Adventure Tours
1–2 hours
Taking safety measures
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$47.00
per adult
La Jolla Kayak
La Jolla Kayak
4.5
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Full view
About
La Jolla Kayak is a family run business celebrating more than 18 years as the premier ocean exploration outfit in San Diego. Offering fantastic opportunities for adventure on the open sea, La Jolla Kayak caters to tourists and locals alike. Discover by paddle or snorkel the spectacular sea cliffs, Seven Caves and underwater park, renowned to the area. La Jolla Kayak offers guided paddle and snorkel tours with specialized instructors and single or double kayak rentals to discover the sea on your own. Our Mt. Soledad Slide Bike Tour takes you through La Jolla’s most spectacular scenery. And during the warmer months you can swim with the sharks on our guided Leopard Shark Snorkel Adventures. Experience the natural beauty and wonder of the Southern California’s coastline and come away with a new appreciation for ocean kayaking, marine life, and the natural beauty of our underwater world.La Jolla Kayak is located in the heart of the seaside community of La Jolla, California, just 15 minutes north of Downtown San Diego and the SD International Airport. For over a century, La Jolla has been a favorite vacation destination of travelers from all over the world. Boasting Southern California's most beautiful and majestic coastline and the finest weather in the world, La Jolla offers a variety of recreational opportunities.
La Jolla, California
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2022
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
396 reviews
Excellent
240
Very good
86
Average
37
Poor
15
Terrible
18
Renee D
London, UK58 contributions
Apr 2022 • Couples
100% recommend doing this Kayak tour for anyone staying in San Diego / La Jolla. We went on the 5pm tour with Dylan and Kat and saw dolphins within 10 minutes of being in the water. The stories they told on the water were fascinating and they were so helpful in helping us to kayak for the 1st time. I even felt sea sick which could have been a disaster, but Kat calmly helped me back to the shore by towing me some of the way and pushing me over the wave breaks. She was such an angel!
Written April 27, 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.
Jessica
San Diego, CA6 contributions
Aug 2020 • Friends
Amazing!! Let me start off by saying if you are thinking of kayaking, there is no better place to do it in San Diego other than La Jolla! Reservation was easy, I do recommend booking in advance as spots fill up quickly during this season:) I recommend giving yourself plenty of time to arrive early as parking can be hard to find. The best spot we found parking was in the neighborhood just straight up across from the street where La Jolla Kayak is located. If you need to use the restroom prior, you will need to walk all the way down to the beach to use it as they do not have one for customers. So that will probably take about 10 minutes to walk down there one way. They do have small lockers you can rent for $6-7 to put your things in during your tour, which will fit small things but probably not anything the size of a big backpack. You will leave your sandals on the open beach while you are out on your tour, so it's best to just go as what you plan on wearing in the boat, water shoes would be great if not just go barefoot. Do not take a big hat, as you have to fit with your helmet on top. A small visor or small hat is fine. I recommend a water case for your phone with a secure strap if you do plan on taking your phone with you. Our tour instructors were Joe and Max. They were SOOO awesome and friendly! They were fun and funny, and also very informative with sharing with us some fun facts about the La Jolla Cove along the way in our tour. They also gave everyone in our tour the option to go inside the caves and took the ones who wanted too, one at a time! I highly recommend you do! It's so beautiful and safe with super clear water in there, you don't want to miss out! You may see a sea lion!If you are a first time kayaker, I also definitely recommend you reserve a double boat for your kayak tour, as it is a workout:) I highly recommend this tour, it is so much fun! We will be back again soon!
Written August 17, 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.
Kevin O
Danville, CA3 contributions
Aug 2022
There are a few folks down in La Jolla Shores who all offer kayak tours, and they all use the exact same boats, launched from the exact same beach and paddle out to the exact same caves and seals. Don't worry about not seeing something be virtue of who you hire. But this is the business you want to support. Seemed like everyone working there grew up in the area, had great local knowledge, and they all genuinely enjoy their jobs. When we first stepped into the shop, more than one person greeted us, asked our names, offered to get all our gear and helped us get ready. Same for the end of the day when we came back wet and sandy.
Specific props go out to both Josh and Jackson, those guys were so friendly and engaging, really knew their stuff, and made it a great day. They paid the same amount of attention to 8 year olds, newlyweds and retired folks. Josh even brought his phone along and took pictures of / for everyone and then texted / air dropped them.
