Kauai – What to Do & See

Kauai is full of delightful scenery everywhere around you. So, there’s plenty of outstanding sightseeing and adventures, too. Be sure to read our recommended itinerary for one-week on Kauai for all of the best attractions and activities.

For a sampling of some great things to do on your Kauai vacation, take a skim through this list.

– Helicopter Tour of the island – Kauai is the best Hawaiian Island, in our opinion, for a helicopter tour.  See this helpful list of Kauai helicopter tour companies to help you find the best tour for you.

– See the amazing marine life around Kauai by snorkeling, scuba diving or trying snuba. Consider taking a sight-seeing and snorkel trip to the Na Pali Coast. Conditions permitting, there are several great beaches with good snorkeling. For some snorkeling tips see suggestions from our friends at Tropical Snorkeling.

– Golf at one of the many top notch courses with beautiful Kauai scenery.

– Kayak – Kauai is unique within the Hawaiian Islands in that if offers river kayaking as well as sea kayaking. One of our favorite kayaking excursions it the relatively easy paddling up the Wailua River to see Secret/Sacred Falls. We have also kayaked the Huleia Stream. The Hanalei River is also good for kayaking. For the experienced kayaker the Na Pali Coastline (in season) may be one of the greatest sea kayaking adventures on earth.

– Tubing down an irrigation ditch in Kauai is great fun for adults and kids. See our review of this mountain tubing activity.

– Ziplining – Kauai has several zipline companies. See my review of Princeville Ranch Zip ‘n Dip Tour.

– Pamper at a spa. We haven’t tried many spas in Kauai, but we really enjoyed our visit to Anara at the Grand Hyatt Kauai resort in Poipu.

– Sample Hawaiian food and see a Polynesian dance show at a Kauai Luau. If your budget doesn’t allow a luau, check the local shopping centers for hula shows.

– Take a Boat Tour – the Fern Grotto and the Na Pali Coast are popular boat tours.

– Go humpback whale watching during the peak months of January through March. (Tip: note that some Na Pali Coast tours for snorkeling and sunset can essentially double as a whale watching tour.)

– See one of the many reasons Kauai is called the Garden Isle by touring a National Tropical Botanical Garden. Kauai is home to three NTB gardens. We’ve toured the Allerton Garden near Poipu and Limahuli Garden on the North Shore.

– Take an ATV tour into Kauai’s back roads and paths. We’ve taken an ATV tour with Kauai ATV.

– Go horseback riding. We’ve take a horseback riding tour with Silver Falls Ranch.

– Go biking. There’s a nice, relatively level oceanside path for walking and biking in Kapaa. For a more thrilling ride, take a downhill bike tour of Waimea Canyon.

– Hiking – our two favorite Kauai hikes are the Kalalau Trail and the Waimea Cliff/Canyon Trail.

– Take a tour to see famous movie and television settings filmed on Kauai.

– Taste Kauai-grown coffee and tour the farm at Kauai Coffee Company.

– Visit a farmers market to taste local produce and try tasty treats.

Once again, be sure to read our recommended itinerary for one-week on Kauai for all of the best attractions and activities.

Go  back to the main page of the  Kauai Vacation Guide.