Kayak Tour Reviews

We took a guided kayak tour out of Shem Creek to crab bank and back. We enjoyed the tour very much. Shem Creek can be a little busy at times with boat traffic, but it still worth the trip every time. Great guide and beautiful views.

Had a terrific time. Elizabeth made booking a cinch and our guide, Matt, was fabulous. Will definitely do again next time we're in Charleston.

We enjoyed a fantastic guided tour with kids and adults new to the experience. We discovered new ways to bond as a family during the difficult COVID times by getting outdoors and enjoying nature! We can’t wait to come back!

My husband and I had never been kayaking before and loved our first experience! At 60+ years old we had a few concerns but were eager to try. Our 8 am tour was perfect. Calm water, not too hot outdoors yet, and few boats. We didn’t see dolphins but I found a moon jelly fish and we saw many birds which Dan, our guide, identified. Dan was very knowledgeable and helpful. We’d go again in a heartbeat!!

Guide was very knowledgeable and shared tons of interesting facts. Views are gorgeous. Highly recommend!

I recently visited Charleston from Chicago and went on a sea kayaking tour with Nature Adventures. It was so much fun. Matt was my tour guide and he was pleasant and so knowledgeable about the area. We visited a bird sanctuary, found seashells and sharks teeth. It is way under priced, completely worth the money. everyone was professional and nice. I am completely inexperienced when it came to kayaking and Matt made me feel completely comfortable and safe. I highly recommend this tour and would definitely go again.

Went with another family - 4 adults and 5 kids during our otherwise cold and windy Charleston Spring Break. This was a highlight. All of the staff during the spring appeared experienced, mature, and had great attitudes. Shem creek 2-hour tour was a little windy in April, but you quickly get into the marshes where it settles down. There wasn't a ton of wildlife at that time of year, but as we were almost finished there was a dolphin playing alongside the kayaks that was awesome. Our youngest kid was 8 and it was a bit of work for her. Younger, patient kids will enjoy this too, as long as ther is an adult (with snacks!) willing to do the work. Our guide was actually a local high school science teacher! He joked with the kids, customized the pace, patiently answered every question and was full of interesting facts. He took us on his 'secret' tour. Afterwards, we felt like we'd made a friend and actually asked him for a reference for a sitter so the adults could have a night out that week - AND HE CAME THROUGH with a friend calling later that day. We didn't end up using him, but it was a positive memory. Hit Vickery's for lunch afterwards and the kids collapsed when we got home that afternoon. Perfect!

First, we arrived a little late and even though they said get there earlier to park and use restrooms, they were very welcoming! Staff was amazing! Went over everything very thoroughly and did not rush us. The area was beautiful to kayak through. Through the marshes and the channel. Marshes were amazing and very calm and peaceful!! I highly recommend the company. After or before several choices of restaurants right there!!

We had a fabulous paddle today with Ryan up the creek and out into the harbour. Ryan was an excellent guide firstly by his careful and clear instructions as we were all novices and with his fun stories as we leisurely paddled past the oysters beds. We were very lucky to see dolphins very close by, a mother was teaching her baby to catch fish by stunning them with her tail. It was amazing. We also were surrounded by lots of pelicans fishing, a blue heron, wood stork, turkey vultures, egrets, ibis, cardinals and red wing blackbirds. All in all a wonderful day.

I don't normally post on tripadvisor, but I was on the same 3 hour trip as the previous reviewer and wanted to address a few points... 1. The trip is advertised as a 3 hour trip - you booked and paid for a 3 hour trip - why would you then come online and complain that it was too long for your children. 3 hours for the cost is excellent value and frankly any less would have been less enjoyable. plus - having to listen to your child moan constantly from the second he got in the kayak was pretty much infuriating. 2. "No wildlife" - sorry but did you actually look around you, we saw tons of birds, alligators, nests and the trees and facts about them were well explained by our guide. 3. The guide - my friend and I both spoke after the trip about how he provided good factual informative info about the flora and fauna & history of the area without being intrusive and letting us enjoy the scenery for ourselves... He pointed out lots of birds & their nests & the alligators and was happy to answer all questions. Maybe on said trip he was quiet because we had to constantly listen to "why do we have to be in a swamp for 4 hours" - I'm sure it was more than mildly insulting to him. For anyone who wants a kayak trip through beautiful, quiet scenery with a guide who knows his stuff this is the trip for you. It is exactly as advertised on the webside and HIGHLY recommended. And to the people who came on here & bashed the tour & guide with mostly lies - if you didnt like it, that was your own fault not anything to do with NAO who provided my friend & I with an excellent, thoroughly enjoyable trip on the same day as you. Anyway great trip, great value, thanks!