Keep in mind that these folks do not control the weather nor the tides. If it's a rough day, I would imagine they will do their best to show you a fun experience, and keep you safe.
We will definitely be back. Thanks, La Jolla Kayak!
Specific props go out to both Josh and Jackson, those guys were so friendly and engaging, really knew their stuff, and made it a great day. They paid the same amount of attention to 8 year olds, newlyweds and retired folks. Josh even brought his phone along and took pictures of / for everyone and then texted / air dropped them.
Keep in mind that these folks do not control the weather nor the tides. If it's a rough day, I would imagine they will do their best to show you a fun experience, and keep you safe.
We will definitely be back. Thanks, La Jolla Kayak!
Written August 10, 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.
Stephanie G
11 contributions
Mar 2021 • Family
I was super bummed about this experience. We booked this tour for our family (two adults, 1 teen, 1 12yo) because the kids are fascinated with sea caves. We understood that depending on conditions we might not get to go into the caves, but thought that we'd get to see them from the outside and learn more about them.
On our tour, we paddled out onto the open water and did learn about the 4 habitats of the La Jolla ecological reserve which was good. We then paddled further onto the open water and our guides talked about the real estate and people who had lived in the houses previously. We floated around for a little bit, then they said it was time to head back. We asked if we were going to see the caves and they said no because the conditions were too dangerous. (Low tide, small waves) Again, we understood that going into the caves wasn't possible, but they never even took us over near them or talked about them. Every other tour group on the water got to go by the caves. It was a huge disappointment. I wish we would have just rented kayaks (or booked with another company) so that we could have seen the caves from the outside. Spending close to $200 to paddle out onto open water and straight back in was a pretty big letdown and waste of $ in my opinion. We own kayaks, so spending money just to randomly paddle in the water wasn't what we were looking to do. We could have done that anywhere and saved $200. This was supposed to be a unique and specialized experience and it definitely was not. I would not recommend booking with this company if you're interested in seeing the caves. (Photo shows how *not* close they took us to the caves as well as my son's very ill fitting life jacket)
On our tour, we paddled out onto the open water and did learn about the 4 habitats of the La Jolla ecological reserve which was good. We then paddled further onto the open water and our guides talked about the real estate and people who had lived in the houses previously. We floated around for a little bit, then they said it was time to head back. We asked if we were going to see the caves and they said no because the conditions were too dangerous. (Low tide, small waves) Again, we understood that going into the caves wasn't possible, but they never even took us over near them or talked about them. Every other tour group on the water got to go by the caves. It was a huge disappointment. I wish we would have just rented kayaks (or booked with another company) so that we could have seen the caves from the outside. Spending close to $200 to paddle out onto open water and straight back in was a pretty big letdown and waste of $ in my opinion. We own kayaks, so spending money just to randomly paddle in the water wasn't what we were looking to do. We could have done that anywhere and saved $200. This was supposed to be a unique and specialized experience and it definitely was not. I would not recommend booking with this company if you're interested in seeing the caves. (Photo shows how *not* close they took us to the caves as well as my son's very ill fitting life jacket)
Written April 3, 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.
Karin T
Arlington, MA20 contributions
Oct 2022
My brother and I did the sea caves tour led by Quincy and Darren (I think that was his name). They did an excellent job with a group who had various skill levels. They were engaging leaders who were very friendly and clearly enthusiastic to share their love for kayaking and for La Jolla in general. This is clearly a very popular experience based on all the kayaks out there, but I really feel like this was well-done - experienced kayakers didn't feel patronized, and newer kayakers didn't feel overwhelmed. The kayaks and PDFs are in great condition and the scenery was fantastic! Water was so clear that you could see stingrays, guitarfish, and garibaldis through the water. Highly recommend!!
Written October 15, 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.
Raylee B
Irving, TX5 contributions
Jun 2021 • Family
Sam And Ryan did an amazing job guiding us on our Kayak tour! They were very funny and full of interesting stories about the wildlife preserve. Sam made my daughter and I feel very comfortable during the whole tour - we had no experience kayaking before and he stayed by us for the first part of the time until we got the hang of it. Grateful for his kindness towards us. We really had an incredible time! Highly recommend this company!
Written June 5, 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.
