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La Jolla Sea Caves Kayak Tour

La Jolla, CA

From: $66

Item #: WAT-SDI-0019

(55 Reviews)

La Jolla Sea Caves Kayak Tour in San Diego

Arch View at La Jolla Sea Caves Kayak Tour in San Diego

Sea Lion during Guided Kayak Tour in San Diego

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Discover the magic of San Diego's pristine Pacific waters for yourself on the La Jolla Sea Caves Kayak Tour!

Your 1.5- to 2-hour tour offers breathtaking views of San Diego's natural beauty featuring shorelines, sea caves, sparkling ocean scenery, and maybe even wildlife
Paddle to the gorgeous La Jolla Sea Caves and Ecological Reserve with an expert naturalist guide who will offer enlightening historical and biological insights
Enjoy info on the area's species, keeping your eyes peeled for possible sightings of seals, Garibaldi damselfish, pelicans, sea lions, leopard sharks, and more
San Diego kayaking is fun for everyone — no prior experience is necessary to hit the water!

From: $66

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Holiday returns through 1/31

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Overview

Discover the magic of San Diego's pristine Pacific waters for yourself on the La Jolla Sea Caves Kayak Tour!

Your 1.5- to 2-hour tour offers breathtaking views of San Diego's natural beauty featuring shorelines, sea caves, sparkling ocean scenery, and maybe even wildlife
Paddle to the gorgeous La Jolla Sea Caves and Ecological Reserve with an expert naturalist guide who will offer enlightening historical and biological insights
Enjoy info on the area's species, keeping your eyes peeled for possible sightings of seals, Garibaldi damselfish, pelicans, sea lions, leopard sharks, and more
San Diego kayaking is fun for everyone — no prior experience is necessary to hit the water!

Full Description

Availability

Year-Round:
Daily - 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

**Times vary based on season

UPCOMING AVAILABLE DATES:

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Important Details

Essential Information

Participants must be at least 6 years of age and able to swim
Participants must weigh less than 250 lbs for the single kayaks and less then 450 lbs for tandem kayaks
Kayaks (single or tandems), paddle, personal flotation device, and guide are included
Wet suit rentals are offered during fall, winter and spring for an additional cost
For safety reasons, it is not guaranteed that you will go into the caves on the tour
Entering the caves is never recommended for pregnant women, small children or inexperienced kayakers

Duration

The tour will last approximately 1.5 - 2 hours.

Experience Provider Info

Complete information for your Experience Provider, including contact information, will be included on your booking confirmation email once you or your gift recipient have scheduled the experience. Our Product Management team handpicks top-rated experience providers, removing the guesswork for you and ensuring your peace of mind.

Maximum Participants

Group size varies.

Spectators

This tour is for booked participants only.

Weather Dependent

This experience is weather dependent. Always contact the experience provider with any questions regarding weather conditions.

What To Wear

Wear shoes that can get wet, a bathing suit and or drip-dry shorts/shirt. A hat and sunscreen are also recommended. You will be able to leave a towel and dry clothes at the shop or in your vehicle. Please do not bring valuables and things that cannot get wet. Expect to get a bit wet.

COVID-19 Safety

For this experience, our partners are taking added measures to help prevent the potential spread of COVID-19. They are reducing group sizes to no more than 10 participants, sanitizing all equipment and common areas, and practicing social distancing as much as possible. Additionally, all equipment is deep-cleaned after each use. Our partners kindly ask that all participants please bring and wear a mask during their time in the office facility. These Covid-19 safety measures are subject to change.

FAQs

Is all the equipment provided?

Kayaks (single or tandems), paddle, life jacket, and guide are included. Wet suit rentals are offered during fall, winter and spring for an additional cost.

What do I need to wear and bring?

What should I expect?

Be prepared to get wet! We launch into waves from the end of our street. For safety reasons, we do NOT guarantee going into the caves on our tours. We do not recommend entering the caves for pregnant women, small children or inexperienced kayakers.

What happens if the tour is cancelled for weather?

If the tour is cancelled for weather, you will be able to reschedule directly with the experience provider.

Are there any age or physical restrictions?

Participants must be at least 6 years old and able to swim.

Returns, Exchanges & Cancellations

Returns
Experience Vouchers that have not been redeemed can be returned hassle-free within 30 days. All refunds will be made to the original purchaser.

Extended Holiday Return Policy
To make your holiday shopping a bit less stressful, any Experience Voucher or eGift Card purchased between November 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021 can be returned through January 31, 2022 free of charge (all other return policies apply).

