Wekiva River Guided Kayak Tour

Badge of ExcellenceOrlando, USA

4 hours
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Because of its abundance of wildlife, the 16-mile long Wekiva River is designated as a National Wild and Scenic River. And with its close proximity to Orlando, seeing the native alligators, manatees, and more is an easy day-trip away. This 4-hour kayak tour takes you down the river and includes select commentary about the wildlife and ecosystem for a fun and informative trip.

4-hour kayaking tour of the Wekiva River
Paddle down the Wekiva River with a guide for opportunities to learn about the local ecosystem and see native wildlife
Tour one of the only National Wild and Scenic rivers in Florida
Tour includes safety and instructional briefings
Shuttle back to your car at the end of your tour
Picnic-style lunch included

What's Included

Professional guide
Bottled water
Lunch

Parking fee - $3

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Florida, USA
Enter Katies Landing, pay the $3. parking and retain your stub. Park by the restrooms and walk down to the river.

Start time

09:00 AM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Make your own way to the departure point prior to 9 a.m. Remember to bring USD3.00 for a State Park parking fee, payable when you check-in for your tour. Then, meet your guide to sign a waiver and review safety procedures and kayaking basics before hitting the water.

As you paddle down the Wekiva River, your guide will help you spot native wildlife like alligators and wading birds in their natural habitat, as well as other key points of interest in the local ecosystem. The wildlife on the protected Wekiva River is typically abundant, earning it the status of a National Wild and Scenic River.

Break for a lunch of cold cuts, cheeses, crackers, cookies, fresh fruit, and bottled water at the halfway point.

At the end of the tour, a shuttle van will pick you up and drive you back to your car.

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
There is no minimum age, however all participants must know how to swim
Wheelchair accessible
It is recommended that you bring a swimsuit, towel, waterproof camera and wear clothes that can get wet and possibly dirty

Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 14 travelers

Cancellation Policy

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

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Steven_D

We were in Florida for spring break with our teenage son. The kayaking trip was a very welcome break from the crowds and parks. Our guide Sue was outstanding, and we learned a ton of area history and natural science from her. We are all seasoned paddlers and Sue adapted the trip to our skill level. We wouldn’t hesitate to take another tour with her! Thanks!!!!

Reviews

5.0

178 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 178 reviews

Best antidote to a theme park!

Steven_D, Mar 2024

It’s was a beautiful...

Charlotte_M, Nov 2023

It’s was a beautiful trip. Weather was wonderful and we had a great guide. Very informative with area and habitat.

Didn't match description, not worth $85.

Yoobin_N, Jul 2023

Our tour guide Jimmi was very knowledgeable and friendly, and the kayaking alone was a fun and enlightening experience. I was a tad disappointed that our group did not see any alligators or manatees, but I know that is not under anybody's control. However, I'm not happy that the tour did not match the description in a few ways, which made it worth much less than an experience I would expect for $85.60 per person. One key thing is that our tour only lasted 3 hours, as we started at 9AM and we were out of our boats by 12PM. I thought there must be another walking tour portion over lunch because we were way under time, but we were simply sent home at that point. Also, lunch was NOT included in our tour, which is something I had expected because it is included in the description. If we had a full 4-hour tour and didn't have lunch, I wouldn't have minded, but given that we were done in 3 hours and still weren't provided lunch, I feel a bit ripped off.

Good required

Antoine_H, Jun 2023

It was a long trip ( 4 hrs ). Jimmy was very helpful. He is very patient with our group. Me and my friend who never done the kayak before and at the end of the trip we knew for a little bit now. I hope that my group members didn't feel disappointed in us 😆. We saw 4 crocodiles and it was very interesting. A lot of different kinds of birds. You guys should try it. Recommended it

Beautiful day on the water!