AngiesTA
Los Angeles, CA25 contributions
Apr 2021
All the staff were amazing, but our guides, Megan and Ella, were extra fantastic. They provided excellent local tips, were very informative during the tour, and attentive to how the whole crew was doing and feeling. They both got into the water and guided each of our kayaks through the caves.
Highly recommend the trip, but definitely make sure that you are physically fit enough to paddle for a good hour and a half!
Highly recommend the trip, but definitely make sure that you are physically fit enough to paddle for a good hour and a half!
Written April 28, 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.
Max A
2 contributions
Oct 2022 • Couples
Had a great time on our kayak tour with Tyler and Ané as our guides. They were funny and informative, and did a great job of keeping the atmosphere enjoyable. We were able to see a bunch of sea lions, cormorants, and pelicans up close. With the guides' help, we paddled into a small cave where sea lions rest which was an awesome experience. Would definitely recommend using this company for kayak tours in La Jolla.
Written October 17, 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.
Casey C
1 contribution
Jul 2020
We scheduled a kayak tour with my son and his girlfriend a few weeks ago, it was chaotic at best. During the pandemic there must have been 25 kayakers in our group. Most places are limiting the amount of people for these type of adventures due to safety issues. I was surprised they were not. There was not enough instruction and most of the people had never kayaked before, let alone in the ocean. At the start we were given dirty masks and snorkels that had not been cleaned. We complained and the guide brought back clean ones. They took us around the coastline where the waves were still breaking. We were broadside to the waves and my son and his girlfriend capsized several times. When we got to the caves they tied all the kayaks up together, and anchored, but the anchor did not hold so the kayaks were drifting very close to the rocks and the cave. The guides had to swim out with the kayaks and re-anchor. I had people bumping into me as we kayaked, because they had no idea what they were doing. it felt like kayak bumper cars. Also, with so many people, there wasn't a nice space for snorkling. I also felt unsafe with all the inexperienced kayakers above us, as one could run into me at anytime. When we returned, everyone threw their life jackets, fins and snorkles in a big pile. The guide accepting them even said 'this is chaos'. We lost a fin and a snorkle with the capsizing, but because it was so chaotic we did not let them know. We just wanted to get out of there. I was hoping for a wonderful experience for my son and his girlfriend on their first ocean kayak adventure. I hope they get it together and create a safer and less confusing and disordered experience for future kayakers.
Written August 3, 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.
Yahdinah S
Phoenix, AZ23 contributions
Jul 2022 • Solo
I love the kayaking experience and the snorkeling experience not too much. I really didn't have the opportunity to snorkel and didn't really see anything. No matter I don't think it was a good place for snorkeling I only saw two yellow fish. I was under the understanding that we were supposed to do the caves which we did not. I wasn't able to get any pictures of myself but took great photos of everyone else. I think you guys should take photos again so the consumer can have memories. I would like to thank Jake and Lina for all they do and have to put up with. Now for the concern! Lina instructed us on the way in to kayak towards the red shirts. In which we did and I saw all the red shirts just standing there not moving. Lina gave strict instructions to lean back as we got closer to shore and 'stated' the red shirts will assist us to the beach. Well I was leaning back looking at all the red shirts for some time and neither person was moving to bring us in. A wave came in my kayak went over and so did I ☺️
Written July 12, 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.
okruhlik1
Milwaukee66 contributions
Can you bring your cell phone with you, or what are the other options for taking photos?
Ian T
Sydney, Australia131 contributions
I bought a phone case that worked with mixed success - it was sometimes hard to see the screen thru the plastic screen cover of the waterproof case.
Heather F
6 contributions
What is the best time of day to get a better chance of going into the caves? We are visiting from San Antonio and want to get the full experience. We will be in town 2/26-2/26.
jjbru
Berlin, WI5 contributions
What they explained to us is it has more to do with the size of the waves, then the time of day.
Given the cold temperatures in December, would you recommend the kayak tours at this time?
Diamond a
San Diego, CA
Of course! During the winter months, gray whales begin their journey along La Jolla's coastline. You'll see leopard sharks, sea lions, Garibaldi, and maybe even dolphins and whales!
Don't worry about being cold, we rent wetsuits that will keep you warm.
La Jolla Kayak - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
La Jolla Kayak Information
Excellent Reviews | 239 |
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La Jolla Kayak Photos | 153 |