Kauai in 6 days: a guide

Here you go: a guide covering the entire island of Hawaiian’s oldest island. From cuddling with doggies, hiking the one-in-a-lifetime Kalalau Trail, to swimming with turtles: it’s all in here! Want to see more tropical pictures of the island? Click here! 

Day 1: Snorkeling the south side 

Most likely you’ll fly from either the mainland or another Hawaiian island to Lihue. From there it’s an easy drive to the south side of the island.

All of these spots listed below are within 20 minutes from one another. There’s lots to see around each of them and that’s why – in case you love the underwater kingdom – snorkeling is a great way to explore the south side of Kauai and relax and recover from your jetlag at the same time!

Poipu Beach Park

The first time we went out snorkeling on Kauai we ended up at Poipu Beach. The spot is both popular and very easily accessible. Next to that there’s a great park along the beach where there are a lot of picnic places.

From the shorelines you don’t have to go far to encounter your first colourful fishes. Just a few steps will do. It’s because of that and due to the half moon shaped bay that this beach is popular for beginners and children. And important to mention; this place has a life guard too.

Hawaiian monk seals can be spotted sometimes on the little strip of sand in front of the bay. Last great thing I’m gonna mention regarding this place is Brennecke’s Beach Boiler, a lovely cafe next to the park where you can fill up on comfort food after a long day of underwater adventures.

Koloa Landing

On the south side of the island close to Poipu Beach, there’s another fine spot for snorkeling: Koloa Landing. For Games of Thrones fans; this name might make you think of something else too :). 

Unfortunately there’s no beach in the bay, just a place where the boats go in and out. This landing strip is easily accessed by car; you can basically drive all the way down to it and there you’ll find ample parking space.

When we were there the slopes down towards the water were very slippery. So make sure you wear some water shoes before descending the strip. Apart from that, the water can be a bit rough out here too, so get in only if you feel comfortable snorkeling and never go on your own.

That said; the snorkeling is pretty good on either side of the bay – again lots of fish and the occasional turtle. 

Lawai Beach

Though there wasn’t much beach when we were there, Lawai beach is a pretty spot. The sea is easily accesible too: you just walk right into it, or you can jump from the rocks on the left side. When the swells are not too high, this is a perfect spot for beginners too. 

If you start on the left side, passing the Beach House and entering the sea in front of the Kuhio Shore Condos, you can easily float with the current towards the beach. The area is protected by a barrier reef which hosts a lot of fish and turtles! At the time of our visit, one came so close to the shores I could even picture it from the beach, as you can see below! 

Since it can be a bit busy at the beach, it’s good to know that there are a lot of parking spots on the street side next to the beach. And if you’re looking for a tasty snack afterwards, the ladies of of the little Riptides corner will provide you one for sure! 

Hanapepe

Finish your day of the at very cute town of Hanapepe. The Hanapepe Road was my favourite street of all in Hawaii. In Lilo & Stitch, the house where Lilo and her sister lives is based on the houses in this town, funny enough.

If you like Japanese food, you’ll love Japanese Grandma Cafe. They have very yummy and affordable sushi in here and the gift shop that is inside too is absolutely awesome. They have the quirkiest little items for sale! Behind the shop is a hanging bridge, not super special, but worth a look if you’re around. 

Day 2: Waimea Canyon

Mark Twain named it the ‘Grand Canyon of the Pacific’ and though he rumour has it he never saw the Waimea Canyon with his own eyes you kind of understand the need for some majestic comparison while there.

However, it has to be said – the canyon doesn’t necessarily look like the Grand. It’s way smaller, very lush and features a big Jurassic Park-like waterfall. The colours of the Grand Canyon are dominated by reds and oranges, while this verdant canyon has hues of red, blue and green. Moreover, the Waimea Canyon offers a lot of different perspectives of the area along the way up.

From vistas to trails; there’s a lot of stuff to do around the canyon. Want to know more about it, click here! 

At the end of the day, make sure you bring a visit to Polihale State Park too. This way you can see the south edge of the Napali valley from below too. The beach is absolutely gorgeous and has some fine, fluffy, white sand. Grab a beer to close of the day at sunset! 

Day 3: Adopt a dog for a day + visit the waterfalls

National Geographic recently estimated there are a billion dogs on the planet – 750 million of those are strays. That’s why I was very pleased to hear about a great initiative on Kauai. The local shelter, The Kauai Humane Society, initiated a programme to ease the time of their dogs – until they get adopted – in here: you can take one (or two) out for a hike in the mountains or on the beach. That’s really a win-win for both! Of course you can adopt them straight afterwards too, the shelter even helps you out with the process of shipping your dog to another state. 

