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Manhattan Kayak Co

30 Years of Kayaking & SUP

Pier 84 Boathouse in Hudson River Park

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45 Minutes of Floating Fun

For absolute beginners, families, and dogs.
Float and play in 4 acres of protected sanctuary water along the iconic Intrepid Museum.

Manhattan Kayak staff assisting a passenger and her poodle into a stable tandem kayak at Pier 84. Professional launch assistance for dog-friendly kayaking and paddleboarding in Hudson River Park, NYC.
A large group of kids having a birthday party in the safe sanctuary cove at Manhattan Kayak. Popular NYC kids' birthday party idea at Pier 84, featuring kayaking and space for a picnic and cake in the park.
Two men paddling a tandem kayak with a large Samoyed dog sitting in the middle. Stable dog-friendly kayak rentals at Manhattan Kayak, Pier 84, showing how our wide boats easily accommodate large dogs and multiple paddlers.
  • All Welcome

Rent Kayaks & Boards

$12

45 minutes to float and play in our 4-acre sanctuary cove. Feels like your own private island. Stable as a sofa.

Kids 3–5 & Dogs ride free.

Everything Included. All gear, indoor lockers, changing rooms.

Rentals →
  • 🟢
  • 3+
  • 45 min
An expansive view of the 4-acre protected cove at Manhattan Kayak, Pier 84. Scenic kayaking and paddleboarding in a safe sanctuary with the Intrepid Museum and Manhattan skyline in the background.

Kayaking with MKC is magical. When you step into the Boathouse, you’re transported from the big city to the seaside. Just the presence of the boats exerts a calming effect. And once you’re out on the water…well, there is nothing else like it. When you’re in a kayak, you feel like you’re a part of the river.

The Best View of NYC

Retreat from crowded streets, buses & boats.
Get on the open water. Hop on a kayak and float through the most surreal views of the city. Whether it’s sunset or after dark, our guides lead you to where the skyline opens up.

A Manhattan Kayak Co guide leads two beginners in stable sit-on-top kayaks on the Hudson River toward the Downtown NYC skyline.
A group of kayakers on the calm Hudson River at sunset with the VIA 57 West pyramid building and Midtown Manhattan skyline glowing in the background.
Three friends in glowing LED-lit kayaks smile on the Hudson River, with the illuminated Midtown Manhattan skyline and Hudson Yards glowing behind them during a night kayak tour.
  • Bucket List

Skyline Kayak Trip

$65

Zero crowds and a front-row seat to 360° views.

This 90-min escape includes a lesson + hour of guided Hudson kayaking along Midtown.

Day, Sunset, or After Dark: We take your free skyline photo.

Skyline Trip →
  • 🟢
  • 10+
  • 90 min
Green Circle level: A guided 1.5-mile Skyline Kayak trip for beginners—no training required. No crowds.

This was my first time kayaking and I had the time of my life. It was well organized and guides helped us throughout the trip. They explained everything and even took pictures.

Planning a Group Outing?

From private trips for one to team-building events for 60, we get your group off the shore and into the skyline. It’s the ultimate New York break for teams, birthdays, or just a few friends.

Explore Group & Private Trips →
A vibrant rainbow perfectly frames the Intrepid Museum. A paddler, who has just come back from a river trip, is looking at the rainbow with mindfulness and presence. This awe-inspiring moment is the ultimate luxury in NYC.

Go the Distance

Learn to kayak for exploration.
Long narrow kayaks with a cockpit are for speed, efficiency, and staying dry. We teach you the skills for sea kayaking, turning free days into wilderness expeditions.

  • Endurance Flow

Kayak Basics

$225

Master the skills needed for longer trips with professional coaching.

Customize your gear for power and control.

Learn essential strokes for stability and precision.

Kayak Basics →
  • 🟢
  • 18+
  • 3x2.5hr
A Manhattan Kayak Co instructor standing on Pier 84 showing a group of people how to kayak, helping them to build basic kayak stroke technique before their first launch onto the Hudson.

