Planning Your Sydney Harbour Boat Hire Experience

Are you looking for an unforgettable experience on Sydney Harbour? With dozens of picturesque bays and stunning views of the city skyline, Sydney Harbour is the perfect spot for a boat hire experience. Whether you’re planning a romantic getaway, a corporate team-building event, or simply a day of fun with friends and family, here’s how to plan for the perfect boat hire experience on Sydney Harbour.  

Choose Your Date to Hire Your Preferred Boat

The first decision to make is when do you want to hire a boat. And therefore knowing the best time to do so is important. You need to consider the weather conditions and the time of year to ensure that your boat hire experience is as enjoyable as possible - the weather can really make a difference to your boat hire experience. In Sydney, the warmer months run from September to March, with the water remaining a little warmer at the tail end of the season. December through to February typically have the most sunny days but this will be a little more pricey. Top tip: Make sure you book well in advance if you are wanting to book a weekend, especially if it's in December - these dates book up extremely quickly. A good rule of thumb is to sort your boat hire out 6 weeks in advance, once that's locked in you can plan the rest of the things you may need, such as getting to the wharf, organising what to take and planning any other necessary logistical things.

Choose Your Boat to Hire

There are many different types of boat hire option for your Sydney Harbour cruise experience. You can choose from luxury yachts, motorboats, sailboats, small Italian style vessels, pontoons, catamarans and things in between. Something that will help narrow this down is your budget. Our boat hire rates across our boat portfolio range from hourly rates, to set half day pricing, to complete packages. Setting your hourly rate we find is the best way, with a typical cruise duration lasting 4-5 hours. On our site if you set your pricing that will provide you with a list of options within your budget, but keep in mind there will be add-on costs such as wharf fees, BYO or catering fees.

Plan Your Route

All of our boat partners are seasoned skippers and know Sydney Harbour extremely well so they can recommend the best spots to go and also to achor so you are nicely sheltered should you want to fire up the BBQ or go for a swim. However, that being said if you wanted to go to some specific spots it's worth talking to us so we can help you plan accordingly. We want you to have the best possible experience so are happy to work with any of our customers in this regard. Oftentimes the weather forecast will dictates which routes and anchoring locations will be best.

Creating a Packing List

Many of our boat partners offer both catered options and BYO options, giving you the choice. If you are opting for a catered cruise then there is less to worry about, however if you are opting for BYO then it's important to check if anything is providing such as cutlery and crockery; some vessels provide things, others do not. Also check if you need to bring ice, as you'll want any celebratory drinks to stay nicely chilled, noone likes a warm beer! Along with food and drink it's also important to dress according to the weather and also pack essentials such as a hat, suncream, sunglasses, a towel and change of clothes, potentially a hoody or jacket, and water (although some of our boat partners will provide this).

Should you be interested in hiring a boat for a Sydney Harbour cruise, don't hesitate to get in touch. We're happy to help you plan your cruise experience and are confident we can find the right vessel for you.