Kauai, Hawaii is the oldest of the Hawaiian Islands and is often referred to as the Garden Isle for its incredibly lush green environment. This island may be small but there is a lot to do and see, especially in nature. You’ll find chickens roaming everywhere and no skyscrapers in sight. It takes about 2 hours to get around the whole island, from the North Shore to the very west side. This is the perfect island if you’re looking for nature and adventure -mountains, oceans, canyons, Kauai has it all.
Last summer I had the chance to live in Kauai, after 3 months of exploring I’ve narrowed down a list of 15 things you need to do if you’re going to Kauai. There are so many things to do here so at least take a week to explore the island.
Most of these places can be found by putting it into your GPS.
*This blog post was written after the April 2018 floods in Kauai, where most of the North Shore was still sealed off*
Remember to respect the land and the people on it. Live with aloha.
Here is a list of 15 of the best things to do on the island:
Table of Contents
Sunrise Sleeping Giant Hike
Number one actually goes to the first thing I did when I arrived to Kauai, hiking the Sleeping Giant Trail at sunrise. Not only are you able to see almost 360 views of the island you are also seeing the sun rise from out of the ocean. You can plug in the hike into your GPS and follow the trail up to the top, make sure to bring a flashlight since you’ll probably be hiking around 430/5 A.M!
Explore Waimea Canyon
Visiting Waimea Canyon is a must when visiting Kauai, it is also referred to as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. It may not be the actual Grand Canyon but it sure is just as beautiful. Take some time to explore the canyon trails through Waimea and Koke Park.
My two favorite hikes were the Kalepa Ridge Trail and Awaapuhi Trail due to the amazing scenic views and that feeling of appreciation you get for the Earth when you stand on the edge of the Napali coast.
Wailua Falls
A absolute must if you are on Kauai. This beautiful waterfall can be a little tricky to get down to, but it just takes some climbing on vines to get down to the waterfall. There is also an observation spot at the top that you can see the falls from above, to the right you will see an area where most people should be jumping the fence, this is where you get on the trail down. You can swim beneath the falls and even go behind the waterfall as well, just be careful with the winds and water hitting you in the face. DO NOT JUMP INTO THE WATERFALL, ONLY SWIM NEAR IT.
Shipwrecks Beach + Maha’ulepu Coastal Trail
Shipwrecks Beach is a great place for adrenaline junkies. Located to the left there is a 50ft drop off the edge of the cliff that is perfect for cliff jumping and getting that adrenaline going. This beach is mostly for surfers so you won’t find great swimming here especially with the rocks near the shore. For those who aren’t into cliff jumping, you can explore the sea caves along the ocean and take in how beautiful the south side is.
Ho’opi Falls
A favorite waterfall spot of mine. After a short hike following the trail, you will find this awesome cliff jumping and swimming spot. There are actually 3 different waterfalls here so keep walking along the trail to see the others.
Hanapepe + Friday Art Walk
Since there’s not much to do at night a great thing to experience is the Hanapepe Art Walk that is held every Friday from 5-9PM in the town of Lilo & Stitch. Spend the night wandering through the street that is lined with artists, musicians, food vendors, open galleries and shops. Musabi (rice and spam wrapped in nori) is a staple food for Hawaiians, so give it a try at one of the food vendors!
Poipu Beach Park
It is always sunny in Poipu (mostly) so this beach is a great place to catch those rays and swim in the crystal clear waves. On the right of the beach is where you can swim out the farthest, feeling like a mermaid as you swim farther and farther into the ocean blue near the surfers. You can see monk seals and maybe spot some sea turtles here as well.
After a nice day at the beach grab some Kauai Juice Co and refresh yourself with some amazing juice or nut milks, they are totally worth the money! If you return the bottles you get 25 cents off your next order!
Queens Bath
Another must see is Queens Bath, it’s a great place to cliff jump and swim in mermaid tidepools. Make sure to swim in the third and fourth tidepools as the first ones are the spots the ocean pull is strong. This is up in Princeville so make sure to make this a day trip and pair it with exploring Hanalei Bay.
Sunset at Hanalei Bay + Beach town
Hanalei is a cute little beach town up north that you can eat good food, find antiques, and watch the sunset on the pier. The Hanalei pier is a great place to watch the sunset and I highly recommend sticking around for it.
Na Pali Coast Boat Tour
You haven’t officially been to Kauai unless you’ve done a boat tour around the Napali Coast! I went with Go Blue Adventures (Blue Ocean Adventure Tour) in the morning tour at 7 A.M and saw dolphins, sea turtles, and sea caves. These tours take you to places you would have never been too, allowing you to swim in the ocean next to the beautiful landscape and also bringing you into sea caves.
If you are lucky enough to go during the peak season, January-March, you can see Humpback whales too!
Secret Falls
A not so Secret Falls but a great adventure to a waterfall. You can go with a tour to kayak down the Wailua River and head over to Secret Falls, it’s a beautiful kayak trip mixed with a little exploration. The adventure of kayaking on Wailua River, crossing rivers and climbing trees makes swimming in the waterfall that much more rewarding.
Napali Coast Helicopter Tour
photo credit: @photosbyjaro
I sadly had to leave the day a free helicopter ride was offered to me (yeah talk about bad timing) so I actually wasn’t able to do this, but I really wanted too. SO BAD. It’s a great way to see the waterfalls deep inside the canyons and also see the Napali Coast from above. If you have the time and money I would definitely put this on your list.
Polihale Beach + camping + surfing
Polihale is one of my favorite beaches in Kauai, it’s a beautiful white sand beach that has no rocks on shore. Most beaches in Kauai have lava rocks in the ocean but Polihale doesn’t have any. This is a perfect place to surf, watch the sunset, camp, and swim, basically anything you want. Make sure to drive a 4WD to this beach since the road is underdeveloped and has ditches.
photo credit to my best friend: @mannarino_s
TRY A PUKA DOG
I didn’t get the hype about Puka Dogs until I actually tried one and that’s when I got addicted. It’s a hot dog with a Hawaiian twist aka pineapple relish, coconut, mango, etc. They sell vegetarian dogs and regular hot dogs, you NEED to try one of these I promise you won’t get anything like it anywhere else.
Wall of Tears Mount Waialeale
photo credit: @chelseakauai
This is one thing I regret not being able to do was the Wall of Tears, it is one of the most wettest places on Earth and definitely something to see. The only way you can find it is by going with locals or going with a tour, if you have the time I would definitely do this.
photo credit: @chelseakauai
Top recommendations for Kauai:
- Sunset Hanalei Bay + beach town
- Poipu Beach Park
- Shipwrecks Beach + hike
- Wailua Falls
- Ho’opi Falls
- Queens Bath
- Explore Waimea Canyon- Kalepa Ridge Trail & Awaapuhi
- Na Pali Coast Boat Tour
- Sunrise Sleeping Giant Hike
- Secret Falls
- Hanapepe + Friday Art Walk
- Helicopter Tour
- Polihale Beach + Camp + Surf
- TRY A PUKA DOG
- Wall of tears Mount Waialeale
Check out my complete Kauai guide for all the awesome things to do on Kauai >