Organized Tours

Land & Sea Tours

"Duck" tours are rowdy (lots of quacking going on), and kids love them. The "ducks" are amphibious sightseeing vehicles that take visitors on a cruise of the harbor after touring the city's neighborhoods. Ride the Ducks (tel. 410/727-DUCK; www.baltimoreducks.com) conducts 50-minute tours in converted 1945 DUKWs that accommodate 38 passengers. Tours are offered daily from April to September, and Saturday and Sunday only in October and November. Tickets are $25 for adults, $23 for seniors, $22 for active military, and $14 for children 3 to 12. The ticket kiosk is outside the Light Street Pavilion at Harborplace. Tickets include quackers.

Special-Interest Tours

Modeled after Boston's Freedom Trail, the Heritage Walk (tel. 877/BALTIMORE; www.heritagewalk.org) has interpretive signs and bronze sidewalk markers highlighting 20 historic spots along a 3.2-mile trail. Some are obvious, such as City Hall and the USS Constellation. Other sites benefit from explanation, such as the 1771 Friends Meeting House, one of Baltimore's oldest structures. You can take the walk on your own -- maps are available for $2 -- but it's better with a guide. The 90-minute guided tours include a map and depart from the Inner Harbor visitor center every day at 10am, April through November. There is no charge. Though visitors don't go inside any of the buildings (admission to open sites costs extra), they do get an insider's look at some fascinating streets and learn a few stories about Baltimore in its earliest days. A free 90-minute Mount Vernon Cultural Walk (tel. 877/BALTIMORE) on Calvert and Charles streets is offered at noon daily, depending on interest. It also starts at the Inner Harbor visitor center.

The Fell's Point Visitor Center, 1724-26 Thames St. (tel. 410/675-6750; www.preservationsociety.com), offers historical tours of some of Baltimore's oldest streets April through November. Walking tours, including the Immigration Tour and Secrets of the Seaport, depart from here on Saturday at noon. Authentic Fell's Point Ghostwalks are offered Friday and Saturday at 7pm. Tickets are $12 for adults, $8 for children 11 and under; reservations are a must. Tours of the 1765 Robert Long House on Ann Street, the oldest urban residence in old Baltimore Town, are offered Tuesday through Saturday at 1:30pm. Tickets are $5.

African American Cultural Tours focus on contributions of local African Americans, such as Harriet Tubman and Thurgood Marshall, as well as important landmarks, including locations where the TV series The Wire was shot. A new tour will focus on movie locations. Call tel. 410/727-0755; reservations are essential.

Baseball fans will enjoy the 75-minute tour of Oriole Park at Camden Yards (tel. 410/547-6234; www.oriolepark.com). Well-informed guides fill you in on where Hall of Famer Eddie Murray hit his 500th home run, why there are no bat racks in the dugout, and how many miles of beer lines run under the seats. The tour visits places the average fan can't see: the dugouts, the umpires' tunnel, and the press box. Buy tickets at least 30 minutes beforehand at the box office at the north end of the stadium; prices are $7 for adults and $5 for seniors and children. Call ahead to confirm times.

Cruises & Boat Tours

There's no shortage of options for seeing Baltimore from the water. Several touring boats will inevitably be docked at the Inner Harbor during your visit, but the cheapest way to get on the water is to take Ed Kane's Water Taxi (tel. 800/658-8947 or 410/563-3901; www.thewatertaxi.com). It provides transportation to various destinations, including Harborplace, Little Italy, Fells Point, Canton, and Fort McHenry, but you're welcome to stay on for the entire route.

The Bay Lady and the Lady Baltimore, two 450-passenger three-deck ships, dock outside the Light Street Pavilion (tel. 800/695-BOAT or 410/727-3113; www.harborcruises.com). They offer 2-hour lunch, 3-hour dinner, and 2 1/2-hour moonlight excursions, as well as crab feasts and holiday cruises, year-round. Prices range from $33 to $60 per person. The food is passable, but the cruise is worthwhile. Also available are 60-minute narrated harbor tours on the Prince Charming. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for children and seniors.

The Black-Eyed Susan, a 150-passenger paddle-wheeler, offers Sunday brunch cruises and other excursions, departing from the Broadway Pier in Fells Point. Cruises cost $40 to $60. Call tel. 410/342-6960 or visit www.theblack-eyedsusan.com.

For a tall-ship adventure, plan a trip on one of two New England schooners that dock in Baltimore for several weeks of cruising the Chesapeake. In the fall, the 103-foot Mystic Whaler (tel. 800/697-8420; www.mysticwhaler.com) offers 3- and 5-day Chesapeake Bay cruises from Baltimore. Prices for 3 days range from $450 to $590. The 167-foot Mystic (tel. 860/536-0416; www.voyagermystic.com) offers 2-, 3-, and 5-day cruises both spring and fall. Rates for a 3-day sail range from $540 to $585.