The 10 Best Kayak & Canoe Trips

1.Ha Long Bay Day Cruise – Swimming, Meal, Kayaking

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 7,415 reviews · from $41Our pick

Spend a long, full day cruising Ha Long Bay from Hanoi, with transport, lunch, cave visits, kayaking or bamboo boating, Titop Island, swimming, and a sunset snack included. Guides such as Sunny, Alex, Ken, and Henry are praised for clear information and good humor, though crowds and a long return make this a busy day.

“Sunny was a great guide! We made the most out of the day and enjoyed a relaxing day with great tips and info. We also got vegetarian food on the ship. Highly recommend the tour with Sunny!”

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2.Phang Nga Bay Sea Cave Canoeing & James Bond Island by Big Boat

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4,666 reviews · from $99Top rated

Cruise from Phuket to Phang Nga Bay on a spacious big boat, then ride guided canoes through the caves and mangroves of Panak and Hong islands. You’ll visit James Bond Island, swim at Nakae Island, and enjoy a Thai buffet. Guides such as Tommy, Ohma, Tony, and Omar are known for keeping the day lively and organized.

“It was amazing.! Enjoyed the boat ride and the caves! staff was awesome and made new friends. Highly recommend”

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3.Mu Ko Ang Thong Park Cruise with Kayaking Option

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 3,728 reviews · 9 hours · from $38

Spend nine hours cruising from Koh Samui to Mu Ko Ang Thong National Park. Hike to a 500-meter viewpoint, visit the Blue Lagoon, snorkel, and choose a guided kayak route to Tum Rang Island. Hotel transfers, breakfast, lunch, gear, snacks, and English or Thai guides are included.

“The High Sea team tending to us was outstanding. They were very organised, spoke very good English and helped with trekking, photo taking and generally looking out for us all for the day. In addition to this, the food and drinks they provided throughout the day were good and timed very well. We went on this trip on Christmas Day and they did not disappoint!! My partner and I would highly recommend this tour operator. Thank you Desi & Cheryl 🙏🏽”

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4.Phang Nga Bay and Canoeing Tour by Big Boat

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 3,528 reviews · 10 hours · from $53

Spend 10 hours touring Phang Nga Bay aboard a roomy two-story boat. Canoe through sea caves with local paddlers, visit Hong Island and James Bond Island, swim, and enjoy a buffet with drinks. Guides such as Ohma, Bobby, Sam, and Tony help keep the day friendly and well organized.

“Well organised, everything was stress free with breathtaking views. On the plus the food served at lunch was delicious. Really exceeded my expectations honestly will recommend to my friends and fam :))”

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5.Cozy Bay Halong 5-Star Day Cruise, Buffet, Cave, Kayak, Swimming

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3,512 reviews · from $48

Spend 11 to 12 hours traveling from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay by shuttle, then cruise for 5 to 6 hours. You’ll visit Sung Sot Cave, Ti Top Island, and Hung Luon by kayak or bamboo boat, with a buffet lunch and sunset party included. Guides such as Minh, Tim, Duc, and Binh are often praised for clear, friendly help.

“Clean boat, great buffet lunch with plenty of food to feed everyone, comfortable bis ride to and from Hanoi. The activities (Surprising Cave, Titop Mountain and kayaking through Hung Luon) were very enjoyable. Our guide, Oliver, was very knowledgeable and made the day run smoothly.”

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6.James Bond Island Longtail Boat and Sea Canoe Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 2,364 reviews · 9 hours · from $52

Travel from Patong, Karon, or Kata to Phang Nga Bay with an English-speaking guide such as Nikom or Tuk Tuk. Visit the Monkey Cave, ride a longtail boat through mangroves, eat lunch at Koh Panyi, see James Bond Island, and let a local paddler guide your canoe around Talu Island.

“Great experience, our guide was really lovely and he's english was amazing! 100% would recommend”

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7.Ponta da Piedade Caves Kayak Tour from Catamaran

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 2,015 reviews · 2 hours · from $37Best value

From Lagos Marina, you’ll cruise to Ponta da Piedade, slide into a double kayak, and paddle through arches and grottoes for about 75 minutes. Guides such as Bruno, Ricardo, and Alfonso lead the route in English or Portuguese, followed by swimming and an onboard sea slide.

“The kayaking was amazing. The guides brought great energy which elevated the whole experience. We thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend”

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8.Ha Long Bay Cruise Day Tour – Cave, Kayaking, Swimming & Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,244 reviews · from $42

Spend about 12 hours traveling from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay by modern bus and cruise boat. Visit Sung Sot Cave, kayak or ride a bamboo boat at Hang Luon, swim or climb Ti Top Island, and enjoy lunch and a sunset snack. Guides such as Alex, Ken, Hoang, and Nam are often praised for keeping the day moving.

“The bus was extremely late (50 minutes). All that time we were waiting for 50min at the meeting point where we had nowhere to go inside to warm up a bit and it was about 17°C. No one texted us or informed us about the situation. The gRead more”

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9.Kayak Tour of Ponta da Piedade Caves on Catamaran

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 905 reviews · 2 hours 15 minutes (approx.) · from $48

Board a purpose-built catamaran in Lagos, learn basic paddling, then launch into a double kayak near Ponta da Piedade. Guides such as Ricardo, Jaime, Andre, and Bruno have led outings with humor and care. After exploring the caves, return to the boat for swimming and a coastal cruise.

“Initially signed up for a kayaking tour that was canceled last minute and offered a free trip ne hour boat tour . That was good but the tour guide made a homophonic slur on the trip in Spanish thinking we wouldn’t understand it. Group laughed we were humiliated! Disgusting behavior.”

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10.Inclusive 2 Day/1 Night Halong Luxury Cruise, Meals, Cave, Kayaking,Swimming

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 668 reviews · from $50

Spend one night aboard a small-group Halong Bay cruise with a private ocean-view balcony cabin. You’ll visit Sung Sot, Thien Canh Son, Dark and Light, or Luon Cave, with kayaking, swimming, meals, Tai Chi, cooking, and squid fishing included. Guides such as Sunny, Tom, Alex, and Tung have earned special praise.

“Well worth it. The rooms were spacious, clean and comfortable and the staff was very helpful. Some of the activities, namely squid fishing and the cooking class, were not as expected nor well organised, but the main part of the experience - cruising in Halong Bay - was great.”

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