Did a tour with family (two tandem kayaks). Great experience and very knowledgeable your guide!

We had an amazing time on Shem Creek! Our tour guide, Charlie, was fantastic! He had a wonderful sense of humor, a great disposition, and really made the day special. He also shared so much interesting information about the area, which made the trip even more enjoyable. It was such a fun day with friends!

I am a bigger lady and they made me feel very welcome and were very encouraging. This was my first time kayaking. It went beautifully. We saw dolphins and even a Manatee. Was such a cool experience to have with my family. Ben our tour guide was wonderful. He was very knowledgeable about the area and I learned some new stuff.

Clayton and Matt were the most incredible tour guides! They were engaging and funny, and so incredibly knowledgeable about the ecosystems, birds, and geology of the area! I am so incredibly grateful! They made my daughter’s birthday ultra special!

Signed up for a 2 hour paddle a few weeks ago and the conditions were fairly windy with an outgoing tide when we arrived. Talked it over with our tour guide, Charlie, and decided to give it a try going upstream versus down towards the bay which would require fighting both the wind and the tide coming back. Charlie and the staff are very safety oriented and detailed on preparation, even with experienced paddlers like us. Charlie is very knowledgeable of the area, its history and the various animals we may see. Shem Creek is tidal and we were hoping for dolphins in addition to the birds and others. A few minutes upstream we saw 2 or more dolphins splashing around and spent time watching them have fun. Charlie identified them as Tamanend's dolphins, a sub species of the Bottle Nose that spend their time in the near waters and estuaries along the east coast. Shem Creek and the area around it is quite beautiful and, despite the winds, a pleasant paddle. Further upstream we went up a shallow creek along rows of great homes and even more wildlife such as Great Blue Herons, Roseate Spoonbill, Oyster Catcher, Ibis, and Egrets. We then paddled downstream and decided to call it a day down by the entry point. Although the paddle was a little shorter than we planned, we really enjoyed it … and it goes to show that a great guide with knowledge of the environment can provide a good time even on a sub par weather day! Hopefully some day we can come back and paddle out to the bay!

Thomas and a lovely woman were super at getting me out of the kayak. Thank you, Thank you. Steven was a knowledgeable, amusing, guide. Price was right 🥰

Wonderful trip and a great guide.

Great outfit - we booked online on pretty short notice and everything worked out nicely. Lynn (sp?) was awesome, helpful and gave great advice. We thoroughly enjoyed our day tooling around the Shem Creek area.

A fantastic, relaxing and informative couple of hours on the water. Our guide Matt was fun and had great knowledge.

We loved our time on the water kayaking with Nature Adventures! Matt and Hampton were great, so knowledgeable! This trip was equal parts ecology, history and beautiful views. We did the Shem Creek 2 hour kayak and it was the perfect amount of time.

I really loved our tour of the blackwater swamp outside of Charleston. If you are driving from Wilmington, it's the perfect thing to do on the way out of the city while driving back north. Our tour guide was exceptionally knowledgeable, and made the trip both fun and informative. She told us all about the ecosystem, history of the area, and pointed out many animals I never would have noticed otherwise. We also got to see a gator, which was awesome! I've only been kayaking a few times, but her instructions made the trip easy and enjoyable. I would highly recommend doing a tour through this company.

Yesterday, we went out on a small women's group kayak adventure to Crab Island to search for sharks teeth. Elizabeth and Ben were great from beginning to end! Some in our group had never kayaked before and our instructions were detailed and put everyone at ease. Beautiful weather, great company, lots of laughter and two knowledgable pros!! I'm looking forward to our next trip.

Thank you Ben for an incredible 1st hand look at Shem Creek. He is a patient and knowledgeable guide. My teen daughter and I had a great time. Weather was perfect, saw lots of animals and have a deeper understanding about the waterways in Charleston.

Matt was an awesome guide and my family had a blast and we'll definitely bring friends and family back! We were so excited to see dolphins during our tour too!