Shore Excursion Guided Sea Kayaking through Akaroa Marine Reserve
Recommended by 97% of travelers
Akaroa, New Zealand
- 2 to 3 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Cruise port time in Akaroa is limited, and it can be hard to fit in something truly memorable without worrying about logistics. This active shore excursion makes it easy to get straight on the water for a guided sea kayaking experience just steps from the port. Paddle through sheltered bays and inlets inside the basin of an extinct volcano, an area known for its calm conditions and scenic coastline. As you explore, watch for local wildlife such as penguins, orcas, and the rare Hector’s dolphin.
- Maximize your chances of spotting marine life from a vantage point on the water
- Get an insider's perspective on the area from your guide
- Benefit from a convenient departure point near the harbor
- All kayaking gear is provided for a hassle-free experience
What's Included
- Local knowledgeable Guide
- Kayak safari
- All kayaking equipment including spray skirts and jackets
- Transport to/from attractions
- Gratuities
- Snacks
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Itinerary
1
Akaroa Guided Kayak Safari
3 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Minimum age is 10 years
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 17 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
This experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If you cancel or ask for an amendment, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Anthony_B
We thoroughly enjoyed our kayaking adventure. All the staff were extremely friendly, helpful, and fun. The boats and equipment were in excellent condition and the itinerary was just right vis-a-vis time and distance travelled. The real highlight was our guide, Joey. He had a great sense of humor and extensive knowledge of the local history and wildlife. Most enjoyable!
Reviews
4.8
based on 160 reviews
Riley_D, Mar 2025
We had a great time kayaking! Thomas and Jack were very knowledgeable and friendly. We saw some hector dolphins. This tour is of the harbour and does not go to the marine reserve, so it’s a bit shorter of a tour which was what we were looking for.
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Thanks so much for coming, wonderful you had a fantastic day out
Joseph_F, Feb 2024
John was a great guide. Sights were amazing. He shared local knowledge and assisted less abled members of our group without drawing undue attention.
Response from Host, Mar 2024
Thanks so much for the review, yes we have fantastic guides, we are glad you enjoyed your tour!
Dorothy_N, Feb 2024
This was a great tour. Allie was very kind and worked with us even when the ship’s tenders were late. John was our tour guide and was very patient and informative. Good for beginners and experienced kayakers. Had a wonderful time!!
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Thanks Dorothy so glad you enjoyed your day in beautiful Akaroa :) It was a pleasure having you.
Charmaine_V, Feb 2024
John was a great guide. He was friendly, knowledgeable and had a good sense of humor. Wish we had been able to see more ocean wildlife but the views were beautiful.
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Thanks for coming! Glad you had a beautiful tour, its like paddling in a postcard here!
Nicole_E, Jan 2024
We had a wonderful time exploring the bays of Akaora! Seamus is an excellent guide who is very knowledgeable about the area, marine, and wild life. Definitely recommend!
Response from Host, Jan 2024
Thank you Nicole! So glad you enjoyed your tour, thanks for coming!
Cameron_B, Mar 2023
The guide James was awesome, however the website did say three hours with lunch at a beach so suggest the company adjusts their advertising for this activity
Response from Host, Mar 2023
Thanks for the review, our guides are the best in the business so thanks for recognising that. We do not advertise LUNCH at a beach , sometimes if the tide is right we do a beach stop but like everything on our kayak tours they differ day to day. Our sunrise tours are advertised as 3 hours long, our crater cruiser is 2.5 hours long and is clearly advertised this way. Thanks
Matthew_D, Jan 2023
Great few hours out on the water, though choppy at times. James was great, knowledgeable and provided a calming confident approach. Highly recommend
Response from Host, Feb 2023
Thanks so much for the review we loved hosting you on the water in stunning Akaroa
Lonnie_R, Dec 2020
Excellent excellent excellent
New Zealand beautiful, kayaks in good shape, and with rudder!
Our guide did great job of balancing skill of group, providing plenty of water time, and describing surroundings.
Look forward to returning.
Response from Host, Dec 2020
Thanks so much for the review, we are so glad you enjoyed your kayak tour with us, we pride ourselves on ensuring our guests get the most amount of water time and value for money. See you again next time hopefully! safe travels!
Robyn_J, Nov 2020
My friend and I went kayaking to celebrate our fiftieth birthdays. The kayaks take two people each, and including us there were six guests, plus our guide, Nick. We had a great time and saw heaps of cool volcanic rock fissures and birds galore. In a couple of places the wind picked up and we had to paddle seriously hard to stick to the coast line, but our trusty guide Nick was on hand to tow anyone that got into trouble. He also told us heaps about the history of Akaroa and recommended a delicious fish and chip shop. We really enjoyed ourselves :)
Response from Host, Nov 2020
Thanks so much for the review and happy 50th birthdays! We are so happy you had a great time.
