Japan · CANOES & KAYAKS

15 Canoes & Kayaks Tours in Japan to Build a Day Around

31 tours  ·  from $36

The 15 best canoes & kayaks tours you can book today, with what each costs, how long it runs and who it suits. Number one is top for a reason; start there.

Okinawa Iriomote Mangrove SUP or Canoe Tour - What happens on the Urauchi River
Canoes & Kayaks, Okinawa Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Okinawa Iriomote Mangrove SUP or Canoe Tour

1.Okinawa Iriomote Mangrove SUP or Canoe Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 214 reviews · from $52Our pick

Spend about two hours on Iriomote’s Urauchi River by SUP or canoe. Calm mangrove water suits beginners, while your guide explains the island’s plants and wildlife. Ayuka is one guide named by participants. Photos from a waterproof camera are included, and pickup may be available.

“Great experience in an amazing nature, very peaceful, quiet moment with a great coach, Iriomote in general has a beautiful nature”

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Okinawa Ishigaki Mangrove SUP or Canoe Tour - What happens at the Ishigaki Port meeting point
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Okinawa Ishigaki Mangrove SUP or Canoe Tour

2.Okinawa Ishigaki Mangrove SUP or Canoe Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 147 reviews · from $52

Explore Ishigaki’s Miyara River Hirugi Grove by SUP or canoe during a gentle 90-minute outing. Guides such as Hiroki and Ken offer English or Japanese support when available, explain the mangrove habitat, and take photos. Equipment, life jackets, and post-tour showers are included, with canoe options for some children.

“Our guide Hiroki was awesome. He made the whole experience enjoyable and fun. He spoke in both English and Japanese as we were a mixed group but he never made anyone feel left out. We learned fun facts about mangroves and Read more”

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Okinawa Iriomote SUP or Canoe and Sightseeing in Yubujima Island - What the morning schedule feels like
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Okinawa Iriomote SUP or Canoe and Sightseeing in Yubujima Island

3.Okinawa Iriomote SUP or Canoe and Sightseeing in Yubujima Island

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 124 reviews · from $82

Spend six hours on Iriomote-jima with an English or Japanese guide, paddling a calm mangrove river by SUP or canoe and visiting Yubu Island. The tour includes gear, water shoes, a ferry ticket, shower, insurance, and free photo data. Choose a canoe for younger children or a SUP for ages 12 to 59.

“Overpriced for something I could go do for free. Offered an English service yet spoke no English 🤣 only 2 stars because the canoe part was pretty cool but we walked more than we canoed.”

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Iriomote Island 1-Day Snorkeling & Mangrove SUP or Canoe - First activity: quiet mangrove paddling for beginners
1-Day Tours, Canoes & Kayaks, Okinawa Tours, Snorkeling, Tour Reviews

Iriomote Island 1-Day Snorkeling & Mangrove SUP or Canoe

4.Iriomote Island 1-Day Snorkeling & Mangrove SUP or Canoe

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 119 reviews · from $99

Spend about six hours on Iriomote with IRIOMOTE ADVENTURE PiPi, combining a sheltered mangrove SUP or canoe trip with snorkeling near Barasu Island. Guides provide instruction, safety gear, free photo data, and warm-water showers. Canoeing suits ages 6 to 59, while SUP is for ages 12 to 59.

“It was really cool with a really good guide !!! It was the first time In Okinawa and the experience in iriomote was one of our best experience! I recommend it”

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Okinawa Ishigaki Kabira Bay SUP or Canoe Tour - Choosing between SUP and canoe
Canoes & Kayaks, Okinawa Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Okinawa Ishigaki Kabira Bay SUP or Canoe Tour

5.Okinawa Ishigaki Kabira Bay SUP or Canoe Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 118 reviews · from $52

Spend about 90 minutes on Kabira Bay in Ishigaki, using a SUP or stable canoe with a guide. You get equipment, liability insurance, photo data, a hot shower, and restaurant coupons. Children may be placed in canoes based on sea conditions. Tours run in Japanese or English, with Japanese-only days possible.

“Fantastic location and saw two manta rays swimming through the water while on the SUP. Our guide was fantastic and very fun.”

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Okinawa Iriomote Mangrove SUP or Canoe and Splash Canyoning Tour - The break between activities
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Okinawa Iriomote Mangrove SUP or Canoe and Splash Canyoning Tour

6.Okinawa Iriomote Mangrove SUP or Canoe and Splash Canyoning Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 98 reviews · from $99

Paddle a sheltered Iriomote mangrove river by SUP or canoe, then cool off with splash canyoning. The six-hour tour includes equipment, safety gear, a guide, showers, pickup in the Uehara area, and free waterproof photo data. Canoeing is open to ages 6 to 59, while SUP is for ages 12 to 59.

