Top USA Kayaking & Canoeing

Experience the serenity of Emerald Cave, a picturesque natural attraction on the Colorado River. This 3-hour kayaking tour takes a small group max of 15 people paddling up the river with a guide. It’s a distance of about 4.5 miles (7 km) round-trip, and includes stops for snacks and swimming along the way. Round-trip hotel transport is provided from Las Vegas to Willow Beach in Arizona.

This tour allows you to see the sights of the North Shore of Oahu, including Hanauma Bay. During this 9-hour tour, you'll ride in a mini-bus to the Dole Plantation, Turtle Town, Waimea Bay, and the Banzai Pipeline. Snorkel and swim in the famously aqua waters. Opt to upgrade to go stand-up paddleboarding and include lunch. Pickup and drop-off at Waikiki hotels included.

Enjoy a day of fun in the sun on the Island T’ing adventure off the coast of Key West. Sail away from the island city of Key West to the beautiful blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico on a large catamaran. Hop in a kayak and enjoy a paddle around a natural stand of mangrove. Snorkel above a coral reef. Look for dolphins, stingrays, sea turtles, manatees and more on this full-day adventure. A full breakfast and buffet lunch, plus beer, wine, soft drinks and homemade sangria are included.

Explore the 3,000-year-old Mendenhall Glacier on this 5.5-hour adventure tour from Alaska’s capital city, Juneau. Paddle out on the iceberg-covered Mendenhall Lake for about an hour until you reach Mendenhall Glacier. Then, spend about an hour to an hour and a half on the glacier. Afterward, paddle back to your starting point, and warm up with a hot beverage once you reach the shore.

Explore the natural beauty of Kauai on a 5-hour tour that combines a lovely kayaking trip with an moderately easy hike to Uluwehi Falls, also known as Secret Falls. Your experienced guide provides a paddling lesson and guided kayak tour in the Wailua River Valley, following gorgeous waterways through the lush Kauai landscape. Then hop out of your kayaks and take a 45-minute hike to Secret Falls where you can cool off in the clear waters before returning to the Wailua marina the way you came.

Explore the natural beauty of Kauai with a combo hiking and kayaking adventure on the Wailua River. Enjoy a leisurely paddle down this sacred river surrounded by lush tropical scenery, and then disembark for a guided nature hike to a waterfall. Refuel with a picnic lunch, and then take a dip in the refreshing waters of the pool at the base of the falls. No kayaking experience is necessary — just bring your sense of adventure! Choose from a morning or afternoon departure to suit your schedule.

Kayak down the Colorado River on this half-day tour from Las Vegas. Spend ample time on the water taking in the amazing sights of the Black Canyon of the area and maybe even spot wildlife like bighorn sheep, coyotes, or bald eagles as you paddle along. Visit beautiful beaches, a cave, and enjoy snacks and bottled water included on your tour.

Kayak around the islands of Kailua Bay on a guided or self-guided tour. During this half-day eco-adventure, paddle out to Popoia Island (Flat Island) or the Mokulua Islands to enjoy stunning island views from the water. Snorkel with green sea turtles at Lanikai and visit bird sanctuaries before enjoying a relaxing lunch on the beach. This small-group tour includes round-trip transportation from select Waikiki hotels, all kayaking and snorkeling equipment and lunch.

Explore the patch reefs, mangrove islands, and waterways of Key West on a 6-hour cruise and snorkeling tour aboard a wooden sailing schooner. Take a hand at the wheel on your way across the Gulf of Mexico, kayak through the mangroves, then snorkel through patch reefs and sponge gardens. This 6-hour tour includes breakfast, lunch, and access to an open bar on the return sail to Key West.

Experience Mendenhall Glacier by land and water on this 6.5-hour combo-adventure tour from Juneau. First, hop into a canoe at Mendenhall Lake and paddle around luminescent blue icebergs and past cliffs and waterfalls toward Mendenhall Glacier. Step onto the glacier and explore the area with trekking poles. No matter what level of paddling or glacial-trekking experience you have, a guide is there to prepare you for each step of the journey. Look for wildlife sightings and expect personalized attention on this small-group tour limited to 14 people.

See the Mendenhall Glacier up close on a half-day tour from Juneau. You'll ride across the waters of Mendenhall Lake in a traditional Tlingit-style canoe that permits unobstructed viewing of the glacier, icebergs, Nugget Falls, and perhaps some Alaskan wildlife. Includes all equipment, snacks, and port pickup and drop-off.

Explore the tropical waters of the Hanalei River and Hanalei Bay on this guided kayak and snorkeling tour. Paddle through the lush tropical surroundings as you make your way down the Hanalei River out into the open Hanalei Bay, where you can glimpse the famous cliffs of Makana Peak (also known as Bali Hai). Snorkel through the marvelous underwater world of the Bay Reef Lagoon, home to sea turtles and brightly colored tropical fish.

