National Park Duck Tours

I'm actually embarrassed to say we even did this tour. We are not "touristy" type people but we had done a duck tour in Boston years ago and it was so fun, so on a whim, we decided to do it. Our mistake for not checking reviews first. A complete waste of money. First the boats are very old and just do not feel safe (no seatbelts, on a highway etc.). When we first questioned whether our Capt (RICHARD) was sober we should have gotten off (our mistake). He was dishelved and just not "all there". On the ride from town to Lake Hamilton he pointed out every fast food restarount and store (told us if we wanted to do arts and crafts, we could go to Hobby Lobby, wanted Roast Beef we could go to Arby's etc.). Are you kidding? Everyone on the boat thought we were being punk'd :) He told nothing of interest and was not funny in the slightest. When we got to the lake, a young man (with a dislocated shoulder and in a sling) got on the boat to actually get us in the water. We questioned whether he was stoned. We were out on teh lake maybe 15 min going about 10 mile an hour. Again, nothing of interest was told and we found out later that the couple things he did tell us about houses on the lake were not true :) The whole experience was painful. Another Cap't might have made a slight difference, but when out ont he lake later ina our trip we saw other Duck boats, with other captains doing the same exact tour and they did not look any better. Seriously - do not waste your time and money. Do a private lake tour with Capt. Jack - he was awesome!

Have taken a few duck tours in various cities & always a good time- but not this one. Our driver just pointed out restaurants along the way while hacking into the microphone with his smokers cough. Then when we got to the water some young guy with his arm in a sling jumped on to drive our boat. He spent about 15-20 minutes mumbling into the microphone. I never submit bad reviews but felt this was a must. This being our first time in Hot Springs, we were hoping to learn more about the area & history, but sadly just wasted $30 per ticket & 1 1/2 hours of our vacation.

Thank you Captain Juice for a fun experience!
The tour kept moving so it wasn't too hot, even on the midday trip. It was fun for the whole family. History, humor, art, the lake - this tour had it all.
10/10 recommend.

NOT RECOMMEND

richard, driver not very good, he pointed out all the commercial stores. Thank you but I can read the signs myself. Been nice to hear more history of hot springs. Driver wasn’t allowed to drive the boat into the water. We sat in the sun for over 20 minutes waiting on another driver. Very unorganized. Right as we were going into the water, the new driver realized the stairs were not locked. The new driver stopped on the lake to take a phone call. I’ve taken several duck rides over the years. This is the WORSE one!! DO NOT recommend

The lobby of the tour was filled with “let’s go Brandon” t-shirts which should’ve been my 1st clue about how it was going to go. The operator was young, unlicensed to take the boat on the water (we had to wait for a licensed boat driver once we got to the lake) and full of lame, often offensive jokes. Regardless of your politics (which have no place during a tour), Hot Springs was the home of a former U.S. president (Clinton). This guide did nothing but bash President Clinton and make crude jokes about him. As a military family, we raise our kids to respect the commander in chief regardless of politics. Our kids were confused and disappointed by this guy’s unfunny, offensive “jokes”. Politics aside, the tour itself actually WAS a joke. There’s no tour to speak of. It’s a few random facts/points of interest here & there but 90% of this is driving down the main drag of Hot Springs where things like McDonalds and other chain restaurants are pointed out (often ones that have partnered with the tour to offer 10% discounts or free dessert or something similar with your tour ticket) and then 15 minutes on the lake where a couple of homes are pointed out (and more inappropriate, stupid, or random jokes about former or current owners). I’ve done duck boat tours before (in DC) and this one is a huge waste of time and money. We went on the trolley tour the next day and found it much more interesting and informative about the history and culture of Hot Springs. It costs less too.

We thought this would be fun. My friend never having been on a duck boat before enjoyed it more than I did. If you really want to experience a duck boat go to Wisconsin Dells. I like that it’s pet friendly and it was something to do. I really was hoping for more of the park instead of the long drive down the main road and then a short house sight-seeing tour of Lake Hamilton. There was some history with a lot of bad jokes. We also had to wait for other people so we started at least 15 minutes late. Glad my friend enjoyed it but I would not do it again. I would have preferred the trolley tour. Didn’t even take any pictures.

The tour was okay. We were told that it would leave at 10:30 and it left about 10:50. The guide was okay and would have liked to hear more about Hot Springs history, and less jokes, less about Wal Mart, etc.

What a fun way to see Hot Springs! This unique vessel is an open air rig and drives on the roads and then slides into the water to become a boat. The driver is very knowledgeable about the entire area, and it is a fun, yet informative trip around town.

As first-time visitors to Hot Springs, my wife and I thought this tour might be a good way to become acquainted with the area. We have done duck tours previously in Pittsburgh and in Seattle.

We met at the storefront location at the appointed time and began the tour. We spent little time in town and headed out through the commercial area to Lake Hamilton, with commentary about the area we were traveling through, primarily restaurants and businesses. The launch into the lake was steep and a bit alarming. We heard a lot commentary about the residences on the lake and then headed back into town, with more commentary about the buildings we were passing, primarily restaurants and businesses. The tour ended at the Arlington Hotel end of Bathhouse Row.

While the tour was interesting, we thought the ducks tours we've taken elsewhere were more engaging, and more fun. In hindsight, we'd skip it and save the $60.

If this is your first time in Hot Springs, and want to see a tiny bit of the town.
It is only a short road trip to the lake and then a short boat ride around the lake.
Better yet, search on YouTube and I am sure someone have video the entire ride.
Once you see the video, its the same thing. Save your money for dinner or spend it at the Casino.