Aerial photograph of a group of 11 kayakers in the ocean in La Jolla Shores, surrounded by Leopard Sharks on a Kayaking Tour with Everyday California.
A group of 3 kayakers on a kayak tour with Everyday California in the ocean at La Jolla Ecological Reserve, obersving a piece of kelp
A group of California Sea Lions sunbathing on a rock off the coast of La Jolla - a common sight you see during a Sea Cave Kayak Tour with Everyday California.
People on a Sea Cave Kayak Tour in La Jolla with Everyday California. They are sitting on a kayak in the ocean, as three dolphins swim nearby.
A group of 4 kayakers laughing and enjoying their Sea Cave Kayak Tour in La Jolla with Everyday California.
Two kayakers on a Sea Cave Kayak Tour with Everyday California, being pushed over the top of a small wave by a tour guide. They are laughing and having fun.
A large group of around 15 kayakers in the ocean, in front of the entrance of the Seven Sea Caves in La Jolla.
Two kayakers on a Kayaking Tour with Everyday California, paddling their kayak in front of the entrance of a sea cave in La Jolla.

Kayak and Snorkel Tour in San Diego, CA

Kayak and Snorkel Tour in San Diego, CA

San Diego, CA is renowned for its stunning coastal scenery and vibrant marine life, and Everyday California offers the perfect way to experience it all. Each kayak and snorkel tour with us is designed to immerse you in the beauty of Southern California's waters while ensuring a fun and safe adventure for everyone.

Discovering the Beauty of Southern California

The tours take place in the scenic La Jolla Ecological Reserve, a protected marine sanctuary teeming with life and natural wonders. Paddle through calm, crystal-clear waters while marveling at sea cliffs, hidden caves, and the vibrant underwater world just below the surface. This area is home to incredible marine life, including sea lions, leopard sharks, colorful fish, and even the occasional dolphin.

Receiving Expert Guidance for Every Adventurer

Whether you're a seasoned kayaker or a first-timer, Everyday California makes your adventure worry-free. Skilled guides provide comprehensive instruction before heading out, covering everything from paddling techniques to safety measures. With a focus on creating a safe and enjoyable environment, they tailor the experience to suit beginner and intermediate participants. Along the way, our knowledgeable guides share fascinating facts about the area's marine ecosystem and history, adding depth to the adventure.

Snorkeling in Crystal-Clear Waters

The snorkeling portion of the tour invites participants to step off the kayak and enter a breathtaking underwater world. Equipped with high-quality snorkeling gear, guests can explore the vibrant marine life of the La Jolla Ecological Reserve up close. Swim alongside colorful species and venture into kelp forests, making unforgettable memories beneath the waves.

Capturing the True California Lifestyle

Everyday California's kayak and snorkel tours embody the essence of the laid-back, adventurous California lifestyle. From the moment participants arrive, they are welcomed into an experience that blends relaxation and exploration. This is a unique opportunity to connect with nature and take part in an adventure that reflects the spirit of Southern California.

Everyday California invites visitors and locals alike to discover the unparalleled beauty of San Diego’s coastal waters. Book your kayak and snorkel tour today to experience the best of the California lifestyle.

La Jolla Cove Kayak & Snorkel Tour

The La Jolla Ecological Reserve is one of California’s premier snorkeling locations, and our Kayak & Snorkel Tour is an awesome way to see the marine life living in La Jolla. This tour is one of our favorites, so expect an experienced guide to give you a chance to swim with La Jolla’s best: sea lions, Garibaldi, bat rays, shovel nose guitar fish, even dolphins and sea turtles if you’re lucky!

You’ll kayak out into the reserve with your guides, who will lead the group to the best snorkeling spot on that day. One of your guides will drop anchor, secure your kayaks, and lead you snorkeling in the La Jolla Ecological Reserve, pointing out the marine life as you go. Guests must have a basic swimming ability, but no previous snorkeling experience is required.

This tour does not enter into any of the sea caves on the Kayak and Snorkel Tour. If interested in going into the sea caves, please book our La Jolla Sea Cave Kayak Tour.

When: Everyday

Duration: 2 Hours

Start Times: Throughout the Day

Meeting Place: Everyday California Shop.

Price: Starting at $114 per single, and $149 per double (rates may vary based on time of year)

Group Size: 20 Person Max

Ages: 5+ for a tandem kayak (with an adult), 15+ for a single kayak

Weight Limit: 300lbs for a Single Kayak, 425lbs for a Double Kayak

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Give The Gift Of Adventure
Want to gift a La Jolla Cove Sea Cave Kayak Tour, La Jolla Cove Kayak & Snorkel Tour, or a La Jolla Cove Whale Watching Kayak Tour during whale watching season? We've got you covered.

Pick one of our e-gift options below, then book at a later date. Each kayak tour guest spot that is booked is valid for two guests in one double kayak (a kayak with seats for two people). Single kayaks are not available for gift vouchers at this time. Adventure gift certificates are valid for water sports only, and are not transferable for apparel items.
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La Jolla Kayaking Tours FAQ

