Guided Family Kayaking
Our highly stable sea kayaks allow children to safely enjoy a kayaking experience with an adult paddling right behind them.
Tour Overview
Enjoy paddling as a family around Kaikoura's aquatic wonderland at a leisurely pace taking in the views and enjoying the thrill of getting right up close to New Zealands marine life.
Our professionally qualified guides will be right beside you in your watertight kayaks as your family take snaps of playful New Zealand Fur Seals with a dramatic backdrop of mountain views, craggy rocks and sheer cliff faces.
We can tailor your trip to suit your specific family needs and your guide will ensure your kayaking tour around the Kaikoura Peninsula is exceptionally safe, highly memorable and great fun for the whole family.
Tour at a Glance
Open Season:
Open all year
Prior Experience:
None Required
Duration:
1.5 - 2 Hrs paddling time
Age:
3 years and above
Highlights
- A ratio of 1 x Guide to each family ensures a safe, authentic and private experince.
- The morning tour's usually have the calmest sea conditions and the best interactions with marine life.
Winter Timing
6th April - 26th September 2020
2 x Half Day Tours Daily
8:30 am
Great for families and best interaction with marine life as it's before prevailing winds.
12:30 pm
Warmest part of the day with the most seals in the water.
Summer Timing
27th September - 4th April 2021
3 x Half Day Tours Daily
8:30 AM
Great for families and best interaction with marine life as it's before prevailing winds.
12:30 pm
Warmest part of the day with the most seals in the water.
4:30 pm
Surreal visuals of the mountains as the light changes in the bay.
What our customers have to say
AMAZING MORNING Ash (age 9 years):D We got lots of luck! We saw lots of seals and even saw a seal in the water and it came to meet us. We saw a blue penguin and some shags. We had fantastic guides Emma, Matt and Cohen. I had the best morning of my life and will never ever forget it! Definitely recommend it for everyone. 5/5
Ash, Taranaki New Zealand
Marine mammal megamix Spent a truly incredible morning around the Kaikoura Peninsula with Matt and Emma, two fantastic local guides. The whole operation was very professional, with high quality kayaks, equipment and a detailed safety briefing. Spent a good amount of time observing the seals, tried our hand at some kayak surfing in the big...
Tom, Neverlands
We are a family of five (14, 12 and 10 year old kids) and we went out last week with Emma as our guide. It was the perfect morning - we saw a seal right up close - he swam right next to our kayaks. Really comfortable kayaks and easy to use. Emma had lots of useful information and was very patient when we got used to using the double kayaks....
Emma W
We booked on the seal kayaking tour and the day dawned magical and calm. Pretty much straight away we saw seals up on the rocks, so tick tick. We ventured out into the Pacific and were blown away to have a pod of Dusky dolphins cruising with us. They were gorgeous and kept on swimming near our kayaks. Then a seal took to the water and started...
Dave
A big thanks to Matt and Renee for fitting us in so we could give our kids an ultimate experience. From the time of booking communication and service was awesome. Such a professional team. Renee was very patient and excellent with the kids. Highly recommend this experience. Well worth the money. Thanks team from the Warrington family. May...
Jollene W, New Zealand
Great Trip - even the oldies loved it! Had a really great trip with Cowan out to the see the seals and the reef on a beautiful morning. I was a bit worried getting in a kayak with my mother (67) and father (70) but Cowan kept us going at a leisurely pace and even convinced us to have a go in the open ocean! What a great experience and...
John R, UK
"To Matt and the Kaikoura Kayaks team, Thank you very much for a fantastic day of kayaking. Both our trips were very well organised by your friendly team. We found your lessons enjoyable, helping us all to be confident, expert paddlers! We were so lucky to have a beautiful sunny day, and we enjoyed fantastic scenery and wildlife out...
Kowhai Class, Hurunui College
Amazing wildlife experience Had a great couple of hours on the water with Emma and Cohen. Amazing expeience of dolphins leaping out of the water close by and swimming all around our kayaks as well as getting close to a local seal colony. The dolphins almost seemed to be having as much fun as us. Heartily recommend this as a 'must...
Michael, Germany
Sunset magic 10/10 thanks to Emma and her crew. We had a magical day on the water and got to see feeding seals, dolphins and wildlife. Thanks so much would 100% recommend to anyone looking for a unforgettable experience in Kaikoura!!
DKG, Australia
Amazing Sea Kayaking Experience Emma was our guide for the half day seal kayaking experience. Though we had never been sea kayaking we felt safe with all the instruction and had a blast. We even saw some hector dolphins and a blue penguin. Emma’s knowledge was impeccable and enthusiasm was infectious as she led us in a chase of the...
Emaria, North Carolina