Likely To Sell Out
2 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$98
per adult
Ballard Kayak & Paddleboard
Ballard Kayak & Paddleboard
5
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Full view
About
If you are considering a visit to Seattle or you are looking for a completely unique Pacific Northwest experience, let Seattle's top rated kayak and paddleboard tour and rentals company show you a truly remarkable experience. Whether you are completely new to watersports or have been around water your whole life, our trained guides will take excellent care of you during your time with us. We offer: TOURS leaving from Shilshole Marine -Ballard Locks Tour (our top seller) -Sunset tour -Discovery Point Tour (Lunch included) -2 hour Puget Sound Tour -Custom tour curated just for you And other seasonal offerings RENTALS from the beautiful Golden Gardens beach -Kayaks (Singles and doubles) -Paddle boards GROUP EVENTS at either beach or marina locations -Fully tailored to the specific needs of your group Do you have a group? We specialize in large, medium and small group activities or even fully catered parties that will leave your guests speechless! We handle it all, from transportation, F&B, games/activities to the entertainment. Make the easy choice, Ballard Kayak & Paddleboard. Let's go explore!
Seattle, Washington
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
157 reviews
Excellent
143
Very good
11
Average
3
Poor
0
Terrible
0
Alexa T
2 contributions
May 2024 • Couples
This was a fantastic trip, our guide, Blaine, was incredibly knowledgeable about the area, wildlife, tides, and general region history and fun facts for everything Pacific Northwest. He was engaging and funny, and also a great kayak instructor with two complete beginners! The lock experience in particular was incredibly special and unique, we didn’t expect it to be that cool! We also saw a lot of wildlife, overall highly highly recommend
Written May 19, 2024
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.
Jillian S
61 contributions
Aug 2024 • Friends
We did the Ballard Locks Tour with Lindsay and it was AMAZING! We learned so much, and had such a great time. He had so much knowledge to share about Seattle's history, and geology, and the marine life. Going through the Locks was super cool, and I say that as a local who goes to the Locks regularly. Lindsay was amazing at spotting seals, and very patient when I basically stopped paddling to shoot way too much video of the pups and moms! The only thing that didn't happen was a seal jumping on our kayak (though the curious pups were following us closely!), so I will just have to go back and try again - which I am already planning on doing. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, even for completely novice kayakers!
Written August 12, 2024
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.
Kevan Hagen
Olympia, WA2 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
Lots of sights to see, including wildlife of many kinds - Harbor seals, salmon, a variety of birds. Our guide, Lindsey, was very knowledgeable and good-natured. My critiques would be: it would have been nice if Lindsey could have maintained a more leisurely pace - we worked really hard to keep up, but we often fell behind, and as a result, we missed a lot of his commentary; and it would be nice if Ballard Kayak would utilize a microphone on their guide, and provide neck speakers for kayakers, so we could hear all commentary. Other than that, it was a great outdoor adventure.
Written August 24, 2024
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.
m0m0f3
Boston, Massachusetts49 contributions
Aug 2024 • Couples
We took the Ballard Lock Tour and it was excellent. The owner and guides were knowledgeable and very safety oriented as we entered the locks and maneuvered in the surrounding areas. Going through the locks (twice) was a fun and unique experience. We are really happy we chose to do this one. We saw heron, bald eagles and many seals on the tour.
Written August 1, 2024
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.
Lisa R
1 contribution
Jul 2024 • Friends
Highly recommend the Ballard Kayak Locks tour! Our guides Anna and Cat were awesome-friendly and helpful and offered a lot of great info about the locks and surrounding areas. Really unique experience to go through the locks by kayak-check it out!
Written July 18, 2024
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.
Tara Wilson
Seattle, WA73 contributions
Jul 2024 • Family
I live in Seattle and it was so awesome to get the chance to see the locks by kayak! Lindsay and John were excellent guides, and kept us very safe while sharing great knowledge of the area. I would highly recommend this experience!!
Written July 8, 2024
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.
Patti H
1 contribution
Jul 2024 • Family
Ballard Locks Tour with Kayaks:
Well prepared tour, great equipment, fun and very interesting guides!!
LOVED the locks experience. Learned a lot about the area.
Saw plenty of wildlife.
I highly recommend this 3+ hrs outdoor experience.
Well prepared tour, great equipment, fun and very interesting guides!!
LOVED the locks experience. Learned a lot about the area.
Saw plenty of wildlife.
I highly recommend this 3+ hrs outdoor experience.
Written July 29, 2024
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.
Elizabeth N
Houston, TX25 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
We were supposed to paddle through the locks but due to a collision, the gates were closed. Without missing a beat our guides, Anna and Lindsey, offered to take us to the fish ladders and see the king salmon run. It was so cool! Along the way, we saw mobs of harbor seals, many with the cute white and spotted pups. We were followed for a time by a belted kingfisher. Our trip on land to the observation aquarium took us past the great blue heron rookery. And we got to see a 340-ft fishing trawler go through the large locks! It was the largest vessel that can go through the locks. The guides share fascinating information about the area's history and ecology and are excellent at pointing out and explaining the local wildlife. They went out of their way to ensure everyone had a great time.
Written August 28, 2024
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.
Leslie D
Saint Jacob, IL69 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
We really enjoyed our Ballard Locks kayak trip. Our guide Lindsay was incredible and it was so cool to experience the locks from the inside. The salmon were jumping and the harbor seals were sunning themselves. I would highly recommend this tour for anyone who wants to experience the sound in a totally different way.
Written September 18, 2023
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.
lisasuss
East Greenwich, RI188 contributions
Sep 2021
What a great day out! Blaine is a terrific and knowledgeable guide. He was great at giving paddling tips as well as local historical and natural history lore. I saw on the reviews that some people were unhappy because their tour was cancelled due to unfavorable conditions, but really? I would prefer to go with a company that puts my safety over their profit margin. Plus the gear is top notch. Lunch was beyond expectations. We saw seals, herons and starfish.
Written September 8, 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.
Do we have the option of a double kayak for the locks tour?
Written September 11, 2019
Hello! Thanks for reaching out to us. All of our tours are exclusively conducted in tandem kayaks. We find they are more more stable and efficient than single kayaks. Hope to see you soon!
Written September 13, 2019
Should beginners sign up specifically for the beginner lesson or can beginners for sure handle taking the Guided Tour one?
Written April 20, 2017
Hello Sarah,
Thank you for reaching out to us! All of our tours are beginner friendly. So you can pick a tour that looks the best for you and go with it!
Hope to see you on the water!
Ballard Kayak Team
Written April 20, 2017
Which tour would you most likely encounter whale sightings?
Written July 3, 2016
We only went on the sunset tour so I don't know. If you email Ballard Kayak I guarantee they will get back with you right away. They would be better suited to answer your question.
Written July 4, 2016
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.