The 15 Best Kayak Tours in the US Virgin Islands

1.Night Kayak Tour St. Thomas – Westin Frenchman’s Reef

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,813 reviews · from $69Our pick

Meet at the Westin Frenchman’s Reef dock for a one-hour night kayak tour with glow paint, clear LED-lit kayaks, and guides such as Curtis, Derek, Megan, or Eugene. Paddle a calm cove while looking for tarpon, stingrays, turtles, and other marine life below.

“Great tour guides Emily and Jay Michael. Saw plenty of wildlife and had lots of laughs. Glow in the dark pant, the life vest glow and we had glow rings.”

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2.Night Kayak Tour St. John – Westin Resort

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,011 reviews · from $69

At the Westin St. John, you’ll add glow paint, pose for black-light photos, then paddle a two-person clear-bottom kayak through Chocolate Hole after dark. Guides such as Bernard, Sam, Fawn, Spencer, and Destin help you look for tarpon, baitfish, stingrays, and other marine life.

“This was a lot of fun but we were only on the water about 30 minutes - not 50. Saw only tarpon and ballyhoos but the guide tried hard. A neat experience but not worth the $69/each.”

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3.Cas Cay – Kayak Hike and Snorkel Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 870 reviews · from $99

Paddle with guides such as Marcus, Swish, Dana, and Chase through St. Thomas’ red-mangrove lagoon, then hike Cas Cay’s coral-rubble trail to tidal pools, volcanic cliffs, and a blowhole before snorkeling in a sheltered nursery.

“My family loved the kayaking, mini hike, blow hole experience, snorkeling, and hermit crab racing. Our guides were excellent.”

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4.St Thomas Mangrove Lagoon Kayak and Snorkel Tour in the US Virgin Islands

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 658 reviews · from $89

Paddle through St Thomas’ protected Mangrove Lagoon with guides such as Brooke, Kaz, Pat, and Te’Quan, then snorkel near mangrove roots and search for rays, fish, lobster, octopus, and hermit crabs. The tour is active, educational, and weather dependent, with an optional Cas Cay hike.

“Our guide, Pat, did a wonderful job showing us all different kinds of marine wildlife on our kayak and snorkel tour in the Mangroves. His fun loving spirit and determination to expose us to as much wildlife as possible made this tour super fun! Thank you Pat for a great time exploring the St. Thomas Mangroves!”

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5.Glow Boats LED Night Kayak, Marriott Frenchman’s Cove Dock, USVI

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 456 reviews · from $75

From Marriott Frenchman’s Cove Dock, you’ll learn basic kayak skills, then paddle an LED-lit kayak after sunset with a local guide such as Paul, Sean, Zoe, or Louis. The clear bottom and underwater lights can reveal turtles, stingrays, tarpon, and fish, though sightings and paddling distance vary.

“Definitely worth the time and money even for someone who has not kayaked before. Informative about the ecosystem and surrounding area.”

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6.Kayak & Snorkel with Sea Turtles, National Park, St. John

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 291 reviews · from $119

Meet guides such as Kenny, Matt, or Teegen at Honeymoon Beach for a safety briefing, then hike Turtle Point, kayak Caneel Bay, and snorkel over seagrass where turtles and stingrays feed. The three-hour trip includes gear, water, and a snack. A longer option includes lunch.

“Our guide teegen was excellent . The hike was a good start quite shaded, a bit rocky but manageable for old folks like us”

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7.Best of Mangrove Lagoon Kayak, Hike and Snorkel Adventure with Picnic Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 261 reviews · from $159

Spend five hours with Virgin Islands Ecotours kayaking the Mangrove Lagoon, exploring Cas Cay, hiking volcanic rock to a blowhole, and snorkeling for fish, rays, starfish, and more. Guides such as Dana, Swish, Chrissy, and Kyrell provide instruction, local ecology, and plenty of hands-on discovery.

“We traveled to Mexico last year and booked a bike tour to several cenotes. It was easily the best part of our trip so when we planned our trip to St Thomas we knew we'd want to add a guide-led tour. My partner and I work in renewable energy so getting to link up with VI Ecotours seemed like a great fit. We were not disappointed! Our guide, Soren, was super knowledgeable and friendly. Learn about killer trees, the beauty of the mangroves, and get up close and personal with Cassiopeia jellyfish! One important note, there is a gun range nearby so you might hear gunfire - avoid if you're…”

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8.St Thomas Shore Excursion: Mangrove Lagoon Kayak and Snorkel Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 195 reviews · from $119

Paddle calm channels through St Thomas’ Mangrove Lagoon with guides such as Kyrell, Kas, Pat, and Sabrina. You’ll kayak to a small island, snorkel near mangrove roots, and may see rays, fish, octopus, pelicans, and hermit crabs. Hotel and cruise-port pickup, gear, lockers, water, and a snack are included.

