Wekiva River Guided Kayak Tour

Recommended by 98% of travelersBadge of ExcellenceOrlando, USA

4 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Because of its abundance of wildlife, the 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 half-day kayak tour takes you upstream and back and includes select commentary about the wildlife and ecosystem for a fun and informative trip.

Half-day kayaking tour of the Wekiva River near Orlando
Paddle up and float back down the Wekiva River with a guide
Tour one of the only National Wild and Scenic rivers in Florida
Tour includes safety and instructional briefings and lunch

What's Included

Professional guide
Bottled water
Lunch

Parking fee - $3

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

262 Wekiva Park Dr, Sanford, FL 32771, USA
Park by the restrooms then walk down to the river.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Start time
.09:00 am

What To Expect

Make your own way to the departure point in Sandford 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 up the Wekiva River, your guide will help you spot native wildlife like alligators, manatees, otters, wading birds, and even the occasional black bear 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.

Stay hydrated with the provided water bottles and break for a provided lunch after paddling for around 7 miles (11 kilometers). Then head back down the WeKiva River to the original starting point to end the tour.

Black Bear Wilderness Area (Pass By)

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.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Charlotte_M

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

Reviews

4.9

188 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 188 reviews

Great family activity!

Robert_Y, Dec 2024

Greg was an amazing tour guide - friendly, engaging and shared so much local knowledge. We had a great day on the river despite it being a cloudy day and the homemade cookies at lunch were delicious! Highly recommended tour.

Not Happy

Lisa_B, Sep 2024

Tour was cancelled on me by vendor. I must wait for 7 days for my $200.00 refund while on vacation. I could have used these funds to book another event!!! I'm not happy. No one reached out to me on your end to see if I needed support with anything. It was not until I called to ask questions a out my refund. Again, not happy with customer servic Thank you and be well.

Response from Host, Nov 2024

We are sorry your vendor canceled the tour. Please note we are not paid by any vendors/ third parties until after your tour. When booking with us directly if a tour is canceled a refund is issued instantly. Your credit card company might have a policy to hold funds, usually a few days. Please consider writing a review of the vendor you used and not the tour company.

Alligators in untouched paradise

Steven_O, Jun 2024

We loved the tranquility in the middle of nature. Especially appreciated the little river beach interlude with Picknick and swimming after the first 3 hours. Very knowledgeable guide Greg pointed out a lot of wildlife and was helpful and patient. A bit of a workout but exhilarating experience. So glad we did it.

Great kayak experience!

Bob_L, May 2024

The kayak adventure was wonderful. The guides Greg & Lucas were excellent!! Greg was very experienced and knowledgeable. Kayaks were easy to manage. My only suggestion would be to put the group drinks on ice!! Very hot day and it could have made a difference.

Best antidote to a theme park!

Steven_D, Mar 2024

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!!!!

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.