Top USA Kayaking Tours

On this small-group kayaking or paddleboard tour, you’ll hit the scenic coastlines of Marina del Ray for a hands-on nature immersion. Learn kayaking or paddleboard techniques from your guide, and get a chance to spot local wildlife like sea lions, dolphins, and different varieties of seabird. Tours are capped at only seven participants for a personalized experience.

Paddle alongside the wild dolphins of Virginia Beach on a small-group kayak tour from North End Beach. Watch for sea birds and other wildlife as you steer an easy to use, sit-on-top kayak along the coast to the Cape Henry Lighthouses. Learn about the Atlantic bottlenose dolphins that swim past the Virginia coast each summer, and explore the shore with an experienced guide.

See Lake Tahoe from a whole new perspective on a small-group guided tour in clear kayaks. Follow your lifeguard-certified guide and paddle around Lake Tahoe's scenic East Shore from Sand Harbor to hidden coves and highlights such as Bonsai Rock. On hot days, you can even take a dip in the waters to cool off while you soak up the scenery.

Limestone cliffs jutting above crashing teal-blue waters make Cave Point no ordinary county park. But the best vantage point actually comes from the water, and that’s where you’ll be on this kayaking tour. While tracing Door County’s rugged coast, you’ll also get access to Whitefish Dunes State Park and its tall dunes, beach, hiking trails, and more.

Paddle through the mangrove ecosystem of Tavernier Creek in the Florida Keys on a single or double kayak on this guided tour. Ideal for first-time paddlers, glide in shallow, clear water over sponges, grass beds, and sandy patches. Marine life like turtles, stingrays, dolphins, and manatees can sometimes be spotted nearby.

Watch the sun set over Chesapeake Bay on a 2-hour, small-group dolphin tour by kayak from Virginia Beach. Paddle along the coast as you spot Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, and see the Cape Henry Lighthouses and Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel from the water.

If you’re looking for an adventure you take on your own or with your own group, try booking this Mokolii Island Self-Guided Kayak Tour from Kaneohe. Collect your kayak, life jacket, and other equipment, then get a quick personal instruction before you launch your kayak and head out. Not geared for complete beginners, experienced kayakers will enjoy cruising the ocean near Kualoa Regional Park.

Experience the rugged beauty of Alaska on a guided kayak tour in the town of Hoonah. Join your guide and small group for a paddle past an old logging camp and towering mountains. Then, move on to a rural area the locals call Long Island for a chance to spot wildlife.

If you want to see the hordes of bats that fly through Austin each night but don’t want to do so from the Congress Avenue Bridge, book this Downtown Austin Sunset and Bats Kayak Tour that lets you view the bats and the beautiful sunset from the water. A guide leads you and others out in your kayaks and knows the best areas to stop for viewing. Plus, all necessary equipment is provided for you.

The Tonto National Forest is the largest in Arizona and the Lower Salt River runs right through its heart. On this tour, admire the natural scenery from the water on a thrilling kayaking excursion. Set out from Saguaro Lake Ranch, paddle along the Salt River, and look out for native wildlife, including the park’s herd of wild horses.

Leave the hustle and bustle of Las Vegas behind and get up close to the Colorado River on this half-day kayaking tour. Board your shuttle at Mandalay Bay Resort (if option selected) and travel to Willow Beach. Embark on a relaxing 5-mile (8-kilometer) journey through Black Canyon, including a visit to the picturesque Emerald Cave. Enjoy included snacks and water as you take in the natural beauty around you.

Enjoy a private kayaking adventure in St. Augustine and spot incredible local wildlife. As you paddle through the waterways led by your guide, look for dolphins, manatees, sea turtles, bald eagles, and more. Stop on a beach for natural beauty and more wildlife like conchs and starfish. Learn about St. Augustine history and wildlife along the way on this memorable experience.