“We ended up only doing the Mangrove Forest portion in the Afternoon. Ferries to Uehara were cancelled due to wind, so we had to ferry to Ohara (south side of Island) and take a bus to Uehara. This meant we were too late to join the morning Read more”

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Okinawa Ishigaki Kabira Bay SUP or Canoe and Blue Cave Snorkeling - Snorkeling at Ishigaki’s Blue Cave
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Okinawa Ishigaki Kabira Bay SUP or Canoe and Blue Cave Snorkeling

7.Okinawa Ishigaki Kabira Bay SUP or Canoe and Blue Cave Snorkeling

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 94 reviews · from $89

Spend about four hours on Ishigaki’s water, paddling Kabira Bay by SUP or canoe before snorkeling near Blue Cave. Guides such as Akari, Moe, Sebastian, Loui, and Yudai have helped guests with safety, photos, and changing conditions. Pickup may be available, but confirm the meeting point.

“Trip is good . The sup activities is attactive and fun. I recommand anyone join it. The sea is so blue . I will come back in future.”

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[Ishigaki]Mangrove SUP/Canoe + Blue Cave Snorkeling - What the Blue Cave portion adds
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[Ishigaki]Mangrove SUP/Canoe + Blue Cave Snorkeling

8.[Ishigaki]Mangrove SUP/Canoe + Blue Cave Snorkeling

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 92 reviews · from $89

Spend about four hours on Ishigaki with a guide such as Taka or Takahiro, paddling the Miyara River by SUP or canoe before snorkeling near Blue Cave. Pickup, photos, insurance, hot showers, and winter wetsuits are included. Bring swimwear, allow for changing conditions, and note the extra ¥1,000 snorkeling gear fee.

“It has been a great experience! We enjoyed it a lot. The canoë, the paddle, the scuba diving: that was all absolutely wonderful. The only negative point is the price…very expensive. The lunch should definitely be included”

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Okinawa Miyakojima 1 day Sea Turtle Snorkeling & Pumpkin Cave & Sea Kayak - Morning snorkeling and the chance to see turtles
1-Day Tours, Canoes & Kayaks, Okinawa Tours, Snorkeling, Tour Reviews

Okinawa Miyakojima 1 day Sea Turtle Snorkeling & Pumpkin Cave & Sea Kayak

9.Okinawa Miyakojima 1 day Sea Turtle Snorkeling & Pumpkin Cave & Sea Kayak

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 92 reviews · from $99

Spend six hours around Miyakojima snorkeling for sea turtles, paddling a canoe to Pumpkin Limestone Cave, and climbing through its pumpkin-shaped chambers. English guidance is available, guide Yuri has been praised for clear explanations, and free waterproof-camera photos are included. Expect wet clothes and moderate physical effort.

“Absolutely amazing experience. Very kind and informative tour guide. It was a great time and I strongly recommend”

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[Miyako Island / Half Day] Pumpkin Limestone Cave & Sea Kayaking - The canoe ride to the cave
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[Miyako Island / Half Day] Pumpkin Limestone Cave & Sea Kayaking

10.[Miyako Island / Half Day] Pumpkin Limestone Cave & Sea Kayaking

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 82 reviews · from $64

Paddle by canoe to Miyakojima’s Pumpkin Limestone Cave, then climb through Pumpkin Hall’s pumpkin-shaped formations with a guide. The roughly two-hour outing suits first-timers aged 7 to 59, includes gear and free tour photos, and ends with an optional jump.

“We had a great time and the activities are exciting. All gears provided and the guide is helpful and professional.”

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Ishigaki Island: 2-Hour Miyara River SUP or Canoeing Tour - Starting at Ishigaki Port Remote Island Terminal
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Ishigaki Island: 2-Hour Miyara River SUP or Canoeing Tour

11.Ishigaki Island: 2-Hour Miyara River SUP or Canoeing Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 81 reviews · 2 hours · from $54

Set out from Ishigaki Port for a gentle paddle through the Miyara River mangroves. Choose a canoe or SUP, learn from an English or Japanese-speaking guide such as Sota, Yuki, or Kento, and watch for birds, plants, and Ryukyu flying foxes. Photos are sent afterward.

“If you’re looking for things to do on Ishigaki this has to be on your list. Amazing experience for nature lovers and water sports fans. The area is one of outstanding beauty, Liam, our guide, was brilliant, full of knowledge about the mangroves and quickly teaching us how to use the canoes, he also took some great videos and pictures. This is one memory I’ll never forget and wish we had longer than 2 hours. We didn’t want the experience to finish.”