Thanks again for coming!
Anthony_B, Mar 2020
We thoroughly enjoyed our kayaking adventure. All the staff were extremely friendly, helpful, and fun. The boats and equipment were in excellent condition and the itinerary was just right vis-a-vis time and distance travelled. The real highlight was our guide, Joey. He had a great sense of humor and extensive knowledge of the local history and wildlife. Most enjoyable!
Response from Host, Mar 2020
Thanks so much for the review, we are so glad you enjoyed your tour, our guides are exceptional and will make sure every tour is special for the paddlers! Thanks for coming!
Philip_S, Feb 2020
We are avid kaykers and have kayaked the west coast of BC. Jake and Joey were fantastic guides. Their passion for knowledge of the history of the area and the flora and fauna was most impressive. Great day on the water!!
Response from Host, Feb 2020
Thanks so much for joining us in beautiful Akaroa for a sea kayaking tour with our awesome guides -we are glad you had a great time!
safe travels!
carolyn_W, Feb 2020
The guide was wonderful. The weather was horrible. It rained the entire time and the winds blew so hard we were unable to leave the shelter of the cove. It was grey and visibility was limited. So... just be warned this trip is NOT cancelled for foul weather. Bring rain gear and smile for the camera!
Response from Host, Feb 2020
The weather is what it is on the day, that is the beauty of being in nature, if conditions are safe for kayaking we operate. Many of our best tours have been in rainy conditions, it is up to each participant if they join in or not. You did not have to come if you do not like the rain! Spray skirts are provided and a rain jacket is all you need to stay dry. Rainy conditions often mean we have the harbour to ourselves and the wildlife is often more active on days like these, for these reasons I personally LOVE kayaking in the rain :)
Joel_H, Feb 2020
Jake was our Kayak tour guide and could not have been more perfect! We were fortunate enough to see four Hector dolphin sightings and Jake's insight into the dolphins and other marine life was amazing. He has an in-depth knowledge of various birds, plant life and marine life. We loved all of the staff, very nice and efficient.
Thank you!
Response from Host, Feb 2020
Thanks so much for the review, we are so happy you enjoyed your sea kayaking experience with us here in Akaroa, one of the best destinations to sea kayak in NZ! Our guides are not only kayak guides but very knowledgeable nature guides which makes the tours great value for money.
Thanks for joining us and safe travels!
Marco_H, Jan 2020
We went along the rocky coastline and discovered cages, remnants of volcanos and spotted a Hector dolphin! The guides told us many things about the nature and history of the bay. They were very enthusiastic. Equipments was good. We enjoyed it very much.
Response from Host, Jan 2020
So great to hear you loved your tour! Our guides love paddling through this stunning marine reserve with our guests and enjoy it as much as the visitors, the views never get old! There is so much to see and learn about, thanks for coming and sharing this experience with us!
safe travels
Allie & Grevile
alexa092819, Dec 2019
Lots of fun! Our guide Jake was awesome, very knowledgeable about the local wildlife and scenery, threw some cute jokes in there as well. Got to see some amazing rock formations and lots of local birds. My husband and I have very little experience on a kayak and Jake was really patient with us and took his time to help guide us in the right direction.
Response from Host, Dec 2019
Thanks so much for taking the time to send us your positive comments, we are so glad you enjoyed your sea kayaking safari with us and we hope you will be inspired to kayak again, it is such a great way to explore beautiful places!
Safe onward travels!
Akaroa kayaks team
Helen_Y, Mar 2019
Our guide was very knowledgeable and very adept at kayaking. He did a very good job of pointing out anything he spotted along the way. Was a little disappointed that the only thing we saw were a few different types of birds. It probably had to do with the time of year we were there. The kayaking was enjoyable and the view were good.
Kristine_O, Jan 2019
We had a great time Kayaking in Akaroa. Our guide Jake, was a wealth of knowledge and made the experience a lot of fun. The day we went out was gray and threatening rain, so we weren't sure we wanted to do this, however, the rain held off and we had a wonderful time.
Eileen_D, Feb 2018
Loved this kayaking tour! The guides were excellent and very knowledeable about the history and wild life of Akaroa. We even had a hector dolphin float under our kayak. Akaroa is a beautiful place and this was an amazing way to experience it.
Gayle C, Feb 2018
Our kayaking tour of Akaroa was awesome. We were able to meet the guides after a short walk from our cruise ship. Two guides accompanied the small group and provided excellent safety and paddling instruction. During the trip, which mostly followed the shore, they gave interesting information about the wildlife, flora and geology of the area. The paddling was easy and very enjoyable. We're so pleased that we chose this excursion in Akaroa.
