4 Santa Barbara Kayaking Tours Worth Booking

1.Kayak Tour of Santa Barbara with Experienced Guide

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 431 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $55Our pick

Kayak Santa Barbara Harbor, Stearns Wharf, and West Beach with a private guide such as Andrei, Katie, or Josh. You’ll receive safety instruction, a kayak, life jacket, and wetsuit if needed. Routes suit beginners and experienced paddlers, with chances to see sea lions, seals, pelicans, and other marine life.

“Daryn was a great guide-knowledgeable and fun. Saw seals and sea lions and loved going under the pier. Highly recommend.”

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2.Wildlife Kayak Tour in Santa Barbara Harbor (2 Hours)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 172 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $59

Launch from Santa Barbara Harbor with a guide such as Paco, Nora, Caco, or Spencer. After a safety talk and paddling lesson, you’ll cruise past Stearns Wharf, the beach, boats, and the pier while watching for seals, sea lions, pelicans, seabirds, and other marine life. The calm harbor makes this a good first kayak trip.

“Extremely enjoyable and well organised sea kayaking trip around Santa Barbara harbour. Our guide Asa was very knowledgeable and made sure everyone had a great time. This was our 2nd time kayaking, but I would say this would be easy for first time kayakers, as the start of the trip is on very calm waters within the harbour to allow you to learn how to control the kayak, before heading out into more open sea later in the trip. We saw sealions and may different sea birds.”

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3.Sunset Kayak Tour in Santa Barbara Harbor (2 Hours)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 65 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $89

Set out from Santa Barbara Harbor about two hours before sunset for a guided paddle past Stearns Wharf and the waterfront. You’ll receive kayaking instruction, safety gear, and a natural-history talk, with possible sightings of seals, sea lions, dolphins, birds, and more. Double kayaks are standard, with singles available in some cases.

“We signed up for this guided tour (sunset) and it was spectacular! We loved our guide, Forrest, as he spent the time to make sure we were able to see everything in comfort. The scenery was amazing, one which can only be appreciated if on the surface of the water. Highly recommend it!”

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4.Santa Barbara Harbor: Wildlife Kayak Tour (2 Hours)

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 43 reviews · 2 hours · from $55

Meet Santa Barbara Adventure Company guides at Sea Landing for a safety briefing, wetsuit, PFD, and double kayak. Paddle 1 to 2 miles through the harbor, beneath the wharf, past the pier, and along the beach while watching for seals, sea lions, pelicans, cormorants, and sea stars. Guides such as Josh, Dario, and Austin add local ecology and history.

“Nora is a great guide! Thank you for showing us Santa Barbara from the water perspective, for sharing all these interesting details, and for keeping us safe!”

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