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Early Morning Kayaking With Views of Mt Fuji at Lake Kawaguchiko - Starting at NaturaBase4010 Funatsu
Canoes & Kayaks, Morning, Mount Fuji Day Trips, Mount Fuji Day Trips in Mount Fuji, Mount Fuji Tours, Tour Reviews

Early Morning Kayaking With Views of Mt Fuji at Lake Kawaguchiko

12.Early Morning Kayaking With Views of Mt Fuji at Lake Kawaguchiko

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 69 reviews · from $66

Start at 7am with NaturaBase guides Graham or Kato for a gentle, small-group paddle across Lake Kawaguchiko. You’ll learn basic technique, use supplied gear, look for swans and cormorants, and pause for Mt Fuji views while your guide takes photos.

“Great experience and guide. The water was peaceful and the views of Mt Fuji were amazing. Our guide Graham was both informative and skilled. He made this extra special.”

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Iriomote 1 Day Mangrove SUP/Canoe, Barasu Island & Yubu Island - 9:00 pickup and a quick start
1-Day Tours, Canoes & Kayaks, Okinawa Tours, Tour Reviews

Iriomote 1 Day Mangrove SUP/Canoe, Barasu Island & Yubu Island

13.Iriomote 1 Day Mangrove SUP/Canoe, Barasu Island & Yubu Island

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 67 reviews · from $99

You’ll paddle through Iriomote’s calm mangrove waterways, visit tide-dependent Barasu Island, then cross to Yubu Island by water buffalo cart. Guides such as Tomochin, Yusuke, Chill, Xavi, and Shu have helped make this a friendly, informative outing. Free photo data, hot showers, and ferry-friendly timing add real value.

“Thank you for the tour! I went as a solo traveller and even if I didn’t speak Japanese I had a lot of fun. Mangrove canoeing was a new experience and we saw a lot of different animals on the way. My guide Tomochin was very kind and fun. He sRead more”

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Okinawa: Kayak Mangroves & Ocean Native-English Private Tour - Yagaji Island and the choice between calm water and ocean waves
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Okinawa: Kayak Mangroves & Ocean Native-English Private Tour

14.Kayak Mangroves & Ocean Native-English Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 66 reviews · from $79

Paddle with Nik through Okinawa’s mangrove bays, inland sea, coral reefs, and island channels. This private 2 to 3-hour tour adjusts to your ability, weather, and sea conditions, with breaks for tea, snacks, photos, and beach time. A strong pick for families and first-time kayakers.

“Beautiful experience, perhaps the best we had in Okinawa (and we had many). Even if you only stay a few days you have to go kayaking and you have to go with Nik, the perfect guide!”

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Okinawa Ishigaki Sunset SUP or Canoe Tour - What the Miyara River Hirugi Grove adds
Canoes & Kayaks, Evening Experiences, Okinawa Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Okinawa Ishigaki Sunset SUP or Canoe Tour

15.Okinawa Ishigaki Sunset SUP or Canoe Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 61 reviews · from $52

Set out from Ishigaki Port at 5:30 PM for a guided SUP or canoe outing near the Miyara River Hirugi Grove. Paddle through calm evening water, look for birds and limestone caves, and finish with sunset views. English may be available, but some departures operate in Japanese only.

“They aren’t very organized, I was supposed to have an English speaking guide and on the day they said that would only be possible on the following day, it was supposed to be a small group and at the end we were part of a very big group (Read more”

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New in Canoes & Kayaks

★ 5.0Sea Kayaking Tour – Otaru Coastal AdventureFrom $9713 reviews
★ 5.0Kayak & Snorkel, Private Tour in YanbaruFrom $13718 reviews
★ 5.0Miyako SUP or Canoe Tour on a Spectacular Beach in MiyakoFrom $4924 reviews
★ 5.0Kayaking in Anbo RiverFrom $11119 reviews
★ 5.0Beautiful sunset kayak tour in OkinawaFrom $3512 reviews
★ 5.0Ishigaki Mangrove SUP or Canoeing and Phantom Island SnorkelingFrom $9821 reviews
★ 5.0Mangrove&Sea SUP/Kayak Tour with SLR&Drone footageFrom $4824 reviews
★ 4.5Ishigaki Island: SUP or Kayaking experience at Kabira BayFrom $5414 reviews
★ 4.6Iriomote: Mangrove SUP or Canoe and Yubujima sightseeingFrom $8015 reviews
★ 4.7Iriomote island: Mangrove River SUP or Canoe Cruising TourFrom $5016 reviews

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