Almost everything you can dream of doing on Kauai is on this list- including 30 free things to do!
Kauai, Hawaii is the oldest of the Hawaiian islands and is often referred to as the Garden Isle for its incredibly lush green environment. Some connect the Hawaiian Islands with the seven chakras which makes Kauai the island of intuition, connected to your third eye allowing more spiritual energy to move through you and allow you to see things in a different perspective.
Kauai is like the country of the Hawaiian Islands, it is the most underdeveloped of the main islands with chickens running all over the place, no tall skyscrapers in sight, and practically everything closing by 9pm. This is the perfect island if you’re looking for nature -mountains, oceans, canyons, Kauai has it all.
One of the best things that could have happened to me was getting the opportunity to live and work here for free. Due to this, I was able to fully experience what this beautiful island of Kauai had to offer.
There are so many things to do here, 1 week is not enough to see all the amazing landscapes of this Garden Isle, but I made quite an organized list for you to pick from and help guide you to some epic things you should see and do.
Read my post on the top 15 things to do on the island HERE.
GETTING AROUND: If you are renting a car, I suggest getting a 4-wheel drive to get through some of Kauai’s under-developed landscapes and go off-roading to not get stuck in ditches (like I did.. twice). Don’t forget to ask for military discounts while in Hawaii in general, they offer it at most places!
WHERE TO STAY: The best areas to stay in are most likely going to be Lihue and Kappa as they are in the center of everything. Book places to stay on Booking.com or through Airbnb!
Remember to respect the land and the people on it. Live with aloha.
Table of Contents
NORTH SHORE:
The North Shore was still heavily damaged from the floods that swept through in April 2018 (a month earlier than I arrived-several parts of the North Shore were still closed after I left in August) so we weren’t able to explore any beaches past Hanalei.
Hanalei Town + Bay
Hanalei is a cute little Hawaiian town with a bunch of little shops, food trucks, markets, and the beach of course!
Hanalei Bay is really nice to swim in, take surf lessons, or kayak. It’s a great place to watch the beautiful colors of the sunset dance with the ocean water. You can sit on the pier in Hanalei and doze off to the sound of the waves. There is plenty of parking on the side of the road or in the parking lot as well. This pier is a GREAT place to watch the sunset, highly recommend catching one up here.
Saturday Farmers Market
Every Saturday 9:30 to noon on the grounds Hale Halawai ‘Ohana O Hanelei, there is a farmers market with delicious locally grown fruit and veggies. They also have beautiful Kauai made arts and crafts from talented local artists.
Okolehao Trail
Since most of the trails were closed up north (Kalalau Trail) we decided to go on this hike since we were already up North and itching to get a good hike in.
This hike gives you stunning views of all of Hanalei- It’s about a 2.5-mile hike, and I would 100% bring mosquito repellant since you’ll be hiking near water and ferns. I’m not sure how long it took us to get to the Aloha bench, but you wouldn’t miss it! We had to turn back after the bench since it started to rain but it was worth the hike and the views overlooking the North Shore.
Queens Bath (Princeville)
I LOVE QUEENS BATH! I tried to make as many trips as I possible when I wanted to get a little taste of adrenaline and rejuvenating swims in mermaid tide pools. I
t’s a quick little hike down to the oceans edge, personally I did this barefoot (since I got used to walking barefoot so much around the island). There are signs that indicate how dangerous Queens Bath can be, but you just have to make sure you’re jumping/swimming in the right tidepools because some will suck you right back into the ocean.
Make sure to go down to the third tidepool as this is one of the ones you can cliff jump into or the fourth tidepool which is like a mermaid pool you can swim in. You will see people there as well to help you scope where to go and jump in. It is so beautiful, you could sit there and gaze at the ocean for hours if you wanted too, this place should definitely be at the top of your list.
*Parking may be hard to find so try to get there early, if you can’t find any try to park around the golf course/ neighborhood somewhere!*
Turtle Cove (Princeville)
I met a surfer dude who saw how much I was failing at trying to wing how to surf and gave me a couple pointers. One thing you need to do in Kauai is let go, let the island lead you to great people and beautiful destination, live life to the fullest and experience as much as you can! After that, we became friends and the next day he offered to take me to Turtles Cove up in Princeville. We walked down to the ocean and went towards the cave on the right, you get into the water and walk through the dark cave until you hit water again (be careful of turtles who might be resting in the cave!). After that just walk along the shore, get your snorkeling gear on and start looking for turtles!
DO NOT CHASE OR RIDE THEM, respect them in their natural space.
