Boat Tours

Recent years have expanded options for seeing Philly by boat. Spring through fall, Ride the Ducks' amphibious vehicles are nearly omnipresent, offering tours of Old City and a 20-minute splash in the Delaware River. In 2006, the ambitious Schuylkill Banks project (tel. 888/847-7445 or 215/222-6030) opened up Philadelphia's tidal river to three narrated boat tours, the first to Bartram's Gardens; the second around the river; the third a romantic, adults-only Jazz Cruise. Costs are $20 adults, $19 seniors and students, $14 children. At press time, future scheduling was still up in the air, but these programs will most like be in place May through October, with a 2-week hiatus in August. Make reservations online or by phone.

Penn's Landing's the Spirit of Philadelphia (tel. 866/211-3808) at the Great Plaza combines lunch, brunch, or dinner with a cruise on a 600-person passenger ship, fully climate-controlled, with two enclosed decks and two open-air decks. Trips, which require reservations, are $42 and up for 2 or 3 hours. Popular among special events-planners and prom-goers, the tour involves an enjoyably (ironically) cheesy show and, if you sign up, a filling meal.

Across the dock, the slightly shabbier Riverboat Queen (tel. 215/629-1131) also offers cruises and dining.

The RiverLink (tel. 215/925-LINK) provides a 10-minute interstate crossing from landings just outside the Independence Seaport Museum and the Adventure Aquarium. The ferry is large inside, and the views of the Philadelphia skyline are great. Departures from Penn's Landing are on the hour, from Camden on the half-hour, from 9am to 5pm daily. Round-trip fares are $6 for adults, $4 for children. Packages including admission to various Camden attractions are a good deal, and are available at the Independence Seaport Museum and attractions along the Philadelphia or Camden waterfront.

Bus & Trolley Tours

Big Bus is a new venture of double-decker, British-style tour vehicles (tel. 866/324-4287 or 215/923-5008). Tours of historic areas, conducted by guides (one the spitting image of a young Tom Cruise) in the climate-controlled vehicles, leave from the Visitor Center at 5th and Market. The tours cost $27 for adults, $22 for seniors, and $10 for children.

Philadelphia Trolley Works and 76 Carriage Company (tel. 215/389-TOUR) offers 90-minute tours of the historic area in trolley-style buses. Trolley passes valid for 24 hours are $27 for adults, $25 for seniors, and $10 for children 4 to 12. The trolleys pick up at 5th and Chestnut streets. Seasonal Fairmount trolley tours are $20 adults and $13 for seniors and children. There's also a discount Zoo/Trolley combination pass: $38 adults, $21 children 4 to 12. Short horse-drawn carriage tours start at $25.

The cheesiest touring fun you can have, however, is to hop a Ride the Ducks land-to-water vessel, and cruise around town quacking on a plastic yellow duckbill. Modeled after World War II DUKW amphibious vehicles that carried soldiers and ammo ashore, the Ducks operate mid-March through mid-December. They roam the historic district on their 70- to 80-minute tour, blaring oldies, and waving to pedestrians as the driver cracks jokes and eventually plunges the jalopy into the water, where the kids, loving every minute, take turns behind the wheel. Depending on demand, tours depart from 6th and Chestnut streets, near the ticket kiosk. Purchase tickets there, at the Visitors Center, by phone (tel. 877/887-8225 or 215/227-DUCK), or online. Prices are $24 adults, $23 seniors, $14 children 3 to 12.

Horse & Carriage Tours

To get the feel of Philadelphia as it was (well, almost -- asphalt is a lot smoother than cobblestones), try a narrated horse-drawn carriage ride. Operated daily by the 76 Carriage Co. , tours begin at 5th and Chestnut streets in front of Independence Hall. They run Monday through Friday 9:45am to 6:30pm, Saturday and Sunday from 9:30am. Fares range from $30 for 15 minutes to $80 for an hour. Evening hours from 6:30 to 10:30pm are available by appointment; call for rates.

Walking Tours

If you'd like to follow a guide, top marks go to summertime Old City walkabouts hosted by the Colonial characters of Once Upon a Nation. Year-round, the Independence Visitor Center and the Philadelphia and The Countryside website have information about special-interest tours of African-American Philadelphia, Jewish sights of Society Hill, cultural centers of Chinatown, underground railroad stops in Germantown, and delicious stands of the Italian Market. Oh, and there's Lights of Liberty, too.