Click on this article if you want to know more about our adventures with dogs Jordan and Patricia!

Day 4 + 5: Hike the Kalalau Trail 

Since the Kalalau trail is often mentioned as one of the most spectacular trails in the world we were very much looking forward on hiking it on Kauai, which is the most northwestern island that you’re able to visit of the Hawaiian archipelago. The trail stretches along 11 rugged miles from the Ha’ena Park all the way to the Kalalau Valley, where you ultimately can find a secluded ‘campground’ to stay the night. 

This northwestern portion of the Na Pali Coast boasts a spectacular display of an advanced state of erosion caused by extreme weathering over millions of years. The ridges have eroded so severely that they stand nearly upright on the beach. It’s like green, soft curtains cover the many inland canyons and waterfalls as such. A pretty sight – and if you’re up for the challenge you can walk those steep cliffs along the shore. 

Keep in mind that this is a hike of a lifetime and must not be taken lightly in any way. Read more information and see more photos of the trail and the hike in here. 

Day 6: Explore the north side

Hanalei 

Hanalei is the last ‘bigger’ village on the upper west side of the island. If you’re planning on hiking the Na Pali coast, you’ll probably set camp in here, or nearby. At that’s a splendid option. There are a lot of decent restaurants in town, like the Hanalei Dolphin (if you’re hunkering for first class sushi), Chicken in a barrel (cheap and awesome comfort food) and Tahiti Nui Restaurant (for Mai Tais and traditional dancing).

Also fun: every Saturday from 9:30 am to noon, a large grassy lawn off Malolo Road is covered with more than 50 stalls for the Farmer’s Market. This is an excellent place if you want to get some souvenirs for the homefront or food for the trail!

Kalihiwai and the Kilauea Lighthouse

Bird alert! Here’s one for the animal lovers: go to the Kilauea Lighthouse for a tour! If you can, arrive early in the morning. You might not only spot more birds, but the line will be sincerely shorter too, since the $5,- tours fill up quickly.

At the visitor center they let you check out nice binoculars during your visit, which is great. With it you might spot even more birds, such as the endangered Hawaiian ‘nēnē’ goose, the Laysan albatross, red-footed boobies, brown boobies, red-tailed and white-tailed tropicbirds, great frigatebirds and wedge-tailed shearwaters. Many of them are nestling around the cliffs. Another reason to use the binoculars is because of the humpback whales and Hawaiian monk seals. Perhaps one of them jumps right out for you. 

After your visit you can easily drive to the beautiful beach of Kalihiwai, great for a couple of hours of relaxing. 

Tunnels Beach

We camped at the Haena State Park beach and it was a delight to wake up and jump straight into the waters of Tunnels Beach. The large horse shoe shaped Maniniholo Bay – where you find the soft sand beach – is a great place for an hour (or two or three) of snorkeling. The views on the lush and green mountains on the left side of the bay are beautiful too. I thought of the mountains of Disney’s Moana several times while gazing at them. 

Quite close to the beach you can already spot a lot of tropical fish, but the real deal is at the outer reef. Over there you’ll find a lot of coral formations and some bigger sea animals too. Beware though, since the currents are stronger over here too. Learned that by experience, since when we were there the current was fiercely pushing us back all the way to the Haena State Park. Ask someone who just comes out of the water how it flows, that way you know where to hop in best.

Ke’e Beach

This last beach we’re gonna mention on the list is a gem and a popular one too. Ke’e Beach is located at the western end of Kauai’s scenic north shore road and at the start of the Kalalau Trail on the Napali coast. The beach is awesome to go to if you’ve just finished the trail (in case you’ve got some energy left). But also if you’re not going to hike it it’s totally worth the drive towards the end of the road.

The beach is in a bay with a reef that breaks the waves and it has crystal clear waters where apart from a lot of fishes you might spot the occasional Hawaiian monk seal, white tipped reef shark (harmless to you) or turtles. It’s basically a perfectly calm pool over there, with a lifeguard and a lot of facilities.  

Parking here however is tough. After 10am it might be difficult to find a decent parking spot. This is due to all the people that start the trail early. If you can make it out here, try to come in the late afternoon and stay until the sun sets in to top off the experience. 

That’s it! Enjoy your stay at this incredible island!