Exchanges
Experience Vouchers that have not been redeemed can be exchanged for anything else in our marketplace at any time. If you choose to exchange for an experience that costs more, you'll simply have to pay the difference. If you choose to exchange for an experience that costs less, you'll have a credit towards your next booking with Virgin Experience Gifts.

Cancellation Policy

Once you have scheduled a date and received a booking confirmation, cancellations and rescheduling are allowed up to 72 hours prior to the experience. Failure to appear on your booked date or to cancel and reschedule at least 72 hours prior to your booked date will result in the loss of the value of your experience.

Other San Diego Experiences

Customer Reviews

This experience has a customer rating of 4.5
based on 55 reviews.

View More Reviews:

We had an amazing day out on the water in La Jolla! Shaun and Mike our instructors were hysterical and completely made the experience!

— Johanna W | Sep 06, 2021

Response from Virgin Experience Gifts

Hi Johanna! Exploring the natural wonders of San Diego’s coastline on a kayak adventure would be an amazing day! It’s wonderful to know that you had comedic relief from two fabulous instructors. Paddle with us again soon! Warmly, Courtney

My husband and I had lots of fun on the sea caves kayak your in La Jolla. The waves were pretty intense, so we weren't able to go into the cave. I really appreciate the tour guides keeping us safe! We heard a ton of fun stories, geological and marine facts, and jokes. The shop had changes spaces and all the people who worked there were personable and helpful. Word to the wise- *Wear TONS of sunscreen on your legs. They will bake. *When they say "lean back" when your trying to get back to the beach, they mean it. I don't think I was leaning back enough and a big wave dumped us. *You will get VERY wet, even if you don't end up getting rolled like us.

— Rachel J | Jun 18, 2021

Response from Virgin Experience Gifts

Hi Rachel, Thank you so much for letting us know about the fun time you had on the La Jolla kayak tour! While we are disappointed that mother nature was acting up a bit, we still hope you and your husband were able to have an incredibly memorable time out kayaking on the sea waves! In addition, we're glad to hear the tour guides did an absolutely stellar job at not only keeping you both safe, but making it a lively trip through their entertaining and informative conversation with you. We greatly appreciate your input on bringing sunscreen and preparing to get a bit wet during this adventure! Cheers to more fun adventures like this one in the future! With our best, Garrett

Sea Kayaking was a lot of fun! Neither of had ever kayaked before but we loved it and had so much fun that we're looking into purchasing our own sea kayaks now!

— Ben H | Jun 01, 2021

Response from Virgin Experience Gifts

Hi there Ben, Amazing! We are thrilled to hear that this was such a memorable first time experience for the both of you! It sounds like you both had a great time and now might have a fun new hobby in the making. How special is that? Cheers to you both for being so adventurous. Best, Chandi

Shawn was the perfect guide and it was a GREAT experience!!!!! I’ll be recommending it to friends for sure.

— William R | May 02, 2021

Response from Virgin Experience Gifts

Hi there William, Thank you so much for sharing your glowing recommendation. We are over the moon you had such a great experience on this one of a kind kayak adventure! We will be sure to pass along you kind words as I am sure it will mean so much to Shawn. Cheers, Chandi

Getting past the high waves was exciting, then the rest of the trip was calm and beautiful.

— Neil B | Apr 13, 2021

Response from Virgin Experience Gifts

Hello Lin, Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful experience with us. We are so thrilled to hear that your special adventure was both exciting and relaxing! That sounds like a wonderful day on the water. We hope that you enjoyed the magical sea caves on this one of a kind experience! Cheers, Chandi

Had a great time. Would definitely go again!

— Shelby H | Oct 15, 2020

Response from Virgin Experience Gifts

Hi there Stephanie, And a matching fantastic review! We are over the moon to hear you had a great adventure on the water. We certainly would love to get you out for round 2 whenever you are ready! Cheers, Chandi

It was a birthday present for my sister and we had an amazing time.. we are both over 50 .. I'm closer to 70 and our guides .. Jake and Ryan were amazing, We had never been in a kyak before and it was one of the best things I have done so far. I want to do this again .. In fact it inspired me to buy a kyak. If I could give this 10 stars I would .. especially to our guides .. skilled and knowledgable people.

— Michelle M | Oct 15, 2020

Response from Virgin Experience Gifts

Hi Michelle, What an incredible review - now we want to do it again, too! In lieu of 10 stars, we appreciate your 5-star review! Cheers to some quality sister-time. Best, Kasia

The kayaking tour was excellent! Sam and Anna were our tour guides. They were very kind and knowledgeable about La Jolla, sharing lots of fun information about the local marine life, and nearby natural and man-made structures.

