Our family went on this tour while we were visiting our daughter that lives here and had such a great time! Our tour guides were Brody and Madilyn and they were so helpful throughout the whole experience! Brody is great at his job he gives so many fun facts and keeps you laughing the whole time while still keeping you safe! Thank you so much for this experience it was very fun and a memory we will never forget! read more

La Jolla Sea Cave Kayaks - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - La Jolla, California

Some of our planned excursions fell through, so we had to pivot and found this option on Yelp! It went with it as it was the only tour group that had a three person option (the world was not built with odd numbered families in mind)! We booked the tour knowing it was a bit overcast, choppy and the caves were likely closed but boy were we in for a treat. Nick was out guide and sadly the other couple with us were not able to join but that meant we had a private tour! On our way out we were treated to. Few dolphins. When we got to the caves the waves were just calm enough for a quick in and out. Then on our way back green sea turtle popped his head out of the water and swam under our boat! It was pretty incredible! Nick was an awesome guide! Super knowledgeable and dropped facts throughout the journey. We took my 7,10 and 13 year old sons and they all loved it. Not a bad pivot!! read more

We had such a great time on this tour! Got to go in one cave. Wish we got to do more caves but we had to go in 1-2 kayaks at a time and paddle back out. I thought we would be paddling thru multiple caves but that was not the case. Jade let us get out of our kayaks and swim, and I ended up capsizing our kayak when getting back in. She stayed super calm and helped us both get back in. If she wasn't as calm, I would've freaked out more! But we didn't capsize going in and out of the waves, which is the most common place to capsize! read more

La Jolla Sea Cave Kayaks - You have to wear helmets! - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - La Jolla, California

The day was windy and the ocean waves made me a little nervous but Brody and Lizzy were experienced and also taught us about the ecological preserve. They had us introduce ourselves and gave the large group a quick lesson and tips before our kayak was pushed out. Safety was a big priority as we paddled into the caves and they talked us through the process before heading in. The store was cute and you can purchase accessories such as a waterproof phone case to take pictures. Totally enjoyed the tour and highly recommend!! read more

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Our guides Brody and Hanley made our experience so much fun with their lighthearted humor. They made sure that we were all safe and since my friend and I had single kayaks we fell a bit behind but they made sure we weren't left behind. Their instructions were very clear. We highly recommend your business. read more

Everyone was friendly, kind and knowledgeable. We had amazing guides Brodie and Hanley (sorry if I spelled this incorrectly guys) made sure we were safe (as a mom I appreciate this). We had a great time out and got to go in the caves. Additionally the office team was rad and helpful. read more

STEPH JUDGEMENT: Fun outing with experienced staff. We got to the store early and got fitted with life vests and helmets. They sell a good variety of clothing and accessories, and we decided to get some eyeglass leashes. After stowing our stuff in the free lockers, we met our group on the beach a short walk away. We were a group of 3 tandem kayaks, led by Ciro, a very experienced and knowledgeable guide. Kayaking along the coast and into some actual sea caves was exhilarating, as was wiping out on the way back in, which apparent is quite common. We did well on our way out, but one couple capsized both on the way out and in. I's not the end of the world if you do, as there are staff to help you on both ends. Afterwards Ciro provided a foot bath to rinse off our sandy feet, with was a nice touch. We had a great time; would definitely seek them out again should we want another outing. read more

We chose this tour company based on Yelp Reviews and we were not disappointed. We went on 7/1/25 at 09:20. Our tour guides were Alex and Natalie. Both of them were great! Friendly, patient, informative and entertaining. They pointed out quite a few tidbits about the area, marine life and kayaking that I was not expecting. I was very impressed by the staff at the shop and the staff that assisted in getting the kayaks in and out of the water. I would definitely do this activity again with La Jolla Sea Cave Kayaks. Thanks for a great experience! read more

La Jolla Sea Cave Kayaks - Male Sea Lion - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - La Jolla, California

Wonderful tour with great guides! What a treat to see this stretch of protected coastline in our beautiful state. I would have happily paid more for the option of a much smaller group size- I think there were 9-10 kayaks in our group so a little difficult not to bump into each other, but overall a great outfit in La Jolla. read more

La Jolla Sea Cave Kayaks - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - La Jolla, California

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Jen, Shan, and crew was absolutely amazing! Safety was a priority and helmets and life vests for all 14 our scout troop! Crew was knowledgeable and helpful. Ecology, geology, marine biology, history and economics were all topics during our jam packed 90 minute 4 mile paddle! Would absolutely recommend and will do it again! Thank you from troop 793!!! read more

Great tour with Katie. Easy going and informative. Appreciated the smaller group size vs the other companies out there.

