THE PERFECT WAY TO EXPLORE!

Based in Ilfracombe harbour the Ilfracombe Princess cruises the coast to see seals, porpoises and dolphins!

Enjoy one of the most dramatic landscapes in England aboard our safe comfortable vessel the 'Ilfracombe Princess'. We have been serving Ilfracombe tourism for more then 20 years, licensed to carry 100 passengers.

Join us to witness spectacular wildlife and coastal cruises aboard our MCA approved vessel, purpose built for coastal cruising!

In case you were wondering... Yes, we welcome dogs on onboard!

On the Ilfracombe Princess, dogs are welcome but on the lower deck only.

Please note that we are really sorry, but due to the fuel crisis, we are not unable to offer online discounts at the moment.

 

Trips

 

Smugglers Caves Cruise

The smugglers caves is our shortest trip, we head East out of Ilfracombe past Hele bay, Sampson’s coves and past Watermouth Harbour where you get a view of Watermouth Castle.
1 hour
From £18

Exmoor Cliffs & Caves

The Exmoor cliffs cruise is one of our most spectacular cruises – with the dramatic views of some of the highest cliffs in England – impressive headlands of the Exmoor National Park.
1 hour 30 minutes
From £22

Seals & Lighthouse Cruise

This cruise passes the famous Tunnels Beaches, Lee Village and on to Bull Point Lighthouse. There is an increasing number of Atlantic Grey Seals where we pass at Rockham Beach.
2 hours
From £26

Evening Cruise

Join us on a beautiful evening drinks cruise – see the local landmarks in a different light as you sit back and unwind whilst listening to some relaxing music.
1 hour 30 minutes
From £25

Broadsands Sessions

Set sail with us on a musical journey to enchanting Broadsands Beach, a picturesque gem just a stone's throw away from Ilfracombe. Our newest venture, the Broadsands Sessions, promises a magical evening filled with heartwarming tunes, splendid scenery, and the best company.
2 hours
From £30

East Meets West

A Special cruise we only offer when the Bristol Channel experiences 10 meter plus tides.
3 hours
From £30.00

 

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Will Wardley profile picture
Will Wardley
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Amazing
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Zoe Toland profile picture
Zoe Toland
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We went on a Smugglers Cave Cruise with Ilfracombe Princess on the 2nd May and it was amazing. Despite the weather, we all enjoyed it and the crew were extremely knowledgable and fun. Would love to go back!
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mark mcallen
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Did the cliffs and waterfall on Thursday 7th may. Tour was great, really good to see the coastline from a different perspective. Unfortunately I can remember the names of the two guys that did the tour but they were great. Friendly, helpful and gave dome great facts on the tour.
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Khadija Paul
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I had the best experience and I highly recomend! I emailed the team before booking to ask if my cat could come in her carrier and they agreed to this along with my dog, communication was excellent and booking was simple. Once I got on board after being assisted by the staff who helped with my dog, following a stressful day of pushing myself out of my comfort zone, I started to panic on the boat (the one thing I'm not usually scared of!) The staff were so amazing at calming me down and talking to me to put me at ease. Once I had calmed down, the tour was absolutely brilliant, the staff were so knowledgeable and we got to see some lovely areas on the cliffs and waterfall tour. I 100% recommend these guys and I will definitely be booking again when I'm back in the area. Thank you all so much for a brilliant time, for your care and kindness x
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Claire profile picture
Claire
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The Exmoor cliffs trip was undoubtedly the highlight of our holiday. So relaxing and such beautiful scenery. We have seen so many parts of this stretch of coastline from land, but to see it from the sea, with such an interesting commentary, was very special indeed. We’re looking forward to treating ourselves to the trip in the opposite direction, over the summer. Many thanks to the crew!
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Gill Bayley Machin
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Absolutely fantastic, very impressed with crew, how informative the crew were on history and the surroundings. They had an excellent sense of humour 👏. This has to be one of our best boat 🚢 tours. Thank you. Highly recommend
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Amanda Rogers profile picture
Amanda Rogers
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We (2A, 3C) went on the Smugglers Cave trip during the summer holidays. Staff were very friendly and it was enjoyable enough but could have been better. You're told to arrive half an hour before the sailing time. We arrived 35 minutes early and were told to come back in 5 minutes - fair enough. However, having returned in literally 4 minutes they had already checked other people in who had then gone to queue up to get on the boat. This meant that we were not far forward enough in the queue to get a seat at the top of the boat which would have been nice (and was annoying as we'd actually arrived before those people!). The trip took us along the coastline, and the odd cave was pointed out, but the commentary mostly consisted of pointing out various beaches that you could visit. As it was called a Smugglers Cave cruise, I was expecting some tales of the olden days, maybe some exciting stories about local smugglers, or least even some information about what was being smuggled and where they were taking it from the caves. We didn't get any of that. We ended up sat on the Port (LH) side of the boat which meant that we were on the opposite side of the coastline. No matter, we thought, we'll see all the caves in more detail on the way back. However what actually happens is that the boat slowly hugs the coastline on the way up the coast, and then tears back much further out to sea on the way back, so that didn't work out either! Overall it was fun enough to have a little ride on a boat, but if you want more than that it's the luck of the draw whether you end up with a good seat on the boat or not, and you certainly won't learn anything new about smugglers.
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Mikey clarky
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Superb & intresting trip .superb staff especially the lady on the desk giving us a discount .highlight of our holiday ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️❤️🛳️
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Lewis Mckechnie
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Very good
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Annie Wray
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If your wondering if this is worth the money, the answer is ABSOLUTELY YES! We saw Sun Fish, Porpoises, Seals, Gannets diving for fish and some awesome scenery - Super knowledgeable commentary and info and we will definitely go again if we return. Really loved it, thank you IP!
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Gift Vouchers

