Las Vegas: Guided Kayak Tour from Willow Beach to Emerald Cave
Recommended by 96% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Arizona, USA
- 4 to 7 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Paddle the Colorado River from Willow Beach to Emerald Cave on a full-day, small-group tour of a section famed for its desert beauty—visiting three scenic spots for photos and swimming. Since the tour follows a section of calm, flat water, it combines next-level views with beginner-friendly paddling. And, an experienced guide offers peace of mind as you explore.
- Get personal attention from your kayak guide thanks to the small group size
- See the Colorado River from a unique vantage point on the water
- Go beyond the most popular sites and spots
- Pickup and drop-off option makes transport a breeze
What's Included
- Access to Emerald Cave
- Three photos at iconic National Geographic featured locations
- WFA, CPR, and First-Aid Certified Tour Guide
- Safety Instruction
- Life Jacket, Paddles
- Performance Kayak
- Bottled water
- Round-trip hotel transportation by air-conditioned van
- Entrance fee - National Park Entrance Fee (Self-Drive Per Car - Waived with National Park Pass)$25.00 per booking
- Gratuities
- For self-drive bookings, round-trip transportation is not included.
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Itinerary
1
The Las Vegas Strip
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Willow Beach
1 hour 45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
The Colorado River
Admission Ticket Free
4
Emerald Cave
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Willow Beach
1 hour 45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
6
The Las Vegas Strip
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Most travelers can participate
- Tandems may accommodate up to 450 lbs
- Singles may accommodate up to 250 lbs
- Exclusive access to locations featured on National Geographic.
- Highly recommended for beginners, families, couples, and solo travelers.
- Highly recommended for photography enthusiasts and nature lovers.
- The activity provider is not responsible for lost items; bringing a dry bag is strongly recommended.
- Launch times may change due to weather or operational conditions. If the tour day is canceled for weather or operations, you will be offered a reschedule or a full refund.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Jesse_R
Had Lee and Josh as our tour guides, they were super understanding with us running late. They both were friendly and Josh was very informative as he's been on the river for many years so has a lot of experience and knowledge. They were great tour guides and highly recommend!
Reviews
4.8
based on 113 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Israel_S, Sep 2026
I think the experience was bad from the get-go. Our original time was set at 9:30am and then we got a change of time due to weather and was asked to be there at 7:30 AM when we actually didn’t have to waste two extra hours of our day when we started at 9:30 anyway. Long story short, my kayak capsized due to the instructor forgetting to put a cap on the kayak and the kayak filled with water twice it damaged my iPhone, my iPad all my personal belongings. What surprise me as they would put me in the same kayak a second time the second time he had to go to the beach and drain it out cause the tour to be delayed because of this. It was a bad experience for my myself, my fiancé and for the rest of our tour. I have a video of the instructor saying it was his fault for not checking the kayak before putting me on it and he made a big mistake. I would actually like to do it a second time, but definitely not with green wave. I will 100% not recommend anybody to go to these guys for the unprofessionalism and the unsafe treatment. I’m demanding a full refund and have pictures and video to show the incident. My kayak had to be towed due to a defect and for not putting the safety cap on. We made it back, but we were not happy that we couldn’t make it to the cave. If we had started the two hours earlier that they changed we would have, and if my kayak didn’t capsize and flip over, we might have made it to the cave as well. Very unhappy!!
Kathryn_K, Aug 2026
Incredible experience while visiting Las Vegas for work. Our guide Zane was the best and went above and beyond for our group. If you want something off the strip and are up for adventure I can’t recommend this enough.
Broderick_B, Aug 2026
We’ve Been waiting for an hour and a half for pick up, with no contract. We’ve called and messaged the company with no response. And after and hour when I pull up my ticket it now says pending cancellation on it WTF
Maya_F, Aug 2026
Josh and Michel were amazing, they were super knowledgeable and kind, and provided us with anything we needed. The pick up service was great and dropped me back home :)
Rob_D, Jul 2026
This was an outstanding excursion. Our tour guide Colby, was excellent. We learned a lot about the foliage along the river, and the creatures who live on the banks of the river. A lot of history was talked too. A great experience, but bring water...you will get very thirsty in the heat and you WILL be tired afterwards.
Valerie_S, Jul 2026
Beautiful experience. Take sunscreen. Lee and Josh were wonderful, definitely recommend them as guides
Michelle_S, Jul 2026
Lee and Josh were great! Water was beautiful. Great sightings of local wildlife. Cave really isn’t a cave but would do it again just for the beautiful water and scenery
Jay_M, May 2026
Very informative about the plants and animals to the native land, the tour guides Josh and Teacher were the best very knowledgeable
Lisa_E, May 2026
Beautiful day on a stunning river with a very knowledgeable guide! Josh was our guide and did a fantastic job with this tour. He gave us a wealth of information about the river, the wildlife, vegetation and history of the area. Josh was also very conscious about
safety standards and took some great pictures for us!
