Charleston Kayak Tour: Wildlife and History

Embark on a thrilling wildlife kayak tour of Charleston’s Shem Creek. Discover native animals, learn local history, and paddle through oyster-lined marshes. Book your adventure now!

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Coastal Expeditions on Shem Creek - Once you check in at Coastal Expeditions, your guides will prepare your group for the adventure by fitting your gear and offering a brief safety and instruction on how to sea kayak. Once we’re on the water, we’ll take a minute to get our “sea legs” before we paddle down towards the historic portion of Shem Creek and Charleston Harbor. We will return to this point at the end of the tour.
What's Included
  • Kayaking Gear (Sea Kayak, Paddle, Personal Flotation Device)
  • 2-Hour Guided Kayak Eco Tour
  • Professional Guide with storytelling & safety skills
  • Dry Bag (to keep phone & personal belongings from getting wet)
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Embark on a guided kayak journey into the heart of Charleston’s renowned tidal creek. Launching from our exclusive dock on Shem Creek, glide past shrimp boats and oyster beds into serene saltmarshes teeming with wildlife. Watch for bottlenose dolphins surfacing nearby, pelicans diving for fish, and elegant egrets hunting along the shores. During the…

Location
514 Mill St
Mill Street
Coastal Expeditions is located at the end of Mill Street on the left. Parking is available in the private lot. If the lot is full, public parking is available on Mill or Scott Streets. Check in upstairs in the Coastal Expeditions office.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(425 Ratings)
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Kikster71
Apr 25, 2026
Kayak Shem Creek - The most knowledgeable guide, small group and very accessible experience. We will return!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Megansp6314iu
Apr 24, 2026
LOVE THIS EXPERIENCE! - I booked a sunrise kayak tour with our 12 staff members and had an absolutely INCREDIBLE time! Madison and Miles were our tour guides and were so kind, fun, and helpful, and they had abundant information about the history, animals, and ecological systems of the area. And we saw dolphins!! The booking process and communication leading up to the tour was seamless, thorough and detailed. I could not recommend this tour enough!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Patriciabe8986rw
Apr 21, 2026
Fun and relaxing way to see Charleston from the water. - Reasonably priced very well, organized my friend and I had a wonderful morning on the water.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Melissarl5854ik
Apr 21, 2026
Best Capt. & First Mate to Morris Island - Excellent experience with Coastal Expeditions. Capt. Jim and First Mate, Morgan were friendly, knowledgeable and personal. They took us out to Morris Island and we found a good handful of shark teeth. It got a little chilly on the ride back and Capt Jim, gave us all sleeping bags to cover our bodies and help block the wind. Would definitely recommend anyone and I personally will come back and book with Coastal Expedition.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
181shelbieh
Apr 19, 2026
Wonderful Experience - Would recommend the sunset kayak tour to anyone visiting the area. Our guide, MC, was awesome and full of information about the area.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kerry_m
Apr 17, 2026
Great time on the water - Morgan was a great guide. Very knowledgeable and radiated with excitement to share her passion with the group.
Review provided by Viator
Daytrip27617984333
Apr 14, 2026
Kiawah River trip - What a great experience! Bo was very knowledgeable and interacted with his guest with questions being answered. Our safety and having a fun time was his main concerned. Highly recommend this treat!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Happiness06546614653
Apr 10, 2026
Great kayaking for all ages - Nathan was an excellent guide! He remembered all 13 of our names on the trip. Very knowledgeable about nature and the area. Seeing dolphins was the kids highlight! Fun for all ages, 4 to 64.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tourist51871751197
Apr 5, 2026
Fantastic sunset paddle! - We had an amazing experience with Megan as our guide. Learned a lot about the biome of the Lowcountry, saw dolphins at play and a beautiful sunset.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jean_o
Apr 4, 2026
Best family fun - Great fun! The guides were excellent . We could have just rented a kayak but having the guide lead us was much better with the added narrative and safety.
Review provided by Viator
From $55
up to 10 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).