Top 10 Historical Tours

1.Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Historic Mississippi River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,948 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $47Our pick

Cruise the Mississippi aboard the Paddlewheeler Creole Queen for about 2.5 hours, with lively narration on New Orleans history and a guided stop at Chalmette Battlefield. Guides such as Charles, Dr. Lauren, and Dr. Tarantino have led recent departures. Lunch and drinks are available for purchase onboard.

“This was a great tour of the Mississippi River and the battleground of the Battle of New Orleans. Charles is a great storyteller and made all the information about the battle and city of New Orleans very digestible.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Emerald Cave Express Kayak Tour with Scenic & Historic Stops

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,522 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $99Top rated

Paddle a stable single or tandem kayak from Willow Beach through Black Canyon to Emerald Cave on a gentle four-mile Colorado River route. Guides such as Ryan, Jeff, Calvin, and Maggie share local history, wildlife facts, and safety tips. Add hotel pickup, lunch, or a Hoover Dam stop if desired.

“The tour guy was excellent very helpful I would definitely recommend a tour guide because we would’ve never been able to do it if we just rented a kayak”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Kayak With Dolphins in Historic Shem Creek

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 407 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $48

Paddle historic Shem Creek with a professional guide from Coastal Expeditions. You’ll learn basic sea-kayaking skills, pass shrimp boats and oyster-lined marshes, and look for bottlenose dolphins, summer manatees, and occasional loggerhead turtles. Guides may include Morgan, Logan, Gracie, Taut, Abby, or Nick.

“Beautiful landscape great wild life Logan our guide was great he is so informative of all the wildlife u see and knows all about the area”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Lumbarda: Half-Day Kayaking and History with Wine delight

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 49 reviews · 5 hours · from $81

Join Boris or Andre in Tatinja Bay for five hours of easy-paced sea kayaking around Korčula’s small islands. Visit Vrnik’s quarries, Badija’s 14th-century Franciscan monastery and its deer, then swim and enjoy GRK wine, Klašun pastries and sage juice on a quiet beach.

“Boris has been one of the best guide we ever had. If I have to recommend 1 activity to do in Korcula, I would definitively go for that one! The circuit to the different islands is easy enough for beginners but still a good work out of 15-30 minutes between the islands. We were on a double kayak and had a lot of fun. The landscape is stunning, the islands are for some of them uninhabited. Boris is a very knowledgeable local guide. Along the way, he gave us a amazing tour (historical, botanical and cultural) and we also had the chance to taste with him, the delicious white wine…”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Historic Hilo Bay and Coconut Island Guided Kayak Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 28 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $160

In a small group of up to eight, you paddle from Hilo Ocean Adventures across historic Hilo Bay to Coconut Island, or Moku Ola, with guides such as Isaiah, Jake, Devon, and Adam sharing local history, legends, and culture. Expect about two hours, light snacks, and possible rain or turtles.

“Relatively easy and fun. Our guide was friendly and knowledgeable about the area. He truly made the outing memorable for us.”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Historic Hilo Bay Waterfalls by Kayak

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 12 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $160

Start at 9 a.m. behind KapohoKine Adventures in Hilo for a two-hour guided kayak or paddle board trip. Guides such as Victor, Andre, and Montana lead you past Moku Ola, quiet beaches, rivers, waterfalls, and a hydroelectric plant. Water, snacks, and basic instruction are included, but weather can change the route.

“Victor, he was fantastic, we had so much fun with him. He is great guide. If we were staying longer we would go again. Victor is a gem!!”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Sunset Kayak: Historic Seville, Triana and La Cartuja

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · 2 hours · from $71

Join a small-group, two-hour sunset kayak tour with an English, French, Italian or Spanish-speaking guide. Paddle the calm Guadalquivir past Triana, Torre del Oro, La Cartuja and Seville’s skyline. Equipment, changing facilities and downloadable GoPro photos are included.

“This activity was so fun, the guide was so kind and knowledgeable. The sunset views were amazing!”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Miyajima World Heritage Torii Kayak Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · 2 hours · from $96

Paddle calm waters from a beach near Miyajima Pier to the Great Torii of Itsukushima Shrine. English-speaking guides such as Shin and Solene lead beginners, share local stories, take free digital photos, and may include a shore stop if tides and weather allow.

“Very unique view of Miyajima and a great tour guide.”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Night Kayak: Historic Seville, Triana and La Cartuja

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 5 reviews · 2 hours · from $59

Spend two hours kayaking Seville’s calm Guadalquivir at night with a Spanish, English, French or Italian-speaking guide. You’ll pass Triana, Torre del Oro, La Cartuja, Nao Victoria and the illuminated Giralda. Beginners get a short land lesson, and gear, changing facilities and GoPro photos are included.

“Ramon was an excellent guide. Very friendly, aproachable and knowledgeable. Highly recommended. Thank you so much Ramon! Liz x Jorge”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Kayak Tour, Historic Iditarod Trail Hike & Lunch Near Seward

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 6 hours · from $282

Paddle Trail Lake with a guide, hike the Iditarod National Historic Trail over a ridge, then kayak Grant Lake and eat lunch near its wild shores. Small groups of six hear Moose Pass stories, including tales of Alaska Nellie and gold miner Al.

“10/10! This was amazing! The weather was perfect. Tabby was the best guide-she had a wealth of knowledge about the area and made it so much fun. The lake was really showing off for us and eating lunch on the beach near a glacial waterfall was the icing on the cake. Highly recommend this tour!!”

Check availability →Read our full review