Need help and inspiration to play your Kauai vacation activities? Well, look no further than our scenic and adventure-packed itinerary. This travel plan includes all the top attractions and “must-dos” of a Kauai vacation.
While there’s a lot of great sightseeing and activities to do, we’ve actually carved out time to relax into this week-long itinerary. If relaxing isn’t your style, then choose from the list of additional activities listed in Day 4 of the itinerary.
You can customize this Kauai vacation plan to your interests and liking. If you prefer a different sequence, switch the days around as you desire. If you don’t like the recommended activities, swap them out for something else of your liking. If you have less than a week on Kauai adjust the plan to your available time.
The links included within each day’s plan provide photos, some videos directions and many more details about those attractions.
For the day you arrive on Kauai, we don’t recommend scheduling any activities due to a long day of travel and jet lag. On this day, we recommend you get settled into your accommodations and then perhaps catch a sunset with some pupus (appetizers) and refreshing drinks.
Kauai is by far the most beautiful Hawaiian Island for a helicopter tour. With canyons, cliffs and waterfalls the bird’s eye view is nothing short of spectacular. We suggest taking a helicopter tour early into your Kauai vacation to help you get a great orientation of the island. See our tips for choosing a helicopter tour for more advice.
Most helicopter tours take off and land at the airport in Lihue, which is on the east side of the island. Since you’re already in the area, it makes sense to do some sightseeing. The East Kauai sites you should see are:
The rest of the day is open for beach or pool time or perhaps some other activities.
Today, you’ll get to enjoy two of Kauai’s most famous sights – Waimea Canyon and Kalalau Valley. There’s a lot to do this day, especially if you choose to hike the Canyon/Cliff Trail. If you don’t want to hike and/or you tend to be efficient sightseers, you might be able to combine the activities of Day 2 and Day 3 together.
From you accommodations, make your way to Highway 550, Waimea Canyon Drive. You’ll be heading towards Waimea Canyon State Park and Kokee State Park.
Stop off at the various lookouts for sweeping views of the canyon. Most of the canyon lookout points will be obvious and have paved parking. Note that one of our favorite spots for seeing the waterfall in the canyon, if it’s visibly flowing, is between mile markers 12 and 13. Between those mile markers, there’s a small dirt turnout.
Continue driving further on Highway 550. We recommend a stop at the Kokee Museum for a short visit at this free museum. (Note there aren’t many restrooms in Waimea Canyon State Park or Kokee State Park, but there are restrooms at the Kokee Museum.)
Carry on driving Highway 550 until it ends at the lookout for Kalalau Valley. If the valley is filled with fog, wait patiently and it will likely clear.
If you’d like to hike in these two beautiful state parks, we recommend:
These activities will take most of the day to do. Depending on where you’re staying, the drive to and from can take a good chunk of time, too. For example, if you are staying in the Princeville area on the North Shore, the drive to Kokee Museum can take over two hours each way. Don’t let the length of the drive put you off, though, because the scenery is absolutely worth the effort. Besides, you’re on vacation, get out and discover the wonderful scenery of Kauai!
There are a number of ways you can achieve all the activities in store for this day. You will need to arrange your sightseeing sequence depending in which time of day you choose to do the catamaran cruise. You could do the catamaran cruise in the morning or afternoon/sunset. The Na Pali catamaran cruise options can include cruises with or without snorkeling. Most cruises include a meal and/or snacks and drinks. For this day, you should pre-book a catamaran sail to secure the sailing you desire.
We tend to think that afternoon/sunset sails of the Na Pali Coast are best due to the beautiful sunset lighting on the coastline. So, for the logistics of this day, we will assume a sunset sail. Those cruises typically require an early afternoon check in and departure from Port Allen so make sure you fit all the earlier sightseeing in with enough time to get to your check in point.
In addition to the Na Pali Catamaran cruise, here are the South Kauai attractions to enjoy on this day.
We are intentionally leaving this day as customizable. Relax if you want, but if you desire more activities, here are some fun suggestions:
Most of the above activities, with the exception of the day trip to Oahu, will take a half-day or less. So, you should have some free time to relax if desired.
As if you’ve not seen enough amazing Kauai attractions already, the North Shore sites are going to pile on with even more beauty! We’ll list the attractions in the order you’ll encounter them if you are heading from southeast to northwest, but you may decide to reverse the sequence.
First up is Kilauea Lighthouse for an absolutely picture perfect scene. See our post on Kilauea Lighthouse for more details and directions.
Next we recommend a stop at the Hanalei Valley Lookout. See this link to our Hanalei Valley Lookout post for more information and to get directions.
Continue on the scenic drive on Highway 560 down the slope into Hanalei Valley. Make your way to Hanalei Bay this picturesque area. See this our Hanalei Bay post which has more information plus directions to get to the pier. Note that the town of Hanalei is often referred to as a “hippie town.” It certainly has a unique vibe. In this small town, you’ll find shops, restaurants and food trucks galore.
Carry on Highway 560 towards the end of the road. Stop where ever you desire and where it is feasible to do so.
At the end of the road is Ke’e Beach and also the start of the famous Kalalau Trail. If you’re up for a fairly strenuous, but beautiful hike into the Na Pali Coast, we recommend hiking the first two miles of the Kalalau Trail. See our Kalalau Trail post for advice.
If the Kalalau Trail sounds too daunting and/or if you have extra energy after hiking the trail, check out the Limahuli Garden and Preserve.
By now, you’ve definitely seen the highlights and “must-sees” of Kauai. As this is towards the end of your week on the island, you could take the opportunity to relax and reflect on you visit or choose from the list of activity suggestions on Day 4.
The final day of your week-long Kauai vacation can be the most difficult to plan. On this day you will need to pack, check out of your accommodation and leave the island.
Have a nice breakfast from an ocean view restaurant or grab a take out breakfast to enjoy at a nearby beach.
If your time allows, enjoy some last minute beach or pool time at or near your accommodation.
If your flight leaves later in the afternoon or evening and you want to enjoy some more attractions and/or pool/beach time, you’ll need to come up with a plan to deal with your luggage. See our suggestions for what to do with your luggage on your last day.
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Notes:
– This Kauai vacation itinerary is easy to implement no matter where you are staying on the island.
– You can switch days around to suit your schedules and weather forecasts.
– Even if you have more or less than seven days, you can adapt this vacation itinerary to suit your available time and interests.
– For other Hawaiian Island vacation planners, see ur Maui itinerary is here and our Oahu vacation planner.
The post One Week Kauai Vacation Itinerary & Travel Planner appeared first on Go Visit Hawaii.
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