Ride the Ducks Philadelphia provides guided tours of the city in aquatic "ducks" – hybrid truck-boats that function on land and water. Based on General Motors' aquatic WWII DUKW vehicles, the Philadelphia duck boats are newly constructed, built specifically for these tours. According to the Ride the Ducks website, the tour company's newest model "has been approved by the USCG Marine Safety Center for 'Partially Protected Water' routes."
The 70-minute tour covers areas of Old City, Independence Mall, South Street and the Delaware River, pointing out historic buildings along the way. Ride the Ducks tours are very kid-friendly.
Location: Tours pick up on 6th Street just north of Market Street in Philadelphia, next to the Independence Visitors Center.
Hours: New tours start every half-hour, seven days a week. In the summer, the first tour of the day starts at 9:00 a.m., and the last leaves at 7:00 p.m. In the cooler months, the first tour of the day is at 10:00 a.m., and the last is at 3:00 p.m. Ride the Ducks tours run through November each year.
Tickets: Can be purchased online or in person.
Duck Boats in the Community
While the Philadelphia duck boats are a popular tourist attraction, they aren't well-loved by some Philadelphia residents. The most common Philadelphia duck-boat complaints stem from noise issues, since the boats both broadcast music over PA systems and provide all passengers with duck-call noisemakers. In 2007, a group called Shut the Duck Up started a petition campaign to encourage the Ride the Ducks tours to be more respectful, especially in residential neighborhoods.