Clear Kayak or Paddleboard Manatee Adventure

Badge of Excellence

Orlando, USA

Popular pick

Booked 5+ times last week!

2 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travellers loved this

4.6

· Leslie_C ·

Apr 2026

Our guide was funny and informative. It is easy paddling and so beautiful. The manatees were not in our exact area the day we went, but the monkeys were! They were so cute. Lots of alligators, beautiful birds, turtles. My whole family enjoyed this outing.

· MARY_M ·

Mar 2026

It was amazing! Not only did we see manatees we saw other wildlife. The water was so clear and our guide Joe was great!!

Overview

Located north of Orlando, Silver Springs is a popular spot for boaters and other on-water riders to spot manatees floating leisurely through the crystal waters. Get close to these mammals and other wildlife including monkeys and turtles on a clear paddle board or kayak tour. Take an adventure into the springs on your choice of a clear kayak or paddle board, letting your transparent watercraft give you a fantastic view beneath the surface.

Great for couples, two-person kayaks available
Explore the Fort King paddle trail passing through lush forests
Stay hydrated in the heat with free bottled water
Your guide will capture photos and share them with you

What's Included

Local guide
Clear Kayak or Paddleboard and all safety equipment
Dry Bag for Phone and Keys

*Gratuity for your guide(s)(suggested 20%, good time $10 per person, amazing time $20 per person)
Bottled water
State Park and Launch Fee - $6 per person

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Silver Springs State Park
5656 E Silver Springs Blvd, Silver Springs, FL 34488, USA
IMPORTANT: This meeting location is not in Orlando. It is at Silver Springs State Park in Ocala, FL. DO NOT google Epic Paddle Adventures and go to our address in Orlando. Please make sure that you are going to the right location.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

Silver Springs State Park

2 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Service animals allowed
Not wheelchair accessible

Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
We are extremely pet friendly. Please contact us prior to your tour so we can determine if this activity is suitable for your pet.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 travellers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveller Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveller's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveller's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveller's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveller's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveller's review)

Featured review

Jodi_R

Roger was AMAZING. He directed those that weren’t well-versed in kayaking so well and understandable. He was very knowledgeable. He kept our attention with a good sense of humor. He read the audience well. He didn’t rush us at all. We saw a manatee and two gators. Lots of birds. Tons of turtles. I wish we would have seen monkeys but that is not the fault of the tour. Highly recommend the tour and I hope you are able to tour with Roger.

Reviews

4.6

based on 379 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Awesome!

Jane_W, Apr 2026

This is a fantastic experience and is made even better if you happen to get the guide named Roger. Best to arrive early and pay your park fee and then find Roger who will give you the rest of the details.

This was very cool. We...

Darlene_W, Apr 2026

This was very cool. We saw many birds and alligators, there was even seven turtles sunbathing in a row.

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Thank you for your review! Sounds like you guys had a great time out there.

Beautiful and informative

Pamela_D, Apr 2026

We had a great tour with Steven. He was very knowledgeable and informative. It wasn’t a good time of year for manatees, but we saw a variety of birds and lots of alligators. We will come back when it’s colder to see manatees.

Lots of fun - you’ll love it!

Tyler_C, Apr 2026

A perfect day! Bob & Roger were wonderful guides. Informative, helpful & fun. We saw four manatees, a few gators, a handful of monkeys and a lot of birds and had a great time. I definitely recommend bringing a change of clothes - it rained - and we loved every minute of it.

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Yay! It sounds like you had a fun adventure!!!

Excellent adventure at Silver Springs

Stephanie_B, Apr 2026

Wonderful experience with our guide, Roger! Saw lots of beautiful wildlife. The water was very clear!

Response from Host, Apr 2026

We are so happy to hear of your adventure. We appreciate your 5 Star rating!

Family Kayak Day

Leslie_C, Apr 2026

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Thank you so much for sharing your time with us! We are so happy we could help contribute to an amazing time with your family!

Highly recommend it for sure

Manuela_H, Apr 2026

It was so beautiful paddling And seeing all that wonderful animal in their habitat like birds, turtles, monkeys, alligators and manatees

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Fun! We are so happy to hear the feedback from your adventure. We appreciate you!

Good trip.

Mary_M, Mar 2026

Good trip. Knew what to expect. Wish we were earlier in the year to see manatees. Our guide was very good.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you for sharing! We appreciate you!

It was great, the guides...

Jason_R, Mar 2026

It was great, the guides were awesome ! We saw gators, manatees which were right under our kayak and lots of cool birds!

Response from Host, Mar 2026

We love to hear this Jason! We appreciate you!

Awesome experience

Jacqueline_S, Mar 2026

What a incredible experience! Our guide was not only fun, but he was very knowledgeable about the history of the area. Highly recommend. The animals all showed up to say hello too. I would recommend this to anyone.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Amazing!!!! So happy you had an incredible time with us!

Roger and Tom were...

Paula_H, Mar 2026

Roger and Tom were fantastic tour guides. We saw a manatee, lots of alligators, turtles, monkeys and birds. I highly recommend this tour!

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Wonderful!!! So glad you had a great time!

Great tour. Bob was very...

Leanne_H, Mar 2026

Great tour. Bob was very knowledgeable and Roger was very entertaining. Want to come back when manatees will be there.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Awesome!! So glad you had a great time!

Kayak and paddle boarding

Crystal_W, Mar 2026

Good arm Workout and great wildlife experience. My kids used paddle boards and seen so much more than i in a kayak

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you for sharing your experience! Its an amazing tour and a great workout!

It was amazing! Not only...

MARY_M, Mar 2026

It was amazing! Not only did we see manatees we saw other wildlife. The water was so clear and our guide Joe was great!!

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Awesome!! We love it out there! So happy you had an Epic time with us!

