Ultimate Kauai Hawaii Travel Guide

Let me just start by stating that Kauai is UNREAL! It is so incredibly beautiful and a must-see spot on Earth! It’s so green, lush, and tropical, and the views are unlike anywhere else I’ve ever been. I just returned from my trip to Kauai and we had so much fun! We spent just over a week on the island and we were able to do A LOT in our time there! As I was sharing on my Instagram highlights from our trip and I received so many messages to write up this blog post. So here it is! My ultimate Kauai Hawaii travel guide!

Kauai, Hawaii

Hawaii is my favorite place on Earth to travel to. It is so beautiful and fun!

I should start by saying that I’ve traveled to Kauai only twice. That being said, we had such an awesome time, so I feel confident in sharing my opinions on what to do and where to eat! If you have anything to add, please leave a comment below, I’d love to see it!

Some Kauai Fast Facts:

Kauai is known as the “Garden Island”
Kauai’s coastline is 111 miles long and is has the most accessible beaches than any of the other Hawaiian Islands
70% of the Island is inaccessible by foot

I cannot stress enough how lush and green Kauai truly is. It felt like I was in Jurassic park. I was so mesmerized but the tall trees, waterfalls, and the variety of vegetation that grew everywhere!

Traveling to other islands? Check out my Ultimate Maui Hawaii Travel Guide!

WHAT TO PACK

Swimsuits
Cover-Ups
SunGlasses
Flip Flops or Sandals
Tevas or Hiking Shoes
Dress or Nice Shirt
Light Jacket or Rain Jacket
Hat
Sunscreen
Water Bottle
Camera or Go Pro
Exercise Clothes
A neck pillow for the red-eye home
Spike Ball is fun to play out on the sand

WHAT TO DO ON KAUAI

Waimea Canyon: Waimea Canyon is known as “the grand canyon of the Pacific” and is 14 miles long, 1 mile wide, and more than 3,600 feet deep. It only costs $5 to park and has amazing views and trails you can wander on. It is open daily during daylight hours so take the beautiful scenic drive up and enjoy views. I would say that it is a must-see!

Na Pali Coast: This one is another great site you need to see if you are in Kauai! You can only view the coastline by boat, air, or by hiking. I’ve seen the coast by boat and by helicopter and both were amazing! The cliff sides are absolutely beautiful, with many waterfalls, trees, beaches, and just beautiful. Lots of movies were filmed along this coast but the two popular ones to note are ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ and ‘Jurassic Park.’

Hanalei Bay: Hanalei Bay is the largest bay on the north shore of Kaua’i and has beautiful views of blue waters and stunning mountains. It was the most incredible beach I have ever been to. Hanalei Bay also has a small town before it where there are lots of local shops, places to rent kayaks, surfboards, & snorkeling gear. It makes for a fun day trip!

Queens Bath: On our way to Hanalei Bay, we stopped at Queens Bath in Princeville. It’s about a mile hike down to the water. The trail itself is lush and beautiful, but pretty muddy. Plan on wearing good hiking shoes that can get muddy and a swimsuit so you can jump in at the bottom. At the bottom, at low tide you can jump off the cliffs into the ocean, or soak in the ‘queen’s bath’ pool within the rocks.

Wailua River Kayaking: This was one of our favorite things we did! You rent kayaks at the bottom of the river, then kayak up it with the most beautiful views. At the top of the river, you park the kayak and hike in to a giant, remote bridal-veil waterfall. The hike is very moderate and they have installed a nice boardwalk. The views are amazing.

Spouting Horn: Spouting Horn Beach Park is a delightful lookout where you can watch a blowhole spout a plume of seawater into the air. This waterspout occurs whenever waves are forced under the lava shelf and up through an opening on the rocky coast. Depending on the tide and ocean conditions, the water may spout as far as 50 feet into the air.

Poipu Beach: Poipu Beach is a fun beach that was near our hotel. In the mornings. we saw sea turtles on the shore. It’s a fun area to snorkel and to play in the waves.

Shipwreck’s Beach: a local favorite for surfing and body surfing. It’s beautiful here and the sand is very soft! Check the flags to make sure it is safe to swim.

WHERE TO EAT IN KAUAI

Kauai has lots of amazing food to try! From food trucks, to restaurants, fish tacos, and even shaved ice!

Keoki’s Paradise: absolutely delicious and everyone’s favorite meal of the trip!

The Beach House: Stunning views and delicious food. My kind of night!

Duke’s: Duke’s is always fun in Hawaii.

Merriman’s: We weren’t able to get in to Merriman’s but I have heard its incredible and to order the lava cake!

Puka Dog: Kauai’s famous Hawaiian style hot dogs. It sounds weird but they were actually really good! And get the fresh squeezed lemonade too!

Brick Oven Pizza: If you’re in the mood for pizza, give Brick Oven Pizza a go! We went here twice during our trip!

Street Burger: These burgers were big and delicious! Perfect for a day after the beach.

Da Crack: A literal crack in a small strip mall but delicious, large portions of tacos, burritos. and burrito bowls. We joked that this is the Chipotle of Kauai!

Little Fish Coffee: Rumored to have the best acai bowls on the island! However, their machine was broken when we went so I wasn’t able to try one.

Jo Jo’s Shaved Ice: You have to have Hawaiian shaved ice and this one was great! I had the tropical breeze and I loved it!

Pink’s: We didn’t make it to Pink’s but I’ve heard it is the best ice cream on the island!