yacht tour liverpool

The Albert Dock, Liverpool

The Royal Albert Dock in Liverpool is one of the UK’s most popular tourist attractions, part of Liverpool’s iconic waterfront. Built in the 1860’s The Royal Albert Dock was a revolutionary new complex of docks, offering fire proof indoor storage for goods from all over the world.

Today the Royal Albert Dock has become a popular, vibrant destination for locals and tourists alike, enjoying the bust bars, restaurants and shops catering for all occasions.  In addition to several world class museums and of course the Tate Gallery of Modern Art, the visitor can expect a vibrant cultural experience, just a few moments walk from Liverpool City Centre.  You can learn more of the history of the docks and of Liverpool as you cruise the dock system from our on board commentary.

Liverpool Boat Tour

Liverpool Boat Tour operates half hour tours of the Dock System, aboard The Princess, a classic passenger boat that we have lovingly refurbished over the past two years.

The Princess offers comfortable, seated accommodation for just over 60 passengers. Table service allows you to enjoy a drink and snacks from our well stocked bar as you listen to our informative commentary and nautical music as you cruise through the dock system.  The half hour tour also allows you to see the many large yachts and sea going vessels in Liverpool Marina.  You can book your cruise on line or simply turn up and pay on board. We accept all major credit and debit cards.

Our half Hour Tours are available 7 days a week from 11.00 am (subject to weather conditions)

You can buy your tickets on line now, or simply turn up and pay on board.

Concession £6

Children £3.50

Our Concessions Price applies to Over 60’s and Students only.

Private Charters

The Princess is also available for Private Charters for groups of up to 60 people.

Suitable for coach parties, corporate events or private parties, be it a Birthday, Anniversary, or any occasion we can provide a Champagne Reception with Canopies or a range of Buffet menus to compliment the occasion in addition to drinks from our well stocked licensed bar.

We accept all major credit and debit cards.

Liverpool Boat Tour Albert Dock, Liverpool Merseyside

Call 07770 993222

Email [email protected]

You will find us located next to The TATE Liverpool Art Gallery on the Albert Docks.

Our Policies

Privacy & Cookies

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Certification

We are certified by The Marine and Coastguard Agency to carry Passengers.

Accessibility

Please note Liverpool Boat Tour is not accessible for wheelchair users.

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3 Best Liverpool Boat Trips to Take in 2024 (Tried & Tested!)

• September 21, 2023

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Liverpool boat trips are the best way to see Liverpool from a totally different angle and, I can’t hype them enough!

I’ve been to Liverpool more times than I can count, and I’ve actually taken the world-famous “ferry across the Mersey” twice now – once in winter, and once in summer.

Thanks to these experiences, I have a few recommendations and top tips up my sleeve when it comes to picking a Liverpool boat tour. Today, I’m going to share the very best ones with you!

In a hurry, and just want to know what the best one is? No worries – it’s this one.

Top Pick: Best Liverpool Boat Trip > World-Famous Ferry Across The Mersey Includes: 50 minute sightseeing cruise on the world-famous ferry 🛥️ BOOK NOW!

There aren’t a whole host of Liverpool boat trips to choose from. In fact, there are only three! Not all three are created equally, though, so in this blog post I’ll show you what the main differences are so that you can pick one that’s right for you.

Let’s get started!

🎵So ferry ‘cross the Mersey ‘Cause this land’s the place I love And here I’ll stay🎵 Gerry And The Pacemakers (1965)

Table of Contents

Best Boat Trips in Liverpool

1. ferry across the mersey.

⭐️ RATING: 4.4 out of 5 | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 50 minutes | 🛥️ BOOK NOW!

This is the original and best boat trip in Liverpool – the famous and iconic ferry across the Mersey, made famous by Gerry Marsden on the Gerry & The Pacemakers song “ Ferry Cross The Mersey ”.

I’ve been on the Liverpool Mersey Ferry twice now, once in winter, and once in summer, and you can read an in-depth account of my experiences later on in this post.

For now, I’ll just let you know that it’s absolutely worth it, and one of the best ways to explore Liverpool.

During the 50 minute journey, you’ll sail along the banks of Liverpool, checking out some impressive Liverpool landmarks you may not otherwise have seen before crossing over the river to Seacombe Terminal.

This side of the river isn’t actually Liverpool anymore – it’s called the Wirral.  

After dropping off and picking up passengers (it’s still used as a form of public transportation by people who live in Liverpool ), you’ll sail down the Wirral’s coastline, checking out its shipyards and the massive cargo boats docked at its port before heading back to Liverpool.

Along the way, you’ll be accompanied by pre-recorded commentary about what you’re looking at, as well as unparalleled views of Liverpool and the Wirral.

There’s an indoor section on the ground floor and an open-roof section on the top floor, so the ferries across the Mersey are not weather-dependent. 