“Guide Eli was very good and the equipment was fine. We kayaked for about a 1/2 mile to a small island to do a walk on hard shells, note wear hard sole sandals/water shoes. Snorkeling was good along the mangroves. Not a bad tour.”

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9.St Thomas Night Kayak Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 145 reviews · from $69

Join Virgin Islands Ecotours for a 90-minute night paddle through St. Thomas’s Mangrove Lagoon. Your guide, possibly Slim, Devon, Jason, or another local naturalist, leads you past Cas Cay while kayak lights reveal tarpon, fish, crabs, stingrays, and other nighttime life.

“Wear clothes that can get wet. Wear real shoes or sandals with a hard bottom. Its kinda of a work out so be prepared for using your arms”

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10.Sunset Kayak Tour in the Mangrove Lagoon, St Thomas

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 105 reviews · from $59Best value

Join Virgin Islands Ecotours for a 90-minute sunset paddle through St Thomas’ Mangrove Lagoon Wildlife Sanctuary. Your guide leads you toward Bird Island and Bovoni Cay, pointing out warblers, herons, pelicans, hummingbirds, stingrays, and more. Easy sit-on-top kayaks, water, and life jackets are included.

“We enjoyed the views along with the starfish and hermit crabs. Very relaxing and fun with a group. Good tour guide in Aslem.”

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11.St Thomas Sea Turtle Snorkel Kayak Adventure Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 63 reviews · from $139

Join a small group of up to nine for a four-hour St Thomas sea turtle adventure. Your guide, often Sven, Michelle, Connor, or Justin, supplies snorkeling and kayaking gear, leads you to a protected bay, shares island and marine-life facts, and provides lunch, drinks, and possibly photos.

“Me, my husband, and 2 kids (9 and 13) had thes best time on this tour. Patrick was a wonderful tour guide and we loved learning about St. Thomas. Easily the best day we had on this island!”

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12.Illuminated Night Kayaking at the Elysian Resort

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 45 reviews · from $82

Meet at the Elysian Beach Resort water sports hut by 6:00pm for a safety briefing, then paddle a light-up kayak with a guide and up to seven others. The route runs through sunset and darkness, with views of the water below, followed by fruit and rum punch on shore. Guides Kai and Jordan have received special praise.

“Very cool experience! It was cool to see under the kayak especially once it got dark! Kai was an awesome guide throughout the tour!”

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13.On Your Own: Kayak in the Mangrove Lagoon

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 43 reviews · from $69

Start at 9 a.m. with a single or double kayak, paddle, life jacket, snorkel gear, and a map. Paddle through the Inner Mangrove Lagoon toward Bird Island and nearby cays, stopping to snorkel or walk Cas Cay. This is independent exploring, not a guided lesson.

“The warm sun and walking the trail and the snorkeling the staff was very friendly didn’t have any issues”

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14.St Thomas Kayak and Sea Turtle Snorkel Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 41 reviews · from $139

Paddle a tandem kayak from Emerald Beach Resort to a quiet St. Thomas bay where sea turtles feed in the seagrass. Your guide, often Sven, Conner, or Steve, teaches beginners, leads the snorkel, and serves a beach lunch. Expect about four hours on the water with a maximum of nine people.

“We had a great time in this tour. Sven was informative and cared for our safety. We snorkeled first at a public local beach and then to kayaks. Kayaks were alittle more bouncy with waves then the kids liked so we did it for less time. The snorkelRead more”

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15.Mangrove Lagoon Kayak Rental in St Thomas

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 31 reviews · from $69

Paddle St Thomas Mangrove Lagoon in a single or double sit-on-top kayak, threading through mangrove tunnels and shallow waterways. Staff provide a safety briefing, life jacket, kayak gear, and snorkel equipment, then you explore independently and return by 4:30 PM.

“Alonzo and Nash were awesome they showed us a lot of cool things and were very knowledgeable and they told us their stories of living here and traveling to nearby islands”

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