Best Paddle Trips Worldwide — Our Top 13

1.James Bond Island with Canoeing and Lunch by Speedboat

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,202 reviews · from $103Our pick

Spend most of a day touring Phang Nga Bay by speedboat, paddling through Talu Island’s sea caves, visiting James Bond Island, eating at Koh Panyee, and swimming at Naka Island. Guides such as Tommy, Dino, Ohma, and Kung are known for keeping the day moving and helping with photos.

“Boat overcrowded. I counted 33 people on our boat. Not everyone had a place to sit as sitting in the front is not really an option. People had to move to the back of the boat after hitting some really big waves. Some people had to stand since there was no room. Disappointing since we had a tour the prior day with a different company that set the bar high. The floating village was unique and liked all the stops. Maybe book with a different company. Nothing was wrong but nothing was great.”

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2.James Bond Island Sea Canoeing by Speedboat+ 2 Meals

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 580 reviews · from $80

Spend a full day from Patong exploring Phang Nga Bay by speedboat. Guides such as Patty, Lily, and Rainy lead you to sea caves, Hong Island, James Bond Island, Panyee Island, and Yao Yai. Breakfast, buffet lunch, drinks, hotel transfers, and canoeing are included.

“best tour ever! our guide patty was so fun, kind, and helpful! best experience we’ve had in phuket”

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3.Dart River Canoe and Jet Boat Experience from Queenstown

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 342 reviews · from $273

Travel from Queenstown to Glenorchy, then race upriver on the Dart River by jet boat before paddling a three-person funyak through side streams, rock pools, and chasms. Guides such as Rob, Brendan, Ella, and JJ are praised for keeping beginners safe and engaged. Lunch and all water gear are included.

“We had a fantastic time. It is so helpful to have them provide all of the gear (wetsuit, booties, fleece, raincoat, and a gater that proved helpful in a variety of ways—hair control, face cover, hat protector). The jet boat ride was a thrill. When we goRead more”

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4.James Bond Island Speedboat Tour with Canoeing

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 240 reviews · 9 hours · from $79

Spend nine hours island-hopping from Phuket by speedboat, with breakfast, drinks, cave canoeing, a Panyee Island buffet, James Bond Island, and beach time at Naka Island. Guides such as Spicy, Cindy, Lily, and Net add humor and useful local context, while a photographer may offer paid photos.

“Day trip was excellent Great amount of time in each location James Bond Island & Canoeing on Hong Island was amazing Panyee Island great to see and lunch was good. Our tour guide "spicy" was great fun & very informative. Return transfers were not great though too many drops in one car - took us 1.5 hours for a 20 minute journey - wish we had paid for private transfers”

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5.Portimão: Benagil Caves Speedboat and Kayak Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 198 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $47Best value

From Portimão Marina, you’ll ride by boat with guides such as Bernardo, Rafael, Alfonso, or Ricardo, then paddle a double kayak into Benagil Cave and near Praia da Marinha. Expect clear water, coastal views, a swim stop, and about 2.5 hours on the water.

“Fantastic experience. I'm 50 and not active at all but I loved this. tour guide was superb and looked after everyone very well. be wary if you suffer from seasickness as it was in quite choppy our day and a couple people were sick”

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6.Snorkeling and Kayaking Tour at Angthong Marine Park by Speedboat from Koh Samui

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 149 reviews · from $63

Spend 7 to 8 hours touring Angthong Marine Park by speedboat from Koh Samui. Snorkel near Wua Island, climb to the Emerald Lake viewpoint, kayak around limestone islands, and enjoy lunch on Wua Ta Lap. Hotel pickup, equipment, guide, water, and lunch are included.

“Romeo was our guide, very energetic and fun, but he talked so fast and his English wasn’t great to begin with. We were all confused as to what was happening most of the time. There little to no explanation about anything, where we were going, what we needed to take, what kind of shoes to bring on each stop.. he was just all over the place. I ’ve been on excursions in the past and this was the first one where they don’t offer fruit or snacks. Plenty of water though. so there’s that. The food was average and “breakfast” was cookies. I do have to say the the spot…”

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7.Dart River Canoe & Jet Boat Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 148 reviews · 390 - 510 minutes · from $256

Travel from Queenstown to Glenorchy, then ride a wilderness jet boat up the Dart River before paddling back in a Funyak. Guides such as Dean, John, Ellie, and Georgia keep the day safe and well paced. Expect cold water, a chasm walk, picnic lunch, and a Paradise Valley film-location tour.

