Virgin Islands Expedition Company
Virgin Islands Expedition Company
5
Eco ToursGear RentalsHiking & Camping ToursStand Up PaddleboardingKayaking & Canoeing
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Full view
About
From Kayaking, to Standup Paddleboarding to Guided Hiking Tours we are your expert guides to an exciting St. John adventure. Our island-wide tours showcase the amazing sea-life above and below the water. Our 10-passenger Safari Truck transports you from our shop in the heart of Cruz Bay to your adventure. We also do daily and weekly rentals of snorkel gear, paddle boards and kayaks. We are Veteran-owned business that can't wait to take you Beyond the Beach!
St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
395 reviews
Excellent
389
Very good
6
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
0
Ed K
5 contributions
Jul 2021 • Couples
One of the true highlights of our recent vacation. Can’t recommend Mike and his team enough: the Hurricane Hole trip via kayak and then snorkeling is fun, relaxing, and so different. I can’t swim and have to wear a life vest to be able to snorkel, but Mike always made me feel safe. The kayaking is easy and lets you take in amazing views, all while Mike tells you about the history of the island and how the mangrove ecosystem works. Then he takes you to actually snorkel the mangrove coves, and honestly, even if you’ve done lots of snorkeling before, this is an amazing and unique experience. The diversity of fish, corals, etc in a setting you would not expect (shallow waters on the underwater roots of mangrove trees) is not to be missed. This is something you have never seen before and you can see it with a great, experienced guide and at a very affordable price. Highly, highly recommended!! Thanks again sincerely to Virgin Islands Expedition.
Written July 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PirangaOlivacea
Columbus, OH2 contributions
Mar 2022
Absolutely perfect outing. Booked a whole day (8am-4pm) snorkeling & kayaking expedition to Hansen/Horseshoe Reef & Hurricane Hole, led by business owner & guide Liz. She brought great energy, knowledge, & skill on the trip, able to expound on centuries of St John island history and ecology/biodiversity/species identification alike. She was patient and encouraging with the kayaking, which felt so easy under her guidance. A delightful picnic lunch from North Shore Deli was also provided which made for a perfect mid-day refuel. The day culminated in an amazing relaxing snorkel through the mangrove forest shores at Hurricane Hole, a truly unique & beautiful ecosystem. We absolutely recommend VI Expedition Company to anyone visiting St John!
Written March 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We love the full day tour and agree that it is the perfect outing. Thank you for providing such thoughtful feedback about your experience. Thanks for trusting me with your St John adventure day.
Sincerely,
Liz
Written August 1, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
HemisphereRambler
Bolingbrook, IL714 contributions
Jan 2022
Fortunately, Dan was able to coordinate a last-minute half-day Hurricane Hole kayak/snorkel for the 12 of us. Friendly with excellent communication. Arranged a hotel pick up and we headed east on the curvy, steep St. John roads. If you are nervous about these roads, leave the driving to Virgin Islands Expedition Company. The kayaks are well made, sea worthy tandem sea kayaks, not the sit on top variety. The paddling was manageable for all of us and Dan did a great job explaining the area's history past and recent with the hurricanes. We snorkeled as well and they pointed out a wide variety of sea life along the mangroves. Big bang for your buck, would recommend them and may use the outfitter for a multi-day excursion in the future. Thanks Dan!
Written January 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
G W Korch
1 contribution
Jan 2021
The people at Virgin Islands Expedition Company are in a class all by themselves with the tremendous attention to detail, engagement, safety and quality of the trips they run. We did a half day visit to Princess Bay, Otter Creek and Water Creek and the combination of the very ruggedized but comfortable tandem kayaks plus the snorkeling in Otter Creek was perfect for us. We consider ourselves very experienced snorkelers and have visited many different parts of St. John over the 18 years that we have intermittently returned, but this was the first time we got to look at the mangrove refuges in Hurricane Hole, because access is very limited. The uniqueness was stellar compared to other places we have visited. Mike Spivey has a true passion for pointing out the amazing and uncommon, and we saw things we had never seen before, such as Cassiopea, the species of upside-down Jelly Fish, and Sea Pearls, which are monstrously large single-celled organisms about the size of a small plum and metallic green in color. I could go on and on. I am a biologist by professional training, and was delighted by the depth of his information. He has a profound respect also for making sure that our visit to these magical places leaves no trace of our visit, thereby preserving the ecological distinctness that people like me come to see. He also described some of the history of the way these small bodies of water were used several hundred years ago by sailors. Mike and his wife Lauren were fun to be around and both have interesting stories about what led them to pursue this venture. We will truly be back for another expedition adventure with Virgin Islands Expedition Company during our next visit to St. John.
Written January 15, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
George,
It was truly a joy to have you and your wife out on the water with us. We have a passion for the waters and sealife in and around St John and we love to share it with our guests. It always brings our team joy to be able to show first timers to St John some of the amazing life in the mangroves. To be able to take guests who have been coming here for years makes it even more special. I loved talking with you and looking for birds and even learning new things about the sealife we see everyday. Our team yearns to not just “go for a swim” but to truly immerse our guests in an informed and exciting tour. Thank you for the kind words and I can not wait until you and your wife come back to St John so we can continue to explore some more of the hidden gems that St John has to offer.
