Few outdoor team building activities in the Bay Area put a group this close to the water: a guided 2.5 hour kayak tour of the historic Sausalito waterfront, paddling stable double kayaks past houseboats, historic ships and curious harbor seals. It is reserved for your group and built for colleagues who have never paddled before.
The tour is priced at $159 per guest and is ideal for corporate groups of 6 to 60. Every guest gets a life jacket, a paddle and a water and wind-resistant paddling jacket, and the guides run a quick, easy-to-follow safety briefing before the group heads out onto the protected waters of Richardson Bay.
What's Included
- A guided 2.5 hour kayak tour reserved for your group
- Stable double
Few outdoor team building activities in the Bay Area put a group this close to the water: a guided 2.5 hour kayak tour of the historic Sausalito waterfront, paddling stable double kayaks past houseboats, historic ships and curious harbor seals. It is reserved for your group and built for colleagues who have never paddled before.
The tour is priced at $159 per guest and is ideal for corporate groups of 6 to 60. Every guest gets a life jacket, a paddle and a water and wind-resistant paddling jacket, and the guides run a quick, easy-to-follow safety briefing before the group heads out onto the protected waters of Richardson Bay.
What's Included
- A guided 2.5 hour kayak tour reserved for your group
- Stable double sit-on-top kayaks for every pair of guests
- Life jackets and paddles for every guest
- Water and wind-resistant paddling jackets
- A safety briefing and easy instruction before launch
- Professional guides who stay with your group on the water
The Route
The paddle launches from the historic Bay Model, just 12 to 15 minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge. From there the group glides along the waterfront while the guides share some of the rich local history and stories. The highlight is the floating homes community of over 400 houseboats, an eclectic, bohemian neighborhood where artists and free spirits have lived for decades, seen from the most intimate vantage point of all: sea level.
Views stretch to Mt. Tamalpais, the surrounding hills of Sausalito and Tiburon and the San Francisco skyline, which the group faces on the return leg. Keep a camera ready for harbor seals popping up to say hello, brown pelicans diving overhead, herons and cormorants drying their wings on the pilings.
Why It Works for Teams
Two people share every kayak, so the session turns into some of the most natural water team building activities there are: partners find a rhythm, steer together and trade the lead, and nobody can sit it out. The pace is relaxed, which leaves room for real conversation between paddle strokes, and the wildlife gives everyone something to point at and laugh about. For planners looking for nature team building activities that get people outdoors and up close with marine life, it is a strong fit.
As a corporate team outing, it also scales well: the guides keep a group of 6 to 60 safe and together, and the tour can be customized to your schedule or turned into a custom program. Teams searching for unique team building activities often remember this one for the houseboats alone.
Make It a Full Afternoon
After the paddle, many groups savor a meal at one of the waterfront restaurants in town, and the outfitter has relationships with local restaurants and catering companies to arrange a meal before or after your time on the water. For guests who would rather not paddle, fully electric cruising boats that need no boating license can join alongside the kayaks; they are separately priced.
Good to Know
- No experience is needed: the friendly staff teach the team everything it needs to know
- Expect to get a bit wet; the water-repellent jackets help keep guests dry
- Capsizing is rare and unlikely in the stable two-person kayaks
- The pace is leisurely, so it is only strenuous if your group wants it to be
- All participants wear life jackets and the guides are with you at all times
- Kids 6 and up can join, usually paired with an adult
About the Outfitter
This is California's oldest kayaking outfitter, with more than 40 years of experience leading, educating, playing and caring on the water since 1982, when the company pioneered commercial sea kayaking in California. The team runs guided tours, rentals, kayak and paddleboard classes and youth programs from two bases on the bay, and specializes in hosting corporate and private group paddles as well as custom water sport programming for conferences and large events. A bay conservation and community giving program, launched in 2017, supports local nonprofits and gets kids out on the water.
Plan Your Paddle
Guests give the Sausalito base a 4.8-star rating across 358 reviews. Share your preferred date and group size, and the team replies with a proposal; a 25% deposit secures gear, staffing and the date. At $159 per guest, it is one of the easiest company offsite activities to book on the bay.
