Things to do · Kauaʻi · United States
17 best things to do in Kauaʻi
17 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Pictured: Hāʻena State Park and Kēʻē Beach, Kauaʻi · Photo: The original uploader was MattWright at English Wikipedia ., CC BY 2.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Kauaʻi are Nā Pali Coast, Waimea Canyon State Park and Hāʻena State Park and Kēʻē Beach. Of the 17 picks below, 8 are free, 1 work on a rainy day and 6 suit children. Allow about 7 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Nā Pali Coast
- Free sights
- 8
- Good on a rainy day
- Kauaʻi Museum
- Time to see the highlights
- 7 days
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At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nā Pali Coast | North and West Shores | Half a day | Expensive |
| Waimea Canyon State Park | Waimea and Hanapēpē | Half a day | Low cost |
| Hāʻena State Park and Kēʻē Beach | Hanalei | Half a day | Low cost |
| Hanalei Bay | Hanalei | Half a day | Free |
| Kōkeʻe State Park and Kalalau Lookout | Kōkeʻe | 2–3 hours | Low cost |
| Hanalei Valley Lookout | Princeville | 15 minutes | Free |
| Poʻipū Beach Park | Poʻipū and Kōloa | Half a day | Free |
| Spouting Horn | Poʻipū and Kōloa | 30 minutes | Free |
| Allerton and McBryde Gardens | Lāwaʻi | 2.5–3 hours | Expensive |
| Limahuli Garden and Preserve | Hanalei | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Wailua River kayak | Kapaʻa and Wailua | Half a day | Mid-priced |
| Wailua Falls | Līhuʻe | 20 minutes | Free |
| Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge | Kīlauea | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Kauaʻi Museum | Līhuʻe | 1–1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Māhāʻulepū Heritage Trail | Poʻipū and Kōloa | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Hanapēpē | Waimea and Hanapēpē | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Nounou (Sleeping Giant) Trail | Kapaʻa and Wailua | 2–3 hours | Free |
The 17 best things to do
Nature · North and West Shores
1.Nā Pali Coast
Roughly 27 km of fluted green cliffs, hanging valleys, sea caves and waterfalls run along the island's north-west shore with no road access. Boat trips from the West Side follow the coast in calm summer seas, sometimes with spinner dolphins, while helicopter flights show the valleys from above.
Book a morning boat tour from Port Allen, when seas are usually calmer, and take seasickness tablets beforehand if you need them.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Book ahead
- Boat and helicopter tours fill up in peak seasons; book a week or more ahead.
- Iconic
- Nature
- Views
- Photo spot
Viewpoint · Waimea and Hanapēpē
2.Waimea Canyon State Park
Often called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, this gorge of red, green and ochre cliffs is carved into the old volcano by the Waimea River. Roadside lookouts on Waimea Canyon Drive face Waipoʻo Falls, and trails such as the Canyon Trail lead to the top of the falls.
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.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Book ahead
- Non-residents pay entry and parking fees at state park lookouts; check the state parks website.
- Iconic
- Views
- Nature
- Photo spot
Nature · Hanalei
3.Hāʻena State Park and Kēʻē Beach
The end of the road on the North Shore, with Kēʻē Beach's reef-protected lagoon and the trailhead of the Kalalau Trail. The first section climbs about 3.2 km each way to Hanakāpīʻai Beach, with views of the Nā Pali cliffs, and the park also protects cultural sites and taro terraces.
Do not swim at Hanakāpīʻai Beach, which has dangerous currents; enjoy the view and turn back unless you have a permit to continue.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Book ahead
- Non-residents need an advance reservation for entry and parking or the shuttle, which often sells out weeks ahead.
- Iconic
- Active
- Nature
- Outdoors
Beach · Hanalei
4.Hanalei Bay
A wide crescent of sand about 3 km long, backed by mountains streaked with waterfalls after rain. The historic Hanalei Pier is a favourite swimming and picnic spot in summer, while winter brings big surf for experienced surfers.
Swim in summer near the pier, and in winter watch the surf from the sand; the shorebreak and currents can be dangerous.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- Kids
- Couples
- Photo spot
Viewpoint · Kōkeʻe
5.Kōkeʻe State Park and Kalalau Lookout
At the top of the canyon road, around 1,200 metres up, Kōkeʻe has cool forest trails, a natural history museum and the Kalalau and Puʻu o Kila lookouts, which look straight down into the Kalalau Valley to the ocean.
Clouds often roll in by late morning; if the lookout is fogged in, wait 15 minutes, as it can clear quickly.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Active
Viewpoint · Princeville
6.Hanalei Valley Lookout
Just past Princeville, this roadside lookout faces a patchwork of wetland taro fields in the Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge, with the river winding through and steep green mountains behind.
Stop in the late afternoon, when the light picks out the taro patches, and look for endangered nēnē geese and wetland birds.
- Time needed
- 15 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Photo spot
- Nature
Beach · Poʻipū and Kōloa
7.Poʻipū Beach Park
A sandy beach split by a tombolo, with a lifeguard tower, a rock-sheltered children's pool and good snorkelling around the reef. Hawaiian monk seals and green sea turtles often rest on the sand.
Give resting monk seals plenty of space and follow any roped-off area set up by volunteers.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
Viewpoint · Poʻipū and Kōloa
8.Spouting Horn
Waves force seawater through a lava tube to shoot up to several metres into the air, with a hissing moan from a second hole. Craft vendors set up beside the viewing area west of Poʻipū.
