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Madison River Guided Kayak Tour

Recommended by 99% of travelers
Bozeman, USA
Great choice
20+ bookings last month.
  • 3 hours (approx.)
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

5.0
·
· Joshua_S ·
Aug 2025
A great day on the Madison River ! Easy Kayak with great scenery, guides and easy to get to. Equipment was in great condition. Very accommodating staff:)
· Laura_F ·
Oct 2025
Beautiful day with great tour guides. Eric, Jack & Katie were exceptional. The 6 miles was enough for each of us (parents, three teens 13-16) to really enjoy the adventure. Would do again and highly recommend. Felt safe. Bring waterproof camera or way to take pictures. Katie and Eric took for us.

Overview

Spend half a day kayaking down the Madison River during this guided excursion, ideal for participants of all skill levels looking for an alternative to the standard walking tours. Alongside a small group capped at ten, listen as your guide tells you about the local scenery, wildlife, and history, information you wouldn’t get if kayaking independently.
  • Kayak down the Madison River in the company of a local guide
  • Look out for local wildlife, such as deer, beaver, eagles, and more
  • All experience levels are welcome—ideal for families and groups
  • Small group capped at ten participants guarantees an intimate experience

What's Included

  • Guided Kayak Tour
  • Certified Tour Guide
  • Driver
  • Hotel pick-up and drop off
  • Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

  • 106 Village Center Lane, Bozeman, MT 59718, USA

    Dry Hills Distillery is the meet and return point. We will wait 10 minutes past the meeting time for guests, at which point the tour will leave and the guest will be charged in full for the tour. Call or text with any questions

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

1

Madison River

3 hours Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • Most travelers can participate
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers

Cancellation Policy

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

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Laura_F
Beautiful day with great tour guides. Eric, Jack & Katie were exceptional. The 6 miles was enough for each of us (parents, three teens 13-16) to really enjoy the adventure. Would do again and highly recommend. Felt safe. Bring waterproof camera or way to take pictures. Katie and Eric took for us.

Reviews

5.0
based on 186 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Highly recommended water adventure

Laura_F, Oct 2025
Beautiful day with great tour guides. Eric, Jack & Katie were exceptional. The 6 miles was enough for each of us (parents, three teens 13-16) to really enjoy the adventure. Would do again and highly recommend. Felt safe. Bring waterproof camera or way to take pictures. Katie and Eric took for us.

Super fun. The guides...

Torri_C, Oct 2025
Super fun. The guides were informative and helpful. Beautiful Madison River, it felt like heaven. Peaceful and easy.

Must Do Activity in Bozeman!

Jaclyn_B, Sep 2025
Katie, Evan and Eric were excellent! Very informative and supportive throughout the trip to make it very enjoyable for all.

Best Kayaking Tour

Linda_S, Sep 2025
Zack, our driver, was excellent. He narrated our way to Madison River, was fun and engaging. Katie was the perfect kayak guide! Really the best, fun and chill. Quiet when we were, but also pointed things out that we might have missed. She captured amazing photos for us to share. The water is calm and has an easy current. You could be new to kayaking and have absolutely no trouble. The scenery was peaceful and breathtaking. Go.

Amazing trip down the...

Lisa_P, Aug 2025
Amazing trip down the river. A must do for sure!!! The river was tranquil and the guide was excellent!!

Fun day on the Madison

Joshua_S, Aug 2025
A great day on the Madison River ! Easy Kayak with great scenery, guides and easy to get to. Equipment was in great condition. Very accommodating staff:)

Katie and Kira were great...

Kelley_R, Aug 2025
Katie and Kira were great guides. We had a great time and it was absolutely beautiful. 10 out of 10 recommend.

Highly recommend

Mary_m, Aug 2025
We had a great trip with Katie and Evan. They helped get us into and out of the water and made it a fun and enjoyable experience. I would definitely recommend this to anyone experienced or otherwise. We saw bald eagles, pelicans, and countless other birds.

Amazing!

Amanda_S, Aug 2025
They were amazing! Jack and Katherine were super informative and kind! They made the experience great. 10/10 would go again!

Must do kayak trip Bozeman!

Kathryn_C, Aug 2025
On the Madison River, great guides! Everything was very well organized and timely. highly recommend for all ability levels!

Best trip ever.

Nancy_B, Aug 2025
Zack and Katie were on time, friendly, knowledgeable about the area. The kayaks were comfortable and best of all we had the mighty Madison to ourselves the entire trip. Saw bird life as well the climate was perfect. Go on Monday morning if you want the river to yourself.

Make sure to wear...

Alison_A, Jul 2025
Make sure to wear sunscreen and bring water to drink. The drift was very peaceful! The tour guides were great!

