San Diego is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cities in the world, with lush, green hills, scenic bridges, and incomparable ocean views.
There are tons of restaurants which overlook the water, but if you want the best views, you need to hop on a dinner cruise. These cruises perfectly set the scene for a memorable evening ideal for spending with that special someone, a group of friends, or the whole family.
However, as you can probably guess, there are a ton of options out there. We’ve done the hard part for you in order to bring you the top San Diego harbor dinner cruises out there today!
Depending on the time of year, you may want to do a whale watching tour in San Diego.
Best Dinner Cruises in San Diego
| San Diego Premier Dinner Cruise | San Diego Harbor Dinner Cruise | San Diego Sights and Sips Sunset Cruise | |
|---|---|---|---|
Best Luxury Dinner Cruise | Best Sightseeing Dinner Cruise | Best Budget Dinner Cruise | |
 | |||
 |  |  | |
| Departure: | 1800 N Harbor Dr, San Diego | Flagship ticket booth by USS Midway Museum | 990 N Harbor Dr, San Diego |
| Start: | 7:00 PM | 7:30 PM | 6:30 PM |
| Duration: | 2.5 hours | 2 hours 15 minutes | 2 hours 15 minutes |
| Includes: | Freshly prepared dinner buffet prepared fresh onboard the ship, background music | Modern yacht with comfortable amenities, spacious outdoor seating areas, professionally-narrated tour | Complimentary welcome drink, unlimited bar (if option selected), dinner, indoor dining |
Quick Answer: The 5 Best Rated San Diego Dinner Cruises For 2024
- San Diego Premier Dinner Cruise
- San Diego Harbor Dinner Cruise
- San Diego Sights and Sips Sunset Cruise
- San Diego Premier Brunch Cruise
- San Diego Sightseeing Dinner Cruise with DJ Music
San Diego Dinner Cruise Reviews
1. San Diego Premier Dinner Cruise
- Duration: 2.5 hours
- Departure: 1800 N Harbor Dr, San Diego
- Departure Time: 7:00 PM
- Includes: Freshly prepared dinner buffet prepared fresh onboard the ship, Background music
Are you looking for a fun and unique way to celebrate an anniversary, birthday, or other special occasion? Perhaps you’re on the hunt for a nice way to start off an evening on the town?
Whatever it is, we can assure you you’re going to have a blast with the top-notch, San Diego Premier Dinner Cruise tour! Put on your favorite outfit and get ready for a fantastic time with this luxury cruise complete with a gourmet, 3-course dinner.
While the food alone is honestly worth it, it’s even better when you’re on an elegant yacht sailing past the illuminated San Diego skyline. Once you board the vessel, you’ll be escorted to your table and be able to order some drinks until dinner begins.
Service is wonderful, and in the background, you’ll be able to enjoy the onboard DJ who really sets the mood and caters to everyone – you can definitely get out there and dance if you feel like it!
We found the DJ to be great at knowing exactly when to chill things out and when to ramp up the fun factor – we even received commemorative glasses! The harbor views are definitely the stars of the show – you’ll get to see the legendary Coronado Bay Bridge, USS Midway Museum, and even the Star of India: the world’s oldest active sailing ship!
The open deck means that nothing will be obstructing your views, making for a wonderful time and perfect photo ops! The entire staff really helped to create a fun and celebratory environment perfect for getting to know San Diego better or even making friends!
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
Other Experiences You May Enjoy:
2. San Diego Harbor Dinner Cruise
- Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Departure: Flagship ticket booth by USS Midway Museum
- Departure Time: 7:30 PM
- Includes: Modern yacht with comfortable amenities, spacious outdoor seating areas, professionally-narrated tour
Sometimes, you’re just in the mood for a little glamour, and this is the perfect occasion for dressing up and enjoying life! We’re not sure yet if there’s a better way to have dinner than on the stunning bay, sailing past San Diego’s most significant landmarks, along with some great background music and service.
The lit-up high-rises reflect off the water, contrasting perfectly against the dark night sky – make sure to get those cameras out! Once you board the yacht, you’ll be welcomed with a glass of fine, sparkling wine and be escorted to your seat by one of the friendly staff members.
Once you’ve found your seat, you can enjoy either the open-air observation deck for the best views or hang out at your seat and wait for dinner to begin in the enclosed cabin. This means that everyone will stay comfortable, no matter what the weather may look like that night.
Dinner usually includes something like prime rib steak, pan-seared salmon, or chicken picatta, along with a nice selection of salads and desserts.
If you’re feeling particularly thirsty, you have the choice of upgrading to the open bar, where you can partake in unlimited beer, premium wines, well drinks, and premium liquor.
If you’re a cocktail person, it’s well worth it – after all, you have more sightseeing to do and no one has time for hangovers! Even when inside, you have massive windows that allow for spectacular dinner-time views, so enjoy this grade A+ atmosphere!
