15 Best places to kayak and kayaking tours

If rafting the Grade V white-water rapids of the Batoka Gorge are too intimidating, a sedate canoe safari on the Zambezi River above the Falls is a good fallback option.

Using stable inflatable canoes, you’ll paddle through a selection of small rapids, viewing both the Zambian and Zimbabwean side of the river. Big game sightings – including hippo, elephant and crocodile – are commonplace, ensuring your fair share of adrenalin.

The Gorges du Verdon, often dubbed the ‘Grand Canyon of Europe’, is a spectacular river canyon in Provence. Carved by the Verdon River, this natural wonder stretches approximately 25km and stretches up to 700m deep, creating dramatic cliffs and turquoise waters that are breathtaking to behold. The canyon’s limestone walls contrast beautifully with the vibrant blue-green river, making it a haven for nature lovers and photographers.

Visiting the Gorges du Verdon offers numerous activities such as hiking, rock climbing, kayaking, and swimming. The Sentier Blanc-Martel is a popular hiking trail that provides stunning panoramic views of the canyon. For a leisurely experience, the scenic Route des Crêtes offers numerous viewpoints along a driving route.

Arguably the best way to explore the Gorges du Verdon, for appreciating the soaring cliffs around you, and the clear blue water below you, is by kayak, paddleboard or motor boat, all of which can be hired on site.

Kayaking doesn’t come much better than this, amid the stunning setting of Lake Wanaka. Hire kayaks and go it alone, or book onto this guided 1-hour excursion across to Ruby Island. You’ll then spend two hours (or longer) picnicking on the island, before returning by their water taxi.

There can be few kayaking tours in the world as spectacular and memorable as this one. See the magnificent medieval walls from the outside, and appreciate how they must have appeared to potential invaders, and access parts of this beautifully unspoiled coastline, away from the crowds.

Starting from gorgeous Sveti Jakov Beach, you’ll paddle around the walls and across idyllic azure blue waters for a picnic lunch on the tiny green island of Lokrum.

For more experienced kayakers – or those looking for more adventure – full-day tours take in more islands, cliffs and sea caves, or explore maritime Dalmatia at length on a week-long tour of the coast and offshore islands.

The region that earned its keep – and name – from whaling is now somewhat ironically better known for abundant wildlife and biodiversity than harpoons in the surprisingly rich waters offshore.

Boating and kayaking ecotours are top draw. Birdlife is prolific, and close-up encounters with pelicans, flamingos and petrels are all but assured.

The same goes for the ubiquitous Cape Fur seals, while dolphins, penguins and even sunfish are occasionally seen. Tours end with Champagne and a platter of fresh local oysters.

As kayaking for sightseeing goes – as opposed to sport – it really doesn’t come much better than this.

Many of the Loire’s most beautiful chateaux line the banks of the Loire River as it gently meanders through this idyllic, rolling French countryside, including includes the jaw-dropping Chateau Chambord.

The serene river passes through the medieval town of Sancerre, famous for its vineyards, the picturesque towns of Blois and Amboise with their royal castles, and the enchanting, vibrant city of Tours, known for its historic architecture. All potential stopping-off points.

It’s a tranquil way to enjoy Loire’s postcard-perfect scenery, in a region rich in flora and fauna.

Recognised as one of the world’s most beautiful waterways, Sydney Harbour offers plenty of hidden coves, islands and secret beaches to visit – perfect for kayaking. It’s also a great way to get out and appreciate Circular Quay and the major landmarks from a different perspective – the Opera House, for one, looks very different from the water side.

Guided tours leave from several locations, but Rose Bay and Balmoral Beach are particularly scenic, with sandy beaches, flash waterfront property and plenty of luxury boats. If you want to see some of the city’s famous landmarks, then book a small group tour from the Domain.

This 9km circular paddle is unique in taking place over famous a sunken city – Kekova. Kayaks alone can access many of the rocky, sarcophagus-strewn inlets of this beautiful bay area or pass over underwater ruins – harbour walls, steps and ruined villas – forbidden to divers and swimmers. The sheltered waters are perfect for sea kayaking, beginners especially.