— Amanda L | Jul 20, 2020

Response from Virgin Experience Gifts

Hi, Amanda. That sounds like a fantastic time! I'm so glad you had a 5-star experience & enjoyed your guides. Although it's no surprise, they are pretty great aren't they? Cheers, Chandi

It was a great experience. Our guide was knowledgeable and entertaining and got us quickly on the water. The caves were impressive but unfortunately we didn't get to kayak inside of them as the waves were too strong. Still, we had a lovely time!

— Monika S | Jul 07, 2020

Response from Virgin Experience Gifts

Hi there Monika, Thanks so much for sharing your experience with us! We are so thrilled to hear you had a 5-star experience with our awesome partners despite mother nature holding you back from exploring inside the caves. We will be sure to pass along the kind words and we look forward to getting you out on another adventure soon! Cheers, Chandi

Lendon and Spencer were knowledgeable, very aware of what was safe, and very fun!

— Dolly R | Jul 05, 2020

Response from Virgin Experience Gifts

Hi there Dolly, I'm so happy that Lendon & Spencer made this a 5-star experience! So glad you had a blast. Cheers, Chandi

Very beautiful and fun!

— Lauren A | Feb 18, 2020

Response from Virgin Experience Gifts

Hi Lauren, Thanks for sharing! We love hearing that you enjoyed your adventure! Best, Sophia

It was an amazing experience!!!

— Christopher F | Aug 21, 2019

Response from Virgin Experience Gifts

Hi there Chris, So happy to hear it was an awesome time! Can't wait to get you out on another experience! Best, Sophia

Great guides! Great instruction to newbies (me!). Thank you so much!!

— Sherryl H | Jul 13, 2019

Great to get out on the water, knowledgeable guides, a bit too congested at the caves

— Brian F | Jun 27, 2019

Had an amazing experience that was really made by our amazing guide Flynn! His knowledge, friendliness and trivia information on the tour made the experience better than we could have hoped for. A had a great time.

— Sarah O | Jun 03, 2019

Response from Virgin Experience Gifts

Hi Sarah, Wonderful! Great to hear that your guide made the adventure all the more wonderful! We will be sure to pass the word on to them! Happy to hear it was such a fun time! Best, Sophia

La Jolla kayaking was amazing! Our guide Henry was just terrific - very cool and lots of fun. The whole shop was very accommodating and had dressing rooms to change into or out of your water gear. Tides didn’t allow us to go safely into the sea caves but we got a good look at them and Henry made sure we had an awesome time anyway with lots of sea life sightings.

— Amy H | Mar 20, 2019

Response from Virgin Experience Gifts

Hi Amy, YOU are amazing too! We agree that both Henry and the sea caves are very cool. We're sorry to hear that the tides didn't allow for more exploration into the caves, but we are happy to hear that you guys had an awesome time, and saw a lot of sea life! Cheers! Kasia

The staff was great! We had so much fun we didn’t want it to end.

— Breanna M | Jul 24, 2018

Enjoyed the tour. Only went in one cave briefly--would have liked to have gone in more for more time. Very crowded area with many kayakers.

— Allison N | Aug 15, 2018

This really was an awesome experience. Our guide Garrett was very knowledgeable. We saw seals and dolphins. Unfortunately we did not go near the waves due to the winds.

— Paul F | Jan 23, 2018

Great experience, Nick our guide was super nice and enhanced our trip with info about the area. La Jolla is amazing

— Brian A | Nov 19, 2017

Great Adventure! The guides were knowledgeable and emphasized safety & skills to make sure everyone in our group felt comfortable. We kayaked to the caves (swell was too large to go inside), visited the giant kelp beds, learned a lot about geology and marine life, and even saw some sea lions. Definitely recommend this trip for the adventurous type! Note: The surf was high the day we took our tour. Guides were helpful with participants who needed help getting their kayaks past the surf on the way out.

— Mary J | Apr 18, 2018

Response from Virgin Experience Gifts

Hey Mary Jo, Thanks for sharing! Sounds like it was a pretty adventurous trip in thanks to the high surf. That's great that you were still able to have an awesome time and learn a little about the area's natural beauty. I'll be sure to let the guides know you enjoyed the tour. Have a great week! Best, Brooke

The experience itself was great. However, it was a kayaking experience, and the locker could be rented for 6 dollars, which is a very high price for a locker, and the locker was small.