“It was great, loved hearing the history behind the docks.” – Maria ( Read More Reviews )

Click here to book your place!

2. Ferry Across The Mersey with Hop On Hop Off Bus

⭐️ RATING: 4.6 out of 5 | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 1 hour 40 | 🛥️ BOOK NOW!

Want to take your Liverpool sightseeing up a notch? Then this combo ticket , which combines the legendary Mersey ferry in Liverpool with a hop on hop off bus tour of Liverpool’s top city attractions, is your best bet.

It’s the best of both worlds! As well as exploring Liverpool from the water, you’ll also get to check out the main landmarks of the city from land, including the Chinese Arch, the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral (the biggest in the UK!), and fun attractions like The Beatles Story.

The ferry journey takes 50 minutes, and the hop on hop off bus route also takes 50 minutes to complete if you were to stay on the bus the entire time. Taking advantage of the hop on hop off option, you could easily spend the entire day exploring Liverpool with this one ticket!

“Could not fault the experience. We were showing a first time visitor to Liverpool the sites. Having very limited time the bus tour was an excellent introduction to the city” – Anne ( Read More Reviews )

3. Albert Dock Sightseeing Cruise with Commentary

⭐️ RATING: 4.6 out of 5 | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 30 minutes | 🛥️ BOOK NOW!

Stepping away (but not too far away!) from the River Mersey for a second, let’s take a look at the other option for a Liverpool boat trip – the Albert Dock sightseeing cruise .

Here’s the deal – you can walk around the entirety of the Royal Albert Dock, so there’s not a huge reason to take this sightseeing cruise. With that said, if you have limited mobility or just really enjoy sightseeing from the water, why not – right?

This Liverpool boat cruise involves a 15 minute journey along the dock, followed by 15 minutes returning along the same route to get to your starting point. 

You don’t see a whole lot you wouldn’t have seen by walking, but you do get to learn more about the history of the dock, which is a win in my eyes! I spent a while looking for boat trips of Liverpool docks, but this was the only one I could find.

The audio guide is pre-recorded, so that’s worth bearing in mind, and departures are hourly, on the hour, from 12pm-4pm every  day, year-round.

“Overall was an enjoyable trip. I recommend 👌” – Keula ( Read More Reviews )

Click here to bo o k your place!

REVIEW: My Personal Experience on Liverpool Boat Trips

As I mentioned earlier, I have taken the Mersey river ferry twice now – once in winter, and once in summer. And let me tell you, they are two totally different experiences!

In this section of the blog post, I’ll cover everything you need to know about taking the Ferry Across the Mersey, including anecdotes and top tips from my own experiences.

Let’s get started.

Mersey Ferry tours depart on the hour, every hour, from 10am-4pm, every day. Even in winter!

To board, you’ll need to arrive at Pier Head at least 15 minutes before departure. The ticket office is easy to find – it’s right by the Museum of Liverpool and the Beatles statue .

Here, you’ll need to enter the Mersey Ferries ticket office to show them your pre-purchased ticket (get yours here), which the staff will exchange for a paper ticket.

Then, you join the queue to board the ferry.

If you’re desperate to sit outside in summer you’ll want to arrive slightly earlier than 15 minutes before to make sure you’re one of the first to board the boat. As you can imagine, pretty much everybody wants to get a good seat out on deck in summer!

The boat is noticeably quieter in winter, because Liverpool is freezing cold, and being out on the river is even colder! For this reason, you probably won’t struggle to get a decent seat indoors on the ferry.

Sometimes, you’ll get the cool and colourful boat you’ll have seen on the photos in this blog post, and other times, you’ll get a black and red one that looks like this:

It’s total luck of the draw, unfortunately!

The Experience on Board

Once everybody has boarded, it’s time to set sail! 

On the deck, there are plenty of chairs and tables, some with shade and some without. When I went on the boat on a Saturday in the height of summer there were still plenty of seats for everybody.

It’s very unlikely that you’ll have to stand the entire journey.

There’s a bar on the ground floor where you can buy drinks and snacks (including alcohol!). There’s also a bar on the open deck but that wasn’t open when I rode the ferry.

Top tip: I saw plenty of people bringing their own beers onto the ferry and didn’t see anybody policing this or any rules against it displayed prominently, so I say go for it to save on the ferry’s heavy markups.

The ferry is a sightseeing guided cruise , but the commentary is pre-recorded and, to be honest, not loud enough.

You can definitely follow along if you concentrate, but I’d take this as more of a scenic cruise to check out cool landmarks rather than learning lots of Liverpool facts .

That said, I did learn a few cool things – like the fact that the Beatles played on the Mersey Ferry a few times when it was occasionally used as a party boat! You could therefore technically count the ferry as one of Liverpool’s Beatles sites ! 😉

If you get seasick, there’s a chance you’ll feel queasy on the ferry. When the boat is turning around at Seacombe Terminal it can get seriously rocky! 

