Bayou City Adventures

A side of Houston I’ve never seen before. Kayaking on the Buffalo Bayou was absolutely breathtaking, the nature and wildlife along the way was a beautiful. The guides were extremely helpful and went above and beyond. They also made the tour interesting with some history and interesting info along the way. We took the tour from Woodway toward Downtown, took 3.5 hours. I recommend taking plenty of water, wear sunscreen and hat, and take snacks. You will get wet, so plan for that. Bonus: this tour required good communication and collaboration with my partner, so this helped us work better together!

What a blast! I highly recommend. It’s a new way to see Houston and Buffalo Bayou. Just be sure to call to confirm they’re open. Also, they can get busy and have a waitlist.

Website was extremely misleading. You're at 105 Sabine Street? That's the visitor center and bike shop, NOT kayaks. So, after we spoke to the helpful people at the visitor center, they directed us across the street and down the stairs. Low and behold, nobody was there. This was yesterday, 3/13/20. There is absolutely NOTHING that directs patrons to your kayak rental site along Buffalo Bayou. Now, I get maybe the bayou was too high or something. But it would be a great benefit to your guests if you could be more informative and upfront on the flexibility of your hours. Very disappointed. If you are going to have a "permanent" site here, maybe go the extra lengths to make it look more legit. EDIT: On the main page of their website, you can access the Buffalo Bayou Park kayak location directly, however the days of the week they operate are still not referenced. only 10am-5pm. Hope others don't run into this confusion!

Got here about 10am and rented the 2-person kayak for 2 hours for my 6-year old son and I. ALL staff members we interacted with was helpful & had positive attitudes (I could tell they love their job). We were given a quick 5-minute introductory lesson on kayaking & was soon off in the bayou. The views are amazing and gives you a different perspective of Houston from the Buffalo Bayou-point-of-view. There are plenty of shade areas along the path to stop for a breathers as I was a bit worried about the sun beaming down on us. Had such a amazing time, that I've been pricing out kayaks at the Academy & other stores as I think I'm taking on a new hobby. Oh, and not ONE mosquito bite on us!

Ken was amazing! We were in a bind needing some last minute kayaks for a cleanup event. He rented us 2 tandems with all the gear and saved the day! We enjoyed kayaking the bayou, too. Nice surprise in the center of Houston.

I spoke with the owner a few weeks ago confirming their location and hours. I verified that life vests were provided as I wanted to create a special morning for my mom (80+ years old). The owner advised me to arrive before 9 am to be sure and get a canoe. Last Saturday, I drove from Meyerland, picked up my mom in Cypress, and drove to Sabine Street arriving at 8:30. Then we waited, and waited, and waited. I verified that I was at the correct location by the water. At 9 am I started calling the business number. No answer and the voicemail was full. No response to a text. We left at 9:20 very disappointed.

It was a okay. $30 for one hour was really expensive. I've kayaked for 7 hours for the same price. The kayak backrest was horrible and the paddle grips were loose. It was pleasant to see the city from a different pov. I wish people would keep the bayou clean. I don't enjoy kayaking around a bunch of trash.

Unprofessional conduct by the owner. Wrong address listed on google maps. Additionally, we were told to vacate our kayak 20 mins before our time was up due to incoming 'storms' which didn't come in for a while. Plus if you knew there was a storm coming in, why would you let us rent out the kayak in the first place? The only reason I'm even giving this two stars is for the sweet ladies working at the front. Avoid if you can.

Nice thing to do on the weekend! I love kayaking and figured there had to be a place in Houston to kayak. I luckily stumbled upon this place! The lady at the front desk was very nice and thorough, and charged us $40 for 2 hours for a tandem kayak. You go down the stairs and there will be workers there to help you put the kayak into the water. Highly recommend this place.

