I’m not much of a beach person… but after moving to Seattle and having so many people rave about their vacations to Hawaii, I figured there might be more on offer than just a nice looking beach. The first decision to make: which island to visit? Each island has unique features, and with so many glowing reviews, it can be a little overwhelming to pick. After a bit of research and given our preference for active and varied trips, Kauai stood out as the island we should visit. We absolutely fell in love with Kauai, and I want to share our magical 7 days on the island with you, dear readers!

While Kauai is a relatively small island, you can spend a lot of time driving if you want to see everything, but only stay in one place. There is only one main road around the rim of the island, and it does not make a complete loop. To maximize our time, we started in the far west near Waimea Canyon, had a night in Poipu and stayed the last four nights on the North Shore in Princeville.

Day 1 – Lihue, Poipu and Waimea Canyon

We arrived in Lihue late at night and stayed at hotel in town. First stop in the morning was coffee at Aloha Roastery (excellent) and a trip to Costco. We picked up some water, food, snorkel gear and a beach towel. We were going to be moving around a lot and wanted to be able to jump in the ocean whenever we felt like it.

We headed south to Poipu to hike along the Maha’ulepu Heritage Trail, before setting off for Waimea Canyon. This trail is not to be missed. The views are stunning and the water is SO blue.

We opted to camp in Koke’e State Park in Waimea Canyon for two nights for a few reasons: we knew we wanted to visit the canyon over two days and it’s a bit of a drive from the nearest town (45 min) – so staying in the park avoided some driving back and forth, it also meant we could walk to the trailhead of our day hike early in the morning, and this trip was expensive and camping was a way to make it a little bit cheaper.

This was the start of the vastness you experience on Kauai. The island itself is not big, but the geographic features are hard to grasp. It’s not until you see a helicopter in the canyon that you understand how wide and deep it is. At sunset, we got our first glimpse of the Na’pali Coast from Koke’e State Park. Then it was time to set up camp and get some rest.

Day 2

Today was an all day hike along the Na’pali Coast (from above!) on the Nu’alolo and Awa’awapuhi Trail Loop. This is a 12 mile hike – that is absolutely worth it! – but it does make for a long and tiring day. The trail itself is not overly strenuous, but hiking for any length of time with a hot sun and humidity takes a fair bit of endurance. Start with the Awaʻawapuhi Trail – the grade down is steeper and by starting here, since it’s loop, your return will be a on a more gradual uphill. Grab dinner at Koke’e Lodge if you make it back before they close.

Day 3

Today we had an early morning wake up for golfing at Poipu Bay! They had an early bird special called “Ocean’s Eleven” – and while it was still a splurge activity, starting first thing in the morning was part of the enjoyment It was the most beautiful and challenging course Jason had ever played on, and we had it to ourselves because of our early start. This was a splurge activity, but it was my favorite golf experience. The pace of play was relaxed, the scenery was beautiful, and the course was immaculate. You almost felt like royalty or at least someone important to get to experience that.

After that, it was another round of snorkeling at our hotel beach, before driving up to the north shore, to our last lodging point in Princeville.

Day 4

We had an early morning wake up again for our Napali Coast tour. I was a little anxious about rough waters and people being sea sick, but it was nothing to worry about. It was a perfect morning going slowly out along the coast, checking out sea caves, waterfalls and taking in the stunning beauty and sheer magnitude of this rugged coast. We saw sea turtles and dolphins and some of the most beautiful scenery imaginable. We stopped at Tunnels Beach for snorkeling, which was another great snorkeling spot. We watched a sea turtle gracefully float through the water, a highlight for sure. There wasn’t a ton of coral, but the variety of fish was more than enough to make up for the lack of coral. 

Our Airbnb was a short walk to Queen’s Bath – a hike along the coast to a cool rock formation in the ocean that people swim in when the tide is out. The path down would not be enjoyable after a recent rain, but its not too far down until you reach the black rocks and the ocean. A short walk to the left leads you to a few different ‘baths’. I decided to jump in one with my clothes on (I wasn’t planning to swim, but they just looked so inviting!) but you need to be really careful with the tides because going in at the wrong time could cause serious injury or get you swept out to sea.

Day 5

We started today with a tour of Lydgate Chocolate Farm. This was a last minute addition to the trip, and it was expensive, but it was great. We learned about the farm and how chocolate is made, but we also got to taste a bunch of tropical fruits and a LOT of chocolate. It was very educational and we left with a greater appreciation for all that goes into making chocolate – and also less guilt about eating dark chocolate because of all the health benefits! Haha!

Next it was off to Kipu Ranch Adventures for an ATV tour of the property which has been featured in many hollywood movies. It was fun to learn how to drive an ATV (we really could use one on forest roads in Washington, we could fly up those roads!)

Day 6

What a process to be able to hike this trail, but however you can make it happen, it is stunning. The Kalalau Trail is one of the world’s most famous trails, and it goes along the Na’Pali coast. Views of the turquoise waters below take your breath away, and the vegetation along the trail is so different from any other hikes we’ve done in the US. The hardest part of this hike is the heat and humidity. You need to bring a LOT of water. Please bring more than you think you need. Your body will thank you.

We were unable to get a permit to hike beyond Hanakapi’ai valley, so instead we hiked to the Hanakapi’ai Falls – which were cool, although the hike from the coast to the falls wasn’t anything special. Reference the Hawaii State Parks website for the most up to date information on permitting and trail conditions.

Once we made it back to Haena park, we jumped in the ocean to cool off (and to get all the sweat off!). We enjoyed some excellent poke from Hanalei Poke on the beach and watched the sunset. 

Day 7

We spent the morning surfing in Hanalei Bay (magical) before heading back to Lihue to catch our flight home.

Resources

Guide book: Ultimate Kauai Guidebook

Hawaii State Parks Website