The 15 Best National Park Trips

1.Clear Kayak Tour of Shell Key Preserve and Tampa Bay Area

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5,800 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $79Our pick

Paddle a tandem clear kayak from Tierra Verde to Shell Key Preserve with guides such as Alessia, Jenna, Ben, or Chris. Expect mangroves, sandbars, shells, birds, and possible dolphins in a group capped at 10. Bring water, sun protection, and shoes that can get wet.

“We had an amazing experience on this guided kayak tour of the Shell Key Preserve with our 2 sons. Our guide, Chris was friendly and helpful as well as very experienced and knowledgable about the ecosystem. We enjoyed seeing conch and fish and birds swimming under our kayaks. I highly recommend this tour with or without children. We will make this one of our regular activities whenever we visit the area.”

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2.Madeira: Garajau Nature Reserve Kayak and Snorkel Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 906 reviews · 3 hours · from $41

Meet at Funchal’s Cristiano Ronaldo Statue, learn basic kayak technique, then paddle about 40 minutes toward Lazareto and Garajau Nature Reserve. Stop at a pebble beach before snorkeling among fish and crabs. Guides such as Marco, Hugo, Luis, and Flora are praised for clear safety help and friendly instruction.

“The guide was very talkative and sociable. He knew a lot of fun facts about the different types of fish and overall it was a nice experience!!”

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3.Everglades National Park: Mangrove Tunnel Kayak Eco-Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 590 reviews · 3 hours · from $109

Join guides such as Chris, Guy, or Don for a relaxed 3-hour paddle through Everglades mangrove tunnels. You will use a stable two-person sit-on-top kayak, learn about local plants and wildlife, and look for alligators, herons, turtles, spoonbills, and wood storks.

“It was absolutely great and very insightful. Chris (our guide) was really passionate about the wildlife and we learnt a lot. We also felt safe during the whole trip. Would 100% do it again!”

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4.Jávea: Cala Tango and San Antonio Nature Reserve Kayak Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 547 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $59

Paddle from Siesta Advisor’s beach bar past Cala del Pope to Cala Tango and Illot de la Mona. You’ll snorkel, explore a sea cave, and choose a cliff jump with guides such as Evan, Levi, Tom, and Marco helping in English or Spanish.

“We had a wonderful time. We did take our dog with us, what wasn’t as easy as we thought, but the guides helped us really well with everything.”

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5.Small Group Kayak Tour of the Shell Key Preserve

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 501 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $79

Join Coastal Kayak Charters for a three-hour Shell Key outing from Tierra Verde. You’ll learn basic paddling, cross calm open water, pass through mangrove tunnels, and stop at the beach. Guides such as Taylor, Tracy, Brian, Kristi, and Alivia add local nature knowledge. Double kayaks are standard.

“The crew was very friendly. We had a great experience with the tour and our tour guide kept the experience very engaging. Highly recommended.”

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6.Porto: Peneda-Gerês National Park Tour with Kayaking & Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 385 reviews · 10 hours · from $123

Spend 10 hours exploring Peneda-Gerês National Park with a small group of up to eight. Paddle Caniçada reservoir, swim from a sandy beach, eat a traditional lunch with wine, then hike to a waterfall. Guides such as Diogo, Inês, Nuno, and Mikas add local stories and easygoing company.

“The tour was absolutely incredible! It is not so boring with a huge amount of walks, but you visit banch spots per this trip. Very cool tour agenda, including kayaking and swimming. But the true gem of the tour it is the waterfall, since it is a perfect way to refresh. Nuno is a perfect guide, he was take the conversation with all tour members, make a warmups, telling us interesting stories and a bit of history. Very easy and friendly guide, totally recommend it.”

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7.Banff National Park Big Canoe Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 303 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $69

Join Hydra River Guides at the Banff Canoe Club for a gentle 90-minute Big Canoe trip up and down the Bow River. No paddling experience is needed. Your guide handles safety, shares Banff history and wildlife facts, and may point out bald eagles, elk, ospreys, loons, geese, or muskrats.

“We had a great time and would definitely do it again! Our tour guide was fantastic, very knowledgeable, safe and funny! Even made my little one feel confident in paddling. Must do!”

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

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

You’ll hike to Honeymoon Beach, kayak across Caneel Bay, and snorkel over seagrass where sea turtles and stingrays feed. Guides such as Kenny, Pat, Matt, and Teegen add local nature and island history. The three-hour route suits first-time visitors, while the longer option includes lunch.

“Great trip, our guides were fantastic appreciate Matt and Barret, we had a large group but you would never have known it!”

