Pass through the renowned Ballard Locks and learn about the complex system on a cruise that transports you between the freshwater of Lake Union and the saltwater of Puget Sound. The one-way cruise can be used as transportation, making it ideal for travelers who want to avoid traffic and enjoy a unique journey from the Seattle waterfront to the AGC Marina on South Lake Union (or vice versa).

Take a one-way cruise through the Ballard Locks
Pass by the floating community from the movie Sleepless in Seattle
Get details about the sights through live onboard commentary
Take photos of the Seattle skyline from the water

What's Included

2 hour narrated boat tour through the Ballard Locks
Live commentary on board

Food and drinks (available for purchase on board)
Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase on board)
Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting points

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End points

This activity ends in a different location. See details below:

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What To Expect

Lake Union (Pass By)

Lake Union Drydock Co (Pass By)

Floating Homes Association (Pass By)

Gas Works Park (Pass By)

Fremont Bridge (Pass By)

Ship Canal Trail (Pass By)

Fishermen's Terminal (Pass By)

Hiram M. Chittenden Locks (Pass By)

Discovery Park (Pass By)

Puget Sound (Pass By)

Space Needle (Pass By)

Argosy Cruises - Seattle Waterfront (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Near public transportation
Transportation is wheelchair accessible
Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate
TWO DEPARTURE OPTIONS - This is a one-way tour that starts & ends at two different central Seattle marinas. Choose to depart from Pier 54 on the waterfront or from AGC Marina on Lake Union. The departure location is noted in the subtitle of the tour. If unsure - please call Argosy Cruises

Kids (3 and under) ride free but do require a boarding pass
All vessels offer both indoor & outdoor seating
All vessels have bathrooms
Wheelchair accessible. PLEASE CALL in advance to secure crew/boarding support.
Check-in 30 minutes prior to tour - Boarding starting 20 minutes prior to departure
Gates close 5 minutes prior to tour departure time for boat preparation and safety checks
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 135 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Morgan_D

Great sightseeing and an awesome tour guide. Highly recommend for anyone looking to see the city from the water.

Reviews

5.0

202 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 202 reviews

Very relaxing. Beautiful...

Patricia_R, Apr 2024

Very relaxing. Beautiful scenery. Greet explanation of every thing. Need a better way to get back to your original destination is our only suggestion

Very Chill Two Hour Tour

Eric_P, Apr 2024

Very chill two hour boat ride with narration by knowledgeable crew mate Ben. Good sights to see and interesting to cross through the locks between fresh and salt water.

Great way to enjoy some unique features of Seattle

Jimmy_W, Mar 2024

Great way to see some unique features of Seattle on a glorious spring day. Lake, loch, Puget Sound with the Seattle skyline as a backdrop! Informative commentary from the Argosy crew.

So much fun!

Kristen_N, Mar 2024

Loved it!! My only complaint is that it’s a one way tour, so you’ve got to figure out your own way back. It was an hour walk back.

Great trip

Patricia_N, Mar 2024

Beautiful time with a great tour guide. Small number of people on board. Enjoyed all of the information that was given.

Great tour guide

Glen_D, Mar 2024

Our tour guide was outstanding and went out of her way to provide us an informative and comfortable tour. She was parodied an all female crew that day

Great trip - even in the offseason.

Morgan_D, Feb 2024

Great sightseeing and an awesome tour guide. Highly recommend for anyone looking to see the city from the water.

Amazing views

Farhad_R, Feb 2024

The guide was very knowledgeable and didn’t hesitate to answer all questions. The views were incredible.

Fun on the water!

Gabriela_A, Dec 2023

Great way to see the Sound, Locke system and Lake Union. Ryan was very knowledgeable about the history of the water ways and area. You can sit outside or inside.

Great excursion!

kathy_s, Oct 2023

Great day on the water. Casey was a fun and interesting guide. Nice to be on the sound, see the locks and end up on the lake. all good!!

Relaxing on the water.

Delvin_A, Oct 2023

The young lady doing the narration, gentle, knowledgeable. She wasn't hurried. The captain was awesome too.

Relaxing day on the water.

Vincent_M, Oct 2023

The Lake Union activity was interesting and entertaining with boaters, kayakers, and seaplanes all out and about on a warm and sunny fall day. The only problem was that the ride was less than 2 hours as we returned a little early. Pleased to see that the roundtrip bus trip option has resumed as I will likely utilize it next time.

Breathtaking

Alicia_R, Oct 2023

The ship's crew was amazing and very knowledgeable. The ride was amazing and very beautiful sights.... excellent for my first time in Seattle

Don't miss this tour.

Allan_A, Sep 2023

Great cruise to see Seattle. View of the city was great. Stop at Elliotts Oyster house after the tour for great Oysters.

Take the tour!!

Larry_V, Sep 2023

Wonderful event! Have taken water tours before. This one was in the top 10%! ………………………………………… ………… …….. ..

A beautiful day on the water.

Larry_Z, Sep 2023

Very interesting and informative narrations. I am a long time Seattle resident and learned a lot. The boat was comfortable (not crowded). All the crew was friendly.

Locks Cruise

Rhonda_P, Aug 2023

Great background info from the crew on the tour. Informative and fun from the ticket agent to the boat crew.

Argosy Tour

Terri_K, Aug 2023

We had a great cruise, fun and informative. Our guide was great as was the boat. We'll definitely recommend this to our friends

I enjoyed watching, listening and taking a video and pictures.

Josefina_G, Aug 2023

Was a good experience. I love it 👍❤️ I will bring my family next time. Two hours of cruising is worth it.

Great way to spend the afternoon in Seattle

Greta_J, Aug 2023

Really enjoyed this trip. The guide was excellent and loved the locks. Good choice of food and drinks at the bar