River Cruises: Wilmington, DE

Explore Wilmington’s Riverfront on a 1.5-hour Chrisina River Cruise on Kalmar Nyckel, The Tall Ship of Delaware! Haul lines, set sails, and hear tales from the crew, or simply relax and enjoy the ship. Kids will enjoy a scavenger hunt and pirate story (costumes welcome).

2026 River Cruises

• May weekends
• June 27 -  July 2 (on select dates)
• Fall weekends: September 26 - October 24
• $45/Adult; $25/Youth 12 & under
  

Deck Tours: please visit the Tours section below.

Departs from the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation, 1124 East 7th Street, Wilmington, DE 19801

Day Sails: Historic New Castle

Set your sights on Historic New Castle for a 2.5 hour sail on the Delaware River. Haul lines, set sails, and hear tales from the crew, or simply relax and enjoy the ship. Recommended for ages 8 and above. Our crew will share the history of our ship and answer your questions about our square-rigged replica of the original Kalmar Nyckel. Catch the breeze with us.

2026 Day Sails

• Friday, Saturday, May 29 and 30
• Sunday, August 2 - Saturday, August 8
• $65/Adult; $40/Youth 12 & under

Departs from New Castle Pier, 1 Delaware Street, Historic New Castle, DE 19720

2026 East Coast Ports

2026 Sailing Outside Delaware

Each year, our tall ship visits ports from Virginia to New England. Here’s an overview our schedule. We offer unforgettable tall ship deck tours plus day sails when possible. Sailing tickets are limited; advance purchase recommended. Prices vary by port.

Book online or call 302.429.7447.

• Sail 250 Virginia: Alexandria, Potomac River - June 12-14
• SailFest Cape Charles, deck tours - June 20-21
• Sail Boston, deck tours - July 11-16
• Greenport, NY, Railroad Pier, day sails - July 20-26
• Historic New Castle, DE, Public Pier, day sails - August 2-8
• New London, CT, City Pier, day sails - August 14-16
• Scheduled Dry Dock at Mystic Seaport Museum (biennial U.S.C.G. inspection) - The ship will be closed, in maintenance mode (on the hard), but visible in the shipyard.
• Sultana Downrigging Festival, Tall Ships & Bluegrass, Chestertown, MD, day sails and deck tours - October 31 - November 2.
  

Tour the Kalmar Nyckel

2026 Deck Tours

Kalmar Nyckel is open for deck tours at special events and select ports as noted on our Ship Schedule (May through October). If sails get cancelled (weather or ship issues), sometimes we are able to host deck tours during that time; check the ship schedule (link above for updates or visit the dock in ports outside Delaware).

WILMINGTON, DE

Free Deck Tours: No tickets or reservations needed. Tours include several stations with fun and informative volunteer guides. Each tour lasts roughly 10-15 minutes depending on festival size and weather conditions.

Special community events in Wilmington: get details at Events Calendar.

• Saturday, May 2 - Opening Day, 12:00-4:00pm
• Saturday, May 23 - Captain Kidd’s Pirate Day, 12:00-4:00pm
• Saturday, July 4 - DE 250 Independence Day, 2:00 - 7:00pm
• Saturday, October 17 - Halloween Ghost Ship, 12:00-4:00pm
• Winter Deck Tours - Kalmar Nyckel shipyard on Saturdays from mid-December through late-April, except when we have crew training drills, heavy maintenance work, or inclement weather (for safety). Visit our Copeland Maritime Center page for hours and call ahead on Saturdays to confirm availability.
  

OUTSIDE DELAWARE

Visit the list in the section above this one and our Ship Schedule for dates and links to Tall Ship Festivals.

PRIVATE TOURS

The Kalmar Nyckel Foundation offers privately guided weekday tours of the ship by appointment for just $15/adult, when the ship is in Wilmington (its home berth). This fee includes a self-guided tour of the Copeland Maritime Center. Learn more  about Group Tours.

• Call or email our Office at 302.429.7447 to schedule yours.