Kayak Tour FAQs

Our hours vary depending on seasonality, city events, and booking volume. A good rule of thumb is to look at our booking calendar for your desired date/time. Times we will be open will appear as bookable (so long as we aren’t sold out.) If you book it, we will be there!

Generally, our hours are as follows:

High Season (Memorial Day - Labor Day)
Daily from 9:30am - 4:30pm

Mid-Season (May & September)
Daily from 10am - 2pm

Low Season (mid-March, April, and October)
Friday - Monday 10am - 2pm

In some instances we are able to open days/times for groups of 8 or more. If you have a large group and do not see your desired time available, please email us to inquire.

We are a MOBILE COMPANY with **no brick and mortar location**. For downtown, look to meet our crew at our tent by the red Ghost Ballet sculpture (big red roller coaster looking round thing). We also often have our weekend tent set up near the Shelby Park Nature Center, but the best way to get ahold of us is by texting 615-933-9778. Book with us online, you'll receive confirmation details by email, and the shuttle will meet you at the meet-up location for your trip.

Your meeting location will depend on what experience you have booked and if there are any events downtown that will get in the way so we will send you specific instructions via email when your booking is confirmed. PLEASE READ YOUR ENTIRE CONFIRMATION EMAIL -- trust us, it has all the information you need to get to the right place!

**All of our river routes are one-way paddles downriver**; the take-out and put-in are two different locations. You meet our crew before you paddle at the route’s take-out location. Then we shuttle you in our vans to your put-in location, and you paddle downriver to the take-out location where your car is parked. If you are doing the Skyline or the Full Nash, we HIGHLY recommend walking or taking a ride share to the Bridge Building / Ghost Ballet as parking is limited and unpredictable.

If you are driving, you can meet us at the put-in point at Shelby Park for any route (free parking) and we can shuttle you on the back end after we have the kayaks loaded back onto the trailers.

**Please let us know if you are meeting us somewhere other than the location on your confirmation email so the crew knows where to find you**

Shuttle Service may be subject to change as downtown events are scheduled at the stadium nearly every weekend. Don't worry, we'll let you know how to meet up with us.

**Please check our homepage, social media, or give us a call at 615-993-9778 for the most up to date information. **

If you are doing the Skyline or the Full Nash, we HIGHLY recommend walking, biking, scootering, or taking a ride share to the Bridge Building / Ghost Ballet as downtown parking is limited and unpredictable.

If you are driving, you can try to find street parking near the stadium -OR- you can meet us at the put-in point at Shelby Park for any route (free parking) and we can shuttle you on the back end of your paddling excursion after we have the kayaks loaded back onto the trailers. **Please let us know if you are meeting us somewhere other than the location on your confirmation email so the crew knows where to find you**

*We are not responsible for any parking fees that may occur — please be aware of any no parking signs and allow plenty of time to park!*

You must arrive at the route’s take-out location **15 minutes before your scheduled departure time**. Shuttles leave on schedule and cannot wait for late arrivals. If you miss the shuttle, you can still meet us at the put-in location, just text us at 615-933-9778 to let us know.

* Shuttle Upriver

* Kayak

* Paddle

* Life jacket (to be worn AT ALL TIMES)

* Release forms if not printed in advance

* Safety Demonstration

* Kayaking 101

* Fun times

* Gorgeous views of Nashville

All of our guides and drivers are CPR/First Aid certified

**We paddle rain or shine.**

We are required to cancel for severe weather (lightning, temperatures above 100℉, etc.). Severe weather cancellations may not be made until the start of the tour – we will notify you if made in advance of the trip. Continue reading for our cancellation policy.

We get it- plans change! Therefore, we offer numerous options for your booking *should you contact us more than 24 hours prior to your scheduled departure.* They are as follows:

**Reschedule:** You can reschedule your trip for any other time (in the same season).

**Transfer:** If you are not planning to return to Nashville this season, we are happy to print a gift certificate in the amount of your booking for you to give to whomever you choose.

**Donate:** We would love for you to consider donating your unused reservation to our Kayaks 4 Kidz program. Kayaks 4 Kidz provides free kayaking trips to youth from economically disadvantaged communities.

**Refund:** If you are from out of town and we cancel for severe weather, you will receive a refund minus 10% for booking fees.

