Self-Guided Kayaking Discovery in Kailua, Oahu
Recommended by 95% of travelers
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Oahu, USA
- 5 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
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Overview
Visit the bird-nesting sanctuary of Mokulua Island during a self-guided kayak adventure on Oahu’s windward coast. Explore Kailua’s offshore islands, remote beaches, hidden tide pools, and reef-protected waters at your own pace. Showers are available. Kayak gear, snorkel gear, and bike rentals for ages 13 and up are included.
- Kailua kayak rental and self-guided tour
- Snorkel gear plus life jacket, paddle, backrest, and dry bag provided
- National park fees and island landing permits
- Free bike rentals for ages 13 and up, plus beach chairs and boogie boards
What's Included
- Off shore island landing permits
- Snorkel Gear
- Bikes (13 +)
- Boogie Boards
- Beach Chairs
- Double or Single Kayaks
- None
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 130 Kailua Rd, Kailua, HI 96734, USA
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.What To Expect
1
Lanikai Beach
2
Mokulua Islands
3
Kailua
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Please check in 15 minutes before your tour time.
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 99 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
Fumiyo_L
we really enjoyed the kayaking in kailua. The staff was very professional and even it was self-guided, we felt very secured.
Reviews
4.8
based on 255 reviews
Eric_M, Jan 2026
Great and rest experience. Kayaking was great and very nice that it comes with available parking snorkel gear and more. We snorkeled and saw turtles nest the island.
Ken_F, Jan 2026
Great kayak experience, friendly and helpful staff, and a beautiful location. I didn't pay attention when I booked and was surprised when I arrived to get free lunch, dry bag, and cooler to take along for the day. The paddles were feathered instead of straight. They may have had straight but I didn't realize the difference until I was learning as I rowed. Made it to the island and bag though. The scenery and wildlife were awesome!
James_K, Sep 2025
Recommend that if you have any ailments please be prepared to struggle abit. Go with a strong partner.
Lucas_Z, Jun 2025
Everything was so great: welcoming staff, various things to play, stunning scenes…the only thing was to sunscreen
Russell_H, Oct 2024
We got to go to the bird sanctuary island and snorkeled a LOT it was a blast. We saw a few turtles trigger fish and lots of colorful marine life.
Dorian_H, Jul 2024
The water was so beautiful. The flat island was beautiful (wear durable shoes) there was help with getting into the kayak that's was nice.
Melonie_O, Apr 2024
No promised plate lunch, BBQ restaurant not open. Given kid sized bikes, they were too small to pedal, had to walk them part way. Very hard to get kayaks to ocean. Polluted dangerous canal water, warned by locals. Beautiful beaches though. Stunning nature.
Erika_W, Apr 2024
Husband and I went while visiting Oahu. Company was very organized and professional. Had a blast kayaking out to the islands. I was the one place we could go where we weren’t around crowds!
Aimee_H, Jan 2024
Amazing views and fun challenging kayaking ..We kayaked to flat island then to the beach to snorkle and then headed back to the drop in point about 3-4 hours total trip time …kayaking was so fun but not easy you should be experienced and in good shape to enjoy this trip especially if the winds are heavy and waves are high.
James_V, Oct 2023
Trekking the kayak 1/2 mile from pkg lot to bike path thru river then sand not fun. Literally double price by using Viator vs going to kayak shop directly. Felt very ripped off ( $212 for 2 ppl vs $90 since we brought our own snorkel equipment but website doesn’t give option to decline using theirs.). Our mistake for not having asked more questions or checking with shop directly well in advance. Will never use Viator again. Buyer beware!
Positive: very Pretty area, saw turtles and a sea lion on one of the islands. Should be strong and have some kayak experience for this.
Gave 1 star due to how much we paid and no service provided other than wheels to lug the kayak filled with dried up sand, life vest and a voucher for a mediocre lunch. Tough walk if you don’t work out! Also be sure to ask how to hoist the wheels to walk the kayak, etc. one last thing: remember where you took off from to avoid a much farther walk!
diogokazuaki_o, Sep 2023
we loved it!! the staff in the store were pretty clear with instructions so even newbies like us felt safe enough to go on our own. i used the canal to teach my wife the basics of roaring and we went to the sea. it eas easier than i thought to go past beyond the swimmers area. we got to flat island, had our snacks, tried to get to lanikai beach, but it was a bit far for us so we gave up halfway. actually we felt we had done our mission because we saw a turtle just beside us and we were so close that we got hear her breathing and all!! still had time to return the kayak and get some bikes to snorkel around lanikai beach. a perfect day! lunch from the deli was delicious! only it takes some time to be prepared, so i recommend getting it ordered as soon as you receive your instructions at the store.
jamie_s, Aug 2023
The view was great and we loved seeing the seal on the island. You will get your exercise with this excursion, so be prepared.
Andrea_V, Aug 2023
With the snorkeling gear we saw several turtles, fish and coral reef.
Disliked the attitude of a staff member, instructions as how to get to the canal are unclear, there was nobody at that point to show where to go exactly. staff member got offended when I expressed I could not find anyone at the shore. (there was supposed to be someone there to guide if you had problems). the person said they had someone and dismissed my concerns.
That day it was very windy, and we could not go to the islands, as we are not experienced kayakers. We spent most part of the day snorkeling, and took some bikes to another area to do said activity.
Keith_S, Jun 2023
Great experience! We grabbed lunch from the deli right down the road (delicious!!). It’s a short walk to the canal by the bridge. The water is shallow enough that you can walk to kayak to the beach.
We stopped at the beach first and snorkeled. Tons of beautiful fish! Then we braved it out to the islands. We were fighting a lot of wind and waves, but it was 100% worth it! Rode the waves right into the beach on the Mokes. On the way back we stopped at flat island to look at the tide pools and saw a lot of bird nests in the holes of the rock.
