Siesta Key and Sarasota have a boat for almost every kind of day on the water, from a floating island with a live band to a six-seat tiki bar. The operators are not really chasing the same guest: each one does something a little different. In November 2026 we checked every operator’s own website for where it boards, how many guests it carries, whether there is a restroom, the drinks policy and starting prices.
Full disclosure: Siesta Key Things To Do is written by the team behind Barefoot Tiki Tours, which is on this list. We kept every operator’s entry to what its own website says. More about us.
Quick picks
- A big boat with full bars and live music: LeBarge Tropical Cruises
- Learning about the bay from marine biologists: Sarasota Bay Explorers
- Families who want a big boat, a bathroom and donuts: Fun Boat Tours
- One boat for a group of up to 48: Siesta Key Watersports’ Island Time catamaran
- A tiki boat with a restroom: Barefoot Tiki Tours (BYOB, up to 16, dogs welcome) or High Tide Tiki Tours (crew-served bar, up to 26)
- A six-seat tiki boat from Siesta Key, dogs welcome: Cruisin’ Tikis
- A small private boat with a slide: Siesta Funship
- A private boat that picks you up anywhere from Bradenton to Venice: Tortuga Boat Adventures
Side by side
| Operator | Boards at | Guests per boat | Shared trips from (adult) | Restroom | Drinks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barefoot Tiki Tours | 10th Street dock, downtown Sarasota (private charters: free pickup at Nora Patterson Park, Siesta Key) | 16 | $60 | Yes | BYOB (21+ to drink) |
| Cruisin’ Tikis | Nora Patterson Park, Siesta Key | 6 | $60 | No (emergency portable toilet only) | BYOB (21+ to drink) |
| High Tide Tiki Tours | Stickney Point, Siesta Key | 26 | See website | Yes | Crew-served bar; no outside alcohol |
| Fun Boat Tours | Siesta Key Marina, Stickney Point (also Holmes Beach) | Up to 36 on scheduled tours | $51.99 | Yes (Siesta Key boat) | Not stated |
| Siesta Key Watersports | 5253 S Tamiami Trail, with a free Siesta Key shuttle | Up to 48 (Island Time catamaran) | $49 | Yes on Island Time | Beer and wine upgrade |
| LeBarge Tropical Cruises | Marina Jack, downtown Sarasota | Large boat (charters for 60 to 120) | $45 | Yes (two) | Two full bars; no outside drinks |
| Sarasota Bay Explorers | Mote Marine campus, City Island | Two 45-ft covered pontoons | $39 | Yes | Small cooler (21+ to drink) |
| Siesta Funship | Pickup details after booking | 6 | Private only | Not stated | BYOB |
| Tortuga Boat Adventures | Pickup from Bradenton to Venice | Small private boat | Private only (from $450) | Yes (enclosed head) | BYOB |
Prices are the lowest adult per-person fares listed on each operator’s website on November 1, 2026, usually before tax and booking fees. Children’s rates and private charter prices vary, so confirm everything when you book.
The operators
Barefoot Tiki Tours
A thatched-roof tiki boat for up to 16 guests, boarding at the 10th Street dock in downtown Sarasota with free parking. Shared cruises include a 1.5-hour Dolphin & Mimosa cruise ($60), a 2-hour sunset cruise ($75) and a 3-hour sandbar cruise ($99, March through November). Private charters start at $750 and can pick up free at Nora Patterson Park on Siesta Key. There is a restroom aboard, it is BYOB (21+ to drink), and dogs are welcome. Good for: groups who want a tiki boat with a bathroom, dog included. barefoottiki.com
Cruisin’ Tikis Sarasota & Siesta Key
A roofed wood-and-bamboo tiki bar boat for six, boarding at Nora Patterson Bay Island Park on Siesta Key, with private dock pickup for $75. Shared trips start at $60 for the 90-minute Fun Tiki and $70 for the 2-hour sunset or sandbar-and-swim trips, and private boats start at $330. It is BYOB for guests 21 and over, with a cooler, ice, water and a Bluetooth speaker, and dogs are welcome. There is no restroom aboard. Good for: couples, small groups and anyone bringing the dog. cruisintikis.com
High Tide Tiki Tours (Parasail Siesta)
A 2024, 33-foot open-air tiki boat for up to 26 guests from Stickney Point on Siesta Key, with a full restroom and a service bar run by the crew; outside alcohol is not allowed. Public sunset cruises run about two hours up the Intracoastal to Big Pass, and there are daytime, sandbar and party trips too; private trips are priced by quote. Good for: bigger groups who want a lively tiki boat that leaves from Siesta Key. parasailsiesta.com
Fun Boat Tours
