Bioluminescence Kayaking Tours in St. Augustine, near Jacksonville and North Florida
Sunset and Bioluminescence in St. Augustine
⭐ Experience the best Sunset and Bioluminescence kayaking tour in St. Augustine, Florida. See Florida's famous sunset, glowing water and the monuments of St. Augustine lit up at night! This is the only tour of its kind - you see the sights of the Oldest City in America from the point of view of the first settlers to arrive on these shores, Florida wildlife like dolphins and manatees, and bioluminescence.
SUMMER TOURS START at 8PM and 10:30PM (Late Night Bioluminescence)
Price $75for Approx. 2 hours
Bioluminescent Kayaking in St. Augustine
🩷 NEW SUMMER TOUR - Starts at 10:30 pm! Late night bioluminescence tour in St. Augustine! This is the perfect way to end the day in America's iconic "Oldest City." See ancient bioluminescent sea creatures glow in the dark as you paddle past the city's famous monuments. Release your inner pirate as you see St. Augustine from the bay where rum runners, swashbucklers, and buccaneers ruled the GLOWING waterways! This tour has bright glowing comb jellies - a bioluminescent sea creature that is over 540 millions years old.
Price $75for Approx. 1.5 hour
“Best of St. Augustine Kayaking!” – Join BK Adventure for the best views of the city on our St. Augustine Bioluminescence tours!
This kayaking tour launches from Vilano Boat ramp, just 1-2 miles from the historic district of St. Augustine. This is a perfect way to spend an evening getting stunning views of monuments like the Castillo de San Marcos, the Great Cross and the St. Augustine Light House from the water – and to top it off – this is the best place in North Florida to see bioluminescence! See the magical glow of bioluminescence in one of Florida’s best vacation destinations – world famous St. Augustine. BK Adventure is the only tour company offering summer bioluminescence tours in the Ancient City!
Who would love this: This is great for groups who want to experience Florida’s amazing bioluminescence but do not want to drive to Titusville or Cocoa Beach. It’s great for families, couples, and groups who want a truly unique experience in Florida. The guides are fun, and remind you of days gone by as they help you paddle through the glowing bioluminescent water.
When to go: For comb jellies – Nov – May; for dinoflagellates or plankton bioluminescence May – October are the best times for this tour. Since space on tours is limited, please book in advance. BK’s Bioluminescent tours tend to sell out, book early! For last minute bookings call us – 407-519-8711.
What is included
Kayak/Paddle
PFD
Guides
What you should bring
Insect repellent
Towel
Flashlight
Water bottle
St. Augustine – Bioluminescence Glow Update – Week of May 12
We are seeing 3/5 glow for bioluminescent comb jellies! Guests said “looks like a see of stars!” Wildlife spotted: Dolphins, herons, manatee
New Moon Notice
These are the Dark Skies weeks for Summer 2026:
May 15-24 (16 new Moon)
Jun 10-19 (14 new Moon)
Jul 10-19 (14 new Moon)
Aug 8-16 (12 new Moon)
The less moonlight, the brighter the bioluminescent sea creatures will appear. Please check the Moon Calendar before booking.Biolumines
What will the bio look like on your tour?
The photos used for bioluminescence must be taken in absolutely perfect condition. Remember, bioluminescence is light created by living creatures. Like anything in nature, it can be hard to capture. Photos of bioluminescence are taken in perfect conditions at the height of the season. Your tour may feature comb jellies, or plankton that are not as concentrated as the would be in mid- July to mid-September. For more about seeing bioluminescence, read about it here.
What makes this bioluminescence tour so special?
This is the only bioluminescent kayaking tour with views of the historic city of St. Augustine. You have the chance to get stunning photos of the ancient monuments, plus experience the magic of Florida bioluminescence! See the water glow at night and the city shining bright!
What type of Florida wildlife will I see?
On this this eco-tour we often see manatees, dolphins, rays, roseate spoonbills, herons, pelicans, many types of fish (as they glow in the bioluminescence), comb jellies, and dinoflagellates.
Which cities is this bioluminescence tour nearest to?
near Jacksonville – 40 miles
near Ponte Vedra – 25 miles
near St. Augustine Beach – 7 miles
near Crescent Beach – 12 miles
near Gainesville – 74 miles
near Savannah – 174 miles (this is the closest Florida bioluminescence tour to Gerogia and the South East)
What is the best time to do a bioluminescence tour in St. Augustine?
Because Florida has both winter bioluminescence and summer bioluminescence, you can do a tour almost any time of the year. BK Adventure posts bioluminescence brightness ratings on their website and social media daily, so check out @bkadventure on your favorite platform, or call us for an update at 407-519-8711. The brightest bioluminescence is determined by the darkness of the skies and the warmth or coolness of the water. Check out our Dark Skies – New Moon Calendar here.
Nighttime Kayaking in St. Augustine
During the summer months we do a night time bioluminescence tour in addition to the sunset launch time. This tour starts at 10:30pm and lasts until around midnight. You can check for this dark skies bioluminescence tour by clicking on the calendar here, and looking for a 10:30 tour time.
Meeting Point
St. Augustine Bioluminescent Kayaking Tours meet at Vilano Boat Ramp – Saint Augustine, Florida
Meet your guide at Vilano Boat ramp just 1.5 miles from the historic district of St. Augustine, Florida. Please be at least 15 minutes early for your tour so we can start on time.
For Sunset – Bioluminescence Tours: You are the first tour of the evening, so help your guide start on time by being early!
For Nighttime Bioluminescent Kayaking – If your guides are not at the boat ramp, they may be on the water, please wait near the BK Adventure van for your guide to start the tour.
