Half day Sea Kayak Guided Tour from Picton
Overview
Available languages
4 hours
Mobile ticket
Experience the beauty and seclusion of the Marlborough Sounds on this 4 hour half day guided sea kayak tour. Your tour takes in the western end of the Queen Charlotte Sound with its sheltered coves, beautiful beaches, azure blue waters and lush native bush. Learn about the history of the area from your knowledgeable, relaxed and friendly guides.
On any given day, you have a good chance of seeing sting rays and eagle rays, a huge variety of sea birds including cormorants and sometimes little blue penguins, seals, huge starfish and if we are really lucky, even dolphins.
We have small groups with 1 Guide per 8 people kayaking.
Additional Info
Public transportation options are available nearby
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Children must be accompanied by an adult (minimum age of 8 years old)
A minimum of 2 people per departure is required
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Local guide
All necessary equipment provided inc. roll&clip drybag for small camera or phone
Food and drinks
What To Expect
Guided Kayak Tour in the Queen Charlotte Sound. See description for tour details and paddling area
Options
Half Day Guided Sea Kayak
Reviews
135 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Amazing kayak trip
AK2339,
Jun 4, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Jake was a great guide. He was knowledgeable and fun. The views were outstanding!!! Highly recommend going on the trip.
Picton Kayaking
Marie M,
Apr 11, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Our tour guide Jake was the best, and full of knowledge. We saw 4-5 stingray's, starfish, sea urchins, jellyfish, and birds. Amazing day
Great self booked excursion from cruise line
283JohnD,
Apr 1, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Helen and Alex were WONDERFUL guides. Very knowledgeable about all aspects. As a very novice kayaker, the only downside was the final paddle from more main channel back to beach. The tides were not cooperating to assist as had been predicted. Helen was so good to come alongside and encourage us as we struggled a bit to return. Seeing the eagle rays, the abundance of birds, the moon jellies that you can touch (and being warned about the lion's mane jellies YOU CANNOT TOUCH) made for a wonderful day.
Fab time in the Marlborough Sounds with great guides
W6360YXdavidc,
Mar 21, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a fantastic time. 1st time in a kayak. Guides were very helpful, knowledgeable and made the trip so enjoyable. Cannot recommend the experience highly enough.
Listen closely and you will hear “the Sound”
Karen R,
Mar 20, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Our guides, Helen and Alex were exceptional in their knowledge of fauna, sea creatures and sea birds. Helen being a sailor knew a bit about how challenging the waters are. The kayaks were well equipped and it was fun for my husband and I to kayak together in one kayak. We each have our own so this was a new experience. Thank you.
Older and out of shape
Paula U,
Mar 19, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00We are older and out of shape. When the wind came up on the sound paddling required some effort. The guides were great and offered tips to make our paddling more efficient as we were lagging behind the group. They were patient, kind, and very informative and knowledg eable. We had a great time! Thank you, Helen, Alex, and Martin.
A lovely way to see Queen...
Fiona M,
Mar 16, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00A lovely way to see Queen Charlotte Sound. A bit bumpy at times due to wind and other boats but lovely in the coves.
Loved this adventure
johnhT2987YH,
Mar 9, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Wonderful half day excursion on Queen Charlotte Sound. Great equipment and guides and perfect way to get out and experience the area. We had only kayaked a few times but had no problem and the guides took good care of us.
Sea kayaking at Picton, beautiful!
jillyemc70,
Feb 24, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Great day out kayaking, beautiful quiet cove near to Picton town so no issues with getting back to the ship. The guides Helen and Jenna were fab, thank you 😊 would definitely recommend if you like activities and an adventure in the beautiful sounds.
Hope for a calm day!
FrozenFeet,
Feb 19, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00Queen Charlotte Sound is beautiful and I really looked forward to exploring it by kayak. We had a sunny day, but very windy and with a lot of traffic in the harbor. That made it a pretty hard 3+ hours of paddling. We were constantly fighting wind, whitecaps, and boat wake. None of that is the fault of the tour operators, of course! Just be forewarned, and maybe check the forecast. We've kayaked many times but our arms were screaming on this one! Wilderness Guides is a great company to work with. The kayaks seemed new and in great shape; they even had rudders that are operated with foot pedals by the person in back. They give you skirts to keep you dry, which was nice although I must not have had mine on right because I ended up pretty wet. I was looking forward to seeing some wildlife but we didn't spot any. Our guide had us all pull together at one point so she could tell us some stories of the area. Most of the time was just paddling though. (Maybe because we were moving slowly and had to keep going to get to the pick up spot on time?)
Related Experiences
Operated by Wilderness Guides