Casual Lodging Sea Kayaking & Biking Tours
Explore the islands inside and out on our Budget Multi-Sport Inn Vacation. We kayak the most interesting and beautiful coastlines in search of whales, porpoises, bald eagles, and seals. Our cycling routes lead us along verdant island roads lined with wildflowers. We will spend two days in orca whale territory. Our 3-6 day tours include a day trip to explore Orcas Island by bike. We also offer an optional whale watch cruise for all our guests. Lunch is picnic style, full of delicious organic produce and local products! In the mornings and evenings, you can explore the town on your own for breakfast and dinner (not included).
Length: These tours range from 3-6 days in length.
Includes: We provide all kayaking and bicycling equipment, safety equipment, snacks, lunch, and drinks, all budget accommodations (some rooms may have a shared a bathroom), a support van (to transport your luggage and to give you a lift if you need one), an optional whale watching cruise, and expert guides to make sure this is the best vacation you have ever had! You can explore Friday Harbor on your own for breakfasts and dinners. (Breakfasts and Dinners are not included).
Accommodations: Our Budget Multi-Sport Inn Vacation includes staying at the Earthbox Inn and Spa, Birdrock hotel, San Juan Suites, or an island home through San Juan Property Management on San Juan Island. Some rooms may have a shared bathroom.
No experience is necessary.
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Casual Lodging Kayak & Bike Tour Highlights
Why Go with Crystal Seas?
SMALL PERSONAL GROUPS
A great trip involves many factors. One of these is the group size. A smaller group is safer, allows for more interactions between the guides and guest and gives our guests a chance to know each other. Furthermore, we can also adjust and modify the trip to the individual desires and interests of the group, allowing our guests to participate in various activities ranging from birding, to advanced kayaking, to custom bicycle routes, to photography oppertunties.
PROFESSIONAL GUIDES
We place a lot of emphasis on providing the best guides available, we strongly believe that an outstanding professional guide can make the difference between a good trip and a fabulous trip. We choose guides who are friendly, knowledgeable, have great attitudes, are excellent leaders, great teachers and who love what they do. We provide two guides on all of our multi-day expedition groups of 6 or more.
TAILORED TO YOUR SKILL LEVEL
We begin each of our tours with a thorough safety/kayak/bicycle lesson to familiarize you with your equipment so that you are adequately prepared for your adventure. This lesson includes paddling technique, sea kayaking safety, biking techniques, biking safety, becoming familiar with our safety gear and other helpful and necessary preparation for our expedition.
Come explore the islands in a way that few people get to...
Bicycle the most scenic routes giving all of your senses a rejuvenation and then kayak coastlines rich with wildlife. (Day 1 & 3 we paddle in prime orca whale territory). Breath in crisp fresh air as you hike Mount Finlayson with vistas of Mount Baker, the Cascade Mountain Range and the Olympic Mountain Range. On expeditions of 4-6 days your guides take you to Lopez Island to cycle along quiet country roads that wind down to beautiful coastal views, past fields of grazing sheep and vineyards. On Orcas Island we kayak throughout the Wasp Islands or over to Sucia Island, both spot with spectacular wildlife opportunities. Each night retreat to a comfortable room and explore the the Friday Harbor village on your own for dinner.
We provide you with drinks and lunch..
Starting with lunch on the first day and ending with lunch on your last day we provide lunch and snacks in between. You will be impressed by the heartiness of our well prepared lunches and then you will be able to enjoy dinner in Friday Harbor on your own. (Dinner is not included). We can accommodate your dietary needs, just ask us.
Comfortable budget inns or island homes each night
Budget inns or island homes offers you a chance to experience each unique island style. With the benfit of local expertise we will book the best budget accommodations available at the time of your booking. We have carefully chosen the best budget accommodations that the San Juan Islands offer. We have built relationships with the inn keepers and feel that you will not only be pleased but you will not want to leave at the end of your stay!
Gourmet Lunches
Fresh
Local
Organic
Personalized
Frequently Asked Questions
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Do you have electric bikes?
YES. We are able to rent E-bikes to all our guests. Let us know when you are booking your tour that you would like an E-bike for your trip and we will have it on hand when you arrive. The cost is $60 per each day of your tour, plus WA tax. E-bikes are a great option for those in your group needing a little extra assistance.
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Will I fit in the kayak gear?
Here’s a good way to get an idea if you will fit in the kayak. Most people of average body weight and height can fit into the kayak. All of our kayaks are doubles so there is more space that one might think. NOT SURE? PLEASE DO THIS: Take a measuring tape and measure the circumference of the widest part of your body (hips/stomach/chest).
Our SPRAY SKIRTS fits up to 43 inches including clothing, around the largest part of the midriff. The spray skirt is what you will wear around your torso. It connects to the kayak cockpit to keep you dry. You can wear it above or below your chest. There is a string to synch it to your body. If you can comfortably fit into it, you should be good to wear the spray skirt.
