4.8
Kayak the Marine Highway of San Juan
- United States
- 4 nights
Kayak the wild coastline of America's San Juan archipelago for the chance to see whales and marine wildlife
What's Included?
- Small Like-minded GroupsSolo-friendly by design, join our small n’ sociable groups of up to 12 like-minded, active and outdoorsy people
From…excluding flights
Highlights
Kayak the fabled whale highway, a wildlife hotspot that’s home to porpoises, sea lions and the densest population of harbour seals in the world
Paddling in the San Juan Islands is a great opportunity to look for whales: you can scout for Orcas, Greys, Humpbacks, and Minkes
Witness perfect sunsets as you camp inside peaceful marine parks in the Wasp Islands Group
Itinerary
Day 1
Get Paddling
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Board the complimentary shuttle from the ferry terminal to the San Juan Island Country Park and kayak north through the Orca Whale Sanctuary – keep your eyes peeled for your first whale sighting. Stop for lunch at a suitably scenic spot and then continue on to tonight's campsite. Relax, explore some of the nearby trails and then enjoy dinner while you watch the sunset over the ocean.
Day 2
Gentle waters
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After breakfast and a briefing on today’s route, hit the water and let the tide carry you along. Stop for lunch on a small pocket beach where you can refuel, relax and take in the peaceful surroundings. Hop back into your kayak and continue your journey to tonight’s camp where you can relax at the water’s edge as you wait for dinner to be served.
Day 3
Relaxation kicks in
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Wake early and appreciate the serenity of the islands with a coffee in hand. Today's pace depends on where you decide to go, but whichever direction you choose you’re sure to be surrounded by a beautiful coastal landscape with bald eagles and seabirds flying above. Tonight, you're likely to camp at Blind Island or Obstruction Pass - whichever it may be, you’re in for a delicious dinner, fun company and another stunning sunset.
Day 4
Cypress Island and Eagle Cliff
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By now, you’ll be in tune with your surrounding and able to spot seals in the distance at a glance. Enjoy a morning on the water and stop at Smuggler’s Cover for lunch and a stretch. Continue paddling to Cypress Island where the landscape becomes wilder, with no farms and homes, just ancient trees covering the high slopes. Set up camp and take an evening walk to Eagle Cliff - the views are amazing so be sure to take your camera. It’s your final night, so enjoy a glass of wine and absorb a last, unforgettable sunset.
Day 5
Pelican Beach Sunrise
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Get an early start to witness arguably the most satisfying sunrise you'll ever see as it appears over the volcanic mountain, Mt. Baker. After breakfast, choose your route back to Anacortes, arriving between 14:00 and 16:00 depending on the conditions of the day. Unpack, say farewell to your guide, team and kayak and then head back home, or maybe travel further in this lovely region.
Getting There
- Nearest airport
- Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
- Pick up
- Anacortes Ferry Terminal
08:00 on Day 1 - Drop off
- Anacortes Ferry Terminal
16:00 on Day 5
What is and isn't Included?
What's included
Local qualified guides, with a guest: guide ratio of 6:1
4 nights camping
Munch on tasty food throughout
All local travel
All your kayaking and camping equipment except for a sleeping bag
All taxes and licenses
What's not included
You know your own spending habits best, so please budget an appropriate amount for things like optional meals and drinks, shopping, optional activities, and laundry.
Where You'll Stay
Private room upgrades are not available on this trip due to the nature of the accommodation.
San Juan
Optional Extras
Accommodation Alternatives
- Optional Solo Tent Occupancy
- …/per person
Equipment / Kit Hire
- Single Kayak (instead of Double Kayak)
- …
- Sleeping Bag Rental
- …/per person
Upgrades
For solo travellers looking for their own space - single tents are available on request (see Optional Extras for costs).
To request any extras, message your host via your Much Better Adventures account once you have booked your trip.
All extras must be paid before your trip starts.
Ratings & Reviews
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Departure dates
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What to Pack
Know before you go! Some stuff we'll provide, other things you'll need to bring.
FAQs
What wildlife am I likely to see?
The marine mammals typically seen are Harbor Porpoise, Harbor Seals, Southern Resident Orcas (these are the endangered ones, so seen less often), Transient Orcas (these are the thriving Orcas who feed on other marine mammals), Humpback Whales, Minke Whales and Gray Whales as well as many different types of seabirds including Bald Eagles, Great Blue Herons, Peregrine Falcons and many other smaller marine birds.
Please note that not all of these wildlife sightings can be guaranteed, however, your experienced guides will do their best to increase your chances.