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
Search For San Diego Experiences You May Enjoy:
3. San Diego Sights and Sips Sunset Cruise
- Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Departure: 990 N Harbor Dr, San Diego
- Departure Time: 6:30 PM
- Includes: Complimentary welcome drink, Unlimited bar (if option selected), Dinner, Indoor Dining
It’s also surprisingly one of the most budget-friendly tours of its kind, especially when you consider the level of quality you get on board here!
What better way to get acquainted with the city than by sailing on the water, while enjoying some light appetizers in the midst of fun background music and light narration of popular sites?
With both indoor and outdoor seating, you can soak up the sun on the deck and keep your eyes peeled for any sea critters who may make an appearance. Alternatively, if it happens to rain or get a bit chilly, you can stay warm inside while still watching the skyline from the big windows.
Light appetizers hit the spot and make for a great way to start an evening on the town or as a precursor to a full dinner back on shore. You can purchase drinks from the onboard bar, which are also very well-made with a wide selection of liquors, beer, and wine to choose from.
Bathrooms are available and tend to be very clean, which made us that much more comfortable. We do advise bringing a jacket and/or hat just in case, as it tends to get a bit cooler once you’re out on the water.
We were also really pleased with the DJ, who happened to play all the right music to get everyone in a fun and festive mood. Plenty of people decided to dance on the “dance floor”, and it all-around was a great vibe.
Of course, combine that with the gorgeous orange sunset reflecting off the water and you’re in for a real treat!
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
4. San Diego Premier Brunch Cruise
- Duration: 2 hours
- Departure: 970 N Harbor Dr, San Diego
- Departure Time: 11:00 AM
- Includes: Light appetizers, Background music & light narration of local points of interest, All taxes and fees, Indoor & Outdoor seating on our spacious lounge decks
This 2-hour cruise is arguably the best way to start out your day, setting the scene for more adventure, sightseeing, and fun.
Starting at 11:00 am, you still get the chance to sleep in while starting out early enough that you may catch sight of some sea life! Located on Grape Street Pier, it’s a scenic trip from the very beginning.
Once you arrive, the friendly staff will greet you and make sure you are aware of all the ship’s amenities, including climate-controlled cabins. These cabins have massive windows custom-made with viewing in mind, but if it’s nice out, feel free to enjoy the spacious uncovered decks!
Take some time to walk around and get acquainted with the vessel, and perhaps take some photos before it’s time to eat. You’ll sail past famous landmarks such as the Coronado Bay Bridge, North Island Naval Station, Point Loma (say “hi” to the sea lions!), and the Star of India.
As you sail by, the staff will offer an educational commentary about each, so you’ll be an expert on San Diego history by the time brunch starts!
Head back to your private table, where you’ll get to try some delicious sweet and savory dishes, which we all found to be quite good. Complimentary champagne is served throughout the entire meal, so it’s quite fitting if you’re looking as a way to celebrate a special occasion!
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
5. San Diego Sightseeing Dinner Cruise with DJ Music
- Duration: 1 to 2 hours
- Departure: Flagship ticket booth by USS Midway Museum
- Departure Time: 10:00 AM. 12:30 PM, 3:00 PM
- Includes: Modern yacht with comfortable amenities, Spacious outdoor seating areas, Professionally-narrated tour
Let’s start things off on the right foot with one of the consistently high-rated cruises of it’s kind: the San Diego Harbor Cruise Tour! If it’s your first time in San Diego, consider this a must-do as you’ll get to see many of the most popular sights all in just a couple of hours!
Lasting just 1 to 2 hours, it’s super easy to fit into even the busiest of schedules! We recommend parking at the USS Midway Museum if you aren’t going to walk/bike/Uber over there, as it’s affordable and is just a few minutes’ walk over to the ticket booth.
Your ride for the day is a luxury ship complete with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating to suit any weather conditions. With 360-degree views, you’ll have an incredible vantage point where you’ll go under Coronado Bridge, past Navy ships, and maybe even catch sight of some whales, seals, and other sea critters!
With 3 different levels, you can enjoy the snack bar, sodas, wine, beer, and cocktails – should you need anything else, the crew is always very helpful. We also appreciated how much seating and space there was, so no need to cram yourself through crowds of people to get a good view.
The chairs/seating are pretty comfortable, and you’ll be able to sit with the rest of your entire group, even if it’s a big one.
As you pass by each point of interest, you’ll be able to listen to the informative commentary by the captain, who knows all about the area and knows the best routes to take to maximize the experience.
The sound system is really great, so you don’t even have to be close to hear everything. Oh, and if you want any pictures taken, we found the crew to be great about offering, so you have some mementos or reminders to take this cruise again!
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
Sites Seen
Foods Prepared
Value
The San Diego Premier Dinner Cruise is our Editors Choice for the best San Diego harbor dinner cruise.