Christopher_P, May 2026
Josh & Lee were awesome. Really friendly and entertaining guides. The tour itself was beautiful and the perfect balance between relaxing and physically engaging.
Dean_R, May 2026
Beautiful day to be on the river. Process was easy, equipment was in good condition. Josh and Lee were Great guides.
Andrew_S, May 2026
Kayak operator (Green Wave) never showed up to the drop site at Willow Beach. Another operator said they were a no show the day before and left a couple stranded then too. Beware booking with this outfit.
cindy_b, May 2026
The trip was awesome. Josh and Lee did a great job as guides. Very chilled, laid back and relaxing. Water was beautiful
Emily_G, May 2026
Book with josh he was amazing!! He shared interesting facts about Arizona I never knew about, would definitely recommend!
Lisette_G, May 2026
We had a great experience with Green Wave Kayak Tours on the Emerald Cave tour. Our guide, Lee, was very knowledgeable, experienced, and interactive with the group, which made the trip even more enjoyable. The tour lasted about four hours and was a really nice mix of kayaking, sightseeing, and learning about the area.
The Emerald Cave is a little different than what you may see online—it’s actually a very small cave, and you do have to wait in line with other kayakers for a chance to go inside. It was still very impressive to see, and the emerald green color of the water reflecting inside the cave was beautiful and definitely worth it.
We did encounter some wind on the way back, which made it a little choppier and a bit harder to return to the beach area, but overall it was still a great experience. I would definitely recommend this tour, and I highly recommend Lee as your tour guide!
Danelia_Q, May 2026
My husband and I had a great time. Our guide Lee was awesome and very informative! Definitely an unforgettable experience!
Itamar_D, Apr 2026
We had a great time. Josh was amazing and very knowledgeable. I highly recommend taking this guided tour with him.
Troy_d, Apr 2026
Beautiful, peaceful, serene. Crystal clear water with a glassy surface amidst towering sheer cliffs. The cave itself is really cool, but somewhat small. However, the entire journey is beautiful. A fantastic way to get in nature, get away from the city, and move your body.
Our guide, Josh, was exceedingly friendly, patient, and knowledgeable. He was very attentive to the group and helped anyone who needed it.
The equipment was very nice.
CarolynD_P, Apr 2026
Josh & Lee were great! 23pax on out Grp but the weather & the Lake sure was MUST Experience. Thanks again for a Wonderful Pre Easter Experience. Blessed
Donald_H, Mar 2026
The water was very gentle and easy to paddle. The equipment was excellent and you will get a bit wet. You will have a great time and great for beginners due to how calm the water is for those learning.
Madeleine_J, Mar 2026
Lee made our day one to remember. From start to finish this experience was one of the highlights of exploring the area. I would highly recommend
Lovish_A, Feb 2026
Visiting Lake Mead and doing kayaking was wonderful experience, it is really worth the visit. Having a guide like Josh who helped us understand the history of Hoover dam, and how come Emerald Cove, and Las Vegas came into picture, everything was wonderful about this Kayak experience. I appreciate Josh for his time and effort in making this trip a memorable one, highly recommend him for a great experience to this wonderful site.
Cheryl_F, Dec 2025
Great paddle with Lee! He provided commentary on the history of the area as well as nature. Very friendly to be with!
Taryn_D, Nov 2025
It was amazing! Our tour Guide, Lee, was a great guide! There were three of us total, including him and it was very serene. Smaller tours are much better than larger ones, in my opinion. We got to enjoy the sound of the lake and wildlife. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Nicholas_A, Nov 2025
This is an amazing experience would recommend to anyone traveling to las Vegas that want to try something different and fun highly recommended green wave for tour guide Lee was amazing very layered back and knowledgeable
David_L, Oct 2025
The kayak tour to the Emerald cave on the Colorado river is an absolute must. The area was absolutely beautiful and peaceful. We saw sheep birds fish. It was a beautiful day. Water was calm. You could see the bottom.
Jesse_R, Oct 2025
Had Lee and Josh as our tour guides, they were super understanding with us running late. They both were friendly and Josh was very informative as he's been on the river for many years so has a lot of experience and knowledge. They were great tour guides and highly recommend!
Chad_C, Oct 2025
Beautiful Colorado River tour with chances to see wild life and epic mountains and canyons. So much fun
Christopher_N, Sep 2025
Shawn and Jason were excellent guides. Made my family feel safe and happy. Took two teens and my father in law and we all had a great time. Worth every cent and would do it again.
Kimberly_M, Sep 2025
It was a fabulous experience, for people from the East Coast it was stunning. The tour guide Josh was very knowledgeable. It was very peaceful and zen. Please be aware that it is almost impossible to get an Uber to pick you back up, so make other arrangements to get there. The only problem I had was other tour guides trying to tell you what to do and how to do it, one in particular "Ricky Bobby" he is a complete a--. Just because I have never kayaked in the Colorado does not mean I have never kayaked. He talked to me and my friend very badly. Say Hi to Patrick in the store he is an awesome man!!
From $85.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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