With 11 different docks that they service along the North and South Bank of the St. Johns River, the St. Johns River Taxi is a great way to navigate from one side of the river to the other. It’s hard to beat a day on the beautiful St. Johns River, and with the variety of options available, you can enjoy the breeze on the water for a quick trip, a specialty cruise, a private charter, or a way to ease transportation woes on the days when downtown Jax is actually busy.
What Should You Know?
There are multiple docks that the River Taxi can pick up from, and your departure/drop-off dock will be determined by what type of trip and where you want to go. We started on the Southbank at the Double Tree dock and got picked up for a downtown sightseeing cruise — it was narrated and included history and context around what we saw on the riverbanks around us.
READ: Tips for Exploring Downtown with the FREE Jacksonville Skyway
The cost of the trip will depend on where you’re going and what the trip is; they have multiple options for passes, and some tickets are as low as $15/person. They provide transportation for special events (such as Jags games, area concerts, Riverside Arts Market on Saturdays, and so much more. You can book a variety of tours and types of trips on their website (select “book a cruise”), or during their normal operating hours, you can text them to schedule if you just need a pickup and drop-off.
There is a potty on board! It’s not fancy — it’s similar to a porta-potty but definitely cleaned more often. I took my kids on a potty stop before boarding, and my youngest still had to go while we were on board. I can happily say that we all survived.
What Can (and Should) You Bring?
- Drinks (non-alcoholic drinks): You’ll be thankful for this because even with a breeze off the water, when it’s hot as heck outside, you’ll want water bottles for your whole crew.
- All the snacks: If your kids are anything like mine, they will become hangry lil’ monsters as soon as their feet step into the boat. I packed snacks in Tupperware rather than Ziploc bags to reduce the chances of trash blowing into the river.
- Sunscreen: We applied it in the morning before leaving home and were okay for the one-hour cruise without a second application. But if you’re planning to get off and explore somewhere and then take the river taxi back to where you parked, you should bring it in your bag.
- Hand sanitizer: Because #kids and #germs.
- Sickness bags: If you or your kiddo has ever had (or you may have) motion sickness, bring puke bags just in case. I keep the ones linked here in my car at all times, and they are easy to store and use.
If you’re planning on riding the taxi across the river and being outside and exploring downtown or riverside, you will want to consider what you’ll need for your adventures and pack accordingly.
Will I See Anything Neat?
Probably! Obviously, what you may see will depend on where you’re boarding and if you’re just going across/down the river or taking a sightseeing or sunset tour. On the downtown sightseeing cruise, we got to see a ton of stuff, and the narrator from their crew gives you history on so many pieces of the city that live along the river. We saw my favorite mural in Jacksonville (above), which features two student advocates who spoke at a Unity Conference that was hosted in Jax. I love this mural so much that I actually took photos in front of it in my cap when I graduated from undergrad.
Your kids will also likely be delighted by random things that aren’t part of the tour — because kids notice small things that we as adults overlook. For example, there are a lot of buoys all over the river (many of which mark the spots where people have crab traps dropped). Well, my 3-year-old kept getting excited about seeing “hamburgers” and I was confused, but I agreed with her because a threenager meltdown on a boat sounded awful. BUT then I realized, she was saying these buoys in the picture below looked like hamburgers. Ah, the perspective, silliness, and joy of kids… it’s so fun!
Other Helpful Info:
- They do sell bottled water and alcoholic beverages on board. While you can bring snacks and non-alcoholic beverages, you cannot bring your own alcoholic beverages.
- You do have to use stairs (they are similar to a step stool) to get from the dock onto the boat. They have a rail and crew members who can help, but this is an important thing to consider if you’re planning to bring a stroller or cooler.
- The company is easy to communicate with via text — their number is on their site. I had a lot of questions (hides face), and they were so kind and helpful.
- They do play music on board. If your kids have higher sensory needs, bring headphones.
- You can (and should) tip the crew. You can do that with cash upon exiting the boat or online when you purchase tickets.
Where are you going to take the River Taxi to?
