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Casual Lodging Kayak Vacation

The trip was outstanding. It's now the only way I want to travel. Joe and Adrienne were so informative on the islands, I learned a great deal about the places we were touring. They were also excellent cyclists and learned a lot about cycling too. The whole experience was incredible! "
-Nancy Goldman

Casual Lodging Kayak Vacation

Our Casual Lodging Kayak Vacation includes kayaking in whale territory along the shores of the San Juan Islands, paddling at the base of rocky cliffs and drifting by pebbled beaches. We search for seals, porpoises, bald eagles and other marine life while weaving along small remote islands. The 4-6 day trips include day trips by ferry to kayak Orcas Island and/or Lopez Island. We also offer an optional whale watch cruise for all our guests. We will create for you a delicious picnic lunch spread. In the mornings and evenings, you can explore the town on your own for breakfasts (not included) and dinners (not included). Accommodations range from village condos, economy inn rooms, or an island home that we will rent for your group. This tour is based each night on beautiful San Juan Island. We will take care of all of the details so all you have to do is plan to have fun!

Length: These tours range from 3-6 days in length.

Includes: We provide all budget accommodations, lunch everyday, beverages*, transportation, kayak gear and an optional whale watching tour. You will need to bring personal clothing and toiletries, money for breakfasts/dinners, a willingness to learn, and a sense of adventure. Please note that breakfasts and dinners ar not included in the tour price. Some rooms may have shared bathrooms.
*We provide a beverage of your choice for our happy hour.
 

Accommodations: Casual Lodging Kayak Vacation Kayak Tours include staying at the Earthbox Inn and Spa, Birdrock Hotel, San Juan Property Management island home or a small inn on San Juan Island. We will find the best affordable accommodations that are available at the time of your booking. Some rooms may share a bathroom.

No experience is necessary.

View Itineraries View Rates & Schedules Make Your Reservation
Please note that the vast majority of our trips follow the routes and itineraries listed on our website, but changes may occur for reasons of safety, weather, logistics and guide or administrative judgement.

Recommended to bring:

    • T-shirt + sweatshirt + windbreaker
    • Personal clothing & toiletries
    • Money for breakfasts and dinners
    • Cash for tipping your guide
    • Water resistant camera
    • Comfortable footwear
    • Pants or shorts
    • Sunglasses
    • Sun block
    • Lip balm
    • Hat

Helpful Travel Info

It’s easy! Just leave your car parked in Anacortes and walk on the Washington State Ferry to Friday Harbor.  We will pick you up at our kayak shop located in downtown Friday Harbor and take you to our private kayak docks.

Already going to be here? We are happy to pick you up at your accommodation in Friday Harbor or you can meet us at office on Spring street.

  • Bald Eagles
  • Shorelines
  • Sea Stars
  • Seals
  • Dall's Porpoise
  • Lighthouses
  • Orca Whales
  • Beaches
  • Sunsets
  • Madronas
  • Blue Herons
  • Bull Kelp
  • Lavender Farm
  • Moran State Park

Frequently Asked Questions:

  • Will I fit in the kayak gear?

    Here's a good way to get an idea if you will fit in the kayak. Most people of average body weight and height can fit into the kayak. All of our kayaks are doubles so there is more space that one might think. NOT SURE? PLEASE DO THIS: Take a measuring tape and measure the circumference of the widest part of your body (hips/stomach/chest).

    Our SPRAY SKIRTS fits up to 43 inches including clothing, around the largest part of the midriff. The spray skirt is what you will wear around your torso. It connects to the kayak cockpit to keep you dry. You can wear it above or below your chest. There is a string to synch it to your body. If you can comfortably fit into it, you should be good to wear the spray skirt.

    Our COCKPIT dimensions are 31" Long x 16" Wide x 14.5" Deep.

    The cockpit is the opening area to get into the kayak. You will need to be able to sit down past it to get onto the kayak seat. Remember that your body parts can move and the boat is fiberglass so if you have hips that are around these dimensions, you can typically still sit into the kayak. What we want is for you to be able to safely exit the kayak. *Please send us a message through our website or give us a call, if you question whether you or someone in your group might not fit.