Cary A, Feb 2018
This was a nice, easy kayak trip in the bay. The staff and guides were great. The kayaks were great too, really easy with the rudder and pedals to steer. The scenery is very nice. However, I was disappointed that this was not really a wildlife trip so if you're wanting to see wildlife or if you want an exhilarating, adventurous kayak trip, this is not the trip for you not many birds, no marine wildlife, with the caveat that this of course is dependent on the time of year and seeing wildlife is never guaranteed. I might be a bit biased because I'm a biologist and when something says 'wildlife' in the excursion title I expect that at least there will be the chance, however, the habitat/landscape of this trip is not conducive to the potential for viewing much wildlife. Even with binoculars we only picked up a few birds in the trees that the others didn't see right on the shore like gulls, Canada geese, and the spotted shags that are everywhere.
Tammy_G, Feb 2018
The Bay of Akaroa was beautiful and was easily viewed from the kayak. We did not get to see any penguins, whales, dolphins. I was dissappointed not to have seen those wildlife features.
Charles C, Jan 2018
Great adventure. Allie was a wonderful guide and provided for a great experience
Vidalani , Jan 2018
Wow, you have to try this! Fun and knowledgeable guides on safety and wildlife! Friendly and inclusive! Felt right at home on the water! Many Mahalos everyone!
Melissa T, Dec 2017
Best tour ever!! We saw mom and baby Hector's dolphins right as we started and then raced others in the kayaks. A pod of them stayed with us the whole time. It was amazing. Highly recommended.
Ronald B, Mar 2017
Akaroa was one of the ports of call on our round New Zealand cruise that we had booked. We were not impressed with the excursions offered by the cruise company, so searched for something more to our taste on the internet, and found the Sea Kayaking Safari, which we booked and paid for through Viator. Once we landed at Akaroa we followed the instructions to the rendezvous, and café about a 10 minute walk from the Akaroa pier where we were landed by tender. Unfortunately the instructions were not very clear, and we walked past the rendezvous and seemed to be heading out of town! Fortunately there was a motel nearby, and the receptionist there knew where the café in question was located.
We arrived at the rendezvous and still had time for a coffee, and wandered down towards the water, where we met Grenville, our guide. There was one other couple on the safari that day, and we were soon launched on our kayaks, with the help of Allie, the other partner in the Sea Kayaking enterprise.
Akaroa is ideal for sea kayaking it is a large lagoon - basically a flooded crater of an enormous extinct volcano, so that the water surface is sheltered from the ocean. It is frequented by different species of birds, some of them being quite rare, and which Grenville pointed out to us as we paddled around the shores of the lagoon. They were two-person kayaks, equipped with neoprene skirts which prevented ingress of water when paddling. The kayaks were fairly easy to manage, and had rudders which made steering a bit easier, however these only function effectively when the kayaks are going reasonably fast. I have experience canoeing so it didn't take long to work out the correct paddling technique. People lacking previous experience would need to spend some time learning how to handle the paddles.
Grenville took us by interesting rock formations pointing out the different forms of lava that could be seen, as well as telling us something of the bird species we saw. One part of the trip involved crossing a more open stretch of water that was a bit more challenging and quite exhilarating.
I estimate that we were out on the kayaks for about 90 minutes, which was sufficient. Anyone thinking of doing this trip should be aware that to operate a kayak you have to sit on a hard seat with your legs stretched out. Some people may find this a bit hard on the back.
We thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and possibly could have continued another 30 minutes or so. We landed on a beach on the other side of the lagoon, where Allie was waiting for us with the van, to take us back to town.
As cameras are likely to be splashed in the kayaking environment, Grenville took the photographs with a water proof camera, and these were sent on by email, so we now have the pictures of what we did on a very enjoyable and unique experience. We would recommend the Sea Kayaking Safari to anyone who wants to have an interesting outdoor experience in a unique marine location.
Roy B, Dec 2016
We had a marvelous time with our guides. They were so in tune with the expertise of the members and handled each one according to their ability. Beautiful coastline and an overall fun day on the water.
Emma P, Dec 2016
This was a great tour - even as beginners we were welcome! Very helpful and patient guides, and the scenery was divine!
John E, Dec 2016
Really good trip, tailored to the ability of the group.
Christopher S, Mar 2016
This was a fantastic experience. The location was wonderful and our guides were professional, informative and really nice people. Even though it was a cloudy day we both thoroughly enjoyed our paddle. The highlight was the dolphin swimming around our kayak. If we are ever in Akaroa again we will definitely do this trip again.
From $81.21
per person-You will not receive a refund if you cancel.
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Shore Excursion Guided Sea Kayaking through Akaroa Marine Reserve
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