Kauai - 7 Day Itinerary
WHO
Our family of four went on this trip in June 2021, when Averhy was 17 and Eden was 14 years old. We had previously visited in both spring and fall, so we decided to try summer for this trip. The weather was great (as usual) and even though restaurants were busier, we found that any time is a great time to visit Kauai!
WHAT
For this trip, we used three Motherlode Backpacks and Sky’s “magic backpack” as our carry-on bags. For our personal items, we packed our new flotation vests into the snorkel mask, and slid that under our plane seats.
Camelbak Helena backpack was a must-have for day hikes. For our flights, we packed it (empty) into our larger Motherlode backpacks. Water shoes were also a must-have for snorkeling days.
WHEN
We took this trip in early June 2021, after the pandemic began to subside. We booked our flights about 6 months earlier, thanks to a tip from NextVacay.com. We spent our first week on Maui, and then the second week on Kauai.
WHERE
In 2021, we stayed in a great AirBnB in Princeville, on the north side of the island. More recently, in spring 2022 we stayed at this beautiful house and will be returning there for all future visits! We like the proximity to the NaPali coast and our favorite Hanalei beaches.
The yellow stars on the map show all the hikes and activities we did during our time on Kauai. The island is fairly small, but the main road does NOT connect all the way around.
WHY
Of all the tropical locations we’ve visited over the years, Kauai is our favorite. It is lush, green, and beautiful with so many things to do on land and in the water. As with all the Hawaiian islands, many things are more expensive than on the mainland - but we love it anyway! Kauai is not as busy or crowded as Maui, and things move at a slower pace here.
HOW
Day 1: Getting settled in
We had a late morning flight from Maui to Kauai, so our first day on the island started with lunch at the Greenery Cafe in Lihue. We got groceries, drove up to our AirBnB in Princeville, and got settled in. The view from our balcony was amazing! The day ended with dinner at Oasis on the Beach in Kapaa.
Day 2: Wailua Falls & Ho’opi Falls
We woke up to a rainbow over the mountains and decided this would be a great day for waterfall adventures! First up: Wailua Falls. There is a very small parking lot near the upper viewing area for the falls, so be prepared to wait - or park further down the road. This is the view from the overlook.
To hike to the bottom of the falls, go about 100 feet past the fence on the right side of the viewing area and look for the trailhead (unmarked) that has some ropes tied to trees. The trail can be muddy and very steep, so don’t try this one in flip flops!
At the bottom, you can swim under the falls or just enjoy the view! It’s rocky, so water shoes are helpful. This adventure took about 2 hours.
Our next adventure was a hike to Ho’opi Falls. The trailhead is in a residential area, so be polite choosing where you park - don’t block a driveway or park in someone’s yard! Also, be quiet while walking this easy trail, because the first section goes along backyards of several residences.
The trail follows a river through the jungle and passes several waterfall areas. If you want to try out the fun rope swing, keep going past this view at the top of the falls. The trail will curve back around to the bottom of the falls. It can be muddy, and will involve climbing on tree roots to get to the bottom - which is lots of fun!
After we all took a turn (or 2 or 3) on the rope swing, we hiked back to the car and drove to Kilauea Lighthouse. It was closed today, but the view over the cliffs was pretty! We ended the day by watching Jurassic Park, which was filmed on Kauai - including one scene at Ho’opi Falls!
Day 3: Queen’s Bath & Hanakapi’ai Beach
We started day 3 by walking to the Queen’s Bath. The trailhead is in a residential area, and there are only about 4 parking spots. Parking on the street is strictly prohibited, so if you drive here, be prepared to wait in your car. The trail is fairly steep at points and can be muddy, so hiking shoes are best (although we did see people climbing it in flip flops).
There were a lot of people here when we visited, so we got away from the crowds by walking out onto the lava flows near the water. We did see people jumping off the edge into the ocean, but the waves are unpredictable and rough, and there are multiple signs warning against cliff jumping here!
While we were here, we saw 5 or 6 sea turtles playing in the waves.
After lunch, we drove to Ha’ena State Park. This area has changed a lot since our last visit in 2016. Now reservations are required to visit the park, and can be booked 30 days in advance. Reservations sell out VERY quickly. Although it seemed inconvenient at the time we booked our hike (I had to get up at 4:30am Illinois time to make the reservation), we appreciated the nearly empty Kalalau trail - it was extremely crowded the last time we were here!
The 2-mile hike to Hanakapi’ai Beach was moderately difficult and took just under 1.5 hours. We were rewarded with a nearly empty beach!
The waves can be very rough and dangerous here, so do not go in the ocean if you’re alone or a weak swimmer. We played in the waves on the shore for a bit, and then explored a sea cave on the left side of the beach. Hiking back to the parking lot took just over an hour.
