Kauai See & Do

Fun things to do in Kauai on a rainy day

From the moment of landing, visitors are in awe of Kauai’s velvety green mountains. The island is known as the Garden Isle because of its lush, tropical landscapes. To make a garden grow both sun and rain are required, so there’s got to be rain sometimes. Typically, most rain falls overnight in Hawaii, but occasionally visitors may encounter a rainy day in Kauai. (Read more about Kauai weather patterns.) If you do experience a rainy day on Kauai, there are fun activities for you to enjoy while you wait for sunnier times.

Here are our suggestions of what to do on a rainy day on Kauai:

– Learn about Kauai’s history at the Kauai Museum.

– Taste Kauai-grown coffee at Kauai Coffee Farm. If the rain lets up, walk around the orchard or take one of the free, guided tours.

– Learn how to make a lei, hula dance and play the ukulele. Most resorts offer free or inexpensive lessons to learn lei making, hula dancing and how to play the ukulele.

– Catch a movie. There are cinemas in Lihue and Waimea.

– See if the weather is dry on the other side. Check the doppler radar, another part of Kauai may be dry. From this Hawaii news station weather page, you can click on Kauai to see the Kauai radar map which indicates precipitation location and intensity. The southwestern part of Kauai receives the least amount of annual rainfall. Chances are, it could be dry there when it’s rainy elsewhere.

– Go shopping. You can mostly stay indoors and sheltered from rain while shopping at these tourist-focused shops:

Poipu Shopping Village – they have free entertainment. Check their website for the schedule and more information.
Shops at Kukui’ula in Poipu.

Old Koloa Town – they have a history center featuring photos and artifacts from the plantation era.
Coconut Marketplace in Kapa’a – they have free entertainment. check their website for the schedule and more information.
The island’s “mall” with major chainstores is Kukui Grove in Lihue.

– Pamper yourself with a spa treatment. Kauai has some well-rated spas. Anara Spa at the Grand Hyatt Kauai in Poipu is our favorite. (For a list of Kauai spas and reviews see this Yelp link.)

– Enjoy some pool time. Hey, you’re going to get wet anyway, so why not splash around in the pool? Just be sure there are no lightning storms nearby and be careful of slippery surfaces.