Larger tour boats (the FunBoat is 38 feet) from Siesta Key Marina at Stickney Point, and from Holmes Beach on Anna Maria Island. Two-hour Dolphins & Donuts and Dolphins & Drinks tours start at $51.99 per adult and $31.99 for ages 10 and under, and the sunset dolphin cruise starts at $61.99. Sandbar trips and private charters are available too. The Siesta Key boat has a bathroom. Good for: families and first-time visitors. funboattours.com
Siesta Key Watersports
Morning dolphin tours from $49 per adult, plus 2.5-hour Dolphins, Drinks & Sandbar and sunset dolphin trips from $65. The company is now based at 5253 S Tamiami Trail, with a free shuttle on Siesta Key. Its Island Time catamaran is USCG-inspected for up to 48 guests, with a restroom and shaded seating; private trips start at $850 for up to 12 guests for 2.5 hours. A VIP upgrade adds beer, wine and seltzer for guests 21 and over. Good for: big groups and budget-friendly dolphin tours. siestakeywatersports.com
LeBarge Tropical Cruises
Sarasota’s best-known big boat: a floating island with real palm trees, leaving from Marina Jack downtown. Two-hour cruises include sunset (from $50), Dolphin & Manatee Watch, a narrated Sightseeing & Nature cruise and Sunday’s Rhythm on the Bay (from $45). There are two full bars, live music and two restrooms, and no outside food or drink is allowed. The lower deck is wheelchair accessible. Good for: a lively evening with a band, wheelchair access and charters for 60 or more. lebargetropicalcruises.com
Sarasota Bay Explorers
Marine biologists lead these tours from the Mote Marine campus on City Island, in partnership with Mote. The Sea Life Encounter cruise (about 1¾ hours, $39 per adult, $31 for ages 3 to 12, free for 2 and under) pulls up a trawl net so you can see what lives in the bay, and stops at an uninhabited island. The 45-foot pontoons are covered and have a restroom, and guests 21 and over may bring alcohol in a small cooler. Good for: curious kids and nature lovers. sarasotabayexplorers.com
Siesta Funship
A private double-decker for up to six guests, with shade, a 10-foot slide and paddleboards. Trips include a 2-hour sunset cruise, 3- and 4-hour dolphin and sandbar cruises and a 4-hour bachelor or bachelorette party. It is BYOB, families are welcome, and small pets can come with notice. Pickup details arrive after booking. Good for: families with kids who love to swim. siestafunship.com
Tortuga Boat Adventures
Private trips on a 24-foot NauticStar that picks up anywhere from Bradenton to Venice. A 3-hour sunset trip is $450; 4-hour dolphin and manatee, tiki bar hopping, or sandbar and beach trips are $600; a full day is $810. There is an enclosed head, it is BYOB, and kids’ life jackets are provided. Good for: couples and families who want the boat to come to them. tortugaboatadventures.com
How to choose
Start with your group size, then narrow it down with the things that matter most on the water:
- Guests per boat. With a captain aboard, more than six passengers requires a U.S. Coast Guard–inspected boat, so ask to see its Certificate of Inspection (COI). Here is how to tell if a Siesta Key or Sarasota boat charter is legal.
- A restroom. It matters on any trip of two hours or more.
- Drinks. BYOB, a bar aboard, or no outside drinks.
- Where it boards. Siesta Key, downtown Sarasota or a pickup closer to where you are staying.
- Shade. Some boats are open-air.
- The all-in price. Compare totals after tax, fees and any suggested gratuity.
- The cancellation policy. Notice periods differ from boat to boat.
For more on trip types, see our guide to the best boat tours and sunset cruises in Sarasota.
Frequently asked questions
Which Siesta Key and Sarasota boat tours have a restroom?
According to their websites: Barefoot Tiki Tours, High Tide Tiki Tours, Fun Boat Tours (Siesta Key boat), LeBarge Tropical Cruises, Sarasota Bay Explorers, Tortuga Boat Adventures and Siesta Key Watersports’ Island Time catamaran. Cruisin’ Tikis says it has no restroom aboard.
Which boat tours in Sarasota are BYOB?
Barefoot Tiki Tours, Cruisin’ Tikis, Siesta Funship and Tortuga Boat Adventures are BYOB, and Sarasota Bay Explorers allows a small cooler for guests 21 and over. High Tide Tiki Tours and LeBarge have bars aboard and do not allow outside alcohol.
What is the least expensive boat tour near Siesta Key?
Of the shared trips we checked, Sarasota Bay Explorers starts at $39 per adult, Siesta Key Watersports at $49 and Fun Boat Tours at $51.99. Prices are before tax and fees.
Which boat tours leave from Siesta Key itself?
High Tide Tiki Tours and Fun Boat Tours leave from Stickney Point, and Cruisin’ Tikis boards at Nora Patterson Park. Barefoot Tiki Tours’ private charters pick up at Nora Patterson Park, and Siesta Key Watersports runs a free shuttle from the island.
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