Dells Boat Tours

Dog Friendly!
Good things started as soon as I began looking into the Upper Dells tour. My husband has trouble walking and needs easy access to a restroom. The Dells Tour is below street surface – a long stairway needs to be navigated to get to the dock. However, the girl in the information/​ticket booth directed me to the Wizard World, an attraction that not only has an elevator that goes down to the tour dock, but also has an easily accessed restroom.
Before taking the tour, I visited with the staff at the dock. I told them about my husband’s challenges. They knew in advance which boats had restrooms (some do not) and the times those boats would be in use. I was able to make plans according.
I had read that the Dells Boat Tours welcomed pets. We have a little daschund, Lola, who is sweet little pup. The pet policy was confirmed by the tour personnel. And, there would be a couple of stops where Lola could stretch her legs.
The tour was wonderful. Boat staff helped my husband get on and off. He had a seat that had both a good view and easy access to the restroom.
Lola, is now a regular seadog. One comment we heard during this trip was «Wow, I didn’t know you could bring a pet.» The other comment we heard was about the jumping German shepherd. Everyone thought Lola would make a great understudy. Lola disagrees – her legs are just too short to make the leap.

We did the upper dells tour. If you have kids, this your isn’t a great idea. Both 13 and 8 year olds were very bored. As an adult I loved it with all the history and the stops. I have been on a couple tours and saw things that I had never seen before! Check out the groupon for them!

Very nice views and walks. Chairs on boat are lawn chairs hooked together 3 in a row. Top deck would be hot in the summer beautiful this time of the year. A don’t miss it’s what the dells is all about.

Ghost tour — season of the witch
2 people $ 52
We started with a 20 minute boat ride in the dark. This was actually cool. On the ride the play an audio about the witch we’re on our way to encounter.
We get to our destination. All 50 of us walk down the trail together. The first few people got the scares, while the rest of us heard the screams and knew something was coming. We walked approximately 4 minutes. 4 minutes. Now we stop at a concession stand for people to buy beer and have a smoke break. We stood there for 15 minutes in a haze of cigarette smoke. Was that 4 minute walk it??? We needed an intermission after 4 minutes???
After 5 minutes of standing there a character walks about trying to scare everyone. He aimlessly walked around us for 10 minutes. 9 minutes too long. I get it, you’re trying to scare us. Why are we just standing here???
Eventually they separate us in groups of 6 – 10 to walk back on the same 4 minute trail. We’re going back to the boat. We already know where the characters are from our first 4 minutes… So not scary.
That’s it. No witch. Not scary. And another 20 minute boat ride back.
This «tour» isn’t even worth $ 5!!!
Save your money and skip this lame boat ride.
I’m still shockedthey think this is an acceptable tour.

We visited the Dells & thought we would give the JET BOAT TOUR a try. Money well spent! We had such a great time, our driver was very informative about the Dells while giving us a THRILL RIDE!!!
SO FUN!

Upper Della boat tour good all around a little long 2hr full of history about the Dells good for all ages the ride was smooth and quiet.

Started the morning with the 2-​hour Upper Dells tour… loved it. Having participated in this same tour as a kid, I just didn’t have the appreciation for the history and scenery (or humor) of the ride. But, returning as an adult, I thought this was fantastic. In fact, I highly recommend leaving younger kids with another family member not going on the tour… it’s just not fun for them. I really enjoyed getting off the boat at Witches Gulch and meandering back between the rocks (though note that the hot dogs at the concession stand are horrible… do not recommend). Sam was out tour guide and Lindsey was our captain (our boat was the Marquette)… Sam and Lindsey were great!
Later this afternoon, went on the Jet Boat Tour on the Lower Dells… this is about 45 to 50 minutes and is a low-​impact «thrill» type ride. Definitely fun… be prepared to get wet. Our boat was the Falcon and Dustin was our captain… he did a great job and had a nice sense of humor.