Kalalau Trail
I actually wasn’t able to do this since the floods heavily damaged the North Shore right before I went, however, this is an iconic hike that you have to put on your list if you’re visiting Kauai. This is an 11 mile hike around the Napali Coast that has beaches and waterfalls along the way. Make sure to make an online reservation and get a permit before heading over there- you need these to hike this trail.
EAST SIDE:
Sleeping Giant Hike
This was the first hike I ever did in Kauai and I was in complete awe of the views that could be seen from up here. Fun fact: this hike is named after the mountain looking like a giant sleeping on its side. I highly recommend this hike during sunrise, there’s something about watching the sun rise from the ocean over the (almost) 360 views of the island. We woke up at 4 am and plugged the directions into the GPS, it should get you there too! There are actually 2 entrances, but it doesn’t matter which one you go on as long as you get to the top!
Wailua Falls
The most famous waterfall on Kauai, Wailua Falls. This almost 200 ft waterfall is fairly easy to get too, however you might want to go a little early so you can snag some parking since this is a very touristy spot.
Many just view the waterfall from the viewing area from above, but you can actually hike down and play underneath the waterfall! Just go towards the right of the viewing area and you should see people going through the fence and hike down the hill.
Kayaking Wailua River & Secret Falls
Luckily, we knew where we could “borrow” kayaks for the day and got on the river for a couple hours, but I probably would have paid for it anyway! If you have time I recommend kayaking through the east side of Kauai, it’s really amazing being right under the mountains and adventuring to waterfalls on the way. If you follow Wailua River and stay to the right it will lead you to Secret Falls, you will probably see tour groups heading there so you shouldn’t get lost.
You can get a tour to Secret Falls, or just rent kayaks and find your way!
Ho’opi’ Falls
One of my favorite hikes/waterfalls/cliff jumping spot! I went here quite a lot and every time it was just as fun. Cliff jumping is scaring but exhilarating at the same time, you can swim towards the right of the waterfall, swing in, jump in mostly anywhere, and it’s a great experience to swim in the fresh water waterfalls of Kauai.
There are actually 3 waterfalls here, but I only got to explore two, if you have the time keep walking along the path and you’ll come across the last one!
Kapaa Bike Path
This is a great path to ride a bike on, go running, or walk, its right next to the ocean and you are able to see a lot more when you are able to stop whenever/wherever you want. It’s a great way to explore through the town of Kapaa and see the details of this cute town.
Kapaa Art Walk
Held every first Saturday of the month is the Kapaa Art Walk, it’s a lot bigger than the one in Hanapepe and has a lot more vendors too- jewelry makers, food trucks, musicians, etc. I highly recommend going to this if you happen to be in Kauai during the first Saturday of the month 5-9pm, you won’t regret exploring the little shops and eating all the yummy food (I recommend these crepes they were basically the size of my face & very delicious).
Makaleha Mountains + Falls (great cliff jumping spot & intense hike)
I found this spot doing research on different cliff jumping spots in Kauai, this one happened to be in the middle of the mountains. It took us 3 hours to get in and 2 hours to get back, mostly because we didn’t really know where we were going but we asked people passing us how to get there so I’ll share that with you too!
*Prepare better than we did and download the all trails app to see a map before making the trek.*
When you get there, you can park near the entrance, walk around the water facilities and walk along the fence towards the trail that’s closest to the mountains. There weren’t many people on this trail but the few that were there told us to cross the creek (to the left), follow the path through the bamboo forest, follow along the water throughout the whole hike (switch between sides if the path ends on one side of the creek), and towards the end follow the path towards the right to get to the epic waterfall. It started to rain a little so climbing up the side of the rocks to cliff jump was a bit tricky especially since there wasn’t much to grab, but then you take that leap of faith into the refreshing water and you know the whole experience was worth it!
I definitely recommend this if you’re quite active, it’s a challenging and strenuous hike but the journey there and the waterfall at the end is so rewarding. I’m pretty active so I was surprised how sore my legs were afterwards, but I imagine it was from all the walking on rocks, going up hills, sliding down a mini rock wall, and climbing through trees.
Smith’s Family Luau
If you are looking for a luau, Smith’s Family Luau should be your top choice since its more authentic (authentic as a luau can be lol). For my friends birthday we were treated to a luau by our company, we explored the family’s land and walked through the beautiful gardens. There were free mithai’s, a delicious buffet, a hula show, and a traditional Hawaiian pig ceremony.