MKC has taken us to hidden creeks, secret coves and various beaches in every borough. We have circumnavigated the Island, battled Hell’s Gate… We have seen our home from unique vantage points and continue to marvel every time we paddle around the Statue of Liberty.

You can feel the concentration and the pre-trip adrenaline surrounding this group of kayakers, who huddle around a weathered wooden table on the outdoor deck of the Pier 84 Boathouse in the morning sunlight. The guide is pointing to a physical nautical chart of the New York Harbor. Everyone is kitted out in high-end technical apparel—life jackets, brimmed hats, and moisture-wicking layers. They are about to navigate the waters of a global megacity. It’s a frontier experience hidden in plain sight.
You can almost feel the spray and the movement as a small group of kayakers and paddleboarders navigate the turbulent, unpredictable whorls of water in the East River at Hell Gate, a place of conflicting tidal currents. The terrain demands technical and high-intensity execution of paddle strokes. The Upper East Side skyline is overcast and moody, echoing the foreboding nature of the water below.
The kayak guide lands under a massive swing bridge on rustic shore of Manhattan at night. He is kitting out the kayaks with lights before navigating the final stretch of the 30-mile Manhattan Circumnavigation Trip down the Hudson River. The guide, disheveled after a day of paddling, stands alongside his lit kayak cockpit—with a deck-mounted compass, specialized lighting, and a Werner carbon-fiber paddle. In the background, two kayakers float, waiting for him in the darkness, the calm water reflecting the lights of the bridge. This is the ultimate behind-the-scenes trip of the city's forgotten edges.

Full-Body Transformation

Stand up for a supreme workout.
We teach you to engage your body with precision so you dance among the wind and water. Even short sessions lead to immense physical rewards.

This is the work-hard, play-hard spirit alive in a female athlete and a male athlete with a dog, both riding SIC Maui’s Atlantis high-performance racing SUPs, with the Lower Manhattan skyline and Goldman Sachs headquarters at 200 West Street in the background, and a crisp blue sky beyond. Both paddlers demonstrate excellent technical form.
  • Balance & Burn

Paddleboard Basics

$225

Stand-up paddleboard (SUP) with confidence and precision.

Build your technique for high-intensity, low-impact workouts on the water.

Small group classes with professional instructors.

SUP Basics →
  • 🟢
  • 18+
  • 3x2.5hr
An MKC expert leading a SUP Basics class on the Hudson River, demonstrating the hinge technique to maintain balance and core power.

I continue to be amazed that it’s right here in the middle of NYC. Even more incredible is the world that opens up when you graduate from classes. The water and the sky are different every time. It’s an indescribable feeling of freedom, excitement, and calm–with the best view of the city imaginable.

The urban-athlete lifestyle: a female athlete on a Blue BIC SUP board, doing a cross-nose turning stroke, with the dense Midtown Manhattan skyline—including the iconic Chrysler Building and the Billionaires' Row towers—serving as the backdrop. The slight chop on the water indicates an environment that requires core stability and focus. It shows that the most famous office buildings in the world are just a short paddle away, turning the Hudson into a personal, high-performance backyard for this working professional woman. Her technical navy rash guard top and bottom, and the use of a specialized leash and waist-mounted PFD signal that she is at an expert level. Her focus is entirely on the water and the path ahead, capturing the mental clarity that is an escape from a high-pressure work environment.
A man raising the nose of a Starboard SUP entirely out of the water while maintaining balance in front of the Statue of Liberty. This step-back pivot turn is an advanced maneuver requiring precision, core strength, and technical mastery. Most people see the Statue of Liberty from a crowded ferry; paddling there is the ultimate secret NYC experience. There are crowds of tourists on the pedestal of the statue in the background. The contrast between the masses and the solo athlete on the water is a powerful status narrative for a high-achieving professional. The deep Lady Liberty green, the crisp blue sky, and the pops of red and blue on the board create a vibrant, classic American color story.
A female athlete wearing a ball cap and swimwear hauling a kayak up the gangway at Pier 84 during a classic Hudson River sunset. Her visible core strength and athletic build are a direct testament to the functional benefits of paddling at Manhattan Kayak Co. The sun setting directly behind her creates a dramatic rim light. This is a person who has turned the Hudson River into their personal training ground. Photo by Outsiders Adventure Social Club.
A stand-up paddleboarder in front of the off-white columns of Little Island, which resemble stiletto high heel shoes. This is one stop along Manhattan Kayak's West Village Trip, an Intermediate-level guided river trip.