Day 4: Hideaway Beach & snorkeling
After a busy hiking day yesterday, we decided it was time to relax on the beach near our AirBnB. The path down to the beach is steep, but we managed it carrying beach chairs and snorkel gear! Hideaway Beach is a small beach with heavy sand - which leads to extremely clear water and excellent snorkeling! We saw multiple sea turtles and tons of fish.
Day 5: Waialeale, Awa’awapuhi & Waimea Canyon
We got an early start on day 5 to drive all the way to the other side of the island. From Waimea, there are two roads that lead to Waimea State Park. We prefer the more curvy and scenic route 550. Our first stop was Pu’u O Kila lookout - the wettest place on earth! Luckily it wasn’t raining while we were there, so we got a clear view of this impressive valley.
Heading back down the mountain, we got to the Awa’awapuhi trailhead at 11:45am. This trail leads to some incredible views of the jagged NaPali coast, but much of the trail is actually through forest. It is moderately difficult trail, and felt longer than we remembered from our last visit. It took us 1.5 hours to get to this viewpoint. After a snack and rest, we headed back - mostly uphill this time. Overall, this trail is 6 miles long and took us just over 4 hours.
Continuing back down the mountain, we stopped at the Pu’u Hinahina lookout over Waimea Canyon. This is a great spot to get an incredible view!
Continuing down the mountain, the road splits into route 550 and Kokee Road. If you drove up 550, you might want to take the Kokee Road back down.
We stayed on 550 because we wanted to stop at the Red Dirt Waterfall. These falls are just on the side of the road, and it’s easy to get up close. Be careful of cars that might drive too fast here.
Once we made it back to Waimea, our reward was Jojo’s Shave Ice - delicious!
Day 6: Makauwahi, Kiahuna Beach & Surfing!
After a relaxed morning, we decided to explore some new places on the south side of Kauai. Our first stop was the Makauwahi cave preserve, which we all really enjoyed! There was an easy trail leading to a sinkhole cave, a very informative guide at the cave, and tortoises we could pet at the nature preserve!
Next we went to Kiahuna Beach for the afternoon. The beach was fairly crowded without a lot of shade, but people didn’t stay very long, so we were able to move into a shady spot before too long.
The girls wanted to try surfing, so we had signed them up for a lesson with Nukumoi Surf Co. They had a blast and were able to get up on the waves multiple times!
Day 7: Hanalei & Napali Coast catamaran tour
For our last full day in Kauai, we booked a catamaran tour of the Napali coast. This area of Kauai is only accessible by helicopter or boat. In 2010, we did a helicopter tour, so this time we chose a smaller boat tour that allowed us to go into some of the sea caves along the coast.
The tour included about 45 minutes of snorkeling just beyond Hanalei Bay, a sack lunch, snacks and drinks. We were especially lucky to have a pod of nearly 30 dolphins swim and jump around our boat for about 15 minutes as well!
The 4-hour ride took us up the coast, into 4 sea caves, under a waterfall, past Hanakapi’ai Beach, and almost to the end of the Awa’awapuhi trail viewpoint.
For the ride back, Eden chose to sit up front. She had a blast and got soaked! We really enjoyed this tour.
When Sky and I visited Kauai in 2010, we took a helicopter tour of the Napali coast. After doing both, I think we preferred the boat tour. The ability to go into sea caves was fun, and the dolphins were an added bonus!
Day 8: Hanapepe & south island sights
Our AirBnB checkout was at 10am, but our flight home was at 10pm, so we decided to explore some sights on the south side of the island that didn’t require swimsuits and a shower afterward! We stopped at the historical Menehune fish reservoir, Glass beach (not much glass these days), a Japanese cemetery, and the Spouting Horn.
After getting some delicious Dole Whip, we walked around Hanapepe - the home of Lilo and Stitch! The swinging bridge was interesting, and we strolled through several artists’ shops in old town Hanapepe before getting lunch at Japanese Grandma’s Cafe.
We finished the day by relaxing at Poipu Beach before heading to the airport. Thanks for a great week Kauai! We can’t wait to return!
Final Tips
Kauai is our favorite of the Hawaiian Islands that we’ve visited (Maui, the Big Island, and Kauai). It’s not too big, not too small… just right!
The Napali Coast is impressive no matter how you choose to see it. The catamaran tour gets our vote as the best for families.
If you’re planning on snorkeling, I’d highly recommend getting packable flotation vests like this one. It helped us feel much more comfortable floating above the reefs.
As with all the Hawaiian islands, to get the most out of your trip - explore! Don’t just stay on the beach at your resort.
What questions do you have? Let me know in the comments below!
