Nā Pali cliffs, Waimea Canyon and the slow travel of the Garden Isle.
Kauaʻi rewards effort — the Nā Pali Coast, Waimea Canyon and the Kalalau Trail requires planning and fitness, but you will be rewarded with Hawaiʻi's most dramatic scenery. Here's how to plan the right Kauaʻi trip, by region.
Kauaʻi’s iconic experiences require planning, fitness and/or paying for a tour. It’s a good idea to do your homework before planning your Kauaʻi trip. Hiking Kalalau trail is a good example. Not only do you need to train and be in athletic shape to do the 11-mile (each way) hike, you also need to score a reservation and permit which is not easy to do.
Best for first-time Kauaʻi visitors
First-time visitors to Kaua’i should absolutely take a Nā Pali Coast snorkeling tour. These start from about $179 per person and include not only incredible views of waterfalls and the Nā Pali cliffs up close, but also take you into sea caves and underwater to swim with Hawaiian green sea turtles and tropical fish.
Best for outdoor adventure
The Wailua River kayak plus waterfall hike is my top pick for best Kauaʻi outdoor adventure. The afternoon trek is a great workout amongst incredible scenery with lunch and a refreshing dip at the end. Look for a tour that takes you to the “secret falls.” Prices start at about $100 per person and are worth every penny.
Best for families
Lydgate Beach is a protected swimming area perfect for families with kids on the east side’s Royal Coconut Coast. If you are staying in Līhue or Kapaʻa, it’s easy to get to. There is also a coastal bike path (Ke Ala Hele Makalae) that runs alongside it. Bike rentals are nearby for the whole family to enjoy.
Best for photographers
Photographers should not miss Waimea Canyon and Kokeʻe State Park (located right next to each other). The varied colors, textures and depths of the canyon and the lookout points along the way leading to Nā Pali Coast could keep you busy for an entire day. To add more forest shots and waterfalls, hike Waimea Canyon Trail. Keep in mind, there is a fee to visit the park and for parking.
Best for North Shore stays
If you’re staying on Kauaʻi’s North Shore, Hanalei is the main town with great food, shopping, surf lessons and the famous Hanalei Pier. Rent some snorkel gear while you are there and head to Tunnels Beach for some of the best snorkeling on the island. If you are an experienced hiker, hike the first two miles of the Kalalau trail at the end of the road leading to the Nā Pali Coast. Remember, this is the wet side of the island so expect some rain. I recommend staying on this side during the summer. In the winter the trail is too treacherous to hike and the ocean too dangerous to swim in.
Best for South Shore stays
If you’re staying on the South Shore of Kauaʻi, you are in for a classic Hawaiʻi resort experience. Poʻipū Beach is where everyone goes to swim and snorkel, Spouting Horn is a quick adventure worth getting off the beach for and The Beach House is where everyone goes for sunset. I recommend a South Shore stay in the winter when the ocean is the calmest.
Best dinner date out
Head to Kapaʻa, the best dinner date out on Kauaʻi is a meal at Fish Bar Deli — get the smoked fish dip and anything on special — followed by a night cap at The Flying Saucer upstairs where the bartenders have mastered the art of tiki cocktails. Get back to the hotel safe, take a rideshare.
Best for shopping
Again, visit old Kapaʻa town for the best shopping on Kauaʻi. There are gift shops with locally-made art and collectables, trendy boutiques, vintage apparel, surf shops and much more. Although you’ll get the most unique gifts and apparel in Kapaʻa, if you are looking for high-end brands I recommend shopping in Poʻipū instead.
Kauaʻi's icons reward effort — Waimea Canyon, the Wailua River and the views that define the Garden Isle. These are the experiences worth building a trip around.
Each of Kauaʻi's towns has its own character — from artsy Hanapēpē to sunny Poʻipū to laid-back Kapaʻa.
The island's interior is the real headline — Kōkeʻe's canyon overlooks and the trails that drop into them.
