hiawatha paddlewheel riverboat tours

• Daily Cruises

Sit Back, Relax

Cruise information.

Visit the Hiawatha Paddlewheel Riverboat, one of the most popular attractions in Central Pennsylvania!

Enjoy a relaxing hour-long cruise on the Susquehanna River. Through narration and music, hear the story of the Hiawatha and learn the rich history of the early days along the river.

Tickets may be purchased online or at the Hiawatha dock.

• Children (3-12): $10.00
• Adults (13-59): $15.00
• Seniors (60+): $13.00

When We Cruise

2024 schedule.

Season Start: May | Season End: October

June, July, & August

• Wednesday – Sunday

May, September, & October

• Saturday – Sunday

Click the book now button below for available times!

Subject to availability and river conditions.

Come Join Us

Daily river cruises, get in the know, subscribe our newsletter.

The Hiawatha, Inc. is a 501 C 3 not for profit organization and relies on community sponsors for each and every cruising season. We thank the many businesses for their financial support!

• Rentals & Group Rates
• Hiawatha Dock Address 2205 Hiawatha Blvd Williamsport, PA 17701
• Mailing Address Hiawatha, Inc. 950 Broad Street Montoursville, PA 17754
• (570) 220-0528

• PA Abandoned Places
• PA Amusement Parks
• PA Animal Attractions
• PA Antique Stores and Flea Markets
• PA Counties
• PA Covered Bridges
• PA Fairs and Festivals
• PA Fall Foliage
• PA Hiking/Biking Trails
• PA Historic Places
• PA Natural Attractions
• PA Roadside Attractions
• PA Road Trips
• PA Scenic Overlooks
• PA State Forests
• PA State Parks
• PA Waterfalls
• Latest Posts
• Disclaimers
• Privacy Policy

Taking the Hiawatha Riverboat Cruise in Williamsport

The Hiawatha Paddlewheel Riverboat cruise in Williamsport is a relaxing, hour-long sightseeing excursion up and down the West Branch of the Susquehanna River.

Operating on the Susquehanna River since 1991 , this simulated paddlewheel riverboat is the perfect way to leisurely explore the scenery along the river.

The Hiawatha is named in honor of an Iroquois chief named Hiawatha , and is modeled after another paddlewheel riverboat of the same name that was destroyed during the spring ice thaw on the Susquehanna in 1914.

Cruising on the Hiawatha: When, Where and How Much

The Hiawatha riverboat excursions run May through October.

During June, July, and August, the Hiawatha sails Wednesday through Sunday.

In May, September, and October, the Hiawatha runs sightseeing cruises on Saturdays and Sundays only.

Excursions depart from Susquehanna State Park , located right off of Route 220 in Williamsport.

If navigating by GPS, use 2205 Hiawatha Blvd, Williamsport, PA 17701 as the address to find the boat launch at the park.

There is plenty of free parking right next to the the boat launch, along with a small snack shop (the Hiawatha House) and restrooms.

As of the summer of 2022, prices to cruise on the Hiawatha are as follows: Children (3-12): $8.00, Adults (13-59): $12.00, Seniors (60+): $11.00.

Enjoying the Cruise on the Hiawatha

Cruising the Susquehanna River on the Hiawatha is a very smooth experience , almost as if you are gliding up and down the river.

This is in sharp contrast to cruising on the open water, like say the Lady Kate boat tour at Presque Isle State Park , which can get quite bumpy as you sail out over Presque Isle Bay and Lake Erie.

The lower deck of the Hiawatha is enclosed (and air conditioned) , and you’ll also find a snack bar and the on-board restrooms down here.

The upper-deck is open-air , and on this beautiful day most people chose to sit up here.

There are no assigned seats , and you can wander around the boat and check out all the different vantage points, which is exactly what my daughter and I did.

The captain was even kind enough to allow my daughter to take the wheel for a minute or so.

The Hiawatha cruises in one direction for 30 minutes, turns around, and comes back to the boat launch, passing numerous other boaters out enjoying the waters of the Susquehanna River.

Final Thoughts

Cruising the Susquehanna River on the Hiawatha Paddlewheel Riverboat is a relaxing and enjoyable way to spend part of an afternoon in Williamsport!

Everyone we interacted with was friendly, the cost to cruise seemed very reasonable, and the excursion itself was interesting and quite scenic.

For complete details on the Hiawatha’s operating hours and specialty cruises, check out their OFFICIAL WEBSITE.