Visit when the surf is up for the biggest spouts, and keep behind the railings; the lava shelf is very dangerous.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Nature
- Photo spot
Garden · Lāwaʻi
1.Allerton and McBryde Gardens
The National Tropical Botanical Garden manages these neighbouring gardens in the Lāwaʻi Valley. Allerton Garden has outdoor garden rooms, fountains and huge Moreton Bay fig roots seen in Jurassic Park, while McBryde focuses on Pacific plant collections.
Allerton is visited on guided tours; book a slot and wear insect repellent.
- Time needed
- 2.5–3 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Book ahead
- Guided Allerton tours have limited places and need advance booking.
- Nature
- Couples
- Photo spot
- History
Garden · Hanalei
2.Limahuli Garden and Preserve
Near the end of the North Shore road, this garden in a valley below Makana peak displays native and Polynesian-introduced plants on ancient lava-rock taro terraces, with explanations of traditional land management.
Allow time for the full loop trail, which climbs gently for valley and ocean views.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Nature
- History
- Outdoors
- Off the beaten path
Experience · Kapaʻa and Wailua
3.Wailua River kayak
Hawaiʻi's only navigable river is lined with jungle and ancient sacred sites. Guided kayak trips paddle about 3 km upriver, then hike to the 30-metre Uluwehi, or Secret, Falls.
Go with a permitted outfitter, wear shoes you can get muddy, and start early to avoid the afternoon headwind on the way back.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Active
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Kids
Nature · Līhuʻe
4.Wailua Falls
A double waterfall that drops about 50 metres into a pool, seen from a roadside viewpoint at the end of Maʻalo Road a few minutes from Līhuʻe. It is known from the opening credits of the TV series Fantasy Island.
Visit in the morning for rainbows in the spray, and stay at the viewpoint: the scramble down is dangerous and closed.
- Time needed
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Photo spot
- Kids
Nature · Kīlauea
5.Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge
A clifftop refuge with the red-capped 1913 Daniel K. Inouye Kīlauea Point Lighthouse and colonies of seabirds, including Laysan albatross, red-footed boobies and great frigatebirds. Humpback whales and spinner dolphins are often seen offshore in winter.
Bring binoculars; the albatross nesting season in winter and spring is the best time to visit.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Book ahead
- Entry is by advance reservation through the official booking site.
- Nature
- Views
- Kids
- Photo spot
Museum · Līhuʻe
6.Kauaʻi Museum
In a lava-stone building in Līhuʻe, this museum covers Kauaʻi's geology, Hawaiian culture, the ruling chiefs, the plantation era and the island of Niʻihau, with featherwork, koa calabashes and Niʻihau shell lei.
It is a good rainy-day stop near the airport, before or after your flight.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Art
Nature · Poʻipū and Kōloa
7.Māhāʻulepū Heritage Trail
A coastal walk from Shipwreck Beach past lithified sand-dune cliffs, sinkholes, tide pools and an ancient heiau site, with wide views and few people. It is about 3 km one way to Gillin's Beach.
Start early, bring water and a hat, and keep away from the cliff edges; there is no shade.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Active
- Outdoors
- Views
Neighbourhood · Waimea and Hanapēpē
8.Hanapēpē
A small West Side town of old wooden storefronts with art galleries, a bookshop and a swinging footbridge over the Hanapēpē River. On Friday evenings, galleries stay open for the weekly art night and food trucks gather.
Come on a Friday evening for the art night, then catch sunset at nearby Salt Pond Beach Park.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Shopping
- After dark
Nature · Kapaʻa and Wailua
9.Nounou (Sleeping Giant) Trail
A ridge above Wailua that looks like a giant lying on his back. The East Trail climbs about 2.7 km each way through forest to a summit with views over the East Side coast and the interior mountains.
Hike early in the morning, before heat and clouds, and wear shoes with grip; the trail is muddy after rain.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Active
- Views
- Outdoors
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Kauaʻi Museum and Hanapēpē |
| History | Allerton and McBryde Gardens, Limahuli Garden and Preserve and Kauaʻi Museum |
| Views | Nā Pali Coast, Waimea Canyon State Park, Kōkeʻe State Park and Kalalau Lookout and Hanalei Valley Lookout |
| Outdoors and nature | Nā Pali Coast, Waimea Canyon State Park, Hāʻena State Park and Kēʻē Beach and Kōkeʻe State Park and Kalalau Lookout |
| After dark | Hanapēpē |
| With children | Hanalei Bay, Poʻipū Beach Park, Spouting Horn and Wailua River kayak |
| On a rainy day | Kauaʻi Museum |
What to book ahead
- 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.
- Hāʻena State Park and Kēʻē Beach: Non-residents need an advance reservation for entry and parking or the shuttle, which often sells out weeks ahead.
- Allerton and McBryde Gardens: Guided Allerton tours have limited places and need advance booking.
- Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge: Entry is by advance reservation through the official booking site.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Kauaʻi?
Nā Pali Coast. Roughly 27 km of fluted green cliffs, hanging valleys, sea caves and waterfalls run along the island's north-west shore with no road access.
+What can you do for free in Kauaʻi?
Hanalei Bay, Hanalei Valley Lookout, Poʻipū Beach Park, Spouting Horn and Wailua Falls. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Kauaʻi when it rains?
Head indoors to Kauaʻi Museum.
+What is there to do in Kauaʻi at night?
Hanapēpē are best after dark.