Thanks to a very unfortunate 4-day boat trip in Indonesia (and that’s a whole other story) I now get extremely seasick, so even sailing on the Mersey Ferry on a calm summer’s day felt like I was pushing things a bit too far.

If you don’t get seasick, or only get mild seasickness, you’ll be totally fine.

Liverpool Boat Trips in Winter

I took my first Liverpool sightseeing cruise in winter, in January or February (I can’t remember exactly) and it was FREEZING!

This is the main thing you need to bear in mind if you’re considering a Liverpool boat trip in winter. Wrap up warm, and try to sit indoors on the ground floor. 

For some dumb reason, I thought I’d have better views from the open deck. I mean… I was right, but the icy wind that blows across the Mersey is no joke, you guys! I don’t think I’ve ever felt so cold in my life, haha.

Here’s me trying to take a selfie, which was… pretty difficult, thanks to the crazy wind!

As long as you wrap up warm, I still think the Ferry Across The Mersey in Liverpool is worth it in winter. 

I took this journey before I developed my propensity for seasickness, though, so I can’t speak to the differences in how seasick I felt in winter vs in summer.

Liverpool Boat Trips in Summer

I also took the Liverpool ferry trip on a gloriously sunny day in June, and let me tell you, it made the experience so much better!

It was absolutely boiling out on the sun deck, the skies were blue, and the gentle breeze from the sailing was perfect. If you have the choice between going on Liverpool boat tours in winter or summer, I recommend winter.

That said, if you don’t have any choice on when you can take the trip, just do it! No matter what season of the year it’s worth your time. Yes – even if you’re only in Liverpool for a day or two.

Final Thoughts: Best Boat Trips in Liverpool

Liverpool is a stunning place to visit, but there’s no better way to see how mind-bendingly gorgeous it is than on a Liverpool Mersey boat trip!

In case you need a reminder, this is the boat tour I recommend . I’ve personally been on it twice so you can rest assured that the recommendation is solid.

Ella Moore is the founder of Many More Maps. Growing up just 45 minutes away from Liverpool, Ella has spent years exploring the city inside out. In her teenage years, she was introduced to the music of The Beatles, and the rest, they say, is history! Today, she stands as a leading authority on Beatles tourism in Liverpool, helping over 40,000 people a month to plan their dream trip to the city.

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Boat Tours in Liverpool

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EXPLORE LIVERPOOL BY LAND AND WATER IN ONE TOUR!

Splash tours liverpool.

Experience the best of Liverpool’s renowned landmarks and surrounding areas on an exhilarating one-hour tour that combines road and water exploration, with live fun and informative commentary throughout. Brace yourself for an unforgettable splashdown into the Royal Albert Dock, making this journey an adventure like no other.

• Users All Ages
• Clock 1 hour

Established in Windsor in 2013, now launching in Liverpool. Welcome to our family-run adventure!

Whether driving or guiding, we have each been actively involved in the day-to-day operations, and nothing brings us more joy than witnessing the smiles on people’s faces as our Seahorse glides by, creating memorable encounters with individuals from across the globe and connecting with locals who hold invaluable tales of our beloved region.

We will be operating brand new amphibious vehicles (not old WWII vehicles) built and developed in the UK that adhere to the latest safety regulations.

Welcome to the new era of Splash Tours. Safe, Innovative, Exciting adventures await… 

Tour Details

Liverpool duck tour.

Duration: 55 minutes

Categories: Cruises & Sailing, Family Friendly

Take a ride on the Liverpool Yellow Duckmarine Tour, and explore the city by land and water! Your adventure passes top Liverpool sights and Beatles attractions as you travel on board a unique, amphibious, duck-tour vehicle that travels both on the road and in the water. With entertaining live commentary throughout, your Yellow Duckmarine Tour provides fun for all the family.

The unique Liverpool duck-tour vehicle was formerly an amphibious landing craft vehicle, used during WWII. Now with a play on the name from the Beatles "Yellow Submarine" song, the converted Yellow Duckmarine offers you the perfect way to see top Liverpool attractions as you venture over land and water!

Lasting approximately one hour, your Liverpool Yellow Duckmarine Tour passes many of the best city sights that helped Liverpool gain the European Capital of Culture title in 2008. Starting from the Albert Docks (listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site), your duck tour takes in the impressive Pier Head area, home to the newest Beatles Story Exhibition and Mathew Street, where the famous Cavern Club venue can be found. It was here that the Beatles regularly performed in the early stages of their musical careers.

Other non-Beatles related attractions that you may see include Liverpool's Royal Philharmonic Hall, and both the stunning Anglican and Metropolitan cathedrals. After touring on land, you will return to Albert Dock for the famed "splashdown" into the water, where you'll cruise around Liverpool's other historic docks to learn about the city's maritime past.