Where can I stay before / after the trip?
Your host recommends the following three accommodation options.
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Cap Sante Inn: Basic, friendly, affordable and located in old town Anacortes within walking distance of great restaurants.
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Ship Harbor Inn: Located within walking distance of the ferry and includes breakfast and picturesque views of the San Juan Islands. A taxi would be needed to grab a bite to eat as the town is a 4-mile drive away.
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Nantucket Inn: Located as you drive into Anacortes, this is a historic building that's been newly remodelled, with a huge outdoor area to hang out in.
Can I leave my excess luggage somewhere?
You can leave any excess luggage at your host's base before you set off.
What's the weight limit for paddling in a kayak?
265 lbs for double kayaks and 225 lbs for single kayaks. These weights are generally the limits for your comfort and enjoyment of the activity.
Can I paddle in a single kayak?
Of course! Your host only has a limited number of single kayak available, so please request on booking. There is a small charge for a solo kayak: see the Optional Extras for costs.
How much does it cost to park at the ferry terminal?
Anacortes ferry terminal parking fees may vary per season, however at the time of writing the prices are:
1 day (0-24 hours) - $7.00 2 days (24-48 hours) - $12.00 3 days (48-72 hours) - $14.00 4 days (72-96 hours) - $17.00 One week (7 days/168 hours) - $22.00
Can I book on my own?
Sure can! Over 70% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.
Who is running the trip?
Our team of Adventure Hunters co-create exclusive adventures which are run by highly vetted, specialist hosts. The trip is run by our trusted host partner in the destination. We only work with independent, local, in-destination experts who know the very best places to explore and how to stay safe. Read more information about the local teams we partner with. You’ll be introduced to the host straight after making a booking via the Much Better Adventures platform.
What is the official travel advice?
Much Better Adventures refer to the UK Government’s official travel advice when designing trips and monitoring trip operations. We recommend that all customers are familiar with the practical information provided on the Government’s FCDO website, where current travel advice can be found by searching for the applicable destination(s).
For customers joining this trip from other international destinations – please also read the official travel advice applicable to your country of residence/origin, as this may differ.
What vaccinations do I need?
We recommend checking out the country-specific information and also talking to a travel nurse.
How are the trips priced?
We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.
If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.
Why are your adventures only for adults?
All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. You must be over 18 to join one of our trips.
Who else will be on my trip?
You're always in good company on one of our adventures.
Our trips are typically made up of a mixture of solo travellers and small groups of 2 or 3 friends, with most in their 30s-50s.
Our sociable adventures are solo-friendly by design and naturally attract outdoorsy people with a shared mindset; a love for adventure, a desire to push themselves and meet awesome, like-minded people along the way. Check out our Community Values – a shared code to make sure that everyone's experience is safe, inclusive and brilliantly unforgettable.
It’s this camaraderie that has so often turned a great adventure into a life-changing one.
Don't just take our word for it:
- 95% of people rate the group dynamics on our trips 5/5
- 90% of people recommend joining a trip to make new friends
- 75% of people have met people on our trips that they would now consider friends
See here for more info about the Much Better Adventures tribe.
What's the carbon footprint for this trip?
We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity.
What's the number?
It works out on average at 51kg of CO2 emissions per person, including all local transport, accommodation, food, activities, guides, staff and office operations.
The only thing it doesn’t include right now is flights and travel to the destination. We do make an overall estimate across all our customers separately, but as we don’t book flights, have customers from all corners of the world, and no way of reliably knowing their travel plans, we simply can’t include an individual number in the figure on display here. We’ve got a goal to fix that, so that when you book, there is a way to measure and mitigate the carbon emitted by your flight too.
But what does the number mean?
Yep, hard to picture eh? To give you an idea:
- Driving 1000 miles/1609km would be approximately 281kg of CO2 in an average car (or 140.5kg per person, if there were two of you in it).
- A return economy class flight between London and New York would be approximately 1619kg (1.66 tonnes) per person.
- 10 trees in a temperate forest are estimated to remove approximately 250kg of CO2 from the air in a period of 5-10 years.
What are we doing about it?
Our trips are relatively low-carbon by design, and we're working with all our hosts to develop long term carbon reduction plans. We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity, ensuring the protection of the reserve and its wildlife.
Want to know more?
Amazingly, no international travel company has ever publicly published their carbon measurements before, as far as we know. We believe that must change, quickly. So we’re openly sharing the method we used in the hope that other companies will be able to more easily follow suit and build on what we've done so far. You'll find it all here.
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