  • Am I too tall?

    The kayaks are most comfortable for people who are 6' 4” ft. and under. If you are above this height, you may not feel comfortable. We can put tall people in the front of the kayak to give them more leg room.
    *Please send us a message through our website or give us a call, if you question whether you or someone in your group might be too tall.

  • How long of a drive is San Juan Island from Seattle?

    We are about a 2 hour drive from Seattle to Anacortes and then a beautiful 1 hour 20 minute ferry ride to Friday Harbor. Arrive to the Anacortes ferry terminal about 30-45 minutes before scheduled departure time if you are walking on the ferry and 1.5 to 2 hours before scheduled departure time if you are bringing your car to San Juan Island. We have a shuttle from the ferry in Friday Harbor to our departure point. For those who wish to leave their cars at the Anacortes ferry terminal. For ferry fees and schedules visit the Washington State Ferries website. You can also fly to the San Juan Islands from Seattle, click on Kenmore Air & San Juan Airlines

  • Do you take beginners?

    Yes. All of our tours are designed with the beginner in mind. On all of our tours we give a safety & kayak lesson. All of our tours are guided so you will have an instructor near you the whole time.

  • What happens if there is a single person or an odd numbered group?

    We use tandem (double) kayaks for all of our San Juan Island tours. If there is an odd number then one person will be in a kayak with a guide or someone from another odd number party.

  • Can you accommodate my food requirements on your multi-day tours?

    Yes. We will send you a questionnaire when you make your reservation and our guides will plan accordingly.

  • Are showers available on the camping kayaking & bicycling tours?

    Yes! We do have access to showers at our campsites.

  • Will I see whales on my tour?

    Our kayak route offers one of the best opportunities in the world to see wild orca whales from a kayak because we paddle 1-2 days (depending on trip type) in a federally designated whale habitat. Since we can't guarantee that they will show up on every kayak trip, we offer the option to increase the odds to over 90% by spending one afternoon aboard a whale watch cruise aboard the Odyssey. The resident J, K, and L pods of orcas have recently been put on the endangered species list so our goal is to respect them, abide by the guidelines and not to paddle aggressively into their path. We will give you a lesson at the beginning of the tour for appropriate kayaking behavior near wildlife.

  • What kinds of wildlife could we see?

    Some of the local flora and fauna are Bald Eagles, Cormorants, Black Oystercatchers, Pigeon Guillemots, Pacific Harbor Seals, Orcas (Killer Whales), Dall's Porpoise, Great Blue Herons, Ochre Sea Stars, Blood Stars, Pacific Madrones, Douglas-firs, Western Cedars, Bull Kelp forests and Eel Grass beds.

Casual Lodging Kayak Vacation Schedule:

3-Day/2-Night - $1080 per person

Day 2 & 3 in Prime Orca Whale Territory

Day 1  Kayak the east side of San Juan Island
Your guides will greet you at our kayak shop in Friday Harbor and shuttle the group to Jacksons Beach. Here we will give you a kayak safety lesson and then begin paddling along the evergreen cloaked coastline. Today you will paddle the eastern side of San Juan Island. We follow the coastline looking for seals and other marine mammals; we will take a break for a delicious picnic lunch made with fresh local ingredients prepared by your guides on one of the remote beaches that we pass along the way. This evening you can check out Friday Harbor and find a special spot to enjoy dinner.

Day 2  Circumnavigate Henry Island
After breakfast, we will head to the west side of San Juan Island.  Here we kayak north to start our circumnavigation of Henry Island. We follow the outer coastline which is orca whale territory. Along the way we will see a huge bald eagle's nest, harbor seals lounging on the rocks and cormorants nesting in the cliffs.  This afternoon we will take a break for lunch on Posey Island or one of the other remote beaches. We paddle back through Mosquito Pass; a sheltered waterway for kayakers, and then on into Mitchell Bay.  

