Where to Go: the 13 Best Historical Tours Worldwide

1.Dolphin and Manatee Adventure Tour of Naples with Florida History

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 187 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $65Our pick

Paddle Naples mangroves by kayak or SUP, spot dolphins and manatees, and learn Florida history on this easy two-hour tour.

“The tour was terrific!! The paddle boards we were using were absolutely beautiful. The tour guide was phenomenal, he was very patient with my children and he gave us tons of interesting facts about the area. We saw dolphins and manatees swim right past us and I even had a sea turtle that kept coming up to my board. My family has been vacationing in Naples for many years and this tour is definitely the best thing to do in Naples. We had such a great experience with this company we are thinking about trying to sign up for their Ft. Myers tour on Tuesday! Also, bring your phone there…”

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2.Private Morning Sail, Dolphin and History Tour on Mystique

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 84 reviews · 2 hours (approx.)

Review of Charleston’s private Mystique morning sail, with dolphins, Battery views, Fort Sumter, the Ravenel Bridge, and practical booking advice.

“I have chartered other sailboats in Charleston but this was the very best. The boat was gorgeous and immaculate. The captain, Dustin, and the mate, Adam, were very nice. They are experts on the area's history and nature. We got a great mini education. Our group of 5 ranged in age from 30 to 75. Every person said they would this trip higher than a 5 if they could. Book this one!”

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3.Adventure Boat Tours Dolphin Tails & History Cruise St Augustine

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 77 reviews · 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes (approx.) · from $38

Cruise St. Augustine’s waterways for dolphins, fort views, local stories, and Atlantic scenery. A practical guide to this relaxed one-hour boat tour.

“Me and my family enjoyed seeing the dolphins and the sunset. Very relaxing and fun. The weather was perfect.”

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4.Private Historical Wildlife and Dolphin Cruise South Padre Island

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 71 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)

Review of South Padre Island’s private dolphin cruise, with wildlife, island history, SpaceX views, boat details, value, and practical tips.

“best birthday present to my mom and they are pet friendly so my baby (dog) also saw the dolphins. beautiful experience”

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5.Dolphin and Wildlife History Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 69 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $29Best value

Review of St. Augustine’s $29 Dolphin and Wildlife History Tour, with dolphin spotting, local history, practical tips, value, and cancellation details.

“Was a nice ride on the water around St Augustine. Was a nice day. We were able to see some dauphins while we were seeing the sites.”

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6.St. Augustine Dolphin Watch and Historical Harbor Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 67 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $42

See St. Augustine dolphins, Castillo de San Marcos, and harbor views on a relaxed 90-minute catamaran cruise with drinks and snacks.

“So awesome. We left the dock on time, the crew was so positive, polite, helpful and social. The beverages and snacks onboard were the perfect refreshers. The length of the tour was perfect as well. We were lucky to see so many dolphins. The crew helped spot them easily and shared information about the local dolphin pod which was so neat.”

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7.Private Sunset Sail BYOB Dolphin/History Tours on 43ft Mystique

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 42 reviews · 2 to 4 hours (approx.)

Review of Charleston’s private 43-foot sunset sail with BYOB drinks, dolphins, Battery views, Fort Sumter, and the Ravenel Bridge.

“What a great night! The boat was beautiful and Adam and Walker were both friendly, fun and informative. We loved our cruise and celebrated a birthday on board. Sunset was beautiful and we will definitely be booking again.”

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8.St. Augustine: Dolphin and Wildlife Historical Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 37 reviews · 1 hour · from $30

Cruise Matanzas Bay for dolphins, wildlife, and views of St. Augustine’s lighthouse, Castillo, Bridge of Lions, and Flagler College.

“Had an amazing time on this cruise, seen several dolphins and captain Kev and his wife are an amazing team combination for the tours, overall very enjoyable and would recommend highly”

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9.Private Afternoon Sailing/Dolphin & History Tour on 43ft Mystique

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 32 reviews · 2 to 4 hours (approx.)

Review of Charleston’s private Mystique sailing tour, with dolphins, harbor history, Fort Sumter, pricing, timing, and practical booking advice.

“We do many tours/activities when we travel. Our friends, my wife and I agree that this was the best we ever taken!! It was super relaxing and informative. The views were fantastic. Captain Scott and Sam were awesome. We'll definitely do this again when we return to Charleston.”

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10.Dolphin and Manatee Adventure tour of Osprey with Florida History

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 20 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $65

Review of Osprey’s 2-hour dolphin and manatee paddle tour, with kayaks, paddle boards, pricing, timing, wildlife, and booking tips.

“I have a couple of concerns about this booking. First of all, Viator gives the option to pay right away or wait until 2 days before the tour to pay. I picked the deferred payment option. I completed the booking on Monday, 1/1/23, for a 5-person paddle board/kayak tour on Sunday, 1/7/23, with payment due of $325 on Saturday, 1/6/23. I received confirmation of the booking on 1/1/23. On Thursday, 1/4/23, I got an email from Viator offering $25 off my first booking. I attempted to apply the coupon code through their website, but it wouldn't work. I called customer service and spoke with Jorry, who initially said the coupon…”

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11.Historic Leschenault Inlet & Dolphin Sundowner Run – 5K ish

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · from $46

Run Bunbury’s Leschenault Inlet and Koombana Bay with local guide Dan, then enjoy sunset refreshments at The Parade Hotel.

“I loved my solo Sundowner run with Dan! I'm in my 60s and no great runner but Dan was thoughtful and considerate and let me set the pace. We toured the 3 waters of Bunbury with frequent stops for Dan to point out SO many interesting features - lots of archaelogy, history, bird life, beautiful views and more....highly recommend whatever your fitness level.”

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12.Dolphin and Manatee Adventure Tour of Sarasota with Olde Florida History!

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 10 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $65

Paddle Sarasota’s calm waterways near dolphins, manatees, turtles, and mangroves on a two-hour guided kayak or paddle board tour.

“We had sooo much fun!! My wife and I wanted to show our kids some of the real outdoors while on our vacation to Lido Key. It was amazing because we saw dolphins swim right up to our kayaks and we saw two manatees passing by in the clear water. Our tourguide Daniel was very informative and patient with the kids. Our kids had so much fun that we bought a Three Brothers paddle board and had it shipped back to our home. Amazing kayak and paddle board tour in the Sarasota area!”

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13.Private Tour with Historic Tugboat: Tavolara, Molara, Dolphins

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · 8 hours (approx.)

Sail Sardinia aboard historic tug Lupo, with dolphins, Tavolara, Molara, fresh fish, snorkeling, wine, and private stops for up to 12.

“We took a private tour with friends and it was perfect: gorgeous historic boat, crystal clear sea and super helpful skipper. A day to remember.Auto-translated”

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