People Also Ask ... FAQ About this St. Augustine Bioluminescence Tour
Where is the best place to see bioluminescence in Florida?
The Mosquito Lagoon is considered to have the best bioluminescence in the entire world! However, we think this bioluminescent kayaking experience in St. Augustine is the best tour overall because you not only get to see great bioluminescence, you also get magnificent nighttime views of the city! This is a truly unique bioluminescence tour that you will not find anywhere else.
Why is this considered one of the most unique things to do in St. Augustine, Florida?
There is no other tour in Florida where you can see America’s oldest monuments – Fountain of Youth and Castillo de San Marcos, planet earth’s oldest living creatures – bioluminescent comb jellies (540 million years old), and Florida’s best wildlife – manatees, dolphins and more all at the same time!
Do I need to know how to kayak to do a bioluminescence tour?
No. We will give you some instruction before you go out, and paddling is easy for most people.
What do I need to bring on this night kayaking tour?
We recommend a dry bag or something waterproof you can put your valuables in that has a carabiner or tie on, a bottle of water., and insect repellant,
What should I wear for this tour?
Wear quick dry clothes, river sandals or water shoes (old sneakers are fine). We do not recommend wearing bikinis or any loose clothing as this will be an uncomfortable paddling experience.
What do I do if it’s raining?
This tour departs in light rain. If you are unsure, call our office and we will let you know if we think the weather will clear up. If you would like, you can can request a raincheck before the departure of the tour, and book another time at no extra fee.
Is this tour suitable for children?
This is a great tour for kids 8+ as we use tandem kayaks and the child can sit up front and help an adult parent paddle. For younger children, it would depend – call out office if you have questions. It is not suitable for children under 5 years old. ( We would recommend out bioluminescent rafting tour.)
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Just finished an absolutely fantastic tour with Jungle J! It wasn’t bioluminescent season just yet, but we saw and touched the glowing comb jellys…SO cool! We also had a manatee ...
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Linz Shff
Just finished an absolutely fantastic tour with Jungle J! It wasn’t bioluminescent season just yet, but we saw and touched the glowing comb jellys…SO cool! We also had a manatee swim next to the kayak and a huge shrimp jump into it as well! It was quite an awesome adventure. Thanks Jungle J!!
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My husband and I went on the sunset and bioluminescent tours this past weekend. It was our first time kayaking. Jay was very patient and was very informative of nature ...
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Amber Connolly
My husband and I went on the sunset and bioluminescent tours this past weekend. It was our first time kayaking. Jay was very patient and was very informative of nature and animals. We got very lucky and had a great show of bioluminescent waters and comb jellies!
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Our combo sunset and night tour was excellent! Leo was funny and knowledgeable and did a great job! The weather wasn't the best but we still saw dolphins, an osprey ...
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Traci Smith
Our combo sunset and night tour was excellent! Leo was funny and knowledgeable and did a great job! The weather wasn't the best but we still saw dolphins, an osprey catch a fish, a cormorant make a crash landing in a tree right next to us then make a graceful dive into the water, and an ENORMOUS gator 🤯 And the cone jellies were really cool! The dolphins were all around us after dark, only sorry we couldn't see them...I think they were making fun of us 🤭 Great time, would go again in a heartbeat.
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Brooke, Dan and Sam are amazing guides! The all were informative, funny and generous. Manatees and dolphins right in front of your kayak. Beautiful sunsets… the bioluminescence makes you feel ...
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Meghan Pasley
Brooke, Dan and Sam are amazing guides! The all were informative, funny and generous. Manatees and dolphins right in front of your kayak. Beautiful sunsets… the bioluminescence makes you feel like you are in the Avatar movie. Highly recommend this! Thank you guys for a great tour.
More BK Adventure Florida Bioluminescence Tours
BK Adventure is the world’s largest bioluminescence tour company – featuring many locations and bioluminescent kayaking, rafting or clear kayaking – check out the following links for more options.
Florida Bioluminescence Kayaking Tour – Wildlife Refuge – Titusville
BEST BIOLUMINESCENCE - MAY 2026 Join our Bioluminescent Kayaking Tours just 1 hour from Orlando. Departs nightly throughout the year. See the amazing glowing waters of Florida's own "Bioluminescent Bay" on the Indian River Lagoon. New Moon Tours Sell Out, So Book Early - This is the #1 Bioluminescence Tour in Florida!
BEST BIOLUMINESCENCE - MAY 2026 MOST POPULAR TOUR! Clear Kayaking (see-through kayaks) is a spectacular way to experience Florida's bioluminescent waters. We take you to the glowing Indian River lagoon where bioluminescence shines bright with each stroke of your paddle. THIS IS THE MOST CONSISTENT BRIGHT BIOLUMINESCENCE - YEAR ROUND!
Price $79for Approx. 1.5 hour
Bioluminescence Rafting Tour – Wildlife Refuge
Florida Bioluminescence Rafting! The only bioluminescent tour in Florida that is NOT in a kayak. Family friendly and for those who want to see the magic neon glowing waters from the comfort of a paddle raft. Close to Orlando and Cocoa Beach.. This is great adventure for kid or groups of 6-8, Raft guide in each boat.
Sunset Kayaking - See Manatees, Dolphins, Flamingoes and More!
On this AMAZING tour, we visit Manatee Central, where you see manatees in their natural habitat. As the sun goes down, the dolphins like to play. In summer you will see bioluminescent sea life glowing after dark. Makes a fun, romantic date! STAFF PICK - BEST TOUR!
Price $85for Approx. 3 hours
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