15 Tampa & St Petersburg Tours That Repay the Ticket

1.Clear Kayak Tour of Shell Key Preserve and Tampa Bay Area

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5,800 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $79Our pick

Paddle a tandem clear kayak from Tierra Verde to Shell Key Preserve with a guide such as Alessia, Jenna, Ben, or Chris. Expect mangroves, shallow water, seabirds, fish, dolphins, and a beach stop for shells. The two-hour tour suits beginners and families, but wind can make open-water paddling strenuous.

“Insanely beautiful! Jada was very knowledgeable and shared great fun facts about all of the wildlife we saw. Would definitely recommend. Also very much appreciated the cold water provided”

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2.Little Toot Dolphin Adventure at Clearwater Beach

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5,594 reviews · 1 hour 15 minutes (approx.) · from $37

Board the tugboat-style Little Toot at Clearwater Beach for a 75-minute narrated cruise through Clearwater Harbor and the Gulf of Mexico. The boat’s large wake attracts wild dolphins, often bringing them close to the stern. Choose sun or shade, move around onboard, and enjoy music, wildlife commentary, and views from a central marina departure.

“The boat was cute, clean and comfortable and the crew was friendly We saw multiple dolphins in the harbor area and out in the gulf. It was cool to see them jumping the boat wake like we were part of a show at Sea World! However, the experience would have been enhanced if we had learned more about the area and marine life along the way.”

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3.Sarasota Guided Mangrove Tunnel Kayak Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,440 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $59

Meet Sea Life Kayak Adventures at 190 Taft Dr for a two-hour guided paddle through Little Sarasota Bay and South Lido’s mangrove tunnels. Choose a single or tandem kayak, with Ian, Kenny, Joe, Dinko, or another guide leading the way. Expect calm water, local ecology, and possible manatee, dolphin, ray, and bird sightings.

“Do it! We had a great time and our guide was very knowledgeable about the native plants and aquatic life.”

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4.Historic Ybor City Food Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,210 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $89

Walk Tampa’s historic Ybor City with guides such as Cindy or Surch, stopping for four to six generous food and drink tastings. Expect Cuban sandwiches, shepherd’s pie, calzone, cannoli, and Cuban coffee, plus stories about immigrants, cigars, buildings, and Jose Marti Park. Come hungry and wear comfortable shoes.

“Surge was a great guide! He was informative and gave us a lot of interesting facts. He was really nice. The food offerings were generous sized and delicious! Really glad we took this tour. Highly recommend!”

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5.Clearwater Encounters with Dolphins Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,185 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $35

Cruise Clearwater Harbor aboard a 40-foot Coast Guard-inspected boat with a captain and crew who search for bottlenose dolphins and explain the area’s wildlife. The trip lasts about 90 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes, including 20 to 30 minutes at Compass Island, where you can swim, hunt for shells, and let children search for treasure.

“The crew was lovely and the experience was wondrous. Saw dolphins, many birds, Mantas, and even got to see a Eagle ray jump straight out the water. As well as many rich people's houses 😁 The island stop was also great and we found many beautiful shell there.”

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6.Calypso Queen Tropical Party Buffet Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,136 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $58

Board the Calypso Queen at Clearwater Beach Marina for a two-hour lunch or dinner cruise. You get a tropical buffet, rum punch, beer, house wine, and soft drinks. Day trips feature captain commentary, while evening sailings add a live DJ and dancing. Parking costs extra, and tropical cocktails and desserts are sold separately.

“Such a nice experience for me and the wife will do again , drinks and environment was good along with the food”

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7.Island Sunset and Skyway Light Show – 3hr Boat Cruise in St. Pete

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,871 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $80

Spend about three hours on the water with Coastal Cruises, passing waterfront mansions, Gulfport, and several bridges before stopping at Sand Dollar Island for sunset and shell hunting. Guides such as Captain Paul, Dillon, Gavin, Chase, and Noah share local facts, serve drinks, and help with photos before the boat returns beneath the Sunshine Skyway Bridge lights.

“Tony and Justice were awesome. We had a great experience and would definitely recommend this to others thinking about signing up for this excursion!”

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8.Small Group 2 Hour Dolphin Cruise with Snorkeling to Shell Key

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,523 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $75

Watch for dolphins and manatees on a two-hour cruise from Tierra Verde Marina Resort, then visit Shell Key for beach shelling and shallow-water snorkeling. The 25-foot pontoon carries no more than six people, with bottled water, gear, ice, and free parking included. Captains such as Noel, Megan, and Dave add local wildlife knowledge.