Hop into a completely clear kayak on the Crystal River and Three Sisters Springs where you have the chance to spot manatees, turtles, otters, and more on this small-group kayaking tour. Paddle your way around Three Sisters Spring and enjoy all the beauty of it clear, colorful water without getting wet

Paddle a kayak through mangrove creeks and shallow water on a Key West kayaking tour that offers an up-close look that this unique coastal environment. This guided tour is the perfect way to spot Florida wildlife in a natural habitat.

Embark on a thrilling adventure to La Jolla’s mystical sea caves and be at one with the ocean on board a single kayak during this small-group excursion. Soak up remarkable scenery and discover wildlife species unique to San Diego in the ecological reserve with an expert naturalist/biologist guide leading the way.

Spend time swimming, snorkeling, and kayaking in crystal-clear waters on this small-group eco-tour from Crystal River. Head to Three Sisters Springs and keep your eyes peeled for local wildlife such as dolphins, manatees, turtles, and otters that live in these freshwater springs. Learn about the ecosystem and conservation efforts during your guided kayak and swim tour in an eco-friendly manner.

Enjoy sublime coastal scenery as you spot marine life during this kayaking trip to La Jolla’s sea caves and ecological reserve. Paddle alongside your expert naturalist guide as you observe the numerous species of birds, dolphins, sea lions, and even orcas of the area. Kayak among the lush kelp beds that grow in the reserve and, if conditions permit, explore inside the sea caves that dot the rocky coastline.

San Diego’s La Jolla Ecological Reserve is one of the best spots on the West Coast to kayak and snorkel. On this two-activity tour—all gear provided—you and your crew will take turns between floating above water and snorkeling in it, hanging out with garibaldi, leopard sharks, rays, sea lions, and tons of other fascinating marine life.

See the Key West lagoons in a whole new way. Go on a nocturnal adventure with clear kayaks and LED lights that illuminate the surroundings so you can see underwater. A local guide takes you and a small group to the best spots for a unique and memorable marine life experience lasting about 90 minutes.

Experience the natural beauty and marine life of Southwest Florida up-close with a CLEAR kayak! Don't just take our word on what an awesome tour this is... see our TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Awards for 2022-2023-2024! Paddle Naples' tours are in the top 10% of all worldwide tours! Our Five-Star guided eco-tours and rentals take you through Estero Bay and the Gulf of Mexico’s most incredible paddling routes... including mangrove tunnels, secluded beaches, and prime shelling areas! This is prime habitat for dolphins (year round) and manatees (mostly warm water months). We use top quality standard kayaks and paddleboards that are comfortable and easy to paddle. We have CLEAR paddleboards too, and HOBIE pedal kayaks if needed. Complementary photos included! Looking for something truly unique? Try our CLEAR Kayak Sunset Glow Tour. We will paddle to a secluded beach for shelling until sunset, then we turn on the colorful underwater LED lights and have a great time paddling back!

Wilderness areas near Ketchikan are ideal locations to see the wildlife and old growth rain forests of south eastern Alaska. With this tour, take a short boat ride to the Orcas Cove launch point, get in a kayak, and spend a few hours exploring the shoreline and spotting wildlife—bears, whales, eagles, and more—waterside. Finish the tour with a snack of local smoked salmon.

Navigate the waterways and islands of Clover Pass on a small-group kayak eco-tour from Ketchikan. Along the way, spot native Alaskan wildlife that inhabit this protected region where the thick foliage of the Tongass National Forest meets the sea, from sea lions and migratory humpback whales to eagles' nests and exposed starfish colonies. Paddle with two guides and a small group for a more personalized wildlife-watching journey.

Most Maui snorkeling tours use boats with limited visibility of what's directly beneath, and shore-based snorkeling at Turtle Town requires walking gear over loose rock to reach the water. This small-group tour uses clear-bottom kayaks to paddle over the reef with views of the water below, with snorkeling gear included for in-water sessions among the turtles, manta rays, and tropical fish at the reef.