Minnetonka Boat Charters

MinnetonkaBoatCharter.com is a private, captained boat charter service on Lake Minnetonka in Excelsior, Minnesota. We provide guided leisure cruises including sunset cruises, sightseeing tours, fishing, family and work outings; for groups of up to six guests. With a professional captain included on every trip so you don't have to worry about getting a boating license to rent your own boat.

We welcome anyone with an interest in getting out on the water. Our most popular charters serve families, couples, and groups of friends, as well as tourists and guests visiting from out of town. We're also a favorite for retirees looking for a fun outing, sports team get-togethers, birthday parties, and company or client outings on Lake Minnetonka. Whether you're celebrating a special occasion or simply want a relaxed experience afloat, our private captained charters are built around your group.

Each charter is for up to six guests. The boat itself is rated for twelve people, so your group has plenty of extra room to relax.

Our standard Minnetonka boat charter has a minimum rental time of 2 hours. Additional hours can be booked in advance.

The Lake Minnetonka Conservation District (LMCD) is the governing body for the Lake. We do not have a catering or liquor license, however, the LMCD does allow guests to bring their own food, drinks and alcohol on the charter. We do have a full size cooler (no ice) available for your use.

Charters depart from the Port of Excelsior, on Lake Minnetonka. Our address is 2 Water Street, Excelsior, MN 55331. We are located at Dock 6 right behind Tommy's Trolly.

Sunset cruises are most popular in the evening, timed so you're on the water as the sun goes down over the lake. During the summer sunset is between 8:30-9:00 PM. Charter services need to be back in port before dark.

Our Tonka boat charters run from the Port of Excelsior starting in May and ending after the Fall colors cruises in October.

Yes! If you are interested in privately guided fishing on Lake Minnetonka for your charter, just let us know at the time of booking so we can have everything stocked and ready to go. We have all of the fishing gear, state of the art technology and insider knowledge to cast for bass, northern, walleye, panfish and maybe even an elusive muskie. We can be flexible and make it all about fishing or add in a stop or two into our standard lake cruise.

No. We focus on relaxed leisure cruising. Think sunset cruises, sightseeing, lake lounging, hiking on Big Island, fishing, Fall colors on Tonka and exploring. We do not offer watersports.

Yes. Charters can include a stop at Big Island or Boy Scout Island, both popular spots on Lake Minnetonka for a short hike, bathrooms and a stretch on land.

The Lake Minnetonka historical cruise is a private, captained boat tour that brings the lake's history to life. Guests cruise past century-old lakeside estates, visit Big Island and the site of its early-1900s amusement park, hear the story of Excelsior's streetcars and the steamboat Minnehaha, and use the boat's side-scan sonar to spot shipwrecks resting on the lake bottom.

Big Island was home to the Big Island Amusement Park, which operated from 1906 to 1911. Built by the Twin City Rapid Transit Company, it featured a roller coaster, a carousel, a music casino, and a 186-foot electric beacon tower, and visitors arrived by steamboat. Today the island is a nature park where you can still walk among the remnants of its past.

Yes. Several historic streetcar steamboats were sunk in Lake Minnetonka in 1926 and still rest on the lakebed today. Our charter boat is equipped with side-scan sonar, so during the historical cruise you can locate and view these underwater shipwrecks in real time.

Current rates are $250/hour for up to six guests (an average of $40/hr per guest). A tremendous value for a privately guided experience in a brand new 2026 luxury charter boat. Similar boat rentals on Lake Minnetonka without a captain run over $200/hr.

Yes. Every charter includes an experienced professional captain who handles all navigation and docking. No boating experience or license is required from you like when you rent a boat without a captain.

The easiest way to book is to schedule a call. We'll talk through your date, group size, and what you'd like to do on the water, then reserve your private charter.

You can pick a time on my calendar here.