“We took this tour at the end of June. There was limited amount of sea life. …2 dolphins and 2 sea manatees. The sea life and shelling wasn’t as great as on our Hilton Head trip during the same month last year. The captain was very nice and we had the pontoon completely to ourselves… the reason for the 3 stars. But 2 members had to miss the tour at the last minute due to our granddaughter contracting a virus with a high grade fever. The tour company refused to accommodate us and change the tour to a later date. We did book the tour through Viator who also refused…”

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9.Guided Tampa Sightseeing Tour in a Deluxe Street Legal Golf Cart

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,344 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours (approx.) · from $49

Cruise Tampa in a small group of up to seven on a street-legal electric golf cart. Your guide points out Ybor City, Bayshore Boulevard, Hyde Park, Water Street, and the Riverwalk, with photo stops, water, clear audio, and local food tips. Guides may include James, Brenda, Jex, Elena, or Elaina.

“Long time Florida residents and 2 frequent visitors thoroughly enjoyed this tour. Our guide, Brenda, was wonderful. Though not a Florida native she knew so much about the local Tampa history and told it with a great sense of humor. Couldn’t have asked for a more fun guide. Though we’d spent quite a lot of time in Tampa in the past, Brenda showed us so many places and things we’d never seen or heard of and now can’t wait to explore more on our own. Definitely recommend this tour and may even do it again one day.”

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10.Sarasota Mangrove Tunnel Guided Kayak Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,217 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $65

Launch from Ted Sperling Nature Park for a two-hour guided kayak trip across Sarasota Bay and into Lido Key’s mangrove tunnels. You’ll learn basic paddling and safety first, then look for dolphins, manatees, stingrays, birds, and fish. Guides including Cody, Jordan, Patrick, Jacob, and Steffan add local history and humor along the way.

“Patrick was a great and very informative guide. Saw lots of nature and wildlife. Would highly recommend”

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11.TreeUmph Adventure Course

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,141 reviews · from $163

Spend about four hours at TreeUmph! Adventure Course in Bradenton, including check-in, training, and three hours on more than 120 treetop games. You will tackle bridges, nets, swinging logs, Tarzan ropes, and ziplines from 15 to 60 feet high. Adult and children’s courses, equipment, parking, and safety instruction are included.

“Great fun! The guides were present and helpful in all the courses. The area is lovely and safety is their primary focus along with ensuring everyone has fun.”

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12.Siesta Key Electric Bike Sunset Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,075 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $71

Join guides such as Derek, Kelsey, or Ben for a two-hour sunset e-bike ride on Siesta Key. After a bike tutorial, you ride the length of Siesta Beach, pause for Gulf sunset views, continue through Siesta Key Village, and finish with fruit, cheese, wine, and bottled water. The bikes offer five levels of pedal assist and an on-demand throttle.

“We went on the Siesta Key Electric Bike Sunset Tour in February with Derek. He was a funny and knowledgeable tour guide. In addition, the bikes were a blast to ride and the views were spectacular!! Would go again, loved it!”

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13.The Florida Aquarium Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 979 reviews · 1 day · from $36

Spend a day exploring The Florida Aquarium in downtown Tampa. See sharks, sea turtles, alligators, lemurs, river otters, free-flying birds, and dwarf seahorses. Touch stingrays and jellyfish at three interactive pools, then add a dolphin cruise or SeaTREK experience if you want more time on the water.

“it was fun and exciting to see the exotic animals especially the underground aquariums;”

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14.Guaranteed Dolphin Sighting Tour on Tropics Boat Tours

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 947 reviews · 1 hour 45 minutes (approx.) · from $37

Cruise from Clearwater Beach with The Tropics Boat Tours for about 1 hour 45 minutes in search of wild bottlenose dolphins. Your captain and crew share facts about marine life, the Gulf Coast, and waterfront mansions. Brad and Regan have earned special praise for their friendly commentary, though dolphin sightings are guaranteed through a free return ride, not always on the first trip.

“Had a blast highly recommend.. got to see a lot of dolphins and the crew is very knowledgeable about the area”

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15.Clearwater Beach: Dolphin & Island Sandbar Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 767 reviews · 2 hours · from $28Best value

Spend two hours cruising from Clearwater Beach with a USCG captain and English-speaking guide. Look for dolphins, hear local stories, then stop at One-Tree Island for a short swim. Bring your own drinks and snacks, use the onboard coolers, and expect free ice cream for children.

“The ride and the captain it was amazing seeing the dolphins”

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