Animal Crossing: New Horizons update quietly expands Kapp’n boat tours

Animal Crossing: New Horizons received its major 3.0 update with a wide range of additions designed to extend the game’s lifespan and give long-term players new goals. Much of the attention initially focused on visible features, such as new facilities, characters and progression systems. However, as players spent more time with the update, a less noticeable but potentially significant change began to emerge.

The update introduces a new hotel located on the dock, run by members of Kapp’n’s family. This location adds a fresh layer of activity centred on interior design and daily tasks. While many players quickly noticed the hotel and its role in earning new rewards, a deeper benefit tied to Kapp’n himself only becomes apparent after substantial progress has been made.

A subtle change hidden behind the hotel

Kapp’n’s Boat Tours have long been one of the most useful daily activities in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. By taking players to random islands, these tours provide access to materials that may be difficult or time-consuming to obtain on a player’s home island. In the past, Kapp’n would only offer one Boat Tour per day, making each trip a limited opportunity.

With the 3.0 update, players who invest time in the new hotel eventually unlock the ability to take two Boat Tours in a single day. This second trip is not immediately available and is not clearly explained within the game, which is why many players initially overlooked the change. The additional tour is paid for using Hotel Tickets, a new currency introduced alongside the hotel content.

The existence of this second daily tour came to wider attention after a Reddit user, known as danniperson, reported being offered another trip by Kapp’n after completing several hotel-related tasks. Their experience suggested that the extra tour was linked directly to hotel progression rather than chance or hidden conditions. Since then, further testing by players has confirmed that the feature can be reliably unlocked through continued work at the hotel.

How players unlock the second daily tour

Access to the second Boat Tour appears to be tied to completing all eight standard hotel room designs as well as the VIP room. Once these design tasks are finished, Kapp’n offers an additional trip on the same day in exchange for 100 Hotel Tickets. Based on current player reports, there does not seem to be any additional requirement related to the total number of DIY requests completed or the overall number of Hotel Tickets earned.

Hotel Tickets are obtained by helping decorate rooms within the hotel and by completing DIY requests posted on the dock. This system encourages players to engage with the hotel regularly, rather than treating it as a one-off feature. The link between hotel progress and Kapp’n’s services creates a sense of continuity across the update’s new content.

By placing the second Boat Tour behind a progression milestone, the game ensures players gradually discover its benefit rather than receive it immediately. This approach aligns with Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ broader design philosophy, which favours long-term engagement and steady rewards over instant access to powerful features.

Why do two Boat Tours a day matter

Although the ability to take a second Boat Tour may seem minor at first glance, it has a meaningful impact on gameplay. Each trip offers a chance to land on a rare island, some of which are set in different seasons. These seasonal islands can contain materials such as cherry blossoms, mushrooms or other items that may not be available on a player’s own island at that time of year.

Other rare destinations are covered in unusual resources, including star fragments, making them particularly valuable for crafting and progression. Even if players are taken to more common islands, the second tour effectively doubles the amount of wood, stone, fruit and other materials that can be gathered in a single day.

The extra tour is handy when combined with the fortunes from Katrina, another character added to the game. If a player receives a fortune that improves luck with belongings, the next Boat Tour is guaranteed to lead to a rare island. Having access to two tours in one day increases the strategic value of such fortunes and allows players to make better use of limited-time bonuses.

Overall, the expanded Boat Tour system reinforces the importance of the hotel and gives players a strong incentive to engage with decorating and daily requests. By quietly enhancing one of the game’s most popular features, the 3.0 update adds depth without disrupting the relaxed pace that defines Animal Crossing: New Horizons.