— Florence A | Jul 24, 2017

This was a lot of fun. The guide was great, except that upon looking up information after the fact that the guide suggested we do, we learned some of the info was just plain wrong. This makes one wonder about the rest of the info. Fun times, though.

— Jessica A | Jul 17, 2017

This was our first time using Cloud 9 Living and kayaking. We had a great time and look forward to kayaking again. Our next trip may be hot air ballooning in Temecula.

— Donna G | Jul 11, 2017

It was a beautiful day and a wonderful experience. Zane & Alex were excellent guides.

— Reiko J | Aug 24, 2016

We went kayaking in La Jolla coves. It was all very easy. Mike and Greg were great guides. They were very attentive. The tour itself was wonderful. Nothing like kayaking on the Pacific. In terms of the booking process, it was pretty easy. My wife booked originally, and then I got a call later that day. We needed to change our original booking because there was no space. We re-booked easy-peasy. The woman I spoke to said I would receive an email confirmation. I never did, but the next email I did receive was to let us know another appointment was available on our original date. With that confirmation everything went very fast. The one other thing was that when we got to the kayak location, they had two reservations for us. Exactly the same but two. It was an easy fix.

— Kate C | Jun 28, 2016

Austin and Courtney were fantastic. Even though we didn't get to go into the caves due to the water conditions, it was still a fantastic tour. The two of them are very knowledgeable of the area and all of the different things you see on the tour. I would definitely go on another tour again.

— BROOKE E | Jun 20, 2016

We had a wonderful time! From booking through Cloud 9 Living to the finish of our experience, everything went very smoothly (besides falling off the kayak on the wave in!). Would definitely recommend the kayaking to anyone looking for an adventure on the water; the guides were great! And I recommend Cloud 9 Living to anyone asking me how I come up with such unique experiences. Thanks!

— Christina T | Apr 02, 2016

Our guide, Courtney, was excellent. The other staff at the company were helpful and courteous. Would definitely recommend the company to others in the area.

— Stephanie J | Nov 10, 2015

Sea kayaking was amazing! The guide was very helpful. He pointed out landmarks and gave history of the town. He explained all about the native animals and wildlife as we went. It was really fun!

— Mary T | Oct 05, 2015

It was a wonderful kayaking trip. Didn't get to see the leopard sharks and only went into one cave. Would have thought we'd gone in more by the description. However, we did see lots of the California state fish and seals which was great! Great for beginners but a bit slow for experienced kayakers. However, the guides (Graham and Courtney) were terrific, and Courtney had so much knowledge of the area. Overall it was a great time!

— Staci W | Jul 25, 2015

We would absolutely recommend the sea caves kayaking tour with Hike, Bike, Kayak, Inc.! Our tour guides Nick and Graham were incredibly knowledgeable and very friendly. We learned a great deal about La Jolla and the La Jolla waters during our tour, and to top it off, we were lucky enough to see some of the local wildlife. We came very close to many sea lions, birds and fish. Such a wonderful experience that we'll be talking about for years to come! We're now looking forward to doing some of our own kayaking!

— Ryan H | Jun 02, 2015

There was one vessel in the group that was slower than the rest of us, and I felt the guide could have waited at times for them so they could have heard what we did, in terms of information. We heard most of the information, but there were times when we, too, were unable to hear. Sadly, we did not see hardly any wildlife -- no fault of Cloud 9 Living or the guide service, but too bad.

— Nancy S | Feb 20, 2015

This was so much fun! The waves were a bit big, so the guides swam us out past the break. It was pretty hard work paddling over to the caves, but worth it. The sea lions were cute, and all around the caves. We didn't see sharks, but saw the local orange fish. Our guide was knowledgeable and nice. My only negative is that my seat/backrest was broken, and I had nothing to lean back on and no leverage to paddle. I had a backache for 2 days afterwards. I told the guide while we were out, and she suggested I could just try to rig it to work right. It did not work, and it seemed like she was aware this kayak had this problem. It would be a quick fix if they just took the time to screw in a new ring for the hook. A quick fix would have made it a 10 experience.

— Aubrey S | Sep 07, 2014

My daughters and I had a great time! Amanda was a great guide! We will most certainly go back again!!

— Caron A | Aug 25, 2014

Guy was out guide and did an excellent job! Loved the experience.

