One day in Kauaʻi

Day by day

1. Day 1: Nā Pali Coast and Waimea Canyon State Park

   Nā Pali Coast and Waimea Canyon State Park, then Hanapēpē in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Nā Pali Coast

      Book a morning boat tour from Port Allen, when seas are usually calmer, and take seasickness tablets beforehand if you need them. Allow Half a day.

   2. Late morning

      Waimea Canyon State Park

      Go in the morning before clouds fill the canyon, and stop at the main Waimea Canyon Lookout and Puʻu Hinahina Lookout on the way up. Allow Half a day.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Poke

      Fish markets, supermarket poke counters and casual shops in Kapaʻa, Līhuʻe and Kōloa.

   4. Evening

      Hanapēpē

      Come on a Friday evening for the art night, then catch sunset at nearby Salt Pond Beach Park.

Before you go

• Nā Pali Coast: Boat and helicopter tours fill up in peak seasons; book a week or more ahead.
• Waimea Canyon State Park: Non-residents pay entry and parking fees at state park lookouts; check the state parks website.

If it rains

• Swap in Kauaʻi Museum (Līhuʻe): It is a good rainy-day stop near the airport, before or after your flight.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 7–10 hours of visiting over one day, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 10.8 hours in December to 13.5 hours in June.

Getting between stops: Car. Hire cars are available at Līhuʻe Airport.

More or fewer days

• 2 days in Kauaʻi
• 3 days in Kauaʻi
• 5 days in Kauaʻi

Questions travellers ask