Guided Kayak Tours to Emerald Cave on the Colorado River
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4 Hours
Lunch Included
All Skill Levels
The Full Emerald Cave Experience — Paddle, Explore, and Linger
Half Day Emerald Cave Kayaking from Willow Beach
This is the tour Evolution’s guests book most, and it’s built for people who don’t want to rush the best part of the day. You’ll paddle beneath the same 900-foot volcanic canyon walls as the Express tour, but with an extra hour built in — enough time to explore the boulders at the mouth of Black Canyon, glide into Emerald Cave’s clear, emerald-green water, stop at a historical site, and then sit down to a catered lunch on a remote beach while desert bighorn sheep, osprey, falcons, bald eagles, and great blue heron move along both shorelines.
A Half-Day Built for Beginners and Experienced Paddlers Alike
You’ll launch from Willow Beach Marina, about an hour from the Strip, and paddle 4 to 5 miles round trip over four hours — with Prijon touring kayaks, NRS life jackets, and guides certified in Wilderness First Aid and CPR the whole way. Worth planning for: you’re on open water in full desert sun for most of the four hours, so sunscreen, a hat, and clothes you don’t mind getting wet (you’ll be in the water up to your knees) make the day a lot more comfortable.
Tour Highlights
Emerald Cave
A small cut-out of the mountain, not a tunnel.
Historical Site
A stop at a historical site along the route.
Wildlife Viewing
Be prepared to see desert bighorn sheep, osprey, falcons, bald eagles, and great blue heron in their natural setting.
Catered Lunch
Catered lunch included (several selections).
What to Bring
Hat, sunglasses, & sunscreen
Water shoes, sandals, or old tennis shoes (flip-flops and slides are acceptable, though not recommended)…you will get wet up to your knees.
Layered clothing (swimsuit & layers for warmth & UV protection, preferably no cotton or denim)
Camera/Phone for pictures
Cash for souvenirs & tips
As a self driver, you will be entering the Lake Mead Nat’l Rec area at the Willow Beach Marina. There is a fee to enter, it is $25/vehicle or free if you have a military ID or a Nat’l Parks pass (America the Beautiful)
What’s Included
Catered deli lunch and extra time for swimming
Premium equipment — Prijon touring kayaks and NRS life jackets
Complimentary snacks, juice, and water
Local professional guides certified in Wilderness First Aid and CPR
Paddlers of all levels welcome
Meeting Point
Willow Beach Marina25804 N Willow Beach, Willow Beach, AZ 86445
Additional Information
Tour Information
Duration: Four hours
Season: Year-round
Kayak distance: 4 to 5 mi (6.4 to 8 km)
Meeting: Willow Beach Marina paddle-craft launch beach, 30 minutes before your scheduled tour time
Highlights: Emerald Cave, a historical site, and wildlife viewing
Includes: Bottled water, juice, snacks, and a catered lunch
Guides: Professional, certified tour guide(s)
Gear: Touring kayak with rudder
Please be courteous to other participants and promptly show up on time at the launch location provided on the confirmation email. Please have your cellular phone on and available the morning of your tour. Our guides can’t wait for guests that arrive late.
Note: For self drivers meeting us at Willow Beach Marina paddle-craft launch beach, please prepare to make reliable transportation reservations in advance (there is no cell service at the marina).
Add the Hoover Dam Walk
Popular Add-On
The Hoover Dam Walk & Kayak Emerald Cave Combo with Lunch adds a stop at the Hoover Dam bridge walk before you launch — sweeping views of the dam and canyon from the arch bridge, on top of your paddle and lunch.
Shuttle Service
Las Vegas Resort & Hotel pickup times may vary by location. Pick-up times are between 90 and 110 minutes before tour start times. Please be courteous to other participants and promptly show up on time at the tour bus area or launch location provided on the confirmation email. Please have your cellular phone on and available. Shuttles generally arrive back to Las Vegas Resort & Hotels between 90 and 120 minutes after the kayak tour ends. Shuttle times vary with traffic.
If a full half-day, lunch on the water, and more time to explore sound right, this is your tour. Want the same bucket-list view in three hours instead of four? See the Emerald Cave Express tour.
FAQs
Deluxe runs four hours instead of three, includes a catered lunch on a remote beach, and builds in extra time for swimming — Express is the faster, no-lunch version of the same paddle.
Yes — lunch includes chips, a cookie, and choice of deli sandwich. Options are turkey, ham, chicken salad (contains almonds), italian, vegetarian, or vegan. Gluten free & dairy free dietary restrictions can be accommodated.
Round trip, the Deluxe tour covers about 4 to 5 miles from Willow Beach Marina over four hours.
Yes — it's designed for beginners through advanced paddlers, with certified guides and premium touring kayaks the whole way.
Yes — the Hoover Dam Walk & Kayak Emerald Cave Combo with Lunch adds a Hoover Dam bridge walk before your paddle for $235.00 per person, a mid-week special price.
A once-in-a-lifetime day beyond the Strip — paddle through Emerald Cave and beneath Hoover Dam, then hike to a hidden hot-springs soak found nowhere else in Las Vegas.
From$229.99
Shuttle + Park Entry$279.99
7 Hours · Per person18000 US-93, Boulder City, NV 89005
Choose Lake Mead or the Colorado River — two distinct sunset kayak tours, each with its own meeting point. Watch the canyon walls turn gold as the sun sets, then stay for dinner, s’mores, and stargazing on the shore.
From$149.99
3 Hours · Per personLake Mead: Hemenway Harbor, Boulder City, NV 89005Colorado River: Willow Beach Marina, Willow Beach, AZ
