Top 10 Things To Do In Kauai

Kauai is by far our favorite Hawaiian Island to visit. Granted, we haven’t been to all of them, but between Maui, Hawaii Island, and Kauai, Kauai tops the list. It’s the perfect combination of adventurous travel and a relaxing beach vacation. There’s something for everyone, whether you want to spend your trip hiking and taking in incredible views, or if you want to spend the whole time on Poipu beach watching the surfers and monk seals. We prefer a mixture of both which is probably why it may be our favorite place to travel to!

1. Kalalau Trail

Probably the most popular thing to do in Kauai. There are a few options along this hike. You can hike the full 22 miles round trip and camp in the middle, hiking back in the morning. You will need a permit to camp. Or, you can hike to Hanakāpīʻai Beach and turn around which is what I would recommend. The hike to the beach out and back is 3.7 miles. It’s a moderate hike with a 1,220-foot elevation gain, but the views of the Napali Coast are incredible. There is an in-between option to hike 8-miles round trip to Hanakāpīʻai Falls.

If you aren’t camping, you still need to make reservations to enter the park, including purchasing a parking pass or shuttle ticket. You do need a permit to do this hike and a parking pass or shuttle ticket to enter the State Park. Reservations are available 30 days in advance and they do sell out. 

Get permits here: https://gohaena.com/

2. Maha’ulepu Heritage Trail

This is a 3.7-mile trail along the southern coast of Kauai. It’s more of a walking trail than a hiking trail, but the views are great for the amount of effort required! This trail is completely exposed so do it in the morning before it gets too hot. 

3. Ke Ala Hele Makalae Trail

This is a beautiful path along the east side of the island. You can either walk or bike it, but I recommend biking so you can do the entire 16 miles round trip. When we stayed at the Sheraton Coconut Beach they had bikes you could take, but the first time we just rented bikes from a little trailer at the beginning of the path. There are also a lot of food trucks at the beginning so you could grab lunch at the end of your bike ride. It’s a little steep at times but overall, not too difficult and the views are great. It took us about an hour and we stopped for pictures. 

4. Waimea Canyon

Known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. Check the weather before you go, when we went it was cloudy and rainy, but still cool to see. There are a bunch of hikes around the canyon but we didn’t do any of them due to the weather.

5. Luau

We did the one at the Sheraton in Poipu beach when we stayed there, but you don’t need to be staying at the hotel to attend. It’s right on the beach and during sunset. A Hawaiian luau is a must-do if you’ve never done one before!

6. Helicopter Tour

It’s expensive, but if you’re able this might be our favorite thing we’ve done in Kauai. I wouldn’t book too far in advance because you want to book on the day with the best weather forecast possible.

7. Wailua Falls Trail

Warning, this trail is technically “illegal”, you have to go around a fence to get to it. If you don’t want to do the trail you can still drive here to look from the viewpoint, but hiking down is why it is on our must-do list. It is very muddy and steep. Make sure you are wearing good shoes with traction. It’s only a 0.3-mile trail round trip, but it is close to straight down. There are ropes to hold on to at the very steep parts. When you get to the bottom you can swim at the base of the waterfall and hike around behind the waterfall. Use the All Trails app to find the beginning of the trail. You will see ropes almost immediately so if you don’t you are going the wrong way.

8. Visit Poipu Beach

If you aren’t staying on the Poipu side of the island, it’s worth the visit. I highly recommend staying for sunset.

9. Take Surfing Lessons

Where better than Hawaii to learn how to surf? 

10. Eat Açaí Bowls

Specifically from Kalalea juice hale. They’re the best açaí bowls we’ve had in Hawaii. We recreate the King Kong bowl at home we crave it so much! 

BONUS: Kalepa Ridge Trail

This is another unauthorized trail, but if you don’t want to do the more difficult Kalalau trail then this one is a must. It was a little muddy at the beginning so make sure you have on good shoes with traction. It is a ridge trail for a reason, there are a couple of parts where the walking path is a little narrow with a drop-off on one side, so if you hate heights you might want to pass. The views at the end were awesome and similar to some of the views on the Kalalau trail and it’s only a 2-mile hike. In typical Kauai fashion, it will be cloudy and a little rainy. Sit at the end of the trail for a while if it is and it’s almost guaranteed to clear up. We couldn’t see anything when we got to the end and within 20 minutes it was completely clear. There is a fee to park here.