When we asked our resort what we needed to see they recommended the upper dells tours. When. We arrived all staff was very nice and they were organized and ready. They told us the next tour was leaving in 30 minutes. When they were ready we boarded the boat. I would recommend trying to sit on the top for better pictures. The tour guide was amazing, she knew all about the area. Some of the jokes were cheesy but what do you expect from Wisconsin. Both landings had restrooms and a concession stands. This made it very nice for the longer ride. I would do this again.

Nice tour

We went on the Jet Boat tour and it was really fun. You will definitely get wet so make sure to use the lockers at the location or leave stuff that can’t get wet in the car. We also did the original duck boat tour but this was much more fun for all of my family. If there is a choice of duck boats or jet boat, go with the jet boat. Bring cash for the tip for the driver.

Worth the cost, especially if you use a locally available coupon. We did the ‘traditional’ boat on the Upper Dells and it was gorgeous! Fun tour guide and captain, good narrative (a bit cheesy at times but still fun), and reasonably comfortable seats (we sat in the lower deck).
Everyone involved in the process was pleasant and helpful (I was impressed by the assistance they gave a customer using a wheelchair). The two trails we walked had full-​service concession stands with restrooms. If you have difficulty walking to one of these, there is no other restroom available on the tour.
They sold souvenir books for $ 4, but not high pressure, and the classic photo at the dock, but again not high pressure.
It was a great way to see what really made the Dells a special place.
Young kids might not appreciate the time spent on the water.

The jet boat was sooooo fun! We got wetter than we expected. But it was about 45 mins and it was def. worth the money. Wil b back again. The reason y I won’t give it 5 because the water was so dirty.

Went on the lost voyage night tour. Loved it. It was well produced and scary for all of my family. Kids range from 12 – 15 and it was fun for everyone. Would do it again anytime. They say that it is new every year and changes around Halloween time.

Although I grew up about 45 minutes from the Dells, I hadn’t been back in 10 years and recently took a tour with friends who had never been to the Dells.
At first, I was a little worried about the length of the tour (two hours sounded like a long time for me), but it was a very quick, yet very comfortable two hours.
We took the upper dells tour and it was gorgeous. I enjoyed the history and although corney, but somewhat comical jokes the staff shared during the tour. We were able to get off the boat twice and enjoy some amazing Wisconsin Dells beauty. My friends from out of state were extremely impressed and I was so proud of my home. It is kind of nice in that at both stops they offered concessions (everything from soda/​coffee to beer and popcorn and ice cream to nachos and hot dogs). They also had gift shops with somewhat reasonable priced items and very clean restrooms!
The boats have a covered, lower seating area as well as a non covered deck area for the tour.
The only downside is that when you get on the boat they are peddling silly, touristy photos and they also sell guide books on the boat. We passed on the photos, but the the guidebook was actually a nice overview of the tour with some beautiful photos. For $ 4, it’s a great deal and offers coupons in the back for others Dells attractions… My husband isn’t a big souvenir buyer, but enjoyed the book!
If you like entertainment along with natural beauty/​history, I suggest the Dells Boat Tours!

So I’ve never gone on a speed boat before and at 23 this was a blast!
The driver gave a good tour and did good spins and got us pretty wet. The scenery was awesome.
Why not 5 stars? There was very little information in regards to when the next tour will start, they just told us to go sit down and wait for the boat to arrive… umm. okay? Also, my friends and I kinda wished the driver would make a little bit more twists and turns.
I would definitely recommend going!

We did the Lower Dells Tour on a beautiful, sunny day. The tour is a good length (we were on with kids that were cool the whole trip but wouldn’t have lasted so well on the longer upper dells tour) and fun and informative. Our captain/​tour guide was funny and talked just the right amount. Never too quiet but not annoying. The views are pretty and a good way to see the lower Dells.
On the downside, the place just looks a little sketchy, but that isn’t really that uncommon in the Dells. If you aren’t all that good on steps or a steep ramp, this might not be the most accessible place for you, but it seemed like they were helpful to those folks. The seats are a little cramped for us American sized Americans… IE slightly narrow and a little low on leg room. But if you are friends with the person you are next to, it’s all good.
The staff was very nice and it was a good time.