Leave your cares and worries behind when you join this Maui kayaking tour, which casually paddles the turquoise waters above Turtle Reef in Maui. Launching out of Makena Landing just 10 minutes south of Wailea, this Maui kayaking tour hugs the shoreline of a historic volcanic cove. In addition to teeming with schools of fish, this area is home to everyone’s favorite—the endangered Hawaiian Green sea turtle.

Enjoy the sublime coastal scenery as you spot abundant marine life during this 2-hour trip kayaking in La Jolla’s sea caves and ecological reserve. Paddle along with your expert naturalist guide as you observe the numerous species of birds, dolphins, sea lions and even orcas that inhabit the area. You’ll also kayak among the lush kelp beds that grow in the reserve and, if conditions permit, explore inside the sea caves that dot the area’s rocky coastline. This La Jolla caves trip includes all necessary equipment, a life jacket, guide and optional wetsuit rental.

Enjoy a day of sailing, snorkeling and kayaking on this 6.5-hour cruise off the coast of Key West. Spend a relaxing time on board a boat headed to the Key West National Wildlife Refuge. Pass some of Key West’s top attractions, then dive into the water to see more than 600 species of colorful fish, coral and other sea life. Then sail deeper into the refuge for some kayaking. This cruise includes a buffet lunch with unlimited beer, wine and soft drinks to sample along the way.

The Chilkat Preserve is one of the best places in the world to find American bald eagles—thousands congregate there to feed on salmon during the fall and winter. This tour takes you on a scenic rafting trip along the Chilkat River—where the eagles put up residence during the summer—and provides the wilderness knowhow to spot the birds and other animals while navigating the river’s channels.

While most visitors only see the Mendenhall Glacier from crowded viewpoints, this tour takes adventurous travelers on a canoe trip to the base of the glacier for a completely different perspective of the majestic ice. With canoe lessons and a guide, the tour is open to first-time paddlers and the mellow water means you can take along a camera and capture the arctic cliffs, icebergs, and pristine blue ice.

Get ready for fun in the sun on this half-day sailing, kayaking and snorkeling adventure off the coast of Key West. Choose from a morning or afternoon excursion and set sail. Kayak through a maze of mangrove-canopied canals and streams, home to a tropical array of birds, rays, sharks, sport fish and more. Then jump into the water for a snorkeling session above a coral reef with 600 different species of marine life. Relax, feel the warm sea breeze and enjoy the day. Snacks, beer, wine, sodas and water included.

Setting off on the Colorado River on a kayak can take a lot of planning, and requires renting equipment. Make things easier on yourself with this guided kayak tour from Las Vegas that includes a kayak, paddle, life jacket, lunch, snacks, and bottled water. Plus, your guide knows the best places to stop on land, and takes you on a short hike to see awesome views of the river from the shore.

Enjoy an aquatic adventure on the Big Island during this 4-hour small-group excursion combining sea kayaking, snorkeling, and more. Paddle along a section of the island known for its abundant marine life as you scout for local Hawaiian Spinner dolphins. You’ll also have time for snorkeling, allow you to view more than 50 species of fish and join in for adventurous activities like cliff jumping.

Paddle a kayak through mangrove creeks and shallow water on a Key West kayaking tour that offers an up-close look that this unique coastal environment. This guided tour is the perfect way to spot Florida wildlife in a natural habitat.

Hit the Alaskan waters on this 3.5-hour Mendenhall Lake kayak tour in Tongass National Forest. Journey across the lake in a kayak with group members in your same expertise level. Maneuver around glaciers as you take in stunning sights of the lake’s natural beauty, and catch sight of wildlife as you go. Paddle by Nugget Falls and the 3,000-year-old Mendenhall Glacier.

Kayak, hike and canoe through the heart of Kauai’s lush jungles on a 4.5-hour adventure to Hidden Valley Falls. Paddle past trailing vines and enjoy sweeping views of the Haupu Mountains as you explore the Hule’ia River by kayak, then follow a shady .75-mile (1.2-km) forest trail to a backcountry waterfall. Cool off in a swimming hole beneath the falls, listen to the jungle chorus of tropical birds, then board a motorized, twin-hulled Hawaiian canoe to retrace your path down the tranquil Hule’ia.

 If you've got an interest in kayaking but would prefer to take to the waters on your own, this package might be for you. Save the hassle of arranging kayak rentals and transportation; to secluded off-shore islands with this adventure, everything will be taken care of, including transportation from Waikiki, equipment, and even lunch.