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9.Banff National Park: Big Canoe River Explorer Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 286 reviews · 1h 30m · from $67

Join a certified English-speaking guide at the Banff Canoe Club for a gentle 90-minute paddle on the Bow River. You will learn basic canoe skills, hear Banff stories, and watch for elk, beavers, bald eagles, loons, and other wildlife. Bring warm, weather-ready clothing.

“Our tour and tour guide, Brie, were both amazing! The tour was well run, and on time. We were given an orientation on critters that live in the area along with safety guidelines and instructions on the proper way to hold a canoe paddle and how to paddle once we were in the water. The canoe ride itself was smooth with stunning views of the surrounding mountains. Brie was informative, entertaining and educational. She spoke in a loud clear voice, so we could all hear her very well. She provided many fun facts of the local wildlife and mountain life and made suggestions of places to include in our itinerary.…”

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10.Kayaking and Waterfall in Peneda-Gerês National Park from Porto

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 276 reviews · 9 to 10 hours (approx.) · from $133

Travel from Porto into Peneda-Gerês National Park for a 90-minute kayak outing, lake swimming, stand-up paddleboarding, a local lunch with wine, and a short walk to a clear waterfall pool. Guides such as Inês, Nuno, Mariana, and Mikas lead small groups in English.

“Great guide Ricardo. Very knowledgeable, patient and responsible. Organizer proposed to change date a few days before the outing because of forecast of chance of rain, and we did so we ended up having perfect weather in a beautiful place”

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11.Kayak Adventure of Shell Key Preserve & Island with a Local

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 178 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $58

Join local guides Scott and Karissa for a three-hour kayak trip through Shell Key Preserve near St. Petersburg. Paddle shallow grass flats, pass through mangrove tunnels when tides allow, watch for wildlife, then stop at Shell Key Island for swimming, shells, and beach time.

“I'm a fan of kayak tours and have done quite a few along the east coast, including through mangroves. Scott was easily the best tour guide I've ever had! Gave great easy to follow instructions for new kayakers, incredibly personable and friendly, immediately memorized the names of everyone on the group, and shared really interesting local history and facts on all of the animals, fish, plants, etc. that we saw throughout the trip. He was just extremely engaging and helpful. Karissa brought up the rear, making sure everyone was doing ok and no one left behind. One of the coolest parts was the cormorant birds hanging with the group so…”

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12.River Explorer | Big Canoe Tour in Banff National Park

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 153 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $69

Join the Banff Canoe Club for a 90-minute big-canoe trip on the Bow River. You paddle upstream, then float back with your group while guides such as Abbey, Madi, Cam, and Fergus share stories about wildlife, waterways, and Banff’s past. No canoeing experience is needed.

“Tim was an awesome guide with tons of useful and interesting information. He made this canoe ride super memorable. Thanks Tim. I highly recommend for anyone. It wasn’t that hard paddling at all since there were 8+ people rowing.”

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13.Kayak Tour at Calanques National Park (Ciotat)

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 124 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $82

Join ExpéNATURE in La Ciotat for a three-hour guided sea-kayak trip toward Calanques National Park. Guides such as Elle, Ely, and Raphaëlle lead beginners and families past La Ciotat’s harbor, Grand Mugel, Eagle Beak, and Green Island, with equipment, photos, changing facilities, showers, toilets, and secure luggage storage included.

“The kayaks were in good shape. The guide was kind, knowledgeable, and hilarious. He spoke excellent English. We saw some cool wildlife. Highly recommend this tour.”

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14.Kayak and Snorkeling Tour in Underwater Nature Reserve Garajau

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 111 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $59

Paddle from Caniço into Garajau’s protected waters, then snorkel with included gear and a life jacket. Guides such as Borja, Hugo, Pedro, and Luis are praised for friendly help and local nature facts. Expect ladders, open Atlantic conditions, and a small group of up to 11.

“Booked a 9am kayaking tour with our guide Antonio Ramos. He was very knowledgeable about the local flora and fauna as well as the landmarks surrounding the area. He brought us to another snorkeling spot after our first one only had a few fish. At the second location we saw a huge amount of wildlife. The views above and below the water were exceptional and we thank Antonio for showing us all of it. We will return to Madeira in the future and will definitely be booking with Lokoloko again for more ocean adventures.”

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15.Skadar Lake National Park: Eco-friendly Kayak Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 100 reviews · 1 hour · from $14Best value

Start at Kingfisher’s desk by Virpazar’s central bridge, learn the route, then paddle through quiet lake channels toward Lesendro. You get a kayak, paddle, safety jacket, waterproof bag, map, and on-call help. Bring water, sun protection, swimwear, and patience for a short one-hour outing.

“A great thing to escape from hot Podgorica! We enjoyed kayaking, the nature is beautiful, and the guides are very kind! All recommendations!”

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