three colleges.
We had a fun and informative tour with Tom. Even when the weather didn't cooperate for a few minutes, Tom parked us under a bridge to wait it out, all the while continuing to share facts and history of PVD with us. We would recommend this activity for families!
Thank you so much for your kind review! We're thrilled to hear you had a fun and informative tour with Tom. He's passionate about sharing Providence's rich history, and we're glad he was able to keep the experience enjoyable—even with a brief interruption from the weather! Sometimes a little rain gives us the perfect excuse to take shelter and share a few extra stories. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you and your family back on the water again soon!
Fun and rewarding boat trip. Absolutely worth it.
A little help from Google, and this is what I was able to decipher: "A relaxing and rewarding boat tour. Absolutely worth it." Thank you so much for joining us for a tour, and for the wonderful review! We greatly appreciate your business.
Very knowledgeable and entertaining captain. Learned a lot about history of the city. Great use of an hour.
Thank you for your wonderful 5 star review! We're delighted to hear you enjoyed the tour and found your captain both knowledgeable and entertaining. We love sharing Providence's rich history and unique stories, so it's great to know you learned something new while spending an enjoyable hour on the river. We appreciate you joining us and hope to welcome you back aboard again soon!
The trip was a pleasure, the captain was warm and friendly, sitting on board we saw many different buildings, beautiful scenery, the captain drove the boat to explain a lot about the history of the city, professional and interesting! We've learned a lot too! It's very satisfying.
With a little help from Google, this is what I understand your review to say: "We had a wonderful time on this tour. The captain was warm, friendly, and welcoming. From the boat, we saw many different buildings and beautiful scenery. As we cruised along, the captain shared a lot about the city's history in a way that was both professional and engaging. We learned a great deal and were very satisfied with the experience!" Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're delighted to hear you had such an enjoyable experience on the river. It's great to know your captain's friendly personality and passion for Providence's history made the tour both informative and entertaining. We're especially happy that you enjoyed the beautiful scenery and unique views of the city's architecture from the water. Thank you for joining us, and we hope to welcome you aboard again the next time you're in Providence!
Friendly and very knowledgeable Captain and a small boat so you’re right there. Providence is a beautiful and historic city and this ride is a great introduction.
Thank you for your wonderful review! We're so glad you enjoyed the experience and appreciated our captain's friendly personality and knowledge of Providence's history. One of the things we love most about our small boats is that they create a more personal, up-close experience on the river, allowing guests to take in the city's beauty from a unique perspective. Thank you for choosing to explore Providence with us, and we hope to welcome you aboard again soon!
Captain Mike and Guide Forest were really good. He crammed the river tour into an hour and a half, which was just the right amount of time. Forest also recommended some restaurants. His stories were entertaining. Overall worth the price and we got a quick run down of the city history.
Thank you for your fantastic review! We're so glad you enjoyed your time with Captain Bob and Forrest. They both love sharing Providence's history and helping guests discover great local spots, so it's wonderful to hear their stories and restaurant recommendations added to your experience. We're also happy to know the tour length felt just right and that you found it to be a great value. Thank you for choosing to explore Providence with us, and we hope to welcome you back aboard on a future visit!