Related Attractions

The Proud Mary Showboat is  a modern diesel-powered replica of a paddlewheel riverboat , taking passengers on 90 minute sightseeing excursions on Raystown Lake in  Huntingdon County  several days a week in the summer months.

The  Lady Kate Boat Tour at Presque Isle State Park  is a  90 minute sightseeing tour  that ventures out onto the open waters of Lake Erie and Presque Isle Bay.  

Nearby Attractions

Clyde Peeling’s Reptiland  in Union County is a zoo that specializes in  exotic reptiles and amphibians from around the world!

Montgomery Pike Scenic Overlook   is a gorgeous  roadside overlook and picnic spot  near Williamsport.

The Taber Museum in Williamsport tells the story of how people have lived and worked in Lycoming County  from prehistoric times to the present day!

Exploring the Abandoned Alvira Bunkers in Union County  shares the backstory behind  149 dome-shaped concrete bunkers  that once housed explosives for the US military, now gradually being reclaimed by nature on State Game Lands 252 near Williamsport.

The  Piper Aviation Museum  in nearby Lock Haven honors the legacy of the Piper Aircraft Corporation, which  designed and manufactured aircraft in Clinton County, PA between 1937 and 1984.

Did you enjoy this article?

If so, be sure to  like and follow  PA Bucket List on Facebook, Instagram, and/or Pinterest to learn more about  the best things to see and do in Pennsylvania !

Click  on any of the icons below to  get connected  to PA Bucket List on social media.

Pennsylvania’s Best Travel Blog!

Review Highlights

“ We spent most of the ride on the bottom level in the front part of the boat where we could feel the cool breezes and occasional splash of water. ” in 2 reviews

Location & Hours

Suggest an edit

2205 Hiawatha Blvd

Williamsport, PA 17701

Serving Williamsport Area

Amenities and More

About the business.

We are the only Paddlewheel Riverboat in our area! Our tours are 1 hr. long and feature a power point presentation covering the logging era in the beautiful Susquehanna Valley. …

Ask the Community

Ask a question

Yelp users haven’t asked any questions yet about Hiawatha .

People also searched for

Paddle Boat

Transportation

Public Transportation

Recommended Reviews

• 1 star rating Not good
• 2 star rating Could’ve been better
• 3 star rating OK
• 4 star rating Good
• 5 star rating Great

Select your rating

Overall rating

We enjoyed a one hour river cruise aboard the Hiawatha on a sunny afternoon. It was great weather for it. The staff were all very friendly and welcoming. There are two levels to the boat, and we headed up to the open air top level. There are a variety of tables and chairs available for seating. The lower level offers the concessions, though there was a friendly staff person who came around and offered to take orders and bring things to your table for you. They showed a movie that was about 20 minutes or so long that reviewed the history of the boat and the area, and then the remainder of the time you could enjoy the river and area. It was interesting to hear about the history and nature of the area, plus how the community all came together to not only raise the funds for the recreation of the boat, but also spent hours putting the pieces together once they arrived. Restrooms area available both on board and in a small facility at the dock. There is a nicely sized parking lot available too. They also offer a variety of specialty cruises, which also sound fun!

Hiawatha at the dock

The Hiawatha was a pretty fun experience. Its a replica Paddlewheel boat that travels out along the river for a short 30 minute tour and returns to Susquehanna State Park. Tickets were 7.50 per adult and 3.50 per child, save .50 with a AAA discount or a 1.00 off printable coupon on their website. It was fun and funny at the same time, also riding at the same time as us was a tour group from the metro DC area, the captain kept giving away small trinkets like a shotglass, hat, coaster, etc, until he ran out of things. the next line we heard was "Next we're giving away a chance to buy me a round of golf." It was okay, but I really liked the captains humor!