— Dale N | Aug 20, 2014

The La Jolla Kayaking Tour is something everyone should do whether you are a local or vacationer to San Diego. This was my second time and my daughter's first, we had a great time. There were actually waves in the cove so you couldn't see many fish or go in the cave but it was still fun. Definitely Recommend.

— Jennifer K | Aug 04, 2014

My husband and I had a great time. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and we learned lots of fun facts.

— Mikal M | Jun 23, 2014

Guide was extremely knowledgable. Highly enjoyed the experience and would recommend.

— Danielle F | Jan 02, 2014

My husband and I did the kayaking adventure at the caves in La Jolla. Our guide Rob made the experience fun, interesting and was quick to help anyone who needed a little extra assistance. I would definitely do this again. Thanks for giving us an anniversary to talk about for years to come! Linda G.

— Linda G | Sep 08, 2013

My boyfriend and I loved this experience. Although we were beginners, we caught on quickly with our instructor's help. We would recommend this experience to everyone.

— LONDYA E | Nov 24, 2012

Tour guide very knowledgeable, and took the time to show us the little things and big things like the sharks! We saw other tours with 20+ people on the tour. Our tour size was smaller, so we could get the one on one time. Wonderful experience, and we would do it again in a heartbeat.

— Kannon S | Nov 03, 2012

Cloud 9 rep was able to book my kayaking tour for the very next day! Extremely pleased with your customer service. I will highly recommend your services.

— Stephen S | Oct 21, 2012

I took the Lajolla caves kayak trip- My biggest complaint was that the area was very crowded with kayakers so you were not really able to see as much as I would have liked.

— Ruth M | Aug 14, 2012

Had an amazing experience! So much fun and the guide was so knowledgeable. What a way to experience mother nature at her best.

— AISSA G | Aug 03, 2012

Enjoyable experience with fun guides and nice equipment. Overall I would do it again.

— Ysabelle L | Jul 20, 2012

Had a great time.

— Dan H | Sep 26, 2011

The vest they gave me to put on reaked of vomit. I didn't even consider I would get sea sick until that happened.I ended up throwing up on the kayak and after we landed several times. I was horribly sick. They did not start on time because people were late ( not their fault really) but the experience and the guide was great. I have to say that the blue box and pictures made the experience look much more upscale than the company's HIKE BIKE KAYAK image. The LaJolla Kayak company across the street looked more refined. But I would go back to KIE BIKE KAYK for snorkeling perhaps, I would just ask if the items had been washed.

— ZEN H | Aug 09, 2011

So fun and relaxing!

— Casee C | Jul 27, 2011

My fiance and I went On the La Jolla kayaking tour schedules through cloud nine and had a blast! Our instructor was extremely energetic funny and charismatic. Overall, he made the experience fantastic. I would definitely recommend this to anyone willing to explore and have an awesome adventure. Also... Cloud nine made it so simple to get the reservation. I will definitely use the site again in the future!!!

— Kayla H | Jul 09, 2011

Great gift to receive from our friends. Awesome day of kayaking. We would definitely recommend this experience to anyone that likes to get out and have fun! -Kyle and Lisa

— Kyle T | Jul 02, 2011

Had a great time. I never give tens on surveys, but I came very close on this one. Guides were awesome.

— Jesse G | May 16, 2011

This was a wonderful experience. My background is that of an outdoors person, hunting, fishing, back country hiking and camping. I am also an experimental aircraft builder and pilot. Part of my experience with flying and the outdoors is a respect for the conditions and environment a person operates in which also drives my interest in having a guided/instructed experience for the first time I try most of these activities. I have done a considerable amount of river and canoeing including trips through the Boundary Waters Canoe area in northern MN. Also had some kayaking experience in the intercostal waterway in the gulf. We really liked the guided experience for our first open sea kayaking to better understand the points which are different in operating in that environment.

— David S | Apr 05, 2011

This was awesome! I've always wanted to go kayaking and this was a great birthday gift! My friend and I planned our whole trip around this and it was definitely worthwhile!

— Lakshmi R | Apr 06, 2011

This experience was exceptional. Our guide was excellent and we learned about and experienced the marine life up close in kayaks. Got to eat sea kelp too - that was fun and also rode the surf in when we were done!

— Camille F | Dec 04, 2009

La Jolla Sea Caves Kayak Tour

La Jolla, CA

Instant eVoucher Delivery (Sample)

Holiday returns through 1/31

No Expiration Dates

Easy Exchange

Overview

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Important Details

COVID-19 Safety

FAQs

Returns, Exchanges & Cancellations

Other San Diego Experiences