Day 3  Kayak the west side of San Juan Island or Whale Watch Cruise
This morning we will either shuttle you to the beautiful western side of San Juan Island for a day of sea kayaking or you may choose to go on a whale watch wildlife cruise aboard the Odyssey.

The day of kayaking includes a kayak safety lesson before you begin paddling along the evergreen cloaked coastline. As we journey down the coast, we'll keep a lookout for marine mammals surfacing above the water as we are in orca whale territory. About halfway through the trip, we stop for lunch along a beach where you can search for creatures in the tide pools, look for sea glass among the pebbles or simply soak in the scenery. After lunch we will head back out on the water in search of orcas and eagles.

If you choose the whale watch boat, you will spend the afternoon cruising the San Juan Islands aboard a comfortable classic motor yacht. You can sit back and relax in comfort while the personable onboard naturalists share their depth of knowledge of the local whales and wildlife. This cruise lasts 3-4 hours and lunch will be served picnic style on board.

We have not finalized our 2020 trip dates yet: please contact us with your desired trip dates so we can work to accommodate your request.

Every Friday-Sunday and Saturday-Monday from April-October

Please note that the vast majority of our trips follow the routes and itineraries listed on our website, but changes may occur for reasons of safety, weather, logistics and guide or administrative judgement.
make a reservation request custom trip date back to top
360.378.4223

4-Day/3-Night - $1480 per person

Day 1 & 2 in Prime Orca Whale Territory

Day 1  Circumnavigate Henry Island
Your guides will greet you at our kayak shop in Friday Harbor and shuttle to the west side of San Juan Island.  Here we kayak north to start our circumnavigation of Henry Island. We follow the outer coastline which is orca whale territory. Along the way we will see a huge bald eagle's nest, harbor seals lounging on the rocks and cormorants nesting in the cliffs.  This afternoon we will take a break for an island style picnic lunch on Posey Island or one of the other remote beaches. We paddle back through Mosquito Pass; a sheltered waterway for kayakers, and then on into Mitchell Bay. This evening you can check out Friday Harbor and find a special spot to enjoy dinner.

Day 2  Kayak the west side of San Juan Island or Whale Watch Cruise
This morning we will either shuttle you to the beautiful western side of San Juan Island for a day of sea kayaking or you may choose to go on a whale watch wildlife cruise aboard the Odyssey.

The day of kayaking includes a kayak safety lesson before you begin paddling along the evergreen cloaked coastline. As we journey down the coast, we'll keep a lookout for marine mammals surfacing above the water as we are in orca whale territory. About halfway through the trip, we stop for lunch along a beach where you can search for creatures in the tide pools, look for sea glass among the pebbles or simply soak in the scenery. After lunch we will head back out on the water in search of orcas and eagles.

If you choose the whale watch boat, you will spend the afternoon cruising the San Juan Islands aboard a comfortable classic motor yacht. You can sit back and relax in comfort while the personable onboard naturalists share their depth of knowledge of the local whales and wildlife.

Day 3  Kayak the north shore of Orcas Island
This morning we hop onto the ferry to Orcas Island. The ferry ride lasts about 40 minutes and offers beautiful views of San Juan Channel and the Wasp Islands.  Once on Orcas Island, we will shuttle you to North Beach and paddle along the northern shoreline of Orcas where you might see bald eagles perched in old Douglas fir trees or a great blue heron wading in a shallow bay searching for its lunch.  We will return you to your accommodations on San Juan Island at the end of the day.

Day 4   Kayak the Wasp Islands
After breakfast we take the ferry to Orcas Island. The kayak route today winds along a group of very small islands called the Wasp Islands. Today is spent leisurely paddling in search of seals and eagles. Enjoy lunch on Little McConnell Island and then head over to an island owned by the Nature Conservancy, Yellow Island, for a short walk. This is harbor porpoise territory so stay on the lookout for marine mammals! Your guides will make you an amazing picnic lunch along the way.

