Santa Barbara

Kayak Tour of Santa Barbara with Experienced Guide

Badge of ExcellenceSanta Barbara, USA

From $55.00

Select Date and Travelers

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

1 hour 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Private tour of the Santa Barbara coastline by kayak
Choose from three different kayak rides with vistas of Santa Barbara and the Santa Ynez Mountains
Spot seals and dolphins in the sapphire-blue waters
Suitable for beginners as well as more advanced kayakers
Private tour provides a more personalized experience

What's Included

Kayaks
Life jackets
Local guide

Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

45 W Cabrillo Blvd, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
You'll meet your guide on the sand of West Beach just north of the pier! You'll see our gear on the sand directly across from the Harbor View Inn Hotel. When looking at the ocean we are just to the right of Stearns Warf. Look for a white equipment shed and a blue tent. That's us!

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Go kayaking in Santa Barbara, beginning your kayak tour at Santa Barbara Harbor or Leadbetter Beach, depending on your selection at booking. Meet your private instructor for a safety briefing and receive kayaking instruction according to your skill level.

Slip on the provided life jacket (and wetsuit if it’s chilly), then climb into your stable, top-of-the-line vessel and set off on your 1.5- to 2.5-hour private kayak tour of the Santa Barbara coastline. Choose from four different routes of varying duration and difficulty (see options in Itinerary below); your very own guide will tailor the speed of paddling to your preferences and customize commentary according to your interests.

You’ll appreciate the natural beauty of Santa Barbara from the water, including cliffside vistas and views of the Santa Ynez Mountains as your informative guide details Santa Barbara's history and attractions.

When your kayak tour is complete, each route loops back to its departure point.

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
You will be meeting your guide at West Beach which is located on the beach directly across from the Harbor View Inn Hotel (28 W Cabrillo Blvd, Santa Barbara). You will see our blue rental flags, white equipment shed, and stand up paddle boards and kayaks.
Children ages 5 to 11 years must be in a tandem kayak with an parent or guardian regardless of skill level
Not wheelchair accessible
All persons must be able to swim
Please remember to bring your swimsuit and towel

Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Most travelers can participate
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

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.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Garrett_S

Tyler and Justin were very knowledgeable, chill, and welcoming. They both made the experience a great one! 5 stars for sure! We got to see alot more of SB by doing this activity, would highly recommend!

Reviews

5.0

325 reviews

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

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 325 reviews

Great experience!!

TeAnne_C, Mar 2024

Had great time with Bell (and the seals)! Patient and knowledgeable - our guide Bella provided an entertaining and easy experience for two fledgling kayakers. Would highly recommend!

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thanks for the recommendation! Sounds like you had an intimate experience with the marine life in it's natural habitat while on one of our kayak tours. That's a unique experience and way better than seeing them in an aquarium

Great time on the water

Matthew_B, Aug 2023

Our guide was super friendly and knowledgeable. My son had a great time. Our tour lasted about an hour and 15 minutes which was perfect.

Response from Host, Aug 2023

So glad to hear you and your son had a great time kayaking throughout the Santa Barbara Harbor! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review :)

Santa Barbara kayak tour with Kate

Andrea_C, Aug 2023

We had a great tour and Kate was the perfect guide! She explained everything and made us feel very safe and comfortable. We loved to see the seals and sea lions! Thanks for the great trip, Kate!

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Woohoo! Sounds like a kayak tour success! Glad Kate's guidance helped you to feel comfortable on the water and that's great to hear that you got to observe some local marine life. Thanks for booking your kayak tour with us!

Highly recommend!

Christiana_R, Jul 2023

We had a great time kayaking! Taylor was a great guide and we would definitely book again! Must do activity if you’re in the area!

Response from Host, Jul 2023

It sounds like you guys had a good time out there with Taylor :). Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. We can't wait to see you next time!

Private Kayaking w/ Zara

Lindsey_y, Jul 2023

this was a perfect activity to do with family and the length of tome was perfect. The 11am time was perfect and the weather was great. Our guide was very sweet and gave us some fun facts about SB while we toured around the marina in our single kayaks. I would recommend this for anyone wanting to get out on the water and looking for something to do with family.

Response from Host, Jul 2023

Glad you enjoyed your kayak tour with Zara! We are happy to hear your family had a great time exploring the coast of Santa Barbara! Thank you for the review!

Pleasant kayak tour

ArielT_E, May 2023

This was a great experience led by our tour guide Sammy! We went around the harbor and saw some beautiful nature there.

Response from Host, May 2023

Glad you enjoyed your kayak tour with Sammy! This is a great way to see the coast of Santa Barbara! Thanks for the review!

Great Time on the water!

Garrett_S, Apr 2023

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Thank you so much for writing a review about your kayak tour! We are happy to hear that it was a 5 star experience and we hope to see you again in the future for more fun in Santa Barbara!

Great weekend getaway!!

David_L, Apr 2023

Andreas was a great tour guide for kayaking, taking us all around the harbor, to the pier and letting us do a little free roaming as well. He's well informed and a super great guide with loads of fun facts. Would definitely recommend booking a kayaking adventure if you're in Santa Barbara.

