Kayaking might not be the first thing you think of for an outdoor activity in the heart of the city, but Philadelphia has two rivers, the Delaware and the Schuylkill that parallel center city from north to south. The Schuylkill is the more placid of the two, which makes it the better choice for kayakers of all levels of experience.  Hidden River Outfitters has several options for seeing all the river has to offer.

The most popular tour is the basic kayak tour which starts at the Walnut Street Dock and rows past the beautiful Fairmount Water Works. My wife, who is not a big fan of challenging outdoor experiences (do not bring up the LaJolla debacle!) took the tour with a group of friends and found it both relaxing and informative. The tour takes 90 minutes including 30 minutes of instruction, so don’t worry if you have never kayaked before.

They also have moonlight tours and one where they finish with an outdoor movie on the banks of the Schuylkill. You also get a great perspective of the buildings that line the river both in the center city district and University City. Penn’s Franklin Field and 30th Street Station are two other iconic landmarks you will see on the tour.  So, for a quick respite from pounding the pavements, check out the Hidden River Outfitters kayak tour.