Expected more , most of it is crossing the bay to the cliffs. Than you go in front of not inside, I believe it was due to tide. There were some people that seem to get stuck in the cave. Heard yelling not with our group. Not a bad review but I have kayak so the rowing across and back is not something I would have paid for. I expected more than spending a short time looking at a cliff face and smelling nasty bird crap read more

For someone who's afraid of the ocean, this was such a fun experience! The website has lots of useful information so read ahead of time. The staff are friendly and helpful when it comes to getting in and out of the kayaks and at explaining things thoroughly, including any risks involved. They definitely make you feel safe along the entire ride. It's a pretty chill ride with some exciting moments! read more

La Jolla Sea Cave Kayaks - Friendly and helpful tour guides! - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - La Jolla, California

Had such a wonderful day Kayaking. The staff at this place were very informative along with a great sense of humor. Brody was super educated and taught are group about marine life and history of the Lajolla coast. He made this tour fun and comfortable. read more

La Jolla Sea Cave Kayaks - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - La Jolla, California

I had a grand ole time on this adventure. The experience overall was very enjoyable. Everyone there was super duper nice and I felt very comfortable. Our guides were very kind and knowledgeable, creating a very fun but still educational trip. Safety was definetly a priority and was taken very seriously. I had a tandem kayak with my pal and admittedly, we did capsize on the way into the ocean but the guides were super quick to help and get us back into line. We got to see some fish and sea lions, with one sea lion even swimming closely by. I did almost hit a bird with my paddle though so watch out for those pesky little fellas. If you're worried about physical ability, I'm not the best fit person but I was able to complete the rowing and just took breaks when needed. Thank you to both Chandler and Cillian (especially to Cillian who saved us during that very brief capsize) ((we still love you Chandler)). Would definetly recommend. meow read more

Most affordable kayak tour in La Jolla- beats Groupon. Had an absolutely amazing tandem kayak tour of the caves today. Easy check in. Friendly staff. Free lockers. Changing rooms. All gender restroom. Knowledgeable tour guides- Jen and Addi (sp?) Remember your sunscreen and water bottle. I would recommend this place to anyone and will definitely be returning. read more

The staff was awesome sauce. We got the guides killian and chandler, cool dudes. My friend needed to take doo-doo real bad and he let us go first, cool guy. thank you chandler, you're my goat (you too killian, sorry if i botched your name). 10/10 would recommend booking with this company, they assure your safety and make sure you have a fun time. I had grand ole time, 100% recommend taking the "risk" in kayaking in the caves its very beautiful in there. read more

La Jolla Sea Cave Kayaks - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - La Jolla, California

A pretty fun experience, even though we didn't get to go in the sea caves. The waves were too rough, and I'm happy to err on the side of caution. Hanle was knowledgeable about the marine life and had great kayaking tips. We felt safe, and were able to launch and land on the beach successfully. Hanle also pointed out lots of leopard sharks and seals, and we were able to see a sea lion stampede into the ocean! Would definitely return on a calmer day to go into the sea caves read more

We had George and Ansel and they were both great. Wear swim trunks because you will get wet from the waist down. Good information on during the tour: the shop had a bathroom, changing room and lockers. Everything you need. Short walk from the shop to the beach and you don't have to carry your kayak back. read more

Nick Hanle was the guy to tour with great knowledge and love for marine life! Great personality and observation for the water kept us safe. Got to see leopard sharks, sea lions, and birds! Check em out cheeehu the whole team is great btw!! read more

Amazing folks. Great experience! The guides are amazing! We had Jenna and Michael and they were very knowledgeable and sweet. No capsizing for us but two people did in our group and the guides handled it quickly and no issues at all. Highly recommend read more

Been wanting to do this for the longest time and the experience was amazing and more than lived up to the expectation. The views were spectacular and we got to see dolphins swim next to us to make it extra special. Our guides Ruben and Luke were super informative, funny, attentive to everyone in the group, kept us all safe and zero casualties for five days in a row..... that was their joke lol. We had tons of fun going inside the caves with some waves was intense and super great experience. There were sea lions inside the cave swimming around us. This is a must if you come to San Diego area. read more

La Jolla Sea Cave Kayaks - Reaching the caves. - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - La Jolla, California