We originally were going to take single kayaks out, but with the wind would recommend a tandem kayak!
Had a great time! Would highly recommend
Fumiyo_L, Apr 2023
we really enjoyed the kayaking in kailua. The staff was very professional and even it was self-guided, we felt very secured.
nathan_m, Jan 2023
Staff was extremely helpful and patient. Fantastic day all around. Highly recommend. We kayaked to flat island , snorkelers a bit then kayaker to another beach and snorkeled some more. Finally, kayaker back to shop. Ended up rented snorkel gear for w aweek!
Marianne_K, Aug 2022
Great experience. The self guided tour came with a water bag, snorkeling gear (which my husband loved because it was prescription googles). It was a great weather. Wish we had gone early to ride bikes. But it was a great experience. Staff was nice and friendly.
Alex_N, Aug 2022
Loved this! My husband and I really enjoyed paddling out to the islands and snorkeling. Gorgeous scenery and views!
Nichole_S, Aug 2022
We took turns walking the kayaks down the street. Kayaked to the flat island with the kids and swam in the cove. easy to hook back up on the dollies and great service from the staff. Kailua Bay was beautiful.
DAnna_S, May 2022
This is a great option for people who have experience kayaking and are willing to do a little work. The shop is a short walk from the water, so you need to be prepared to walk your kayak to the water and then be able to follow directions. This is not recommended for novices to kayaking. The video they send you explains everything.
The equipment was well maintained and they provided everything we needed (cooler, snorkels and even a dry bag was available) for a great experience.
The included lunch exceeded my expectations as there were 3 options available for us to choose from (great local partnerships).
They had changing facilities a shower and bathrooms available (real bathrooms not porta potties) .
Another bonus with our package was a discount on merchandise in the shop! Extra gifts at a discount!
The staff members were friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. Only regret we didn't have enough time to take advantage of the bikes for a ride along the beach.
Heather_M, Apr 2022
Nice staff, very helpful. We had a great time and fun adventure. We had plenty of time to see the islands and snorkel from the beach. Would definitely do this again.
Fiona_W, Feb 2022
We did the self guided kayak tour to the Mokes and had an amazing experience. We didn’t have a guide however everyone in the shop was knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful. The walk from the shop to the landing was very easy. The kayak to the mokes took about 1.5 hours and it is definitely for people with some kayak experience. You will be sore after, but it is incredibly worth it. The views of lanikai beach and of the Mokes are breathtaking. We spent about two hours on the island and loved it. Would recommend to anyone!
Brittney_F, Sep 2021
My husband and I wanted an easy, short, and safe Hawaiian date experience that wouldn’t kill the budget. This was well worth the money and didn’t break bank! We had the option of snorkeling gear, got a free dry bag, and dinner for two (which was excellent! Chicken katshu at the Japanese grill).
It did take a lot of strength to push the kayak over the sandy part of the beach but that was about it. We didn’t have any trouble getting out into the water. I am actually afraid of the water so it was a good adventurous experience for me. We went out to the first island(bird sanctuary) where we saw an egg nest and two fuzzy baby chicks! We snorkeled for a bit and then came back.
It was perfect, romantic, and adventurous for us both. It was easily our most favorite part of our Hawaii trip. Thank you!
Chris_R, Jul 2021
My husband and I were planning to buy our own kayaks and this tour really opened our eyes on the kayak experience. The tour was all inclusive and included lunch and snorkel gear if you wanted to, a boogie board plus dry bag to stow your stuff while kayaking. The Kailua beach center has lockers that they will provide for your valuables and the code will be on your wristband. Be prepared to drag your kayak for a 2-5 min walk to the beach. They're not heavy bec it will be on a trolley. We had an early appointment so we were kayaking by 9am really nice, the waters were calm that day and made kayaking a really fun activity. We went to flat island and walked around just admiring the view. You can bring food but make sure to keep your trash with you and dispose properly. By noontime the water started getting rough and there were a couple of kayakers that capsized their kayaks and we were able to help them out . The rescuers were there right away so that was really good. All in all a great experience.
LERMA_M, Jul 2021
The waves got us for somebody who don’t have experience kayaking they could have suggested guide tour
Logan_F, Jul 2021
The staff was very helpful and friendly. They gave us locations to kayak to, which we went to one, but ultimately spent a lot of time snorkeling. There was also a food voucher for the restaurant next door, and it was very tasty.
Rachel_M, Jun 2021
The customer service was excellent and very helpful. I would definitely recommend this company!!! They explained everything we needed to know, helped us on the way back from the beach, even though they were going to help someone else. Very friendly and kind.
Kristina_L, May 2021
We were so glad we did self guided and could relax at each island and go at our own pace-a lot is included for the price which is great-dry bag, cooler, bike rental, beach chairs, all inclusive. We were super fortunate that the monk seal decided to nap on the beach of the island and we got to see him up close-awesome! Lots of sea turtles we also saw while kayaking and we snorkeled and saw beautiful fish and a sea turtle eating off the reef. A super fun day! Highly recommended!
Pamela_G, May 2021
Great activity! You get all you need with the self guided tour - kayak, cooler, dry pack, snorkeling equipment and lunch vouchers. We didn’t mind bringing the kayaks down but bringing them back was a hassle. They kept falling off the cart and no one was available to help. Also recommend adding a laminated map to guide how to enter the islands once you are on the water. Recommend as a great activity and wonderful memory but the business owner could do more to make is easier when you return.
Chaz_M, May 2021
For $106 kayak, paddle board, snorkel equipment, bike, and lunch. Not sure you can beat that. All day fun in the sun amazing service. Highly recommend!
From $110.17
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Self-Guided Kayaking Discovery in Kailua, Oahu
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