Alaska Sea Kayaking Tours
Even if you're taking a cruise to see Alaska, climbing into a sea kayak takes your water exploration to a whole new level—namely, eye level. Do a saltwater paddle and you'll quietly slice through the waves as you approach a rookery of puffins or a raft of sea otters.
Kayaking may require a little more effort than rafting, but if you've never lifted a paddle before, don't worry. Here's what you should know:
You Can Do it For Three Hours, or Five Days
The typical trip is just a half-day, and will start with a quick primer on paddling technique and safety. Some trips include a stop for hiking or a lunch ashore. Other trips last all day, geared toward more athletic paddlers, or even last for days, with overnight camping or lodging on a private boat from a mothership trip. Or take a small ship cruise where you'll launch kayaks right from the boat!
Or tuck into a yurt with unlimited access to kayaking. There are two outside of Seward, Alaska. The first is Orca Island Cabins which boasts 7 yurts located on a private island in picturesque Humpy Cove, each with a private deck and bath. The other is Shearwater Cove, where you'll find two yurts tucked into a picturesque cove.
You'll See Marine Wildlife—Up Close
Unlike rafting trips, where you're more likely to see land-based animals ashore, sea kayaking tours offer marine life views: sea lions, otters, seals—maybe even whales—and, of course, fish just below the surface. You'll typically stay pretty close to shore, too, so you might also see goats or bears. Sea kayaking excursions also offer a nice alternative to day cruises, as kayaking lets you go where cruise ships cannot. Kayaks also lack the loud engines that larger boats are equipped with, and moving quietly allows you to get closer to marine birds and mammals.
It's Not Super Strenuous
If you can handle a good walk, you can handle sea kayaking. Experienced guides will coach you on safety and the basic techniques While there is some strength and flexibility involved (the latter mostly for getting in and out of the kayak), there's a good reason that most operators use stable, two-seater kayaks. If you're a beginner, you can share the paddling work, and have more time for enjoying the views.
You're Away From the Crowds
Most Alaska sea kayaking outfitters pair a maximum of six paddlers with a guide - and as few as two. That's a drastically different feel in comparison to a day cruise boat where you will enjoy the scenery with a hundred fellow passengers.
Typical Price Range
As little as $65 for a half day, or $400 for a full day if it involves a remote drop-off; most are about $100 to $150.
Where to Go
- Resurrection Bay, Seward
- Prince William Sound, Whittier or Valdez
- Spencer Glacier, from Girdwood or Anchorage
- Kachemak Bay, Homer
- Ketchikan
- Juneau
- Haines & Skagway
- Sitka
- Eagle River
- Palmer / Wasilla
Almost any port city along a cruise itinerary will offer some kayaking options, but Seward and Homer make especially good sea kayaking choices—for the variety of options, the abundant wildlife, and as a great place to stay for a few days, too.
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Sea Kayaking Tours
Anchorage View All
Drive an Hour or take a Train South for your Kayak Tour
From $4,850+
5 days/4 nights or 6 days/5 nights
Ports of Call: Anchorage, Whittier, Cordova
Cruise Ship Type: Small Ship Cruises
Ship Name: Discovery
Perfect for the adventurous traveler, the Hike and Kayak voyage sees all the same sites as on our Classic voyage, but with more excursions. Kayak among icebergs, hike through mountain meadows, and take in the scenery on this unique trip. Activities can be customized to suit the interests and activity level of those on board.
Enjoy a magical morning or evening kayaking the calm waters of Spencer Lake, in the awe-inspiring presence of a jagged terminus glacier. Your time on the water is sandwiched between two train rides that offer up some of Alaska’s most scenic rail miles. It’s a full day of unforgettable experiences in our country’s second largest national forest – the Chugach.
Whether it’s kayaking, canoeing, or paddleboarding, you’ll find top-flight equipment for rent at AK Paddlesports
Lazy Otter offers guided kayak tours and transportation to secluded areas of Prince William Sound. The calm waters have a gorgeous backdrop of the Chugach Mountains’ serrated peaks. Keep an eye out for the creatures that walk the shores and swim in the sea: orcas, humpback whales, sea lions, puffins, seals, sea otters, eagles, goats, and bears.
Moose Pass View All
Paddle the turquoise waters
Scenic vistas, glacial lakes, and Gold Rush history come together in the Moose Pass area, just north of Seward, making it an ideal spot to kayak, packraft, and hike. Travel with the experts of Moose Pass Adventures and you’ll experience this magical area on a day tour or overnight getaway to a backcountry yurt with an intimate group with experienced, passionate guides.
Girdwood View All
Kayaking at Spencer Glacier • Tours depart from Girdwood & Anchorage
Enjoy a magical morning or evening kayaking the calm waters of Spencer Lake, in the awe-inspiring presence of a jagged terminus glacier. Your time on the water is sandwiched between two train rides that offer up some of Alaska’s most scenic rail miles. It’s a full day of unforgettable experiences in our country’s second largest national forest – the Chugach.
Homer View All
Kayaking in Kachemak Bay
Enjoy remote Alaska at its best. Go with this small, family-owned company in Homer for a magical kayaking experience and a gorgeous hike to an iceberg-studded glacier lake!
Explore a quiet coastline just a few miles from Homer, where you’ll kayak through the protected waters of Tutka Bay in search of amazing views, wildlife and adventure! Your guide leads the way on a half-day or full-day tour, gliding past dense woods, rugged shoreline and hidden coves. Add on fishing for the freshest in Alaskan salmon or rockfish!