Fun time with a friend. The bonus is that the two (wo)man kayak saved $$ because you pay for the kayak and not the person. We had a guide paddle along side us and share historical and biological information to make it interesting and educational. When we returned, there was a crew wading in the shoreline to catch us and help us out. We saw seals, sea lions, Garibaldi, Tiger Sharks, and some other little fish. Highly recommend. read more

Yesterday we booked and attended our first Kayak Tour and my for kayak experience. I tried once before at a resort with a self guided experience and it didn't go so well so I thought a tour would be better....and it was soooo much better. Our tour began in La Jolla Sea Cave Kayaks storefront where they have lockers to store your valuables but they lock them with zip ties. You are welcome to bring your own lock with you. After being checked in, we were issued and fitted with a helmet and life jacket. I am a big and tall guy and they were able to accommodate me with right fitting gear. Once we were outfitted we were sent down to the beach with instructions to meet by the yellow kayaks where our Guide George greeted us and had us leave our shoes in a box at their beach station. George then went over the mechanics of maneuvering a kayak and explained the different environments that we may experience. He then introduced us to our second guide Cat. George shared that one guide would always be in front and one would always be in the rear of the group. Our second guide was always a good distance ahead of us which wasn't helpful nor comfortable. Being my first time and being so tall, I felt that the back support was lower than it should be making me feel like my body was starting to lay down....not a great feeling at all. About halfway through our paddle to the furthest point out, my husband got beside me and helped me adjust the back support....very thankful for him being able to troubleshoot this for me resolving my discomfort. The second guide really should have been closer to us to help with this task. After launching, I saw one tiger shark in the shallow water. We paddled out to the caves and the ocean was calm enough that we were able to go in two kayaks at a time with a guide. This was really cool. Inside we saw two sea lions up on a ledge just chilling out. After leaving the cave, we saw bright orange fish called Garibaldi that are native to this area and indicators of a healthy eco-system according to George. We also saw and heard several other sea lions that were in the water and up on the cliff rocks. We also saw one dolphin a short distance away. We were guided to go to shore one at a time where other staff members and one of our guides was waiting to assist us in disembarking the kayak. We were escorted to a beach shower to wash off and put our shoes on then escorted back to the shop where we ended the tour and returned our helmets and life jackets. Staff members in the store were also nice and helpful. George was personable, funny and informative. Cat was informative and looked after our safety when we were near her. We recommend this company and recommend doing this tour regardless of your experience or I experience. They offer individual and tandem kayaks and can accommodate big and tall people. The experience was 90 minutes and was $69 per person., read more

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We were very impressed with all of the staff...from the point of checking in at the office, to actually getting on our Kayaks and exploring some cool spots. We noticed that our guides were professional....wearing life jackets, monitoring safety and even wore helmets like the rest of us. We appreciated Alex's & Rowan's knowledge of kayaking and also their expertise when it came to sea creatures and the importance of taking care of the ocean. We would definitely recommend this tour to friends and family. read more

La Jolla Sea Cave Kayaks - Headed toward the sea caves - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - La Jolla, California

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My daughter and I went on the sea cave kayak tour in the late afternoon this week and not only was it beautiful, fun, and educational but it was cathartic and a work out as well. I'd love to be able to do things like this more often in my life. Our guides Cillian and Jess were awesome and made us feel safe, relaxed and just phenomenal. Next trip to La Jolla, we will definitely do this again. And the owner Jen was so kind to my mom watching from shore! read more

This tour was so much fun and our tour guide George was so enthusiastic and nice. Beautiful caves and super fun adventure to go on. If you're thinking about doing this, book it, don't even think twice! You won't regret it :) read more

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Awesome guides- knowledgeable, funny and truly made the day wonderful! Thanks Finley!

We had so much fun kayaking with Hanle! First timers visiting from Az. We felt safe and learned so much about the area! Highly recommend! We saw leopard sharks , sea lions, and dolphins on our tour. read more

Lauren was a wonderful guide- mixing in humor with local history. The team provided good basic instruction and the shop had what we needed to get ready for the tour. All in all - great fun and a day we won't forget! read more

Too much time paddling and stopping and listening to stories without enough time inside the caves. Paddlers also have to contend with a shore break that caused 50% of the kayaks in our group to capsize on the way into the beach. The caves are not nearly as dramatic and interesting as the numerous caves on Santa Cruz Island. The tours of those caves are 100x better than these outfits and tours of La Jolla read more