🟦  Intermediate Trips

Multi-Hour Outings
Round Trip Miles: 2–10 mi
Req: 3 Classes

A kayaker in a red and white NDK Romany kayak holding up his greenland paddle with one hand, in front of the Statue of Liberty during an advanced-level trip by Manhattan Kayak Co.

◆  Advanced Trips

Half-Day Excursions
Round Trip Miles: 10–18 mi
Req: 4+ Intermediate trips in 2026

A group of Manhattan Kayak Co paddlers on the East River during the 30-mile expert-level Manhattan Circumnavigation trip. They just passed under the Manhattan Bridge. The Brooklyn Bridge and Wall Street skyline are visible in the background.

◆◆  Expert Trips

Full-Day Expeditions
Round Trip Miles: 18–33 mi
Req: 3+ Advanced trips in 2026

See All Trips & Classes

What MKC has offered me is not only a personal sanctuary–where I can learn, relax, make friends and find an escape from city life–but a doorway onto an entirely new perspective. As soon as you move from dock to water, those first few strokes don’t just move you farther from land but transport you somewhere else entirely.

  • Locals’ Escape

Membership

Valuable for frequent paddlers.

50–100% off every session—Basics classes included.

Free monthly guest pass. 25% off all private groups & lessons.

Access our fleet of 100+ boats and boards in group sessions.

Boathouse socials in NYC + weekend escapes away from the city.

Join Us →
  • 🟢, 🟦, ⬥, ⬥⬥
  • 18+
A Manhattan Kayak Co's Adventure Club member relaxes on the waterfront patio of the Pier 84 Boathouse. Her feet are crossed at the ankles and propped up on table as vibrant orange and purple sunset clouds roll over the sky.
A candid moment of connection between Eric Stiller, Founder of Manhattan Kayak Co, sitting in a yellow touring kayak with his dog and paddle companion Charlie, on the pier at Manhattan Kayak Co. (Pier 84). Eric dared to create a world where he can enjoy his dog, his sport, his city, and his friends altogether. All who enter are welcome to live that lifestyle too. The lush white hydrangeas in the foreground create a soft, natural frame. The lighting is warm, diffused, and serene.
A paddleboarder crouched among his gear—dry bags, a Werner carbon paddle, and hydration gear—as the sun flare through the lush canopy and ivy-covered stone arches of mysterious ruins. This primal, self-reliant multi-day expedition is one way to escape the corporate grind.
During an away trip, a group of members gathers around a campfire by the towering ruins of a massive stone fireplace. This is an immersive backcountry camping trip, a world away from the city's concrete. The scale of the stone chimney provides an almost gothic backdrop. The warm, orange glow of the fire illuminates the paddlers’ faces and the weathered stonework against the pitch-black night. The group wears headlamps and technical down jackets. After a long day of paddling to the campsite, this is their recovery phase. This builds the kind of brotherhood and community that is difficult to find in a city full of distractions.

I didn’t realize then that it wasn’t just a place to paddle, it was a place to meet an amazing community of people who became very close friends. Rarely do you have such an experience of a community in the city and this is the magic behind MKC.