Best,
Michael
Written January 15, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Melinda S
Chagrin Falls, OH6 contributions
Jul 2022
We booked a Half Day Kayaking/Snorkeling Tour for a three generation family group of 12 people and we could not have been happier with VI Expedition Company as our choice. Our guides Dan and Sam were so cheerful, friendly and knowledgeable. They made sure everyone was comfortable and engaged every step of the way. They were especially wonderful with the kids. We had one reluctant snorkeler and Dan was so patient and creative in getting her comfortable with the snorkeling equipment and into the water. Sam found interesting sea creatures to show the older kids. They even made the ride across the island on those crazy steep, twisty St. John roads in the back of the truck fun!! We can easily give VI Expedition Co. our highest recommendation.
Written July 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Aubree G
2 contributions
Aug 2020 • Couples
Liz was our guide and she was absolutely phenomenal. I’m not a very good swimmer and she made me feel safe and at ease the whole time. We went to the mangroves with her and she was SO knowledgeable about all the sea life. I thought she was a marine biologist. She was not only able to tell us the names of all the fish but she would find cool coral and vertebrates and point them out to us. I highly recommend Liz and this trip.
Written August 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I am so glad that you enjoyed the unique ecosystem of the mangroves and were able to appreciate all of the sea life found in the shallow, calm waters. It's always a real treat to spend time on and in the water with inquisitive and interested participants like yourself. Thanks for coming out with us! I hope I will see you again next August for more St John adventures. I have a few itineraries that I think you would really enjoy.
Sincerely,
Liz
Written August 17, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
lrf
1 contribution
Jan 2020
Truly fantastic experience. One of us snorkels and one does not. Both of us had a great day. The kayaking was beautiful. The snorkeling was beyond anything previously seen. Mike's interpretation of what we were seeing was engaging and made the experience especially interesting. The none snorkeler plans to snorkel next year! Thank you Mike and Lisa.
Written January 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Guys I am so glad you both enjoyed the day. The weather was awesome and the fish were everywhere. I am happy that the trip met your expectations and I can’t wait to get your husband in the calm, serene waters of Hurricane Hole next year.
Best,
Mike
Written January 29, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lisa F
1 contribution
Jul 2021 • Friends
My husband and I booked a 1/2 day kayak and snorkeling trip to Hurricane Hole. We had our own tour with Mike on a Tuesday afternoon. Mike was great!!- very friendly and down to earth. He did a great job sharing history regarding St. John and sharing information regarding the mangroves and the wildlife that resides there. We had a beautiful day and and such a relaxing trip. The fish and the coral were fabulous.
Written July 15, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
globeexplorer71
USA13 contributions
Dec 2020
Dan, Liz and team provide great service, very personalized and very knowledgeable about the islands. They provided wonderful insights along the way, and Dan did a great job introducing us to kayaking and to the quiet, secluded bay where we got to see wonderful corals and marine life. We strongly recommend this team and look forward to another expedition with the Virgin Islands Expedition Company soon.
Written December 29, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
It’s great to know that you had such a great experience with Virgin Islands Expedition Company. We love exploring and showing others the beauty of St John above and below the water. Give us a call next time you are here so we can start planning another adventure!
Written January 1, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lovethesea
1 contribution
Feb 2020
We were very happy with our experience. It was so much fun we wish we had done it earlier in the week so we could have gone out again. The day we went it was a bit windy but even though we were first time sea kayakers we felt very safe and the trip went very well. We saw many fish and corals while snorkeling and benefited from the keen eye of our guide who was able to point things out to us that we may have missed otherwise. Our guide was friendly, helpful and knowledgable. I want to go back and do it again!
Written February 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your kind words. Our guides pride themselves on providing fun, informative, and safe adventures for all types of St John travelers. Please let us know when you are coming back to the Virgin Islands so we can share another St. John experience!
Thanks again,
Liz
Written February 16, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
What time does the full day east end kayak tour run from start to finish?
Written July 9, 2020
Thanks for your interest in a full day kayak and snorkel tour. We meet at 8 am and return at 4 pm. This includes travel time to and from Cruz Bay, which is about 45 minutes each way. I hope this information will be useful as you plan your St John itinerary. Let me know if you have further questions or would like to book; I’m happy to help. —Liz
Written July 9, 2020
Hi, do you do guided SUP tours, or do you only rent them out for us to use independently?
Written January 2, 2020
Thanks for your inquiry. In addition to rentals, Virgin Islands Expedition Company also offers lessons and guided tours. A wide range of tour options are available to accommodate all levels of adventure. Please reference our website to peruse routes listed under the "Paddleboard" tab. Shop staff are available by phone to answer further questions or to assist with booking your trip. Thanks again for reaching out. We look forward to hearing from you.
Written January 2, 2020
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