4 Best San Diego Kayaking & Snorkeling Tours

La Jolla’s awe-inspiring sea caves are truly a sight to behold, especially when you traverse them via kayak. On the La Jolla: 90-Minute Sea Cave Kayaking Tour With Guide, you’ll get to paddle your way underneath these caves, offering a unique view as you pass under and through these natural landmarks. Enjoy the placid waves of the coast on this kayaking adventure.

This Sea Cave Kayaking Tour is led by a live guide who will ensure your safety and show you a path through the caves, also providing interesting facts and history during the trip. It lasts about 1.5 hours, which is enough time to explore all 7 sea caves, including the famous Emerald Cave, as well as the San Diego - La Jolla Underwater Park.

The ecological reserve and sea caves are home to especially high levels of marine biodiversity, making this a must-see attraction. This is a great tour for nature-lovers, as there is plenty of wildlife to be seen in San Diego’s Marine Protected Area. Look out for unique fish species like the orange garibaldi hiding among the sea grass, as well as larger animals such as sea birds, seals, sea lions, turtles, dolphins, leopard sharks, and even gray whales!

There’s no better place to spot diverse species of marine life in all of La Jolla than in the gorgeous natural surroundings of the San Diego - La Jolla Underwater Park, and you can enjoy everything the reserve has to offer on the La Jolla: 2-Hour Kayak Tour of the 7 Caves.

The Kayak Tour begins with a quick lesson on how to safely paddle the kayaks, so it’s suitable for beginners who want to try something new while exploring miles of clear, blue ocean and shoreline.

The biggest attraction of this tour is getting to see the caves from the water, which is a truly incredible perspective. Your knowledgeable guide will lead you to all 7 of these large sandstone formations, and you’ll even get to paddle through the largest of them, Clam’s Cave. Marvel at these awe-inspiring structures, and learn about how they came to be.

In addition to enjoying the scenery, you’ll also have the chance to see many animals. The tour covers three different marine habitats, these being kelp beds, rocky reefs, and sandy flats. In each habitat, you’ll see various fish and sea birds, from the common harbor seals and sea lions to more rare leopard sharks and dolphins.

La Jolla’s Underwater Park offers a snorkeling experience that is unparalleled anywhere else in the world!

The area is home to multiple different marine habitats and well over 100 species of fish, and getting to see it all up close is what makes the La Jolla Underwater Park: Kayak and Snorkel Tour so special. This tour is sure to be a memorable hit with budding marine biologists and aquarium-lovers, as you’ll have two hours to explore this stunning, unique underwater world, up close and personal.

At the start of the Kayak and Snorkel Tour, your guide will lead you out to the reserve via kayak. After this, you’ll be free to swim with sea lions, turtles, and dolphins as you explore the sea cliff and massive underwater park. Common species you may spot include shovelnose guitarfish, bat rays, sunfish, sago, opaleye, halibut, moray eels, and a few smaller species of sharks.

Note that this tour is not suitable for children under five or people who are not confident swimmers. All tour-goers are provided with a kayak, snorkel, mask, and fins, though you should bring your own swimwear or wetsuit.

Explore the four microhabitats of the San Diego - La Jolla Underwater Park on the La Jolla: Guided Snorkeling Tour, which offers an intimate, beginner-friendly snorkeling trip led by a guide.

In addition to swimming through the calm waters of the Pacific Ocean and its various underwater habitats, you’ll have the chance to see a multitude of exotic fish species, alongside larger animals like seals, turtles, dolphins, and even some harmless sharks.

The Guided Snorkeling Tour is ideal for small family and friend groups, as tours are limited to 5 participants at a time. This is also a great family-friendly activity that’s suitable for first-time snorkelers. The gorgeous scenery of the San Diego - La Jolla Underwater Park provides a breathtaking backdrop for this truly unique experience.

Excursions last for one hour, and participants are provided with snorkeling equipment. You can bring your own wetsuit or rent one for an additional fee. While the tour is open to families with younger children, all participants must be 5 or older, and everyone must know how to swim to ensure your trip will be safe and fun.