Gift the Experience of a Lifetime

Looking for a truly memorable gift? Look no further!

We offer gift vouchers for all of our boats and trips, providing your loved ones with an unforgettable adventure aboard. 

Perfect for birthdays, anniversaries, or just to show someone you care, our gift vouchers are an invitation to enjoy the stunning beauty of North Devon's coastline, discover the diverse marine life, and create lasting memories.

 

Tripadvisor
DMW profile picture
DMW
28 October 2022
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Dont believe the bucket joke! The Princess is tidy, safe and comfortable. The crew are very informative, funny and sensitive to folk not used to boats. This was our second trip and Capn Paul was just as entertaining and ironic as Capn Jack was last year. This was the last trip of the year and she is due to be lifted out for the winter tomorrow, so we were very lucky.No trip to Ilfracombe can be complete without including a trip in the Yellow Cat.
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Tobias profile picture
Tobias
8 October 2022
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COOL ACTIVITY It's a very cool activity. Wehen you're in ilfracombe as a tourist you must do it. We took the little fast boat (not the big). The driver was very friendly and drove swerved. That was very cool.
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SteveB1972 profile picture
SteveB1972
27 September 2022
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A second trip on the Ilfracombe Princess As per the title, this was our second trip on Ilfracombe Princess and once again it was brilliant.Seals and Lighthouses cruise this time, great to see the seals, interesting commentary and stories from the crew - absolutely brilliant.Hopefully we won't leave it so long for the third trip
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RF profile picture
RF
20 September 2022
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Ilfracombe Princess and the coast Just back from our trip from Ilfracombe to Broadsands with Captain Jack on the Princess. It was a beautiful day and an impromptu trip. We saw the gorgeous coastline of North Devon and were provided with wonderful historical stories of the coast and the local area too from Jack. Our safety was of paramount importance to the crew and we felt comfortable and in very good hands. Highly recommended if you are in the area and fancy a trip out to sea.
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Steve profile picture
Steve
18 September 2022
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Great trip to see the seals Great 2.5 hour trip to see the seals, lots of local information along the way from the skipper as well which was nice, we saw the seals which was the highlight for me sadly no dolphins, would've booked another trip if we were there for longer.
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Sally D profile picture
Sally D
5 September 2022
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The perfect way to spend an hour It was lovely to get away for an hour and see a little coastline from the sea; I only wish it had been for 2 hours! The sea was beautifully calm, the weather perfect. The staff were all friendly, helpful and knowledgeable, with a relaxed atmosphere aboard. Great value for money. Many thanks to Nancy and her team.
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will profile picture
will
4 September 2022
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Sea trip Went on the boat trip today. A good day out. Went on the 2 hour trip. Took the dog as well. Definitely worth the effort. Not a bad price for the time and adventure.
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cherylandjohn profile picture
cherylandjohn
2 September 2022
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Great trip to see some stunning coastline and wildlife Can't fault this at all. Really well organised, friendly crew who were always making sure passengers were comfortable and enjoying the experience.Lots of interesting commentary as we sailed along some stunning coastline. Seals were lounging around on the rocks taking in some sun.My 9 year old and 3 year old loved it and so did we. Next time we're in Ilfracombe we'll definitely be booking another trip. Thank you for an amazing opportunity to see the beautiful North Devon coastline and wildlife.
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Kerry F profile picture
Kerry F
2 September 2022
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Great Trip Great trip! Very well organised with Jack and Kev. Jack is very knowledgeable. Well recommended. Great value for money.