Wendy_G, Jun 2023

Jimi was a great guide -- knowledgeable and experienced. Our paddle was a bit different from the listed itinerary in that we paddled a couple hours upstream (it's not a fast current) and then had lunch before paddling back to the launch. The picnic was perfect as it wasn't too heavy but still energizing. We saw a few small alligators and one larger one up on the shore, which was quite cool. The boats were very stable so I wasn't worried and it was easy to get in and out when we started and stopped.

Beautiful scenery and kayak trip

Angela_D, May 2023

This was a beautiful kayak trip and seeing the manatees was definitely the highlight. The only thing I didn’t expect was to paddle up river for an hour and a half in order to float back to our original location. I had expected to float down river, which is what the description said… for four hours and shuttled back.

Very exiting but also...

Henk_D, Apr 2023

Very exiting but also relaxing tour where we were able to enjoy the good things from the wild life with a very knowledgeable guide.

Great float trip!

Philippa_H, Apr 2023

Beautiful and very meditative river tour! Sue is a great guide! Lots of wildlife, gators, birds and Turtels.

Exceptional experience!

Erica_D, Mar 2023

This was a great experience. Enjoyed the educational comments and jokes throughout the paddle. Loved seeing all the birds, too. A very nice way to spend time as a family and definitely worth the cost! Quick reminder to remember to bring cash to tip!!

Great kayaking tour!

Maryann_S, Mar 2023

Great experience! Jimmy is a very knowledgeable guide tour with lots of experience. We seen lots of wildlife including alligators & it was fine..! A great way to spend 4-5 hrs outside of the usual crowded typical Orlando area attractions & view the natural beauty of Florida’s environment.

We saw alligators,...

Kimberly_F, Dec 2022

We saw alligators, turtles, and an assortment of birds. Wonderful! Our guide, Sue, was very knowledgeable and positive. It was a great experience!

Paddling by alligators...

Lucy_R, Dec 2022

Paddling by alligators and lots of beautiful birds. Our guides were very knowledgeable and friendly.

Magical and relaxing

Megan_W, Oct 2022

Getting to see a manatee was a dream come true. So incredible! Gina was a great guide. It is clear she lives this place.

Thanks to Bill

Mathias_M, Aug 2022

Great experience and relaxed paddling, we really enjoyed our trip with Bill. We saw a lot of animals (turtles, birds)

Wekiva River fantastic adventure.

Nicolette_T, Jul 2022

Greg was an amazing tour guide! Very knowledgeable and helpful, you could feel his love for the nature . It was a great and adventurous exploration of Wekiva River.The wildlife were plentiful and the beautiful view was like no other!.we enjoy kayaking with other families from Texas and Colorado. Amazing experience!! Will do it again.

Serenity

Lynn_R, Jun 2022

The serenity of the canals on this trip will be cherished. The rain on our day made the experience even better. We saw manatees, alligators and large birds. A highlight was stopping on the river for snacks. Greg was very knowledgeable about the history of the area as well as the facts on the plants and trees. Very enjoyable adventure.

Great guide, lots of...

Laura_H, Apr 2022

Great guide, lots of wildlife to see up close, right amount of exercise and beautiful location. Very fun experience.

Relaxing trip

jysjstmrh7, Mar 2022

Loads of fun, relaxing. Bill had a calming voice as he spoke about nature. Saw many birds and some large alligators.

Wonderful time

Christina_H, Mar 2022

The guided tour was great! Gina and Guy did a great job. We had a light snack of charcuterie and homemade cookies about 1/3 of the way through. We were lucky enough to have some manatee follow us down the river and saw several alligators and native birds along along the way. If your not familiar with kayaking I suggest a tandem, 2 seater. The last leg of the trip you go down a larger river and having an extra set of arms is easier. My family had a wonderful time and would definitely do this again!! (We we’re a party of 5 with a 10 & 15 year old)

Great outdoors!

Joschka_B, Mar 2022

We had a lovely trip with our tour guide Gina. The experience was tailored to our wishes and we had the chance to see alligators, manatees, turtles and many birds. Due to low waters the trip took place in a different location (French Landing), but that probably made it an even better experience.