We have not finalized our 2020 trip dates yet: please contact us with your desired trip dates so we can work to accommodate your request.

Every Monday-Thursday and Tuesday-Friday from April-October

Please note that the vast majority of our trips follow the routes and itineraries listed on our website, but changes may occur for reasons of safety, weather, logistics and guide or administrative judgement.
make a reservation request custom trip date back to top
360.378.4223

5-Day/4-Night - $1880 per person

Day 1 & 2 in Prime Orca Whale Territory

Day 1   Circumnavigate Henry Island
Your guides will greet you at our kayak shop in Friday Harbor and shuttle to the west-side of San Juan Island.  Here we kayak north to start our circumnavigation of Henry Island. We follow the outer coastline which is orca whale territory. Along the way we will see a huge Bald Eagles nest, Harbor Seals lounging on the rocks and cormorants nesting in the cliffs.  This afternoon we will take a break for lunch on Posey Island or one of the other remote beaches. We paddle back through Mosquito Pass; a sheltered waterway for kayakers, and then on into Mitchell Bay. 

Day 2  Kayak the west side of San Juan Island or Whale Watch Cruise 
We will either shuttle you to the beautiful western side of San Juan Island for a day of sea kayaking or you may choose to go on a whale watch wildlife cruise aboard the Odyssey.

The day of kayaking includes a kayak safety lesson before you begin paddling along the evergreen cloaked coastline. As we journey down the coast, we'll keep a lookout for marine mammals surfacing above the water as we are in orca whale territory. About halfway through the trip, we stop for lunch along a beach where you can search for creatures in the tide pools, look for sea glass among the pebbles or simply soak in the scenery. After lunch we will head back out on the water in search of orcas and eagles.

If you choose the whale watch boat, you will spend the afternoon cruising the San Juan Islands aboard a comfortable classic motor yacht. You can sit back and relax in comfort while the personable onboard naturalists share their depth of knowledge of the local whales and wildlife.

Day 3  Kayak the north shore of Orcas Island
After breakfast, we hop onto the ferry to Orcas Island. The ferry ride lasts about 40 minutes and offers beautiful views of San Juan Channel and the Wasp Islands.  Once on Orcas Island, we will shuttle you to North Beach and paddle along the Northern shoreline of Orcas where you might see bald eagles perched in old Douglas fir trees or a great blue heron wading in a shallow bay searching for its lunch.  We will return you to your accommodations on San Juan Island at the end of the day.

Day 4  Kayak the Wasp Islands 
After breakfast we take the ferry to Orcas Island. The kayak route today winds along a group of very small islands called the Wasp Islands. Today is spent leisurely paddling in search of seals and eagles. Enjoy lunch on Little McConnell Island and then head over to an island owned by the Nature Conservancy, Yellow Island, for a short walk. This is harbor porpoise territory so stay on the lookout for marine mammals! Your guides will make you an amazing picnic lunch along the way.

Day 5  Kayak the shores of Lopez Island 
For the last day of your tour we will take the Washington State ferry to scenic Lopez Island. On our kayak trip today, we will explore the calm shores of Lopez Island. Lopez is famous for its rural roads, but its coast line is even better. Keep an eye out for an array of marine mammals and the plentiful water fowl as Lopez is home to the tufted puffin. After today’s paddle we will drop you off in time to catch your plane or ferry where we say goodbye until we see you on your next island adventure!

Custom dates are available...just ask us.

Every Monday-Friday from April-October

Please note that the vast majority of our trips follow the routes and itineraries listed on our website, but changes may occur for reasons of safety, weather, logistics and guide or administrative judgement.
make a reservation request custom trip date back to top
360.378.4223

6-Day/5-Night - $2280 per person

Day 2 & 3 in Prime Orca Whale Territory

Day 1 Kayak the east side of San Juan Island
Your guides will greet you at our kayak shop in Friday Harbor and shuttle the group to Jacksons Beach. Here we will give you a kayak safety lesson and then begin paddling along the evergreen cloaked coastline. Today you will paddle the eastern side of San Juan Island. We follow the coastline looking for seals and other marine mammals; we will take a break for lunch on one of the remote beaches that we pass along the way. 