I'd never been kayaking until BCA; I paid $30 for a single rider's kayak for two hours. I went with a few friends and we paddled towards downtown Houston and got the chance to enjoy a beautiful view of the city from the river. It's definitely peaceful, and it took my group 30 minutes to get from the start point (around The Kitchen at the Dunlavy) to Sabine Street on the day we went. It was exhausting but definitely worth the effort and price. The service was fantastic. They were super helpful, which was awesome since most of the people in my party were first-timers! I highly recommend this experience; kayaking was such a blast today!

I gave them a call for some info and even though they were "closed", they answered the phone and gave me a great tip for paddle boarding in Buffalo Bayou. Shout out!!!!! and big Thank You....

Recently, I went kayaking for the first time on an out-of-town trip and was instantly hooked. After coming back home I started looking for a basic kayaking class to help me become more comfortable on the water, and discovered BCA's intro class. The Quick Start to Kayaking class is 3 hours long and costs $60 plus an additional fee for the kayak rental (the rental fee is discounted for class participants). On the website they promise a good teacher to student ratio, and they delivered. The class took place on a small lake at a park in Sugar Land. Our instructors -- Rico, Ken, and Marissa -- were all phenomenal. Rico had a great sense of humor, Ken carefully watched us to make sure we were safe, and Marissa was extremely encouraging anytime we mastered a new skill. They stressed the importance of safety but also kept the class fun and enjoyable. Because there were three instructors and only about 10-12 class participants, we really got some good hands-on instruction throughout the course. After the class was over, Ken led us on a mini paddle tour around the lake to practice what we'd learned. The class helped me feel a lot more confident in my skills and I feel that now I'm ready to start exploring a little independently of tours and classes. Before the class, I would have never considered just renting a kayak and paddling without a tour guide. I'm even considering taking some of their other classes, such as the stand-up paddling classes or kayak rescue class. I recently went ocean kayaking for he first time on a guided tour and was thrilled at how much I remembered from the class, and how much easier it was to maneuver around on the water compared to the first time I kayaked. I highly recommend the class if you want to become better at kayaking but don't know where to start, or if you've never tried it before and want to learn the basics. One thing that really impressed me was that Rico said we could retake the intro class one more time, for free, if we felt that we needed it. I was really impressed that they were concerned enough with our safety and skills to offer such a great deal. I don't feel that I need the class again but if there is any critical skill I ever don't feel comfortable with, I feel good knowing I can always re-do the class to solidify my knowledge.

The employees were so nice and helpful during our experience. You are able to travel down both parts of the bayou and experience a different view of downtown Texas!

Pair of Ray Ban sunglasses - $80 Baseball Cap - $20 Tipping over while kayaking because your gf hit a tree - priceless. Recently, Groupon's daily special was the Buffalo Bayou Shuttle Service. I had them bookmarked here on yelp for a few months and with groupon I was able to check them out for half the price. My gf and I signed up for the 9:30 am Navigator's Tour. We arrived at 9 am and were given waivers and basic instructions. A little before 10 we were ready on the bayou. The bayou itself is pretty nasty, but does prove to be an adventure with twists and turns. You have to travel over rocks, around shopping cards and WATCH OUT FOR THAT TREE! It was a blast, and all of it right here in Houston. They said it was about 7 miles which took us under 2 hours to paddle. Our whole group was comprised of couples and before the start the guides even warned us if we can make it through this we can make it through anything. After the trip I knew what they were talking about. This is a perfect way to find out who's really in charge in the relationship. You'll find out if one mate will actually listen to the other and who is willing to do the work when it comes down to it. The service is a great packaged deal. It includes the kayak rentals with life vests, and a guide in the front in the back to make sure you don't get lost and provide safe routes to follow. Also when you are done they will shuttle you back to your car so you can go 1 direction only. They do sell bottled water for 1.00 if you happen to forget your water. I would recommend wearing water gear and leaving your valuables at home.

