This is the Best Kayaking Experience on Oahu. This self-guided* Oahu kayak tour takes you up a calm river into the secluded Kahana valley then out into Kahana Bay for a great view of the coast and mountains. Enjoy the picturesque landscape of turquoise ocean, secluded beach, green-clad mountains and plentiful jungle of Kahana Valley. The whole place has an amazonian like feel to it.
Out at sunset: the 2:30 PM departure is under way when the sun sets, around 6:00 PM in the coming weeks.
In demand: 26 of the next 104 departures are already sold out.
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 12.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Excurgo comparison of 854 Viator tours, recalculated daily.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Rainforest River Kayak Self-Guided Kayak Tour lasts about 4 hours.
Prices start at $82 per person for this Oahu experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, starting at 8:30 AM, 9:30 AM, 11:30 AM, and 2:30 PM.
Children aged 1–12 pay from $72, adults from $82.
It can: 26 of the next 104 departures are already sold out, so booking ahead is a good idea.
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
The meeting point is You’ll meet us over at the Active Oahu Tours storefront in Kailua. Please show up 15 minutes before your booking time. We will have your kayaks and gear all set and ready to go. All you need is a 4-door car to transport them. From here you will drive to the Kahana Bay which is 40 minutes away. Hotel pickup is not part of this experience.
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Travellers rate it 3.5 out of 5 across 4 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor; it is run by Active Oahu Tours.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Dirty, warn out furniture, mis leading, mis informed. I have stayed in nicer 150.00 a night hotels. Parking not included in rate when told it was.
Aloha, looks like you were rating a hotel. Wrong business :)
I was interested in it after it was introduced on Japanese TV. The content was just fascinating and it was a lot of fun to kayak through the jungle. The view from the jungle to the sea is also wonderful, and it is a good experience to enjoy both the river and the sea. I am grateful to the staff for the simple and easy-to-understand instructions on how to set up the kayak and how to put it on the car.
Everything arrived on time and was great regarding that part... but... I paid for two, got a double seater kayak. Ok. That part is admissible. The secluded river, yeah, that is overgrown and there really isn't a river to go up. You end up going through a canal that lines a bunch of people's back yards before hitting a little bit of ocean, then you have to porter over a beach or steer back to said canal to go back to launch. All in all, nice people, but definitely not worth the price. Regretting having purchased this tour.
Thanks for your review. I’m sorry the trip wasn’t up to your expectations. Kahana Valley is a unique location where even though it is a State Park free from hotel and commercial shops, there are local Hawaiian families that live there and have lived in that valley for generations. There is a lot of history in that area. I wish the state would allow us to have a guide show you around. Personally, Kahana Valley is one of my favorite paddling locations. It sounds like you did not paddle up into the valley on the right towards the locally placed rope swings and more secluded part of the river with more jungle, no houses or backyards and more Mountain Views. Not taking that route would indeed shorten the experience dramatically. It is true that as you paddle towards the highway that there are houses along the river, but that area quickly opens up to some fantastic scenic views of the mountains. As you head out to the bay, on your right is an ancient Hawaiian fish pond built with professionally stacked rocks. My favorite part is paddling out into the middle of kahana bay and getting some nice panorama shots of the bay and the super green mountains. It’s true that the Kahana “river” would more properly be described as an estuary fed by fresh water streams, but it’s the largest natural navigable waterway on windward Oahu and you can kayak there year-round. I can see why you feel the way you did. Since it sounds like price was an issue for you, if you are back on island again, feel free to give us a call and we can get you a nice discount to try paddling out to Mokolii or one of our other routes.
This was a great experience that the whole family loved. Jason was great and had the equipment to us on time. We got to experience the rain forest like we never thought possible. Thank you, we would definitely do this again!!
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainforest River Kayak Self-Guided Kayak Tour | 4 hours | 3.5 (4) | $82 | |
 Kahana Bay River to Ocean: Kayak and Stand Up Paddle Board Rental | 3 hours | 4.9 (118) | $79 | View |
 Oahu: Manoa Falls Rainforest Self-Guided Hike | 3h 30min | 4.6 (243) | $53 | View |
 Mokolii Island Self Guided Kayak Tour | 4 hours | 4.7 (46) | $82 | View |
 Guided Paddleboard and Kayak Tour on the Anahulu River | 1h 30min | 5.0 (3) | $109 | View |
 Honolulu Rainforest Self-Guided Audio Tour | 4–5 hours | 4.3 (7) | $20 | View |
 Self-Guided Kayaking Discovery in Kailua, Oahu | 5 hours | 4.8 (293) | $94 | View |