From sunny south-shore sand to dramatic Māhāʻulepu and winter whale watching off the coast.
Kauaʻi eats well for its size — destination restaurants, farmers markets and local grinds.
Kauaʻi has four distinct regions with different climates, landscape and things to do. Pick where you will base your trip by top priority.
While Kauaʻi is incredible for hiking, kayaking, farmers markets, photography, helicopter tours and nature lovers, there are some things other islands do better. For city action and the best food scene, you’re going to want to be on O’ahu. Kauaʻi closes up early in most locations around the island. It’s not the best island for night life, lūʻau or restaurant hopping.
Kauaʻi is not a resort island. If you are coming for a polished, walkable hotel strip, swim-up bars and a dozen restaurants within stumbling distance of your room, book Maui. Kauaʻi has luxury properties, for example the Grand Hyatt in Poʻipū and the 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay on the north shore, but they exist as destinations unto themselves and are not walking distance to anything else. There is no equivalent of Kāʻanapali Beach Walk or Whalers Village here.
Kauaʻi is also not convenient. The island's geography defeats any impulse to improvise. There is one road that does not go all the way around, and the most famous attraction on the island — the Nā Pali Coast — cannot be driven to at all. Distances are longer than they look on a map and traffic in Kāpaʻa can make what appears to be a 20-minute drive take 45.
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Editor's Pick
Kauaʻi rewards effort. The island's most iconic experiences — the Nā Pali Coast, Waimea Canyon, the Kalalau Trail — requires planning, physical fitness, or both. Arrive expecting a Maui-style resort experience and you'll be disappointed ; come for Hawaiʻi's most dramatic natural scenery instead. Kauaʻi is the least urbanized of the main islands — there isn't a single traffic light on the west side — and it's best understood by region: the dramatic, rainy North Shore (Hanalei, Princeville, Hāʻena); the affordable, central East Side (Kapaʻa, Wailua); the sunny South Shore around Poʻipū; and the dry, remote West Side and Waimea Canyon. Where you base yourself shapes the entire trip.
— Sarah Burchard
Kauaʻi is not a loop. The single main road circumnavigates the island but does not connect through the Nā Pali Coast, so you cannot drive all the way around. Princeville to Waimea Canyon is more than two hours each way. Plan by region and don't bounce between sides daily — pick a base and explore out from it.
The weather varies wildly by side. It can be pouring in Hanalei and sunny in Poʻipū at the same moment. The north and east shores are wetter than visitors expect; the west side is genuinely arid. Always check the side-specific forecast, not just "Kauaʻi."
One honest thing: the Nā Pali Coast helicopter tour is the one helicopter ride in Hawaiʻi actually worth the $300 — there's no ground-level equivalent for those cliffs and hidden valleys. And in winter, Hanalei flooding is a real disruption, not a rare one.
Four essentials for making the most of the Garden Isle.
Fly into Līhuʻe Airport (LIH) on the east side. Most flights connect through Honolulu first.
Līhuʻe AirportYou need a rental car. The one main road doesn't loop through the Nā Pali Coast, so plan by region rather than bouncing between sides.
Poʻipū (south) for sun and calm beaches, Princeville/Hanalei (north) for dramatic scenery but winter rain, Kapaʻa (east) for affordable and central. Don't split between north and south.
Kauaʻi hotelsSarah Burchard
Editor · Oʻahu
Sarah Burchard has called Oʻahu home since 2017. A Honolulu-based freelance writer and editor, she covers food, culture and travel for publications including Hawaii.com, Hana Hou, FLUX Hawaiʻi, Forbes, Hawaiʻi Magazine and Honolulu Magazine. What keeps her rooted here goes beyond the balance of city life and sunny beaches — it is the people, the values and the culture of aloha that make her stay. Sarah is also a devout yogi and regularly volunteers with ʻāina-based organizations across the island. Read more of her work at sarahburchard.com.
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