See all photos from Dan R. for Hiawatha

Has this boat been transformed since I was 10 years old......or was I just that blown away by the size of it as a kid but left wondering why I was so enthralled with it back then? I recently went on the Hiawatha with a large group of adults. There were close to 50 of us and not a single person stayed in the air conditioned bottom section, we wanted the great views at the top. After awhile on a 90 degree day, although the breeze was nice....I started to realize there was nothing wrong with hanging out downstairs along with the cheap food. The prices on everything easily earn five stars. A package of peanuts for 60 cents is a throwback. Slushies for just $2 and also soft pretzels for the same cost made this a super affordable visit. It was an early Sunday morning when we were there so I didn't booze it up but was blown away to see Sam Adams and Blue Moon on tap, I don't know the costs, however, of a pour. Frankly, I was bored most of the trip. There wasn't anyone on a loud speaker explaining history about the boat or anything we were seeing along the way. The sights aren't all that great, along the river there are rundown campgrounds with a bunch of trailers from the 60's and 70's. Although I'm ripping on the places, I may want to take my tent to one of these locations at some point to experience a night. I just wish it were more interactive, in general. The staff was friendly but didn't seem to offer up a question/answer session about the history. And the biggest disappointment of all is the fact that the boat is actually run by motors and not the paddlewheels themselves, they look like they are strictly for show.....or do very little in terms of propulsion. I loved the experience as a kid and I'm sure the few who were on the boat did this time as well but I'm not rushing back anytime soon in my adult life unless its for a booze cruise, which they do offer. It's clean and cheap....plus you can picnic after your visit but don't expect to be blown away like you're headed down the mighty Miss with Huck Finn in the 1800's.

Had an awesome time on Hiawatha! The tour was great! Provided a relaxing and beautiful tour thru the West Branch Susquehanna River. They even show a video of the history of the river and area on the boat. The staff was very friendly! The boat is well kept and clean. There is an upper covered deck with beautiful views and a lower deck indoor that is air conditioned. You can't beat the prices!! Ticket was $8.50 and they even have food and drinks ( yes, alcoholic!) that are really well priced! Overall could not have had a better time! Great and affordable activity to do with the family or group of friends. Have been twice and will definitely be back!

Turned out to be a beautiful day when we got to the boat. The boat is very clean and relaxing while we looked around the area. They played music and would now and then say something about the sights. The cabin was very warm and had plenty of tables to sit at. They do have a concession stand that sold hot dogs, coffee/hot chocolate and they also had a semi bar also. The food prices were ok in price could be a little cheaper but that's just the way it is. The upper deck had a cover and plenty of tables to sit at also. If you want to relax I would recommend this. It takes about 1hr. This is located at the state park.

See all photos from Tammy C. for Hiawatha

This was a wonderful experience! Our daughter (2 years old) absolutely loved it. The staff was really friendly and the views are beautiful! They have alcoholic drinks and snacks on board. As soon as we left we planned our next trip back :) We went 3 times while visiting PA!

Wonderful experience. Kind people. Grandchildren loved it. A must do if you are in the area. Thank you

Pretty fun time. Friends had rented the paddle boat for a two hour period and had a performance on it as well. Drinks at the bar tend to be a lil pricey. Tours are typically 30 minutes and they do offer different things on different nights like wing night, mystery theater night, family night, etc. The cost to ride is about 8 bucks give or take but again is nice for a small outing.

It was really reasonably priced and very informational. We missed the ice cream family social on the Tuesday night ride. If you want to do that, book it way (weeks) ahead of time. The actual ride on the boat is fun.

We couldn't have picked a more beautiful day for the river tour! We got there a bit early, bought tickets, a frisbee, and ice cream cones, and then sat on one of the two bench swings by the river and just enjoyed the scenery...absolute perfection! The boat was smaller than anticipated and my husband was bummed that it wasn't a real paddle boat, but the kids thought it was cool. We spent most of the ride on the bottom level in the front part of the boat where we could feel the cool breezes and occasional splash of water. I was pleasantly surprised by the prices of the refreshments (soda for $1.50 and slushy for $2) and glad they had bathrooms on board, but besides the river itself there wasn't much to see and we were going pretty slow...after a speed boat sped by my son said, "I bet they're having WAY more fun than we are." Ughhh...I guess you can't please everybody.

Collections Including Hiawatha

Williamsport Area Visit

Our Williamsport Visit 2023

By Rhonda D.

People Also Viewed

Old Covered Wagon Tours

Susquehanna River Valley Visitors Bureau

Happy Acres Resort Campgrounds

The Nature Inn at Bald Eagle

Peter Herdic House

Millionaire’s Row

Hublersburg Inn

Hotel Manor

Dancing Bear Lodge

Best of Williamsport

Things to do in Williamsport

People found Hiawatha by searching for…

Boat Cruise Williamsport

Fun Indoor Activities Williamsport

Browse Nearby

Wineries near Hiawatha

Restaurants near Hiawatha

Hotels near Hiawatha

Coffee near Hiawatha

Museums near Hiawatha

Shopping near Hiawatha

Limo Service near Hiawatha

Breakfast near Hiawatha

Transportation near Hiawatha

Other Tours Nearby

Find more Tours near Hiawatha

Related Cost Guides

Town Car Service