Day 2  Circumnavigate Henry Island
Today we head to the west side of San Juan Island.  Here we kayak north to start our circumnavigation of Henry Island. We follow the outer coastline which is orca whale territory. Along the way we will see a huge Bald Eagles nest, Harbor Seals lounging on the rocks and cormorants nesting in the cliffs.  This afternoon we will take a break for lunch on Posey Island or one of the other remote beaches. We paddle back through Mosquito Pass; a sheltered waterway for kayakers, and then on into Mitchell Bay. 

Day 3  Kayak the west side of San Juan Island or Whale Watch Cruise
This morning’s breakfast will give you the energy you need for your day on the water. We will either shuttle you to the beautiful western side of San Juan Island for a day of sea kayaking or you may choose to go on a whale watch wildlife cruise aboard the Odyssey.

The day of kayaking includes a kayak safety lesson before you begin paddling along the evergreen cloaked coastline. As we journey down the coast, we'll keep a lookout for marine mammals surfacing above the water as we are in orca whale territory. About halfway through the trip, we stop for lunch along a beach where you can search for creatures in the tide pools, look for sea glass among the pebbles or simply soak in the scenery. After lunch we will head back out on the water in search of orcas and eagles.

If you choose the whale watch boat, you will spend the afternoon cruising the San Juan Islands aboard a comfortable classic motor yacht. You can sit back and relax in comfort while the personable onboard naturalists share their depth of knowledge of the local whales and wildlife.

Day 4  Kayak the north shore of Orcas Island 
After breakfast, we hop onto the ferry to Orcas Island. The ferry ride lasts about 40 minutes and offers beautiful views of San Juan Channel and the Wasp Islands.  Once on Orcas Island, we will shuttle you to North Beach and paddle along the Northern shoreline of Orcas where you might see bald eagles perched in old Douglas fir trees or a great blue heron wading in a shallow bay searching for its lunch. Afterwards, we take the ferry back to San Juan Island. 

Day 5  Kayak the Wasp Islands
After breakfast we take the ferry to Orcas Island. The kayak route today winds along a group of very small islands called the Wasp Islands. Today is spent leisurely paddling in search of seals and eagles. Enjoy lunch on Little McConnell Island and then head over to an island owned by the Nature Conservancy, Yellow Island, for a short walk. This is harbor porpoise territory so stay on the lookout for marine mammals! Your guides will make you an amazing picnic lunch along the way.

Day 6  Kayak the shores of Lopez Island
For the last day of your tour we will take the Washington State ferry to scenic Lopez Island. On our kayak trip today, we will explore the calm shores of Lopez Island. Lopez is famous for its rural roads, but its coast line is even better. Keep an eye out for an array of marine mammals and the plentiful water fowl as Lopez is home to the tufted puffin. After today’s paddle we will drop you off in time to catch your plane or ferry where we say goodbye until we see you on your next island adventure!

Custom dates are available...just ask us.

Every Monday-Friday from April-October

Please note that the vast majority of our trips follow the routes and itineraries listed on our website, but changes may occur for reasons of safety, weather, logistics and guide or administrative judgement.
make a reservation request custom trip date back to top
360.378.4223

Prices, times and tour location subject to change. Prices per person based on double occupancy in US$.

Please contact us for custom dates and trip lengths.

RELAXED CANCELLATION AND REFUND POLICY

61 or more days before the trip date, full refund of all payments less a $30 per person cancellation fee. 31-60 days before the trip date, guests will be charged 50% of the entire trip cost. 0-30 days before the trip date, guests will be charged 100% of the entire trip cost and no refunds will be made. All cancellations must be in writing and charged amount is determined upon the date of receipt.

DEPOSIT POLICY

We ask for a 50% deposit when you make your reservation for a trip that is more than 60 days in the future. If the trip is 60 days or less in the future, then full payment upon making your reservation is required.

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