"" What: Private Skyline Tour; When: Friday, 7/16 @ 6:30 pm Who: 14 friends (all old enough to have grown children...) Thank you to Rico & our tour guides for a night to remember. I had high expectations, and it was better than that. There really are parts of the trip where you have absolutely no clue that you are in the middle of a major city. Bonus for us was that the current was exceptionally fast, so we often just went with the flow. Also, even though it was really hot , it was very very pleasant on the bayou--no kidding. If you are thinking about doing this, I highly encourage you to book a tour now! Added bonus: they take great photos for you and post them on their website, therefore not really necessary to bring a camera.

Got here about 10am and rented the 2-person kayak for 2 hours for my 6-year old son and I. ALL staff members we interacted with was helpful & had positive attitudes (I could tell they love their job). We were given a quick 5-minute introductory lesson on kayaking & was soon off in the bayou. The views are amazing and gives you a different perspective of Houston from the Buffalo Bayou-point-of-view. There are plenty of shade areas along the path to stop for a breathers as I was a bit worried about the sun beaming down on us. Had such a amazing time, that I've been pricing out kayaks at the Academy & other stores as I think I'm taking on a new hobby. Oh, and not ONE mosquito bite on us!

Had a great time this past Saturday in the kayak and got to explore a whole new world in the city. The guides were great but be sure to bring snacks and extra water bottle.

I've been wanting to go kayaking down the bayou for as long as I can remember, but could never find the strength to fork over $80. So when I saw a groupon, $39 for 2 I was beyond happy. I called the number to book my kayak tour for the following day and talked to a guy who wasn't too nice. After he asked me the mandatory information he just stopped talking. "So.... what are the details?" I asked him. All the told me was to "check my e-mail." Ummm... thanks for that. I may be a bit of a worry-wart, but eight hours later and I still had not received an e-mail for the kayak tour I was supposed to be going to the following morning. At least let me know where we are meeting up for Gods-sake! FInally, at midnight I received an e-mail. We signed up for the "Greens Bayou Eagle Trail" because it was one of the two available tours during the weekend. We met at this small dock off of I-10 East along with 20 other people (mostly couples.) Contrary to the delightful man I spoke to on the phone, our tour guides were very helpful and kind. They pointed out a large eagle's nest at the top of the tree, which I'm guessing is always there, hence the name of the trail. In general, the area was very nice and was removed from the real world. It almost felt as if you weren't even in Houston. There was a bit of pollution, mostly collected on the sides, but nothing that was prompt me not to come back. All in all, I had 2 hours of quality time in a kayak with my boyfriend, and it was a great experience for us both. I can't wait to try the rest of their tours, especially the "skyline tour."

I did the Houston Skyline tandem kayaking tour at 10 am. We arrived at the parking lot where we filled out waivers and received brief instructions. The launch site is actually where the parking lot is. If you have never kayaked before, don't worry! This is coming from a girl that often lets the other person do the work. However, my boyfriend said if I didn't help him, I'd be in big trouble. There is bottled water for sale for $1 or you can bring your own. They also give you a water-proof sack to put your valuables in. Advice: ask for a separate one to put your water/snacks in. We opened two bottles and kept it in the kayak but didn't drink from it again after the bayou water and sand splashed all over it. The Houston Skyline tour was a little over 8 miles and it was no joke! The water was very low and the current was slow. It took us 3 hours. If you go and the water is higher and the current is faster, it will require very little work and will take about 2 hours or so. Obviously our bayou isn't the prettiest thing but it was fun to go out and try something different.

We have done 2 company events with Bayou City Adventures: "Quick Start to Kayaking" last year and most recently "Introduction to Stand up Paddle Boarding". Rico and Nick were great and took their time with our gang making our sessions fun, informative, and safe. For our most recent event, one of our group could not swim and panicked out on the water, but Rico pulled him aside and worked with him for an extensive period, and soon he was back paddle boarding again. Highly recommend this group.

My wife took me on a kayaking tour for my birthday and it was an amazing experience. I loved it and we will definitely be doing it again.

