Yes, there are boat rides in Pittsburgh, and they come in two very different flavors. You can buy a seat on a sightseeing cruise and let someone else do the driving, or you can book a pontoon boat rental in Pittsburgh and have the whole boat, the route and the schedule to yourself.
Both put you on the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers with the skyline in front of you. Which one fits depends on who is coming, how long you want to be out, and whether you want to be a passenger or the one at the wheel. This guide lays out the honest differences so you can pick the right kind of boat ride for your day.
A sightseeing cruise is a ticketed ride. You board a larger vessel with other passengers at a set time, a narrator or captain points out the landmarks, and the boat follows a fixed loop before returning to the dock. Some add food or entertainment on top of the ride.
A pontoon rental is private. Your group gets its own boat for a 4 hour or 8 hour block, you choose where to go and how long to stay, and you decide whether to drive it yourselves or ask about a captain when you book. Our pontoons leave from Vic's Boat Park in McKees Rocks, a few minutes downriver from downtown on the Ohio.
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Tours are built for people who want to relax and look. If any of these describe your group, a cruise is probably the better call:
The trade off is control. You go when the boat goes, you see what the route shows, and you share the deck with strangers. If the bride wants to linger at the Point fountain or the kids want to watch a towboat go by, a cruise keeps moving.
A rental suits groups who want the river on their own terms. You pick the departure time between 9 AM and 9 PM, you set the pace, and you can pull up along the riverwalk, drift near the stadiums or head upriver to a quieter stretch whenever the mood strikes.
Our pontoons carry 7 to 10 people depending on the boat, every one has a bimini top for shade, and most have a Bluetooth stereo so the playlist is yours. Dogs are welcome. You can bring your own food and drinks (no stoves or grills) and fish from the deck if you bring your own gear.
If you want the private boat without driving, ask about a captain when you book.
Here is how the two kinds of boat rides compare on the questions people ask most.
Still weighing the driving question? Our post on renting a boat with a captain or without walks through it in more detail.
Every boat ride in Pittsburgh shares the same backdrop: the Point State Park fountain where the Allegheny and Monongahela meet to form the Ohio, the yellow sister bridges over the Allegheny, PNC Park and Acrisure Stadium on the North Shore, and Mount Washington rising over the south bank.
On a cruise you see it on the narrator's timetable. On a pontoon you can idle in front of the fountain for photos, time your return for sunset behind the West End Bridge, or spend an hour on a quiet stretch of the Ohio near our dock. Our guide to the top sightseeing routes on the three rivers maps out the best loops.
A private pontoon is more freedom, and it comes with a few responsibilities a cruise passenger never thinks about.
Pennsylvania requires anyone born on or after January 1, 1982 to hold a Boating Safety Education Certificate to operate a powered boat like our pontoons. The course is available online. Whoever drives should stay sober. If nobody in your group qualifies or wants the job, ask about a captain when you book.
Plan to arrive 5 to 10 minutes early. We walk you through the boat, the river and the rules, and everyone aboard signs the waiver. Returns have a short grace window, so build your route to end back at the dock on time.
The three rivers are working waterways with barges, no wake zones and marked channels. None of it is hard, but it is worth a read before your first trip. Start with what Pittsburgh boaters should know about no wake zones and river traffic.
Pick a cruise if you want a short, narrated, no effort ride and you do not mind sharing the boat. Pick a pontoon rental if your group wants its own boat, its own music, its own route and several hours on the water.
Plenty of people do both: a cruise on a first visit to learn the landmarks, then a rental the next summer to go find them at their own pace. Our season runs into early October, weather permitting, and summer Saturdays book up first. If you already know which boat ride is yours, browse our fleet and lock in a date.
Yes. You can buy a ticket on a narrated sightseeing or dinner cruise, or rent a private pontoon and run your own ride on the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers. Our pontoons leave from Vic's Boat Park in McKees Rocks in 4 hour and 8 hour blocks between 9 AM and 9 PM, through early October, weather permitting.
Yes. A captain is available on request, so ask about one when you book and we will cover the details. Otherwise one of your group drives. Pennsylvania requires a Boating Safety Education Certificate for operators born on or after January 1, 1982.
The Allegheny flows in from the north and the Monongahela from the south. They meet at Point State Park downtown to form the Ohio River, which flows northwest past our dock in McKees Rocks. A pontoon rental can reach all three in a single afternoon.
A sightseeing cruise runs for its posted trip time on a fixed loop. A pontoon rental is a 4 hour or 8 hour block, so you can spend a half day or a full day on the water and stop wherever your group wants.
Yes. Pack a cooler with your own food and drinks. Stoves and grills are not allowed on board. Most of our pontoons have a Bluetooth stereo for your playlist, and every pontoon has a bimini top for shade. Dogs are welcome too.
Yes. Rentals run until 9 PM, so a late afternoon 4 hour block puts you on the water as the sun drops behind the West End Bridge and the skyline lights come on. See our guide on how to plan a sunset boat ride for timing tips.
Ready for a private boat ride on the three rivers? Compare our pontoon fleet and pick your date, or call (412) 773-0988 with questions.
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