Paddlers rescheduling less than 24 hours prior to their scheduled route will be charged a 50% re-booking fee. This is because your boat has been reserved for you and can’t be rented to anyone else. No-shows will not be refunded whatsoever.

**DOWNTOWN NASHVILLE IS BUSY!** We try our best to make sure all our routes run on time but in the event that we need to cancel your journey due to road closures, inclement weather, or any other unforeseen circumstances, we will do our best to reschedule your trip or find a commensurate accommodation.

*Routes and start times subject to change due to road closures, special events, construction etc. We will notify you as soon as the information becomes available.*

Our gorgeous blue and green single and tandem kayaks are sit-on-top kayaks. They are made right here in Sparta, Tennessee at Jackson Kayak.

Sit-on-top kayaks are designed to not sink or easily flip. It is normal for a bit of water to splash inside the kayak but need not worry, you wont be going down with the ship in these bad boys! Our Jackson Riviera kayaks are the perfect boat for your river adventure.

You can bring items (including your phone for pictures) along with you, but we strongly recommend purchasing a DRY BAG for protection from the water at checkout. We have smartphone sized drybags branded with the RQV logo available for purchase. Comfortable clothing and sun protection are HIGHLY recommended.

Small coolers will fit on the back of the kayaks with the bungee cords provided.

Be aware that you may get a little wet on your kayak trip so proper storage is encouraged but you are welcome to leave any items you don’t want to bring along in our shuttle vans.

Please know that if you leave items in our van, we are not responsible for anything lost or stolen.

Yes! Especially from the waist down. Please wear comfortable clothing, shoes that can get wet, and sun protection (hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, etc.). We have dry bags for your phone available as an add-on at checkout or in the vans at check-in. There is a public restroom at the Bridge Building and Shelby Park Nature Center if you need to change clothes after your paddle.

If you are going out after the paddle, you may want to bring a change of clothes, especially for your bottom half.

It can be if you book the River Queen Quest kayak scavenger hunt! Typically, our kayakers want to paddle the Cumberland River with their own group. However, should you wish to have a guided experience (either for fun facts about the river or for an experienced set of eyes and ears) we do offer guided tours as part of our Scavenger Hunt product.

*Note: there is a **MINIMUM OF 6 PEOPLE** to confirm and run any route, so even if you’ve reserved only for yourself you’ll still have other paddlers out on the water with you.*

Yes- pets paddle for free! We’ve had dogs and cats paddle with us! We love pets and want to keep them safe, so you must bring a leash and a pet PFD for the trip.

Please let us know upon booking if you plan on bringing your furry friend so we can make sure to accommodate them.

Because this is an activity where you will be paddling on a river shared with larger commercial and recreational boats, we do not recommend children under 7, and children 10 and under must be in a tandem kayak with parent/guardian. If you wish to kayak with a child under the age of 7, please call us at 615-933-9778.

The total length of your experience depends on how strongly and which direction the wind is blowing, how fast the river current moves, and the amount of recent rainfall. Please add an extra hour onto your trip time for shuttling and loading/unloading of kayaks.

We reserve the right to charge customers who exceed their rental time.

Our crew definitely appreciates tips! It shows them they did a great job taking care of you by getting you on the river safely and lets them know you enjoyed your experience. 18% is customary and for your convenience this amount is automatically added for groups of 6 or more. We’ve made it easy to add gratuity online when booking your reservation, or we are happy to accept cash or venmo tips at the end of your paddle.

Yes! Please give us a call at 615-933-9RQV (9778) for more information. Groups of 15+ qualify for a discount.

The Cumberland River is wide and paddles more like a lake, so this is an ACTIVE PADDLE—meaning you will be using your arms most of the time. The current is not very fast but there are undercurrents so please be attentive while on the water. When the river is low and/or the wind is coming from the S/SE/SW, the paddle can be a bit more strenuous than normal.

There is little to no shade on this portion of the river, so bring adequate SUN PROTECTION. For a full list items to bring, read our Before You Go page.

The river is a Class 1 flat water commercial waterway, so there are no rapids. You will likely share the river with barges, riverboats, fishing boats, and other motorized pleasure craft that can create some small wake. Metro Parks and the Army Corps of Engineers require that you **wear a life jacket at all times** on the Cumberland River.