I was looking to go paddle boarding and yelped paddle boarding and Bayou came up. I called Bayou city adventures and all they had set up was a voicemail stating that they were open Sunday and Monday (Memorial Day) and their two locations and the prices ($5 for kayaks & $10 for small boats). I went to discovery green park to find they only had kayaks and little boats on nothing bigger than a small pond. So my friends and I tried to go to Buffalo Bayou Park. It was impossible finding them because when you look them up, their office no where near water would show up. If you tried to call them, no one was available. We finally just yelled out to some random people on kayaks and they told us to go to lost lake visitor center. When we got to lost lake parking lot, it was full. The only available parking was $5 valet for the restaurant there. We paid the $5 to walk in and find that it was $35 for single kayak, $40 for tandem kayak, and $45 for canoe. I asked about their voicemail and they said those were only prices for Discovery green park. I asked if they would honor the $5 price they stated on the voicemail and they said the couldn't do that. Only a manager could do that. I asked to speak to a manager and they stated the manager (Rico) was on the water with a kayak tour. My response was asking if they only had one manager and they stated that the other manager was at discovery green park but they do not know the number. We still paid the full price but was very disappointed. The water had a bunch of trash and smelled horrible. The told us there was no where to swim and you wouldn't want to because if you did you would have to take a 3-4 hour shower to get the smell off. I would highly recommend going to Clear Lake for any water sports.

I will start this review with the caveat that I used Bayou Shuttle Service because I purchased a groupon. My boyfriend and I purchased a $40 deal for an $80 kayak ride. We bought it in November and decided to wait until spring to use it -- we had 6 months before the groupon expired. We started looking in April for May tours, but had trouble planning in advance because the company only posts the next month's tours a week before the end of the previous month. My first call to Bayou Shuttle was to find out when the tours would be posted, and when I asked, the guy told me I could book using the internet and that the tours would be up soon. That was the first piece of bad information, I needed to book over the phone, not the internet. We picked a tour that worked for our schedule and that was available through our groupon. I tried to book online, and I could not. I called again, the guy told me that that tour was no longer available to groupon holders because it was no longer being run by his company. As the groupon had not expired, it seems like they should have needed to completely honor its terms. The guy assured me I could use my groupon for a different tour and that I could book online. So, I hung up, and after figuring out a different tour, I tried to book online -- still couldn't do it. So, the fun thing about calling Bayou Shuttle is that they are only available between the hours of 12-5, but they don't actually answer the phone during those hours consistently. So, this led to me calling multiple times to even attempt to get someone on the phone. I got so frustrated that I called groupon about a refund -- it clearly said to call to book on their website and then every time I called, I was told to book online. This finally led to a call back to actually book. When I complained to the guy about the difficulty I''d had and that I couldn't book the tour I wanted, he was unapologetic. Then, we get to the actual tour. It was led by 2, high school kids who were good kayakers but that was about it. They led a 2 minute orientation that simply explained "to go right, paddle on the left etc". Then they put us all in our boats, and sent us to go "paddle around" while they waited on late customers. We probably got in the water around 11am or so (after arriving at 10:30 for the mandatory training that if you were late for, you were supposed to not be able to kayak). We all sat in the water for a good 15 to 20 minutes while they waited. Then, when the guides finally arrived, one of them paddled in the front, the other paddled in the back. They offered no information or "guiding", just simply stuck with us and told us when to turn around. By the time we got out of the water and back to our car it was about 12:30 or 12:45, we realized we had probably only been on the water for about an hour when the tour was supposed to last 2.5 and be a 5 mile kayak tour. Ultimately, we had fun because we enjoy kayaking and being outside... but if you want anything more than being provided with a boat and being told to go, don't go through Bayou Shuttle Service.