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Glad you enjoyed your kayak tour with Andrei! Sounds like you guys had a great time touring the coast of Santa Barbara!

Great experience!

Brianna_G, Apr 2023

Jack is great! Very conversational and easygoing, set a perfect pace, and made sure we were enjoying our time. Loved seeing the harbor seals and sea lions.

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Glad you enjoyed your kayak tour with Jack! Thank you for the review!

Fun time!!!!

Kelly_M, Mar 2023

A little dip in the ocean was memorable!!!!! Such a great experience!!!! Wonderful guides! Would definitely recommend.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Hey Kelly thanks for leaving us a review. We we're stoked to be able to get you out on the water! Until the next time!

Awesome experience, will definitely try it again.

Daniel_R, Dec 2022

I tried this with my girlfriend, the experience was a lot of fun. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and shared a lot of great information about Santa Barbara. I would definitely try this again.

Response from Host, Dec 2022

Hey Daniel, we're stoked you enjoyed your time with us! We hope to see you again!

This was my first time on...

Margarita_T, Oct 2022

This was my first time on a kayak!! I was a little nervous and was scared , but Tim our tour guide was awesome!! Once we got on the kayak I felt relaxed, safe and not scared! Tim was very patient, courteous and knew all about Sterns Wharf. We saw alot of dolphins, sea lions, and they sure put on a show for us! It was a wonderful experience...we will never forget!! We highly recommend this tour and also recommend a private tour!!! Thanks Tim!! Sincerely, Kris and Margarita.

Response from Host, Oct 2022

I'm so glad to hear that you had a great first experience out on a kayak with Tim! That's awesome that you were accompanied by a friendly pod of dolphins:)

Awesome kayak trip with a fantastic Guide!

Emmieko, Sep 2022

Aside from the beautiful weather and calm waters, Aiden was a FANTASTIC guide! He genuinely cared to make our kayak trip fun, individualized and memorable. He enlightened my friend and I with many interesting historical facts, tidbits of fun information. The 1 1/2 duration was ideal. The highlight was seeing the sea lions up close. The kayaks, paddles and vests were in great condition. Would definitely recommend this trip to anyone visiting Santa Barbara.

Response from Host, Sep 2022

Woohoo! Sounds like a total success! Thanks for writing a review about your kayak tour and it makes us so happy to hear that you were happy with the conditions and the guidance. We hope to see you again in the future for another adventure!

We're on a boat

Chris_W, Sep 2022

Sammy was a great tour guide! Extremely knowledgeable about the marine life and history of Santa Barbara. Would recommend to anyone wanting to get to know Santa Barbara more!

Response from Host, Sep 2022

Thanks Chris! We are happy to hear that you enjoyed your kayak tour with Sammie and that her local knowledge about the marine life and history enhanced the experience. Thanks so much!

Great experience

Cindy_G, Aug 2022

Aiden was a great guide. Wouldn’t have dared to try this on our own. Learned a lot about the area and enjoyed the experience!

Response from Host, Aug 2022

Hi Cindy! Thanks for taking the time to write a review about your tour. We are happy to hear that you had a good time and that having a guide made the kayaking an even better experience. Thanks for booking a tour with us!

Wonderful Kayak Adventure

Dave_S, Jul 2022

We always enjoy kayaking, but it was a special treat to kayak through the marina and then out to the open waters! Collin was an amazing guide, very knowledgeable about the marine life, Santa Barbara, and the best restaurants to check out. We had a fabulous time!

Response from Host, Jul 2022

Sounds great! Glad you had such a good time on your kayak tour with Colin! Thank you for leaving us a review!

Patrick was a great guide. Tour was a lot of fun. Kids had a blast especially kayaking out to the harbor seals

Jeffrey_D, Jul 2022

Kayaking out in the ocean to see the harbor seals was awesome. Tour was smoothly run. Patrick was a great guide and very laid back.

Response from Host, Jul 2022

Thanks Jeffrey! Excited to hear that the kids were entertained by the seals and that Pat's guidance was appreciated. Love to hear it! Thanks for writing us a review :)

First timers kayaking.

Maribel_S, Jul 2022

Had an amazing day. Our guide made it easy for us to learn and was patient. Thank you. I will definitely do this again.

Response from Host, Jul 2022

Thanks Maribel! We are happy to hear that you had a good time. Thanks for booking a kayak tour with us and we hope to see you again in the future!

Amazing!!

JillynneJ_U, Jul 2022

This was an amazing experience. Our guides were the best, very knowledgeable, safe and fun. We did the morning tour and it was perfect. We are experienced kayakers, but really anyone with even a little experience could enjoy this tour. So glad we did it….Totally worth it!!

Response from Host, Jul 2022

Stoked you all had an great time on the water kayaking with our awesome team! Thanks for the review!

Great time! Saw new parts of Santa Barbara.

Marla_W, Jul 2022

Great Kayak trip with Taylor with my boys 19 and 16. Great trip around the harbor. Taylor being a local great stories to tell. Wonderful adventure.

Response from Host, Jul 2022

So good to hear that your kayaking tour was so wonderful thanks to Taylor. Glad you enjoyed!

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