Top 7 Underground River and Cave Trips in the USA

1.Emerald Cave & Black Canyon Kayak Tour with Vegas Pickup

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,266 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $149Our pick

Trade the Las Vegas Strip for a calm four-mile paddle through Black Canyon. Your guide handles kayak instruction, safety, local stories, snacks, and water, with Emerald Cave and a swim stop along the way. Guides such as Chelsea, Lauren, Jeff, and Eugene are known for making beginners feel at ease.

“An amazing experience from pickup to drop off. Lauren was an amazing guide. She went above and beyond for the group.”

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2.Small Group Guided Colorado River & Emerald Cave Kayak Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 500 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $88

Drive yourself to Willow Beach Marina for a beginner-friendly four-mile kayak trip with guides Brett or Griffin. Paddle through canyon country toward Emerald Cave, stop to swim in the Colorado River, and return at a relaxed pace. Kayaks, life jackets, and small-group guiding are provided.

“Griffin was an amazing guide. We had such an amazing day. Highly recommend and we would definitely do it again.”

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3.Colorado River to Emerald Cave Half-Day Kayak

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 241 reviews · 4 hours · from $119

Paddle the Colorado River from Willow Beach to Emerald Cave with guides such as Paul, Don, or Isaac. Expect a calm but active 4-mile round trip, cold clear water, canyon views, snacks, swimming, wildlife, photos, and shuttle service from Las Vegas.

“The guide was very informative and added a few extra activities such as a short walk to see the river from above and he took pictures of us too! He even dropped us off at our hotel.”

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4.Grand Canyon Helicopter Tour and River Raft or Emerald Cave Kayak

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 241 reviews · 11 hours (approx.) · from $699

Spend about 11 hours combining a 90-minute helicopter flight over Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, Black Canyon, and the Grand Canyon West Rim with either a motorized Colorado River float or a four-mile kayak trip to Emerald Cave. Hotel transfers are included, but the kayak option does not include lunch.

“It was awesome Staff great Pilots great Bus driver exceptional Me and my family had fun and look. Look forward to coming there again thank you.”

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5.Emerald Cave Kayak Tour: Scenic Paddle – Self Drive

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 222 reviews · 3 hours 15 minutes (approx.) · from $108

Meet at Willow Beach for a 3 to 3.5-hour guided paddle to Emerald Cave. You’ll cover 4.5 miles with a certified guide such as Gio, Dave, or Don, stopping at a historic gauging station and receiving gear, snacks, water, sun hats, and digital photos.

“We ordered this kayak tour and from the reservation , Gio the guide was wonderful - patient and professional and answered on all my questions. He explain that we meet early to avoid lots of crowd and he was right . We started our kayak tour at 8:30 and the lake was pretty empty. The kayaks were in very high quality and safe and all the time Gio explained to us things and took care of us . We made 2 breaks and Gio was generous and gave us lots of snacks . Our teenagers said it was fantastic . Don’t miss this attraction with Gio !!!!”

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6.Kauai Northeast Tour, Fern Grotto River Cruise & Lighthouse

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 91 reviews · 6 hours · from $214

Spend six hours with a local guide on Kauai’s northeast coast, combining an 80-minute Wailua River boat ride with Fern Grotto, Opaekaa Falls, Kilauea Lighthouse, Anini Beach, Hanalei, and views of Sleeping Giant. Guides such as Domi, Scott, Greg, and Calvin add local stories and humor.

“We had an amazing day with Domi. He taught us more about Kauai in one day than we could have possibly imagined. We also enjoyed hearing all of his life lessons as well. He really took the time to make sure we understood every spot we visited and different points along the way. A great day and a tour I know our family will talk about for years to come!”

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7.Emerald Cave Kayak Rental – Self Guide Colorado River

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 51 reviews · 3 to 4 hours (approx.) · from $77Best value

At Willow Beach, EZ Kayak provides a kayak, paddle, life vest, pump, phone case, and sun hat for a 3 to 4-hour self-guided paddle through Black Canyon. You set the pace along the Colorado River, with staff such as Don and Gio helping you get prepared before launching.

“EZ Kayak is an absolutely great company to use to experience the emerald caves. Gio was very thorough in booking the trip, preparing us for the meeting spot and staying in touch as the day approached. Upon arrival David was early and ready for us. The kayaks were sized right for each of us and in great condition. They also provided a small snack bag, waters and they had any other supplies we may have needed. We brought our own, but they had water cases for our phones, a wet bag for our stuff and even a sun hat if needed. I thought that was going the extra mile. Finally,…”

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