We’ll determine whether or not it is safe to kayak inside Emerald Cave when we’re in front of it. There are several factors our experienced guides take into consideration, but your safety is our number one priority.
We recommend wearing beach attire: a swimsuit, t-shirt, maybe a light windbreaker. Also, depending on the temperature of the water and how much wind is present, we might recommend a wetsuit—bring your own if you have one or you can rent one from us.
We have lockers available for rent (they're $6) if you want to leave your stuff behind. If you don’t want to rent a locker we recommend keeping your valuables in your car.
Everyone will be in a double kayak unless you specifically purchased a single kayak. If you have vouchers, you'll be in a double kayak.
We've had tons of people who have never kayaked before and don't know how to swim that had amazing experiences. However, if your activity includes snorkeling, then by state regulations you do need to be comfortable in the water.
Yes, you are going to be getting wet! It's part of the fun. All of our operations take place in the majestic La Jolla Ecological Reserve in the beautiful Pacific Ocean. The degree to which you will get wet varies daily, but the nature of ocean kayaking does mean you'll get a little wet out on the water.
We recommend bringing as little as possible. Feel free to bring a reusable water bottle (no plastic please) or a waterproof camera. Do not bring anything that should not get wet. We have an expression at the shop, “If you love it, leave it.”
There is plenty of parking in the residential streets surrounding our shop where you can park all day. Do not park in the lot adjacent to our shop: we don't own it, so if you park there you run the risk of being towed. We also do not recommend parking in a 90 minute commercial zone, as you will be here longer than that and will run the risk of getting ticketed.
The city of San Diego and the San Diego lifeguards have set the age requirement at 5 years and older.
The weight limit for each kayak is 425lbs / 193kg. If the combined weight of you and your partner is close to 415lbs, we recommend purchasing two (2) single kayaks instead of a tandem kayak.
After meeting up with your guide at our shop, we’ll head down the street to the beach at La Jolla Shores. After some quick safety instructions, you’ll get in your kayak and head out towards La Jolla Cove. All our kayak tours take you through the La Jolla Ecological Reserve to explore the seven La Jolla Sea Caves just north of the La Jolla Cove. Kayaking is the best way to see the famous La Jolla Caves!
Most likely! We have the ability to see tons of happy animals in their natural habitat. Among the sea life regularly seen on our tours are Sea Lions, Leopard Sharks, Seals, Cormorants, Pelicans, Sea Gulls, Garibaldi, Dolphins and many other types of fish. Of course, we’re dealing with nature, so the amount of marine life we see varies from day to day.
No experience is required to come on a tour! We’ve had everyone from children to senior citizens who are first time kayakers come out and have a blast on one of our kayak adventures.
We rent kayaks all year long. If you haven't been out kayaking on the La Jolla Ecological Reserve before, we always recommend doing a tour first. Once you do a tour, we encourage renting a kayak and going out on your own.
Sea Kayaking takes place in the beautiful ocean, which has one major difference from freshwater kayaking: Kayak Surfing! When returning to land in a Sea Kayak, you get the opportunity to catch and ride a wave all the way in.
One of our experienced and highly trained guides will lead you and your group on the tour. Each guide has extensive knowledge of the La Jolla Ecological Reserve and La Jolla Caves and is trained in water safety, First Aid and CPR.
Of course! Kayaks are perfect for whale watching since they're small and don't disturb our gentle giants, unlike some of the big commercial tour boats.
The best time to go is whenever you want! Our tours start as early as 9:00am (depending on the day), and the last tours come back at 4:00pm.
Snorkeling in the La Jolla Cove and Sea Caves has been rated as one of the top snorkeling spots in California. We’re thrilled to help share San Diego’s best snorkeling spot with visitors and locals all year.
Absolutely! La Jolla is one of the best snorkeling spots in California. If you go on a tour with us, we’ll even give you a great discount on snorkel gear. Just ask us if you want to try!
We use tandem sit-on-top kayaks because they are safer and more fun!
Please plan to be in our shop at least 30 minutes prior to your tour. Your tour time is when we go out on the water, and we leave as a group from the shop 10-15 minutes prior to your tour time. If we do not hit the water on time, the lifeguards can cancel the entire tour. If you’re late, you have missed your tour and there will be no refunds so please be on time!
We kayak in a Marine Protected Area, so nothing can be taken but photos. We will paddle and snorkel with sea life, and take direction from The Marine Protection Act of 1972.

Reviews

  • Lot's of fun, even for someone who has never been in a Kayak before!
    We were able to see a dozen or more dolphins, and at least one hundred sea lions as well. Lot's of fun padding out into the ocean as a group, and getting to enter into one of the caves in our Kayaks!

    Shane B.

  • Wonderful sea cave kayak tour
    The sea cave kayak tour was amazing, or as my 10yo daughter said, “an experience of a lifetime”! We got to see dolphins and sea lions near us, which we realize is a special treat. We would definitely do it again!

    Chad L.

  • Super fun!
    Was a great experience from start to finish! We we're surrounded by a group of dolphins and saw many sea lions. Our guide shared fun facts and assisted us in getting inside one of the sea caves. Highly recommend booking with Everyday California!

    Kathleen

  • A great experience!
    My wife was non-stop raving about this experience afterwards. She was nervous when I suggested it but since it was my birthday she went along with it. The guides were great instructing us beginners. It was peaceful on the water and easy to get the hang of paddling. The guides were great to get us into the cave - and getting close to seals - and making sure we had a great time.

    akjindal

  • Great time on the Pacific
    Very entertaining, with lots of geology, biology, and history in the talk. The paddling was about perfect. Not too strenuous, but more vigorous than a walk. We saw lots of sea lions (one REALLY up close) and several Garibaldi. The surf was a bit too rough for some of the destinations, so the guides took us to others. We even had some time to swim in the water a bit.

    Chris C.

  • Worth every penny!
    This kayak tour goes beyond any expectations I had! We saw sharks, dolphins, seals & went into one of the caves, truly one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever been on. Danielle & Cory were amazing guides & knew so much about all the wildlife & history of La Jolla Coves. 10/10 recommend & will come again!

    Alyssa S.

  • A Must-See when you visit San Diego!
    This was a wonderful experience. We kayaked as a family with 2 children (6 & 7 years old). Everyone enjoyed the wildlife sightings and were lucky to have good conditions to enter the cave. The guide was knowledgeable & attentive. Highly recommend.

    Monkeycity1

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