Awesome Day!!!! Kayaking in the open ocean and inside the sea caves of La Jolla was amazing. Using La Jolla Sea Cave Kayaks as our guides was absolutely the best decision. The 2 guides that took our small group out were knowledgeable, fun and very attentive. This company focuses on smaller groups. Therefore, we could hear what the guides were telling us - we were able to navigate easier (not hitting other kayak boats when waiting to go into caves or being stationary for other reasons). Just an amazing way to spend a few hours at the beach. Absolutely PERFECT!!! read more

La Jolla Sea Cave Kayaks - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - La Jolla, California

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It is amazing how long a local can have lived in an area and not have done something so really cool! All the staff members at La Jolla Sea Cave Kayaks were super upbeat and supportive, but the one most important of all is the guide for the group. Our guide was Addie and she was outstanding! She had a great attitude, was constantly making sure that we were in a safe situation, really cared about making it the best experience possible, knew interesting things about the area, and had a great sense of humor. Her well-timed jokes reminded me of some of the best tour guides on the Jungle Cruise in Disneyland. She really seemed like she enjoyed what she was doing, and that made it all the better for all of us. One thing I noticed was the upbeat way that she interacted with competitive kayak tour guides out on the water. They didn't act like competitors, but instead like colleagues comparing notes about sea life to watch for in order to make it the best experience for those in either group. If you are a local, don't be like me and overlook something so great for so long! read more

My family came to town and I wanted to show them all that San Diego has to offer. Carly and Evan were amazing guides teaching us so much about the La Jolla Cove and the wildlife in the area. Highly recommend! read more

First.... I read several reviews before writing this and couple things you should know - if you do not read their site or emails when you book then do not complain about the cancellation policy, not getting into the caves, or not finding parking. Their site tells you that safety is more important than getting in to the caves and this is true for most of the companies in the area not just this one. They also have info on the site and in the booking email about when to show up and even places to park. If you've ever lived in or visited SD before you know that parking is insane. You can drive around for 30 mins looking for a space. The email and their site both clearly state to show up an hour early to get checked in a ready for your tour. You will need time to park, walk to the business, get life jackets/helmets, get your stuff in lockers, and walk down to the shore. Now on to the good stuff. I looked at a handful of companies before I booked this one and Jennifer made all the difference. I was taking my teenage son who is on the spectrum and I wanted to find a company that would give him the best chance of being able to go. He loves kayaking and has been doing it on his own since he was about 6 but I was nervous because my son shuts down sometimes and has meltdowns plus he has a really hard time with new places and crowds. I cannot express to you how amazing Jennifer was when I called. She understood my concerns and without hesitation she gave me some great suggestions. She started by saying they want EVERYONE to be able to come out and enjoy the tours no matter their ability. She said maybe we should go with the first tour of the day as it is generally the least crowded since other groups likely wouldn't be in the shop while we were getting ready to go. She even let me know that if he was having a hard time being in that space we could get him fitted for his gear outside or in a separate area. This sounds odd but avoiding things that cause anxiety or make him shut down is very important when planning an experience, especially one that costs a decent amount and we were there in the dead of summer which is their most expensive time. I was very impressed by her attitude towards the whole situation. I had called another place with kayaks earlier that day and as soon as I mentioned some sensory issues they basically told me that I should maybe find another activity to do. So by the time I talked to Jennifer I couldn't believe that she was so sweet and just wanted to make sure they did everything they could to make sure my boy could do the tour. She took the time to go over the whole process with me and all the details so I would be more comfortable with everything and could plan a little better. I did have to call them ahead of time to check on tides on what not to see if we might have a chance to get in the caves and Jack answered. This dude totally heard my unsureness about my boy getting too overwhelmed and he offered a couple suggestions as well. Turns out he has worked in special education before and was just as amazing as Jennifer! I was really blown away by their hospitality and willingness to help. So if you have family members with ASD and want them to be able to still have experiences like this then this is the place to be. No judgement, no hate, just fun and the sea. We arrived for our tour and Jack talked to my son and got him fitted with life jacket and helmet and because he was so calm everything went smoothly. Jack answered all our questions and was very encouraging to my son and made sure he was in a good mood before we left. You can wear your shoes if you want because they have a crate to put shoes in when you get down to the kayaks. They do a quick safety briefing and then you're out to sea. Our tour guide was Jonah, he was friendly and knowledgeable. If you get motion sick then don't hang out too close to the rock walls because the backwash will make you sicker faster. The waves come in and hit the walls then go back out to sea so you're being rocked on both sides. We did see a ray, leopard sharks, sea lions, and Garibaldi. Everyone seemed more interested in the leopard sharks and sea lions than the caves. The waves started getting bad so not all of our group got to go in as safety is more important. Jonah taught us a lot about the preserve and definitely made the tour fun. Best part is they didn't care that our situation was a little different and they didn't look at my boy like he was just a label and we had an amazing time! Takeaways: If you're nervous, just call and talk to someone. Free lockers! Take some ginger chews or medication if you get motion sick. Give yourself plenty of time to park. You may or may not be able to go in the caves but enjoy the whole tour instead of just focusing on the caves. If you want to bring your phone get one of those waterproof pouches you can attach to yourself in some way, they also have some for sale. read more