Gorgeous scenery. The...

stephanie_r, Jul 2025
Gorgeous scenery. The guides made the experience very easy and tons of fun. We learned so much about the area as well as we traveled to the launch point. Kayaks were very stable and we all enjoyed the trip!

Relaxing and beautiful

Loreli_S, Jul 2025
There were just two of us on the tour. Our guide was very knowledgeable and understood right away that we wanted to hear about the birds, fish, river. He was super friendly. The paddle was easy and super relaxing. Anyone could do it.

2nd Time Kayaking

Laura_M, Jun 2025
We had an awesome time, surrounded by Gods beautiful creation! Guides were so friendly and assuring, (was only my second time kayaking)! Would definitely go again!

Breathtaking and Calming

Nicole_M, Jun 2025
The river is gentle and shallow. Not too much physical effort except to steer away from a few rocks and ripples. Some dramatic views of rockscapes and mountain sides. All in all it was very relaxing. Carly was great!

Wonderful experience!

Joe_S, Jun 2025
Wonderful and easy kayaking experience! Our guides were great! Two people in our group never kayaked before and caught on quickly.

Delightful Time

Jeanie_B, Jun 2025
Beginner kayaking people can do. Communication great. Shuttle service so nice. Equipment was great. Guides, Abbie & Zach, were friendly, pleasant, and kind. They took pictures, didn't have to worry about your phone. SSFE & TRUSTWORTHY!! YOU HAVE TO DO IT!!

MT kayaking

Mike_S, Jun 2025
Outstanding experience! Super friendly, and made us feel at ease since this was our first kayaking experience.

A "MUST DO" on any trip to Bozeman

Eli_R, Jun 2025
A MUST DO on any trip to Bozeman. The tour guides were professional, hard-working, and went out of their weigh to ensure we had the BEST time. Once on the water, the guides showed us countless birds, landmarks, and points-of-interest.

We had a delightful time...

Caroline_K, May 2025
We had a delightful time on this leisurely kayak trip down the Madison River. Eric transported us (and was also helpful in the days beforehand to decide which day the weather would be best for us to go), and his assistant, Abby, joined us on the river. As a novice kayaker, the river was very gentle and shallow, and I quickly got the hang of things and felt super safe and confident. Although the description of the tour mentioned narration or history of the area, there wasn't much of this and I WAS GLAD, as it was far nicer to focus on paddling and quietly taking in the peaceful beauty of the area. Was also fun to see others recreating on the river and its shores, on boats, by campsites, and with their dogs. We really enjoyed our time on the river, and would certainly do it again!

Great for beginners

Kirsten_P, Sep 2024
We had a great time on this tour. Brent and the other guides were great. Brought my older parents and it was the perfect level of difficulty for them. Highly recommended for folks looking for a leisurely paddle down a beautiful river!

Gallatin River

Danielle_L, Aug 2024
Guide was great, very friendly. Nice easy kayaking trip, water was low and slow. Couple hours, great for beginners.

Great Way to Start Your Day

Karen_A, Jul 2024
Pretty Scenery. The workers are great and very helpful. Wonderful way to start your day. The small group size us perfect.

Great fun! Very relaxing!

DANIEL_V, Jul 2024
The experience was great and the tour guides did a great job! Very relaxing and enjoyable. The water was very calm and we were the only one's on the tour!

Blast

Lizabeth_G, Jul 2024
This was a blast. The kayaks are sit-on tops and you have a great view of the beautiful Madison River all around. This was my first-time kayaking and the guides were very helpful and safety-conscious. I have even purchased my own canoe and am raring to do this on my own.

A MUST DO IN BOZEMAN AND WORTH THE DRIVE FROM BIG SKY

Renee_O, Jul 2024
Excellent tour! Brent went above and beyond to make sure we were safe, having a good time, pointed out animals and explained some of the history on the river. The Madison river has a good flow so you can kayak easily or just float down. Additionally he took amazing pictures for us including 2 family photos. He stayed close by in his kayak and monitored our group but gave us space to be a family! HIGHLY RECOMMEND this tour company.

A Must Do!

Carrie_O, Jun 2024
Awesome experience! Enjoyed a quiet morning on the river with incredible views as you paddle down the Madison. Eric, Zach, and Nick were great guides and so welcoming, even going the extra mile to take pics on and off the river for everyone. They were so knowledgeable of the area and shared all kinds of cool history and things of the area. Highly recommend checking this off your list while in Bozeman!

A fun casual float down the river

Tiffany_A, Jun 2024
The guides were knowledgeable and were were able to see quite a bit of wildlife, including a beaver.

Kayking in peaceful surroundings

Robert_T, Jun 2024
Professional guides, good conversation, nice six-mile float on the Madison River , both scenic, fun.
Likely to Sell Out

From $135.00

per person

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

Book ahead!
On average, this is booked 40 days in advance.

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