Our COCKPIT dimensions are 31" Long x 16" Wide x 14.5" Deep.
The cockpit is the opening area to get into the kayak. You will need to be able to sit down past it to get onto the kayak seat. Remember that your body parts can move and the boat is fiberglass so if you have hips that are around these dimensions, you can typically still sit into the kayak. What we want is for you to be able to safely exit the kayak. *Please send us a message through our website or give us a call, if you question whether you or someone in your group might not fit.
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Am I too tall?
The kayaks are most comfortable for people who are 6’ 4” ft. and under. If you are above this height, you may not feel comfortable. We can put tall people in the front of the kayak to give them more leg room.
*Please send us a message through our website or give us a call, if you question whether you or someone in your group might be too tall. -
How long of a drive is San Juan Island from Seattle?
We are about a 2 hour drive from Seattle to Anacortes and then a beautiful 1 hour 20 minute ferry ride to Friday Harbor. Arrive to the Anacortes ferry terminal about 30-45 minutes before scheduled departure time if you are walking on the ferry and 1.5 to 2 hours before scheduled departure time if you are bringing your car to San Juan Island. We have a shuttle from the ferry in Friday Harbor to Snug Harbor on Mitchell Bay where our tours depart from, for those who wish to leave their cars at the Anacortes ferry terminal. For ferry fees and schedules visit the Washington State Ferries website. You can also fly to the San Juan Islands from Seattle, click on Kenmore Air & San Juan Airlines
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What are the start and end times?
Our Casual trips meet at our office in Friday Harbor between 10am and 10:30am, depending on the WA State ferry schedule on your start date. You will finish between 2-5pm on your end date. We will drop you off at the Washington State Ferry Terminal on the island your trip ends on.
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Do you take beginners?
Yes. All of our tours are designed with the beginner in mind. On all of our tours we give a safety & kayak lesson. All of our tours are guided so you will have an instructor near you the whole time.
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What happens if there is a single person or an odd numbered group?
We use tandem (double) kayaks for all of our San Juan Island tours. If there is an odd number then one person will be in a kayak with a guide or someone from another odd number party.
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Can you accommodate my food requirements on your multi-day tours?
Yes. We will send you a questionnaire when you make your reservation and our guides will plan accordingly.
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Will I see whales on my tour?
Our kayak route offers one of the best opportunities in the world to see wild orca whales from a kayak because we paddle 1-2 days (depending on trip type) in a federally designated whale habitat. Since we can’t guarantee that they will show up on every kayak trip, we offer the option to increase the odds to over 90% by spending one afternoon aboard a whale watch cruise aboard the Odyssey. The resident J, K, and L pods of orcas have recently been put on the endangered species list so our goal is to respect them, abide by the guidelines and not to paddle aggressively into their path. We will give you a lesson at the beginning of the tour for appropriate kayaking behavior near wildlife.
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What kinds of wildlife could we see?
Some of the local flora and fauna are Bald Eagles, Cormorants, Black Oystercatchers, Pigeon Guillemots, Pacific Harbor Seals, Orcas (Killer Whales), Dall's Porpoise, Great Blue Herons, Ochre Sea Stars, Blood Stars, Pacific Madrones, Douglas-firs, Western Cedars, Bull Kelp forests and Eel Grass beds.
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What meals and drinks are included in the cost of the trip?
We cover all lunches snacks and drinks first to last day. Our guides will give you some suggestions breakfast and dinner options that are popular among the locals. We provide all our guests with refreshing, non alcoholic, beverages throughout the tour. If you have a favorite drink that you would like us to have on hand, please note your favorite drink in the questionnaire you return to us.
Even More Relaxed cancellation and refund policy
61 or more days before the trip date, full refund of all payments less a $30 per person cancellation fee. 31-60 days before the trip date, guests will be charged 50% of the entire trip cost. 0-30 days before the trip date, guests will be charged 100% of the entire trip cost and no refunds will be made. All cancellations must be in writing and charged amount is determined upon the date of receipt.
Deposit policy
We ask for a 50% deposit when you make your reservation for a trip that is more than 60 days in the future. If the trip is 60 days or less in the future, then full payment upon making your reservation is required.
Select a Tour Length
3-DAY/2-NIGHT - $1480
Every Saturday-Monday
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3-DAY/2-NIGHT - $1480
Every Friday-Sunday
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4-DAY/3-NIGHT - $1980
Every Tuesday-Friday
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4-DAY/3-NIGHT - $1980
Every Monday-Thursday
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5-DAY/4-NIGHT - $2480
Every Monday-Friday
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6-DAY/5-NIGHT - $2980
Every Sunday-Friday
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