Guided Family Kayaking
Our stable sea kayaks enable children to safely experience the joys of kayaking with an adult paddling right behind them.
Tour Overview
Experience the magic of Kaikōura's breathtaking coastline on our captivating Family Kayaking tours. Accompanied by an expert guide, you'll paddle at a leisurely pace through an aquatic wonderland, surrounded by dramatic mountain vistas, craggy rock formations, and the playful antics of New Zealand fur seals.
Our skilled guides will lead you on a safe, unforgettable journey, providing all the high-quality equipment needed to stay warm, dry, and comfortable. The enclosed tandem sea kayaks feature a centre hatch, perfect for younger children.
This family kayaking adventure promises an exceptional, safe, and highly memorable outing that will leave you with a lifetime of cherished memories. Witness Kaikōura's stunning coastline from a unique vantage point, observing seals, sea birds, and other marine life in their natural habitat.
In any adventure activity, there is an element of risk involved, view risks in undertaking this activity here.
Tour at a Glance
Open Season:
Open all year
Prior Experience:
None Required
Duration:
1.5 - 2 hrs paddling time, allow 3hrs
Age:
Child 3 - 12yrs ~ Adults 13yrs +
Highlights
- Kaikōura's Top-Rated Activity - TripAdvisor 2024
- A ratio of 1:1 guide-to-family ensures a safe, authentic experience for your family.
- The morning tour typically offers the calmest sea conditions and the best wildlife encounters.
- Customised tours in stable, enclosed sea kayaks keep you warm, dry, and comfortable..
- Safety briefing and paddle instruction included
Summer Timing 2024 -25
29th September - 5th April
3 x Half Day Tours Daily
8:30 AM
Offers an optimal experience for families to engage with marine life.
12:30 pm
Warmest part of the day.
4:30 pm
Surreal visuals of the mountains as the light changes in the bay.
Winter Timing 2025
6th April - 27th September
8:30 am
Best interaction with marine life as it's before prevailing winds.
12:30 pm
Warmest part of the day.
3:30pm
Available 7th April to 30th April
What our customers have to say
Wow wow wow! We'd done whale watching the day before but this beat that hands down. Miles was great, just enough instruction and safety chat and getting us involved in prep. He mentioned that he'd seen spouting and splashing over the other side of the bay so we decided to head that way. Within minutes we were seeing loads of leaping...
Lesley H, UK
We did the trip with a 6 and 8 year old. Parents in the back of each kayak, kids in the front. This worked really well. Saw a huge number of dolphins & Seals. They were playing & doing crazy tricks. Had a lovely time, the staff were really friendly, helpful & enthusiastic. Great value for money and would highly recommend this...
Steve, Nelson NZ
Marine mammal megamix Spent a truly incredible morning around the Kaikōura 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
I would have to say this is up there with one of my best experiences in New Zealand! The kayak tour was incredible and I would really recommend this to anyone. The staff are great, friendly and funny which made the tour even more enjoyable. My team included Emma, Cam and Sophie. As I was on my own, I had the pleasure of sharing a kayak with...
Giorgio Favarulo, UK / Ireland
Third time with Kaikōura Kayaks! Have been in guided tours and hired a double kayak; all experiences were incredible. Great staff and equipment. Kaikōura is one of the most amazing places to kayak - so much wild life and you're surrounded by epic scenery.
Kiana Saltarelli, North America
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 Kaikōura 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 NZ
The experience of a lifetime! Having intuitive and professional guides who allowed us the opportunity to experience an outstanding and very memorable day. They knew just where the incredible action was happening. We saw an amazing array of dolphins playing right near us and also saw blue penguins and seals. We travelled for two weeks around...
Paula Kirby, Wellinton NZ
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 Kaikōura!!
DKG, Australia
We had a truly wonderful experience; my husband and I went as a stop on our honeymoon trip. Our guide, Ru, was knowledgeable and skillful, and checked in with us often to provide the experience that would help us feel challenged, excited, and also safe and comfortable. From start to finish the team was so thorough and made sure we had all of...
Laura James, USA