# 7 Best Boat Tours & Outdoor Adventures in Tampa Bay (2026) Dolphin cruises, clear kayaks at Shell Key, and a floating tiki bar. Tampa Bay is best seen from the water. These tours range from dolphin-watching cruises on Clearwater Beach to clear-kayak trips in Shell Key Preserve. Picks come largely from Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, so treat them as a starting point, and confirm schedules and pricing. Spots are numbered for easy browsing, not as a strict ranking. Updated: October 2026. Source: Real Tampa Bay Media, https://realtampabay.com/guides/best-boat-tours-and-outdoor-adventures-in-tampa-bay ## Spots ### 1. Little Toot Dolphin Adventure A Tripadvisor-ranked dolphin cruise. - Neighborhood: Clearwater Beach Little Toot ranked No. 4 in the U.S. for day cruise experiences in Tripadvisor's 2026 Travelers' Choice Awards and often gets dolphins to play behind the boat. Highlights: Tripadvisor 2026 pick; Dolphin watching; Clearwater Beach ### 2. Tropics Boat Tours Dolphin and sunset sailings. - Neighborhood: Clearwater Beach Tropics Boat Tours runs dolphin-watching and sightseeing cruises several times a day, including sunset sailings. Highlights: Dolphin watching; Sunset sailings; Several departures daily ### 3. Clearwater Marine Aquarium Boat Tour Dolphin science on the water. - Neighborhood: Clearwater Clearwater Marine Aquarium's boat tour covers the Clearwater Bay dolphin population and how scientists collect data. Highlights: Dolphin research; Aquarium-run; Clearwater Bay ### 4. StarLite Cruises Dinner, dolphin and party cruises. - Neighborhood: Clearwater Beach StarLite Cruises offers dinner, dolphin-watching and party cruises and describes itself as the largest daily excursion fleet in Florida. Highlights: Dinner cruises; Dolphin watching; Multiple locations ### 5. Get Up and Go Kayaking Clear kayaks at Shell Key Preserve. - Neighborhood: Tierra Verde - Address: 1 Collany Rd, Tierra Verde, FL Get Up and Go Kayaking runs guided clear-kayak tours of Shell Key Preserve. Highlights: Clear kayaks; Guided tours; Shell Key Preserve ### 6. Florida Tiki Tours A floating tiki bar at John's Pass. - Neighborhood: Madeira Beach - Address: John's Pass Boardwalk (near Woody's Watersports), Madeira Beach, FL Florida Tiki Tours is a floating tiki bar that tours John's Pass and Boca Ciega Bay. Highlights: Floating tiki bar; John's Pass; Boca Ciega Bay ### 7. Totally Tiki Tours Tiki boat from the St. Pete Pier. - Neighborhood: Downtown St. Petersburg Totally Tiki Tours departs from the St. Pete Pier. Highlights: Tiki boat; St. Pete Pier ## About this guide Picks are compiled from local publications and public sources and are not a paid ranking. Spots are numbered for browsing, not as a strict ranking. Hours and prices are intentionally omitted because they change; confirm details with each venue. All guides: https://realtampabay.com/guides Header photo: Jana Taylor, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Little_Toot_dolphin_tours,_clearwater_FL_2016_-_panoramio.jpg).