La Jolla Sea Cave Kayaks - Cancellation policy is on the email you get after booking and on their site. This is part of the email I received after booking. - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - La Jolla, California

Amazing! Lived in San Diego over 4 years and never kayaked in the caves until this family vacation. 100% worth it! Great workout - saw dolphins, saw baby leopard sharks, great photos - fun morning adventure! read more

What an incredible experience! I came here with my fiancé during a trip to San Diego. We booked our reservations for the same day as kayaking. Leave extra time to find parking. There is a parking lot along the beach a couple blocks away. You are asked to arrive an hour before your scheduled reservation. This time is used to check-in, use the restroom, change in the changing rooms, get a life vest and helmet, walk down to the beach and go through instructions with your instructor. Our instructor was very friendly and used animal monikers to remember our names. She was very knowledgeable on La Jolla and the ecosystem of the Pacific Ocean. I would say this is an easy to moderate exercise for kayakers. We were lucky to go on a day where the waves weren't too rough. You're also given many "stops" or breaks along the tour route. The coolest part, to me, was going in the caves and seeing the sea lions up close! Please note that this may not be the best option for someone with motion sickness, such as myself. Although I took Dramamine, I still got sick on the way back to shore. All around, an awesome experience that I would recommend to any family and friends! read more

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Great day! Cole and Casey were awesome. They were super knowledgeable about the area, and you could tell their priority was that we all had a good time. read more

This review is for the paddle board rentals. I had just been to La Jolla the day before and decided to come again for some water activities only this time without any reservations. This is the last place I ended up at after some window shopping at nearby rental shops, and they had the best deal. Other stores had service charges, locker charges, 2 hour minimums etc. La Jolla Sea Cave Kayaks offered a no hidden fees $20/hour paddle board rental that came with a paddle board, paddle, locker, and life vest. As someone on a time crunch, the hour worked out perfectly. If we had more time we would have loved to stay an additional hour. Upon confirming the rental, we were told to fill out a digital waiver and told to put away our things in the locker. A card was also taken to put on hold for payment. Once we had our life vests we went over the map and were given instructions on how to stay safe in the water (avoiding swimmers, sting rays, coves etc). We then carried our equipment downhill to the shore on a 5 mins walk. There was a place that everyone had left their shoes and we were also told we could hand over some things to the official equipment manager. It definitely takes a while for beginners to get out deeper since it requires constant paddling. Sitting in the paddle board and paddling is pretty easy, standing requires some more balance and practice. During our experience, one member in our group sustained a minor injury due to an unexpected wave that washed them away and resulted in them landing on their knees on the shallow rocky part of the shore. We reached out to the equipment manager for first aid and they were really helpful, they also radioed back to the shop to let them know we were dealing with this and to not charge us for the additional time. The only way this place would get better is if they had the equipment ready to go at the shore. The boards are unwieldy and require some strength to bring to and from the water. Overall, I had a great experience here and this will be my go to place for equipment rental at La Jolla. read more

Had a great time all thanks to our guide Victoria and the helpful guy at the front desk. The tour was fun, safe, and exciting! Got to go into the caves, but I can see why they explain that if safety is at risk you may not be able to go in. Luckily conditions were good. Coming back the waves were strong enough to make everyone fall over and get wet, to be expected with tandem kayaks unless you're pretty skilled. Staff was right there to point us to safety and take care of the kayak. I recommend arriving 30-45 minutes before checkin to hunt for free parking, otherwise there are paid lots/parking structures nearby. I also recommend just paddling as fast as possible when coming back into shore, try and beat the waves! read more

La Jolla Sea Cave Kayaks - Don't be afraid to ask other kayakers to take your picture - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - La Jolla, California