Whittier View All
Prince William Sound • Largest Concentration of Tidewater Glaciers
From $4,850+
5 days/4 nights or 6 days/5 nights
Ports of Call: Anchorage, Whittier, Cordova
Cruise Ship Type: Small Ship Cruises
Ship Name: Discovery
Perfect for the adventurous traveler, the Hike and Kayak voyage sees all the same sites as on our Classic voyage, but with more excursions. Kayak among icebergs, hike through mountain meadows, and take in the scenery on this unique trip. Activities can be customized to suit the interests and activity level of those on board.
Lazy Otter offers guided kayak tours and transportation to secluded areas of Prince William Sound. The calm waters have a gorgeous backdrop of the Chugach Mountains’ serrated peaks. Keep an eye out for the creatures that walk the shores and swim in the sea: orcas, humpback whales, sea lions, puffins, seals, sea otters, eagles, goats, and bears.
Seward & Kenai Fjords View All
Resurrection Bay • Glaciers • Wildlife
For a closer, quieter, and more peaceful version of the Alaskan glacier and wildlife cruise, travel by sea kayak. Paddle the shoreline of Resurrection Bay, where encounters with sea otters, seabirds, and spawning salmon are common. Choose from a variety of three-hour excursions or take a full-day trip.
Take a boutique, small-group kayaking trip with experienced guides at Liquid Adventures and get close to glaciers in kayaks or paddleboards while looking for whales and other marine mammals. You can even combine your adventure with a jetboat, helicopter, or wildlife cruise. There’s nothing quite like it in all of Alaska!
Get up close to the Alaskan glaciers and wildlife you came to experience by taking a cruise into Kenai Fjords National Park on a custom-built catamaran out of Seward. The difference from other cruises, is that you’ll then get off the boat and into a kayak, paddle around icebergs, and watch for wildlife from your own vessel.
Members of 1% For The Planet, Kayak Adventures Worldwide strives to fulfill their mission to inspire an active stewardship of our natural world. Through small group sea kayak tours in Resurrection Bay and Kenai Fjords National Park, they focus on safety, education, and connecting guests with the unique and fragile ecosystems you’ll visit.
Sitka View All
Wilderness Sea Kayaking in the Sitka Sound
Begin in downtown Sitka, where you’ll take a motorized, rigid-hull inflatable on a 15- to 20-minute ride across beautiful Sitka Sound, with the massive volcano Mt. Edgecumbe providing a dramatic backdrop. Look for marine wildlife on your way to a unique float house in a small, protected bay where you’ll kayak across shimmering water.
Haines & Skagway View All
Easy Lake Paddles • Sea Kayaking in the Lynn Canal
Guided sea kayaking in Alaska’s Southeast opens up the magical world of water-based touring. Glide through a marine environment with gorgeous views in every direction, and many opportunities to spot wildlife – from eagles and salmon to bears, whales and sea lions. Options include day tours for busy schedules and multi-day immersions, all under the expert guidance of naturalists who help you understand the complex workings of a unique and amazing ...more
Juneau View All
Mendenhall Glacier • Wetlands • Smuggler's Cove
Take a scenic cruise and kayak through gorgeous surroundings as magnificent whales pierce the surface of the water on this six-hour expedition from Juneau. Your destination is the Channel Islands, the whales’ annual feeding ground — and your guides will assess where the most whale activity has been happening.
If you’ve dreamed of seeing brown bears in the wild — in one of Alaska’s best spots for brown bear viewing — as well as experiencing flightseeing and kayaking, this trip is for you. You’ll fly from Juneau to a remote wilderness location, then kayak to Pack Creek Bear Sanctuary on Admiralty Island, home to more than 1,600 brown bears.
Glacierview Sea Kayaking with Alaska Travel Adventures offers the opportunity to kayak through Auke Bay while enjoying views of Mendenhall Glacier. You’ll also have the opportunity to see wildlife like whales, sea lions, seals, and bald eagles. Kayaking offers a much more intimate and quiet experience than other boat tours; at the same time, it is perfect for travelers who want an adventure. And even if you’ve never paddled a kayak before, a ...more
Ketchikan View All
Ocean Kayaking • Great Shore Excursion during a Cruise
Experience kayaking in Alaska the way it should be — away from the crowds — with these unique Ketchikan paddling tours that make you feel like a true explorer. Your small group (usually just 4 people) will board the company’s comfortable boat and set off from the Ketchikan cruise-ship dock, leaving the big ships and the crowds behind. Choose from a 3‑hour tour, or 5‑hour kayak and hike tour.
Valdez View All
Prince William Sound • Large Glaciers • Day Trips & Overnight Trips
Throughout the decades, Anadyr has carefully tailored its trips to offer an option for just about anyone. Never kayaked before? Try the Valdez Glacier Tour for a relaxing paddle on a lake with an easy hike to the glacier. You’ll explore icebergs and even kayak into a glacial cave. Got a six year old that can’t wait to get out there? At 3 – 4 hours, the Duck Flats tour offers a mix of wildlife (sea lions and otters are common) and Valdez history. ...more
Eagle River View All
Guided Tours & Rentals Available
Whether it’s kayaking, canoeing, or paddleboarding, you’ll find top-flight equipment for rent at AK Paddlesports