Loaded gators !

Brenda_C, Mar 2026

You have to tell the guide ur there , then wait on a long line to pay parking . Go back too the guide person carry your own kayak to the loading area . So many ppl ur bumping into or waiting . The two guide ppl were great though! Bob and Rodger gave all info on tour . We did not see no manatees no monkeys just birds and a lot of alligators there , which felt un easy . To get back to unloading area it was very difficult for me as I have bad knees and it wasn’t easy to get out of kayak . That’s me though not their fault .

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thanks for the feedback. Your guides are supposed to offer assistance to guests carrying their kayak to the loading area. We will reach out to them to make sure this is happening.

Great adventure on the Silver Springs River

Jennifer_H, Mar 2026

The guide was knowledgeable and shared interesting history of the area, facts about local wildlife and led us to a manatee and several springs. We were able to get very close to several alligators and birds.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Wonderful!! How amazing! So thrilled you had a great time!

Little disappointment

Chieko_S, Mar 2026

It was not a cheap ticket. The meeting location shows the wrong spot in the park. Then I asked the person who was working for the clear kayak, who said he was not the right tour and recommended that I ask the other four parties. However, after Iasked all of them, it turned out he was the right person. All customershad to carry the kayak all the way down to the launch spot and back. It was not an easy task for the elders. The guide was taking pictures to sell instead of letting us to take the best spots. Many kayaks to go with the narrow streams. It was impossible to not to bump or get bumped. Yes, we saw the animals we wanted to see but it was far to take photos.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you for your feedback. Two hours prior to you were sent a video on how to meet your guide. Normally, we have no issues with meeting them. You were provided a phone number to call if you were having issues finding them. As an order of business, our guides are required to offer assistance to anyone wishing assistance transporting their kayaks the short distance to the water. Normally, kids 6 and up can do this without assistance. If this did not occur, please call our offices so we can provide the appropriate coaching to our staff member. Epic provides complementary photo albums to every guest. Please call us if you need assistance accessing your free tour photos that have been uploaded to your album. We are happy to discuss your experience. Thanks for taking the time to provide feedback.

Great guides

Linda_C, Feb 2026

It was amazing. Great guides. They were very friendly and knowledgeable. I would take this tour again.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thanks for taking the time to leave this amazing feedback!

Great experience!

Jennifer_T, Feb 2026

Amazing experience! Saw a few manatee but also alligators, birds and turtles. Definitely recommend. The tour guides were wonderful.

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Thank you for 5 Stars! We appreciate you!

Highly recommend

Jennifer_S, Feb 2026

Absolutely wonderful. Our tour guide was so much fun, great personality. Absolutely wonderful time, highly recommended.

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Wonderful!! Thank you for your awesome feedback!

Beautiful

William_H, Feb 2026

Fantastic experience. Great wildlife. Very scenic. Was crowded in areas and our group was too large. Was difficult to stay close enough to hear guide with so many.

Response from Host, Feb 2026

So glad you had an amazing time with us and thank you for your feedback!

This was such a fun...

Carol_O, Feb 2026

This was such a fun experience! After a little confusion at the park entrance, we found our guide Stevie and the adventure began. We are from the Pacific Northwest, so this beautiful waterway with its many springs was a most amazing few hours. As advertised, we saw manatees, many birds, turtles, and alligators. Stevie was great. Knowledgeable and personable, we learned a lot about the history of the park. All the while we were busy with our paddles, he was taking photos for us, even a few underwater videos. It was a great afternoon and I'm so glad we took the time to spend it on this tour.

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Thank you so much for your feedback. We appreciate you Carol!

Wild kayaking adventure

Jennifer_E, Feb 2026

We had a great time with Rodger and Ben on this kayaking adventure. We saw lots of alligators, manatee, and learned some local history. Highly recommend!!👍👍

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Thanks for the amazing feedback and the 5 Stars!

It was so fun. Saw...

Ericka_F, Jan 2026

It was so fun. Saw everything I was hoping to see. Tour guide was awesome, friendly and great sense of humor. Will highly recommend this to friends and family that will be traveling to FL.

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Wonderful! So happy you had a great time!!

Silver Springs is...

Darin_P, Jan 2026

Silver Springs is amazing! So much wild life. Our guide Roger Gudridge was a lot of fun to on be with! Great knowledge, jokes and all around good vibe.

Response from Host, Jan 2026

We are so happy to hear that you had an amazing time. We love Roger!

Skip the Private Tour-Rent from the State Park Instead

Sheng_W, Jan 2026

I wouldn’t recommend booking a private kayak tour like this. You’re better off just going directly to the state park and renting from the official concession—no guide is needed to paddle the route yourself. Even on the busiest days, the wait to rent was only up to about 30 minutes. With this tour, it’s easy to miss the guide because the meeting instructions/directions aren’t clear. At the launch area, 99% of people are lining up at the state park rental, so it’s confusing to figure out where this private tour is supposed to meet. Also, private tours are not allowed to complete the full river loop/circle route. That’s a big downside, because manatees tend to avoid crowds—you often need to do the larger loop to reach the quieter sections where you’re more likely to see them.

Response from Host, Jan 2026

You were sent a video on how to meet your guide. We are sorry to hear that you had trouble meeting up with your group. Thanks for your feedback.

Disappointed

Dawn_S, Jan 2026

A bit confusing checking in. Viator doesn't give good direction on what ro do. During the trip, we saw 1 manatee and 1 gator. Not what the ad makes it seem. A little disappointed. Guides were friendly. Since we didn't see much it was just a nice kayaking tour.

Response from Host, Jan 2026

We are sorry to hear of your dissatisfaction. Since it is not a zoo situation, we can't guarantee how many animals our guests will see on each tour. Thank you for your feedback.