The Upper Dells Boat Tour is a must if you visit the Dells.
It had been 15 yrs. since I’ve been back and this was on the top of my list of things I had to do during my visit. I was not left disappointed.
The tour is very scenic and entertaining. You even get to get off the boat and walk through the gulch and rock formations. The Captain and guide were pretty funny too.

We took the Upper Dells boat tour this morning, a natural history tour on the Wisconsin River that takes in the beautiful sandstone rock formations for which this area is so famous. This is a more relaxing way to take in the sights than the jet boat tours, with an open deck on the top of the boat where everyone on our tour sat. The guide and captain both talk about the glacial rock formations and the history of the area, so you’ll learn a little something while you take in the scenery.
The Upper Dells tour is two hours long, and includes two stops along the way where you can get out and do some walking. The first stop is Witches Gulch, a lovely walk through narrow canyons that ends in a rest room and, surprise!-a fast food stand/​log cabin where you can get popcorn or nachos, if you so desire. The second stop on the tour is Stand Rock, where you can get a photo of a German Sheperd jumping between two 60 foot high rock formations. No need to call the ASPCA, as the gap is not wide, and there’s a safety net below him, just in case.

A long time ago, the first Dells boat tours were actually conducted by experienced retired loggers who made the customers paddle over the rapids while they drank lemonade. Nowadays, about all a boatmate can do is annoy you with their screaming children. Back then they could kill you with a wrong move.
A somewhat less scary experience is the modern Upper Dells Boat tour. It’s on a retrofitted steamer that now runs on engine power that gently cruises the beautiful Wisconsin River as a guide points out the scenic rock formations. In a serious manner. And actually explains how they’re made. I found it pretty amazing how much our guide knew about diverse subjects like Wisconsin history, native birds, and erosion. Plus the boat’s captain makes sure to pass just close enough to them to give great view and amazing photos without endangering the delicate rocks or the tourists. Take that 1890s tours!
It’s a novel concept, I know. But it’s how I prefer my tours. All bad jokes left dockside. I can make those myself in the reviews of the tours.
It might not be great for the little ones (though most of them on my boat were in awe of the natural beauty and, therefore, quiet), but at two hours, was just about the right length to take in everything as a grownup without getting bored.
Since Original Wisconsin Ducks is owned by the same company, they offer a discounted combo pass and a shuttle bus between the docks. It’s relatively cheap (about $ 35 for an adult) and it’s great to get back to what the Dells were all about and spend a little time learning in the sun. Though I would have loved some lemonade or something for the price. Selfish captain was probably drinking it downstairs. Some things never change!

My bf and I went on the Upper Dells Boat Tour and really enjoyed ourselves. It was scenic and relaxing, and we learned a lot about the history of the area. The rock formations and trees were just so beautiful and nothing we thought we would ever really experience so locally.
The tour we took was 2 hours, but it was definitely worth the price: many of the tours I had researched about the lower Dells tours were only an hour and were comperably priced.
We left the boat twice, once at Witch’s Gulch like another reviewer said. There were so many neat things to see… I truly enjoyed myself. I was a little surprised that there were refreshment and suvenier stands at these places… it kind of detracted from the whole natural magic. Oh well, I guess if you need nachos for $ 4 and can’t possibly wait until you get back…
Ours was definitely the more laid back tour… we saw several other tours in high-​speed boats tossing up waves and getting their charges wet. NOT something I would have wanted to do on a 70-​degree and already drizzly day!
Our tour guide and boat captain were adorable but knowledgeable: two college girls who had 1 – 3 years of experience. We purchased a $ 4 full-​color book that included the history of the tour. Our tour guide offered to sign it, so we took her up on it. :)
It was a lot of fun, and very relaxing. I took a ton of pictures and recommend any visitor check it out.
OH, and either buy tickets directly through the Ducks website or through your hotel — DON’T buy online through other retailers, unless you want to get ripped off.