Shore Excursion Review: Kayak, Hike & Snorkel Tour in St. Thomas

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St. Thomas was our first stop on this southern Caribbean cruise, and it was also our second time visiting the island. Last time we were here, we booked a Royal Caribbean excursion that took us by catamaran over to St. John to explore Virgin Islands National Park — and it was fantastic. So this time around, we wanted to do something different and see a little more of St. Thomas itself. That’s how we landed on a Kayak, Hike & Snorkel tour through Viator.

Here’s how it went, the good and the not-so-good, so you can decide if it’s the right call for your own port day.

Getting Off the Ship in Charlotte Amalie

Cruise ships dock at Charlotte Amalie, which as far as we can tell is the main cruise port on St. Thomas (there are actually two docks in the area). One thing worth knowing right away: wherever your ship parks, you’re stepping into a pretty industrial part of the island, not a postcard beach scene. That sets the tone for a few things we’ll get into below.

The Tour: Kayak, Hike & Snorkel

We booked this one through Viator rather than directly through the cruise line, working with the tour operator ourselves. The tour started with a kayak paddle through a mangrove forest leading into a fish and wildlife preserve area — a nice, calm way to kick things off.

From there, we did the “hike” portion, which, full disclosure, is a generous use of the word. It’s really more of a walk along a scenic path, but our guide made it worthwhile by pointing out the local flora and fauna along the way.

The World’s Most Poisonous Tree

The highlight of the walk, hands down, was our guide showing us the world’s most poisonous tree. He had a small scar on his hand from once standing near it during a light drizzle — not even real rain — and the mist alone was enough to burn him. He told us that during slavery, enslaved people were made to chop these trees down, and if they were downwind, it could kill them. He also shared a story about someone who ate the fruit and ended up hospitalized for five months with organ failure.

What really stuck with us: our guide said researchers still haven’t identified all of the toxins in the tree. Some of them remain a mystery. On the flip side, it’s also being studied for potential pharmaceutical and medicinal uses, which is a wild contrast for something so dangerous.

The Snorkeling

The snorkeling portion was fine — nothing to write home about. If we’re comparing it to our St. John snorkeling from our previous trip, that was some of the best we’ve ever experienced. This was solidly just okay by comparison.

One honest critique: the kayak and snorkel areas were away from the resort areas of the island, which meant the first third or so of our paddle went right past the local landfill. Apparently, that area was chosen specifically because there were no resorts nearby, so you end up with an eco-park sitting right next to a landfill. Not exactly the tropical paddle we were picturing.

The Taxi Situation

We have to talk about the taxis, because it caught us off guard. Getting from the cruise port to Red Hook (where our tour departed from) cost $15 per person, in exact change, for a ride of only a couple of miles. You’re loaded into an open-air taxi with 10 or more other passengers, and from what we understand, rates on the island roughly doubled a couple of years ago.

We want to be careful here — St. Thomas has real economic challenges, and that context matters. But just being straightforward travelers, it didn’t feel like a fair value for what we got. Our guide also mentioned that St. Thomas deals with infrastructure issues similar to Puerto Rico, including power outages and even water outages, which was eye-opening for us as visitors from the mainland U.S.

The Food Hunt That Didn’t Pan Out

After the tour, we took another taxi into the city center hoping to find some authentic local food. We struck out. Rather than pay for yet another taxi, we ended up walking about 30 minutes in the heat back toward the ship — and reluctantly ate at the Windjammer buffet onboard. We really try to avoid doing that; buying food in port is usually a priority for us. It’s entirely possible the real, local spots are tucked away in another part of the island we just didn’t have access to on this trip, but from where we were, it was tough to find.

Our Honest Take

St. Thomas wasn’t our favorite port on this cruise, if we’re being candid. Between the industrial dock area, the pricey taxis, and the landfill-adjacent kayak route, it didn’t leave us with the same magic as St. John did on our last visit. That said, the mangrove kayaking was peaceful, the poisonous tree story alone was worth the price of admission, and it’s clear there’s more of the island to explore if you know where to look.

Would we recommend this specific tour? If you’re up for a low-key paddle and a genuinely fascinating nature lesson, yes. Just go in with realistic expectations on the “hike” and “snorkel” portions, and budget extra cash (in exact change) for taxis.

Quick Tips If You’re Headed to St. Thomas

• Bring exact change for taxis — $15/person for short distances is standard.
• Book excursions in advance through a platform like Viator if you want more unique options beyond what the cruise line offers.
• Don’t expect resort-level scenery near the cruise dock — it’s an industrial area.
• St. John may be the better snorkeling bet if you have flexibility on future visits.
• Pack reef-safe sun protection chemical sunscreen is banned in the Virgin Islands, so biodegradable sunscreen is a must.

Thanks for stopping by! Check out our Go See Do Explore Podcast, available wherever you listen to podcasts. To read more about this trip, check out the Island Hopping from San Juan Trip Report. To read about some of our previous trips, visit my Trips Page. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page and follow me on Instagram! For my list of gadgets to make your travels easier, click here.