This tour is a little lengthy, as most of them are about 3 hours average. Something about that last hour-have to talk yourself through it! The views are so neat that I didn't feel like I was in Houston the entire time-you definitely see Houston from a different perspective, literally. You can bring an ice chest and drinks/snacks on board with you, and I definitely recommend enough to last you and your partner/group. We had 4 people total and tried to paddle near each other (so we can toss beer back and forth) the whole way. There was no current this day. At all. So we worked to move ourselves all 3 of those hours. The only thing I can mention that could be better is that the tour guide is usually at the front of the group and if you're not right next to her you literally can't hear a thing she's saying about the sights to see.

The Buffalo Bayou (West Loop to downtown) kayak trip was interesting, fun and the guides were great! Encountered a couple of new, unexpected blockages along the way and they worked very hard to make it easier for us. We had all ages, young to older with various ability and skill levels; I personally learned I would not tackle this without these guys but wouldn't hesitate to go back with their assistance. Really get a different view of Houston; you know it's there but you don't really know what's there.....

Bayou City Adventure has different kinds of activities. I joined 2 meetups and played Kayak Polo activity that was hosted in the Discovery Green Park, the downtown of Houston. It was fun and I enjoyed. They also have free paddling class but I was a little bit late for it and did not get a spot there. I have written a post and talked about these activities in more details. See "Discovery Green Park in Houston Downtown, Texas" in youishare.

My 13 year old son & I had a great time kayaking Buffalo Bayou. It was our first time to do anything like this & I highly recommend it. The staff is great and they were wonderful guides & instructors.

This is a new company that does kayak tours along buffalo bayou. They have tours from novice (or worse, a first timer like me) to longer/more advanced tours. The set up is kind of like tubing in central Texas. You park downtown, then a shuttle bus drives you upstream and you end up back at your car. You don't need to bring anything, they have all the kayaks and gear, you just show up. There is a guide that gives you just the right amount of commentary about the things you are passing, historical or cultural, without it being intrusive. More importantly, the guides are able to help you get unstuck when you steer into something you shouldn't. They have tours at different times of the day but we did the last one which has the benefit of being slightly cooler, being able to see the sunset, and floating under the Waugh bridge just as all of the bats are flying out. The bayou is not nearly as dirty as you would expect and is quite stunning in places. That is not to say that you won't see a tire or oil drum washed up on shore, but seeing the debris drives home a bigger message about Houston's relationship with nature and commerce.

Had a good time kayaking the bayou for a girl's weekend. We did the Skyline tour. The guides were friendly and helpful. The views were good and wildlife was abundant on the weekend we went. Family friendly.

Did the skyline kayaking tour with a friend and we had a great time! Our arms were super sore the next day, but totally worth it!!

What a great time provided by BCA. The kayaking guides were informative, patient, safe and certainly there to help and make the trip a very enjoyable experience. Great job Bayou City

The experience and guides are great. But their office operation sucks. I've kayaked Buffalo Bayou with a group of people (usually 6-8 kayaks) for the past three years with these guys. Each year I have a hard time getting a response from their office reserving the date, getting our group up on their web site to register. Tried again this year, and knowing they don't respond, started in December for a March date. I've tried by email, phone call, fax. They don't call back. Amazing. However, when you do finally get a hold of them, it's a great experience kayaking down Buffalo Bayou and seeing Houston in a whole new way.

I was very exited to set this up as a fun date for me and my husband. I called the company and a man named Mike told me to email him for a reservation. I sent the email that day and waited for confirmation. I never heard back, so I found a different email address on their website and emailed that address and waited again. 3 days later, Mike finally returned my call and verified my reservation for the next day. We were to meet him today at 10:30 am at a designated pick up location. My husband and I arrived at 10:20 am and at 10:45 there was still no pick up. I called Mike's cell phone and he said the driver should be there any minute. We waited until after 11:00 am and then I called Mike again and he did not answer. My husband and I decided to leave, as we had waited for almost 45 minutes. I called and left Mike a message but he never returned our call. I am disappointed that we were not able to kayak today, as we planned our entire day around the event and traveled 45 minutes to the designed pick up site. I would not recommend this company to anyone.