Mount Waialeale aka the “Wall of Tears”
One thing I wish I had the time to do was doing the wall of tears, or Mount Waialeale. It’s actually one of the wettest places on the planet and sits right in the middle of Kauai’s mountains. I would suggest finding a tour company to bring you unless you can befriend a local that knows the way!
Kalapaki Beach (Lihue)
A nice place to relax and catch some rays is Kalapaki Beach. You can swim, surf, and even sneak into the Marriot pool if you’re sly enough. It sits right behind the Marriot, parking can be tricky sometimes so try to carpool or park in the other parking lot meant for the shopping plaza next to it.
Sneaking into the Marriot Pool
This pool looks like it belongs to a castle it is so big, it even has 5 hot tubs surrounding it. I usually wouldn’t suggest going to pools since you’re on an island and you can go to pools anywhere.. but if you’re looking to pretend to live lavishly for a second and swim in a big refreshing pool next to the ocean: this is the place.
Sneaking in involves making yourself blend in with the other guests, that means not bringing a beach bag into the pool area or another colored towel because they will notice you immediately. The best way to do it is to only bring your body with a suit on, hide your car keys and walk confidently into the pool area and try to snag a towel while you’re at it to help you stay lowkey.
Free Tuesday Movie Night at the Marriott
Every Tuesday night during the summer the Marriot holds a movie night right on the beach! Why not go to a free movie? It’s a nice place to relax for the night and watch some throwback movies right next to the beach with your friends/family for FREE (bring a blanket in case you don’t snag a chair).
Kauai Community Farmers Market (Lihue)
This farmers market is also held every Saturday from 9:30-1pm at the Kauai Community College. This market had more variety such as produce, flowers, hand crafts and gift items, food trucks and more. *Try the white pineapple frosty from Sugarloaf and the vegetarian Banh Mi from Wabi Sabi!*
SOUTH SIDE
Poipu Beach “Sunny Poipu”
It’s almost always sunny in Poipu and its home to one of my favorite beaches on the island. It gets really crowded on the beach during tourist season (summer) so be sure to snag whatever spot you can (we usually made our own parking spot & never got towed).
You can escape the crowded beach by diving deep into the ocean on the right side of the beach (all the kids will be swimming in the shallow area on the left side and you can’t really swim since there are a lot of rocks). On the right side, my friend and I would go on our mermaid adventures and swim as far as the surfers were since it was so easy to get lost in the serene sounds of the ocean blue. This is a very good place to get your swim on. You can also rent surfboards from Nukumoi Surf Shop which is cheaper than the ones directly on the beach.
There’s also a mini island you can swim too (be aware of rocks) where seals sometimes go to rest.
Shipwrecks Beach
Shipwrecks is only a 5 minute drive from Poipu Beach and the spot where a lot of surfers go, but not so much a swimming spot.
There is a 50-foot cliff jump that you should definitely put on your bucket list if you’re not too afraid of heights- it’s a bit scary at first but not as bad as you think. Just make sure to swim around the rocks rather than in-between the cliff and the rocks.
Maha’ulepu Coastal Trail
If you’re not into cliff jumping, you can explore the Maha’ulepu Coastal Trail and wander around the pretty sea caves right next to the ocean.
Baby Beach
Exactly what the name says! It is a little beach on the side of the road in Koloa on the way to Spouting Horn. Just keep your eyes peeled for a little area on the left with stairs going down to this little cove.
Spouting Horn
Spouting horn is a cool thing to see but definitely not a must. It is right near everything in the south and on the way to Allerton’s beach so might as well stop for a look. It’s a spot to look at water spouting out in-between the rocks.
There are little flea markets along the walk way, personally if you’re going to Oahu during your trip at all I would wait for the Aloha Stadium flea markets on Wednesday and Sunday, if not this is your place to snag some Hawaiian trinkets.
Allerton’s Beach
This beach is hidden and not known to many tourists, it is refreshing to have a beach all to yourself. It’s a great place to body surf and swim since the waves are pretty rowdy in the south during summer.
To get there, you drive past spouting horn and keep going straight on that road until you hit a dead end, you should see some cars parked here- that is where you park. From there you follow the path through the gate that says, “private property do not enter” (hehe oops) and follow the trail to another fence that has a hole in it and follow that all the way down to the beach and you won’t miss it.
Na‘ Aina Kai Botanical Garden
So I never actually went into the garden other than the small part we snuck into…but I heard its really pretty and people even get married there! Personally, I just didn’t feel like spending the money, but from what I could see from Allerton’s, its gorgeous.
