Port of Houston Authority

We found this tour on a list of things to do in Houston. I’m so glad we did because it was an awesome little tour! What made it even better… Free! Although I would definitely pay for something like this again. It was a quality tour.
We made our reservation for a Friday night at 6:00pm. All other times for the weekend were full so we were stuck with this time. No complaints though. There were only about 20 people on our tour! It shows that at full capacity, they can hold over 100 people. I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much with that many people. The time of our tour was good too because the sun had already gone down at that time. It made the water so romantic. All the lights from the boats and harbor were reflected beautifully in the water!
The entire tour was around 90 minutes from start to finish. It was narrated — they pointed out certain things: oil refinery, shipping vessels, etc. They also provided a free beverage (soda, water, coffee) mid way through the tour. It really is the little things that count!
The only complaint I have about this is how difficult it was to find! Google maps told us to turn left at gate 8 instead of turning right (passing the security post). There are also no signs for where to meet until you drive all the way to the end of the road. Kinda scary when it’s super dark out! Don’t let this complaint keep you from going! If you have a couple hours to spare while in Houston, go! It’s worth the time and FREE!

FREE TOUR. RESERVATIONS ONLY. Make sure you google and find the website for the port authority. They will NOT let you in without reservations and an ID. It takes about an hour or so. There are other reviews under SAM’S BOAT or SAM’S TOUR and it is the same.
Check your GPS since it may lead you astray as ours did. It is so very easy to miss this place, and the road to this place is quite rough.
EAT SOMETHING FIRST!!! There really is no decent place to eat anywhere around this area except for McDonald’s or Burger King (eek!!!)
Prepare yourself for some olfactory assault. Since we are touring the industrial part of houston, your nose will be assaulted by different offensive smells every 20 yards. Hubby and I made it fun by playing the game called: Eww. What is that smell?
This definitely open your eyes at the hardworking people in Houston and all around the world. You get to see BIG BIG ships and barges. You get to pass by scrap metal factories/​companies and other scary looking buildings. This made me think, on several occassions, oh how Mother Nature weeps!
The captains of the tour are very lovely. They offer free coke/​sprite/​water beverages during the tour so make sure you get that before they close. The fridge is located on the outside back area of the boat.
There is the inside and then outside part. You have to stay inside until they pull off the dock, and almost immediately, I highly recommend for you to dash on to the front part of the boat. I had a «titanic» pose on the edge of the boat, and that was fun. PLUS the breeze is great and it is definitely a great place to take pics. There were others who tried to push us off our spot, but once the boat turned around, we left our spot and let the others have it too.
The inside is simple with seats everywhere. The whole thing is quite simple, but a humble experience all in all. I will not recommend this for handicap people since sitting outside or being outside may not be a great thing for them. The captains are careful that the boat doesnt make any sudden movements and are very mindful on any amount of waves created by the other ships out and about.
Kids from 5 – 12 (or maybe above) may really enjoy this especially for those who are just getting into their toys like ships and cranes and the likes. We came at the 10 am tour on Saturday and were told to come in as early as 930am. Dont bother coming too early. although the boat will leave at 10. Parking is open so no worries there, and there is a bathroom by the parking lot so make good use of it.