“JJ and Matt were friendly and knowledgeable. I had a small back strain and JJ cheerfully made sure I was comfortable and not in danger of further injuring myself. The scenery was gorgeous and we got a good amount of time out on the river, with some nice landmark guidance should we want to go back out in the area for activities like the Routeburn Track. Even the drives between Queenstown and Glenorchy were beautiful and the driver pleasant. Glenorchy was charming and I would have gladly spent another couple of hours hiking nearby if I had had the time.”

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8.Private James Bond Island Speedboat Adventure Tour w/ Canoeing

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 114 reviews

You’ll leave Phuket at 9 a.m. for a private speedboat day across Phang Nga Bay, with Panak Island caves, Talu Island canoeing, Panyee village, James Bond Island, and a swim at Naka Island. Guides such as Dino, Tony, and Ban are praised for clear explanations and flexible service.

“The tour was amazing. Our tour guide, Dino, was fantastic. The guide was very helpful, informative, and explained to us everything in detail. I would highly recommend this tour company and this tour guide.”

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9.Premium James Bond Island Speedboat & Canoe Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 108 reviews · from $107

Travel from Krabi by premium speedboat to James Bond Island, Panak Island’s sea caves, Hong Island, and Koh Panyee. You’ll canoe through limestone scenery, eat at a floating village, swim near the Big Tree, and spend the day with a small group and English-speaking guide.

“I didn't like the fact that we had to wait for 20 to 30 minutes when picking up the people from Railay Beach. They should have been there waiting for us.”

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10.Pig Island Experience By Speed Boat, Snorkeling, Kayaking Relaxing on the Beach

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 96 reviews · from $53

Spend about six hours sailing from southern Koh Samui to Koh Tan and Koh Madsum, known as Pig Island. You’ll snorkel, kayak, eat lunch on the beach, and watch friendly pigs roam free. Hotel transfers, equipment, water, insurance, and an English-speaking guide are included, but the 50 THB island fee is extra.

“Goodie and crew are the absolute bombs! They made sure that we had the best trip ever. We had so much fun visiting all of the islands and learning about them. And of course, Sexy Goodie and his team were absolutely fantastic and taking Read more”

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11.Koh Phangan: Angthong Emerald Waters & Kayaking by Speedboat

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 81 reviews · 7 hours · from $78

Join Lomlahk Khirin for a seven-hour Ang Thong trip from Koh Phangan. Snorkel beneath limestone cliffs, kayak near Mae Koh, climb to Talay Nai, and enjoy a Thai buffet. Guides such as Katy, Bank, and King David are praised for clear briefings and kind service.

“amazing trip ! transport was so fun, we had king david as our guide and he was amazing at leading the tour. so many amazing spots in a truly stunning area”

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12.Snorkel and Kayak Trip to Angthong Marine Park by Speed Boat from Koh Phangan

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 64 reviews · from $62

Spend about seven hours exploring Angthong Marine Park from Koh Phangan by speedboat. You’ll snorkel, kayak, eat lunch on the beach, and hike to the Emerald Lagoon and island viewpoints. Hotel transfers, equipment, breakfast, fruit, drinks, and a guide such as King David are included.

“Great tour and very well organized 👌🏻 the tour guides were great and explained everything clearly , king David was great”

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13.James Bond & Hong Islands w/Canoeing by Speed Boat

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 32 reviews · 6 hours · from $112

Spend six hours on a speedboat from Ao Nang, Railay, Krabi, or Ao Nam Mao, visiting James Bond Island, Koh Talu caves, Hong Island, and Koh Panyi. You get sea canoeing, snorkeling, a Thai lunch, hotel transport, park fees, and guides in English, Thai, or Malay.

“This trip was amazing! Our guide Ming was very informative, we were taken to many different places of natural beauty throughout Phang Nga Bay, and he also took us to many different islands and beaches and explained the history around each area. We highly recommend this trip!”

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