 

A fleet of Manhattan Kayak Co's performance sea kayaks (including P&H Cetus, Wilderness Systems Tempest, and Impex models) and a SIC Maui racing SUP parked on Coney Island Beach, with dry bags and paddles ready for the 17-mile return leg back to Manhattan. The iconic Parachute Jump and Ford Amphitheater are in the background. While millions of people visit Coney Island by subway, this tribe arrives via the Verrazzano Narrows and the Atlantic Ocean.

My summer memories are now filled with not just shared time on the river, but trips to Red Hook for barbeque, New Jersey for sushi and bubble tea, Harlem for seafood, and so on.

A landing at Surf City, the ultimate Dock & Dine experience. Hundreds of colorful nautical flags and the surf-style decor create an immediate vacation atmosphere. It feels like a remote beach bar while still having Manhattan in view. The low sunset light creates long, dramatic shadows across the wooden deck. Paddlers will rest here and enjoy lobster rolls, frozen tropical drinks, and a social huddle with the tribe before heading back to Pier 84 Boathouse in Manhattan.
The hand of a kayaker in the technical paddling jacket holding a fresh bowl of ramen–complete with chashu pork, wood ear mushrooms, and narutomaki–over the deck of a yellow P&H Cetus sea kayak and an orange Bearbox. This is the lunch break during the intermediate-level Sushi Trip from Manhattan Kayak Co at Pier 84 Boathouse. This trip combines sophisticated city culture with rugged outdoor adventure.
A communal lunch break during a peak-foliage expedition to the Hudson Highlands. The group of paddlers is gathered at picnic tables beneath a massive, majestic Weeping Willow, with the dramatic ridges of Storm King Mountain and Breakneck Ridge in the background. It captures the transition from the high-performance effort of paddling to the high-value reward of the lunch in nature’s cathedral. The crisp blue sky, autumn colors on the mountains, and lush green grass create a perfect fall day.

30 Years of Building Explorers

For three decades, we’ve brought the Hudson and New York Harbor to those who dare to live differently. From your first stroke in our protected sanctuary to expeditions across NYC’s 500+ miles of shoreline, we’re by your side.

Come to the boathouse and get on the the water. Linger and trade stories of your adventures.

“Paddling Manhattan combines adventure, challenge, and escape—an antidote to urban stress.” – New York Magazine

Ranked #1 Kayak Tour in America – USA Today

About Us
Eric Stiller wheeling a red Klepper sea kayak from Union Square West–where he and his father operated the Klepper Kayak shop for the Americas–to the Hudson River. Eric’s father Dieter opened the shop in 1958. People who bought kayaks from the shop wanted to learn to use the kayaks, and Eric–an unstoppable athlete–was more than happy to leave work and walk with them to the river, jumping barricades and fences to launch along the rocky, inhospitable shores at the foot of Gansevoort Street. His first clients sought privacy and escape from the pressures of NYC high society.
At Manhattan Kayak Co, Jules Gismondi and Louanne Harris went from paddleboarding beginners to expert guides. They trained and guided NYC SUPers at Pier 84 Boathouse. Their ultimate achievement was paddling from Pier 84 Boathouse in NYC to Miami on an unsupported expedition on MKC boards.
The beginning of a movement. David Lee Roth in a red Klepper sea kayak in the Upper New York Bay, looking back at the camera with his trademark grin. A hazy Downtown Manhattan skyline is on the horizon. David wears a backwards blue cap, sunglasses, and a bulky orange PFD. This rock star was Eric Stiller’s first paying client. David asked Eric take him on many unconventional explorations, e.g. from Gansevoort to Coney Island in the darkness of night. Also, David would urge Eric to pull up along shore so they could eat and drink even when there was no place to land. Many of Manhattan Kayak Co’s trip routes today were discovered through these two men’s adventures NYC together.
Eric Stiller and Tony Brown training for their sea kayaking expedition around Australia in a Klepper folding kayak. This was their daily training route after the Klepper shop was closed for the day. Eric wrote the book Keep Australia on Your Left to document their adventure.