Tours also include a visit to Simena, a waterside village topped by the ruins of a picture-book castle.

This gorgeous 22km long fjord – one of New Zealand’s most accessible – is hallmarked by beautiful upland scenery, crowned by the Mitre Peak. Despite the crowds, it remains an awe-inspiring landscape of snow-capped mountains, dense forests and spectacular waterfalls.

There are several bucket list ways you can get out into the wilderness and appreciate it in all its natural glory.

The most popular way is on a pleasure cruise along the Milford Sound waterway – justifiably ranked as one of New Zealand’s signature experiences. A range of cruises are available, from thrill rides on jetboats to gentle two-hour tours on historic steamboats. You can also take an overnight cruise along the entire fjord to the Tasman Sea.

You could take it all in from the water on a kayak, soar over Mitre Peak on a helicopter or spend 4-days hiking the world-renowned Milford Track around it, through pristine, fern-filled rainforest.

There is more to the Amazon than the Amazon River itself. While the main river and its large tributaries offer spectacular scenery, the smaller tributaries and creeks (igarapes) are where you stand the best chance of seeing wildlife and local life.

In the wet season, the river rises up to eight metres – creating unique, flooded forest landscapes known as varzea (on brown rivers) or igapó (on black rivers), which link together in vast labyrinths – extending through lakes tributaries and swamps covered with huge Victoria waterlilies.

Paddling on a kayak or dugout canoe through the flooded forest is magical, particularly at the beginning and end of the day when the wildlife is most active. Motorboats are also available for the less energetic.

This beautiful freshwater lake, set in tropical forest and wild orchid meadows, was called ‘the place where the sky is born’, by the Maya. Its brilliant blue, chalky waters – which are fed by a series of giant cenotes – look like a cloud-filled sky. There’s wonderful kayaking and swimming here.

The lake is home to one of the world’s largest numbers of stromatolites, coral-like organisms found in only a handful of places and regarded by biologists as one of the earliest lifeforms on earth.

The best way to explore Bacalar is by kayak. Kayakers should head to the far eastern shore of the lake, where the orchid meadows begin, and to the lake’s southern extremities where there is wonderful shallow-water swimming.

The remarkably preserved Pont du Gard is a masterpiece of Roman engineering. Built in the 1st century BC as part of a 50km aqueduct, it once supplied 30,000m³ of water daily to Nimes and until recently was used as a car bridge.

There’s a small museum on site that documents the history of the aqueduct, and explains how it was built with a variety of models, virtual reconstructions, multimedia screens and sounds.

Surely one of the world’s greatest kayaking adventures, set in the spectacularly beautiful Ha Long Bay, these soul-stirring adventures will immerse you in one of the world’s most cinematic seascapes. Gliding across jade-green waters beneath towering limestone karsts, you’ll navigate a world of hidden lagoons, silent grottoes and narrow sea caves, filled with wildlife, and unreachable by boat.

Departing from floating villages or anchored cruise boats, routes often include Luon Cave, Ba Ham Lake or the islets around Bo Hon. Along the way, expect encounters with playful macaques, soaring sea eagles and the occasional pearl fisherman.

There’s a serenity to paddling here – the rhythmic splash of water, the shifting play of light, the sheer scale of the cliffs surrounding you. It’s a peaceful and perspective-shifting experience, one that will leave you feeling wonderfully exhilarated and emotionally enriched.

This 1.5-million-acre park, dubbed the ‘river of grass’, is the US’s largest subtropical wilderness. Alligators, endangered mammals like the Florida panther and more than 360 bird species all dwell here.

Happily, excursions into all that raw nature can be as adventurous or tame as you’d like, from strolls on boardwalk paths to kayaking trips and boat tours into the thick of things.

The most thrilling means to explore is on one of the famous airboats – they don’t damage underwater vegetation with props, and can glide over otherwise inaccessibly shallow areas.

Dive in.