Try a Puka Dog!
A MUST TRY HOT DOG IN KAUAI. They offer vegetarian and regular hot dogs with a Hawaiian twist, there is no other taste like getting a hot dog with tropical relish flavors on it- don’t knock it til you try it! 🙂
*I usually get pineapple relish*
WEST SIDE
Hanapepe Friday Art Walk
A great way to spend a Friday night is in the town of Lilo & Stitch! Every Friday at 5 there is an art walk in Hanapepe, this is a mini version of what the Kapaa art walk is like but still totally worth it.
It’s the location Lilo & Stitch was based out of and the walk is lined with great street vendors, cute little shops, and art obviously! It’s a great way to spend a Friday night especially since there’s not much to do when it gets dark.
Waimea Canyon (Grand Canyon of the Pacific)
red dirt in Kauai 
koke’e park 
THIS IS SOMETHING YOU MUST DO!! Seeing Waimea Canyon allows you to truly see how unique Kauai really is. Just a glance behind you as you drive up the hill you see the land hitting the ocean, and then you drive up to a huge red dirt canyon with gigantic mountains surrounding it. It’s truly something amazing to see. There are many stops all along the way, so keep your eyes peeled along your drive up the mountain, its worth every stop!
My two favorite hikes were the Awwapuhi and Kalepa Ridge trails.
Awaapuhi Trail
This trail was on my bucket list before leaving Kauai and I wish I did it more than once! It’s a mild hike, 3 miles down and 3 miles back, however the way up is mostly up hills so be prepared to work those calves.
*There is a clear set trail, don’t be me and try to go off trailing only to find out I was going to the middle of nowhere. The trail should be on the left after you park*
Kalepa Ridge Trail
There is an observation point to view the Napali Coast at the beginning of this trail, but little know about the hidden trail on the left that goes to the edge of the cliffs of the Napali Coast.
This is by far my most favorite hike of all. I’ve never seen views quite like this, you can stand right at the edge of the mountains and see right down into the caves but also look at the whole West Side of Kauai. I can’t explain too much, but trust me this is something you need to do.
Napali Coast
You can see the Napali coast from the mountain side in Waimea Valley or from a boat tour around the island. I highly recommend doing a boat tour around the coast since you get to see the coast from the ocean and get to go into all the little caves that is only accessible by boat.
Go Blue Adventures (Blue Ocean Adventure Tour)- Napali Coast Boat Tour
I suggest going on the morning tour so you can see the dolphins and sea turtles!
During the peak season, January-March, you can even see humpback whales! Humpback whales visit Hawaiian waters each year from November to May, so be sure to go then (I missed that season however it was still just as a phenomenal).
You are able to see all 17 miles of the Napali Coast on this journey. This coast has the most beautiful picture-perfect spots you could ever imagine (voted one of the prettiest places in America). You get back from the tour by noon, and after a long day, head to Polihale and lay on the beach for to relax for the day and watch the sunset over the ocean horizon.
Salt Water Pond
A nice beach to relax, swim, and sun bathe on. At night, it’s a really good place to watch the stars if you get away from the lights on the beach. It’s also where I slept on the beach one night and ended up getting rained on and having to sleep under a pavilion with a homeless man (great man he was so kind to us) #funfact.
Glass Beach
Glass Beach is a pretty black sand beach with sea glass all over the shore- however since so many people have collected glass week after week the number of glass is decreasing, and the big pieces are getting harder to find. So, if you can just enjoy the view, explore the west coast, and try not to collect the sea glass so others can experience the beauty. You can explore the sea caves and wander around the fields as well.
Polihale Beach
Last but not least, Polihale Beach. This is a must-see secluded white sand beach on the most western side of the island. It sits right next to the Napali Coast mountains, and a great place to watch the sunset and catch some waves. This is the best place to surf if you’re a beginner-intermediate surfer looking for beaches with no rocks, (most of the beaches on Kauai have rocks/reef that you may hit) Polihale is the place to go! This is a road you need to make sure you have a four-wheel drive car- we got stuck in a ditch here twice. You can only drive on the road safely if you go less than 15-20 mph.
Although Kauai is a small island, there are so many hidden gems still yet to be discovered. This is a list of all the discoveries I made while I was living there for the summer. If this guide helps you find new adventures to take, tag me in your story/post so I can vicariously live through you!
Don’t forget to check out my other post of the top 15 things you must see before you leave Kauai HERE 🙂
*Note this is my experience on the island in 2018 when the floods had just hit Kauai so most of the north shore was heavily damaged*