Packed with entertaining, live commentary throughout, the Liverpool Yellow Duckmarine Tour offers the best family-friendly sightseeing adventure in Liverpool. It's a trip that you will surely never forget!

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Culture Shock Rating

We have a wide range of tours designed to give you an insight into the destination you're travelling in and there is something for everybody. The culture shock ratings considers the destination visited, transport used, activities undertaken and that "Wow, I'm really not at home now!" factor. While generalisations are always tricky, a summary of our gradings is as follows…

This is the least confronting of our tour range. Transport used on the trip is either private or a very comfortable public option, the activities included are usually iconic sites and locations that are not all too confronting.

The tour can include a mix of private and public transport providing a level of comfort that is slightly below what you would experience at home. Sites visited are usually iconic sites, tours can also include market visits, visits to communities etc that provide the traveller with a fantastic insight into destination.

Expect to rough it for parts of this tour, whether it's a packed public bus where you are forced to stand, a visit to a local market, a local community, you are sure to have an experience that is very different from what you're used to at home.

The comforts of your home town and the environment you are used to are more of a rarity. Expect some challenging transport options, visits to local sites and areas that don't resemble anything at home.

You're out there in the global community! You are likely to be exposed to the elements, travel in whatever means of transport is available and basically take it as it comes, whatever comes! It can be tough.

Physical Rating

Our physical rating gives you an idea of how much huffing and puffing you can expect on the tour. While generalisations are always tricky, a summary of our gradings is as follows…

These tours have very limited physical activity. Usually climbing in and out of the transport provided, walking through sites, markets etc included in the itinerary.

These tours have a bit of physical activity but nothing that should challenge you too much. This could be climbing on and off public transport through to a walk through the destination you're travelling in, they can include walking only tours or a combination of walking and transport.

These tours involve a bit of physical activity from walking up and down hills in the destination you're travelling in or the surrounding areas. Climbing on and off local transport or riding a bike up to 30 kms along predominantly flat terrain or jumping in a kayak for a gentle paddle on flat water.

These Tours will provide you with some solid physical activity. Whether its bike riding, walking, trekking, kayaking or riding on public transport you will need to have a good level of fitness to enjoy this tour.

Be prepared for some serious physical activity. These tours are our most challenging and involve some serious walking, hiking or bike riding. Can involve step climbs by foot or pedal and some challenging public transport options in the destination you are travelling.

Luxury Rating

Some trips are like a stroll on the beach, while others have you trekking alpine passes. Some of you thrive on camping out on the savannah, while others may prefer a hot shower and a comfortable bed in a lodge. Follow the grading systems below to find the right trip for you.

To help you choose the trip that's right for you, we've broken all of our trips down into four service levels. Measuring the comfort level of the accommodation and transport. So whether you're travelling on a budget and want to save money by using public transport, or prefer upgraded accommodation and are happy to pay a little more, then we have a level for you.

This is grassroots travel at its most interesting

Authentic experiences with some of the comforts of home

For those who like to travel in comfort

All the unique experiences wrapped up with a gold ribbon

Superyacht owned by Liverpool FC boss spotted in Scots harbour on tour of Scotland

The 66-metre-long vessel headed south down the east coast earlier today.

• 18:54, 26 AUG 2024

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A superyacht belonging to billionaire Liverpool owner John W Henry was spotted in Scottish waters this weekend during a trip around the country.

The 10-year-old vessel, which is 66-metres-long, was pictured in Aberdeen , after appearing in the harbour on Saturday, August 24 after leaving Leith.

The boat , which was built in 2014, was bought by the Liverpool FC owner, thought to be worth $5billion, in 2016. And it sailed to the Granite City as the owner took in his side's 2-0 Premier League win over Brentford at Anfield.

Aberdeen Live reports there was no sign of the American in Aberdeen, and that the yacht departed on Monday, heading south along the east coast.

Henry first took over the English footballing giants back in 2010 when Fenway Sports Group purchased Liverpool, with the group also owning American baseball outfit Boston Red Sox.

Originally built under the name Ester III and delivered in 2014 by German company Lurssen. On its website, Lurssen states "Elysian features strong lines and an extraordinary deck layout and near-vertical bow.

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"Her external profile is unique, distinct and masculine , with a big swimming pool aft, a helicopter landing pad positioned above the wheelhouse and two separate al-fresco outside dining locations.

"E spen Øino International worked closely with the owner to create an individual look. Elysian's interior, by Reymond Langton Design, includes features such as a stunning piece of hand-carved leather artwork that runs the length of the main stairwell."

It also contains "a glass lift that grants access to all levels". The investment management firm boss, 74, also owns the Pittsburgh Penguins ice hockey team and The Boston Globe newspaper, and he is the co-owner of RFK Racing.

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