Kauai, Hawaii, completely stole my heart. What started as a quick stop before our family trip to Oahu became the highlight of our vacation.

Between hiking the Kalalau Trail, snorkeling with dolphins along the Napali Coast, and discovering hidden beaches, this Garden Island is full of unforgettable adventures.

And the food? Just as amazing! From fresh poke tacos and coconut shrimp at Duke’s Kauai to shave ice at Jojo’s, every meal felt like part of the experience.

Whether you’re chasing waterfalls, exploring secret spots, or tasting your way through the island, this guide has everything you need to plan the perfect Kauai getaway.

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Before joining up with the adults from my husband’s family for my mother in law’s 80th birthday on Oahu, my husband and I came a little early to spend some time on Kauai with 2 other couples.

Flights are cheap between the Hawaii islands, and we wanted to see as much as we could while in the area.

Kauai was my favorite part of the trip! I love the slower pace of that island, and you can’t beat the greenery!! It truly is the garden island.

Important things you need to know before you go:

Everything closes super early (like 5-6pm!!)
Roosters are extremely noisy. Like it truly sounded like they were cocka-doodle-dooing in megaphones just outside our bedroom window. And they don’t just crow at sunrise, it’s ALL night long. Do yourself a favor, bring ear plugs - seriously!!
Pack a rain coat and hoodie. It rains 500 inches a year, so it will likely rain during at least part of your day each day. Be flexible with your weather.

We stayed on the North Shore in Princeville and loved that it was quieter with less hustle and bustle than the South Shore. We grouped our South Shore activities so we would have all those on one day and wouldn’t have to drive back and forth.

Day 1 Kalalau Trail, Ke’e beach & Duke’s Kauai Food

Hike With Awe Inspiring View!!

You have to have a permit to hike the Kalalau Trail
You hop on a shuttle (there are a few pick up points) that takes you to Ke’e Beach. The Kalalau trail starts at the beach.
If you are like me with a weak knee (plus a husband with a torn calf muscle), you may be content hiking up to the view point 1/2 mile along. It is still a decent hike, but not super lengthy if you aren’t a strong hiker. The view from the lookout is absolutely breath taking!!!
If you want more of a hike, continue on 2 more miles to hike to Hanakap’ai Beach.
*If you really love doing rigorous, dangerous hiking, this hike goes on for 11 miles and you can hike your little heart out!
If you don’t want to worry about hiking and permits, you should check out Tunnels Beach (just down from Ke’e beach) that is also fun to explore.

Sunset Dinner on the Beach

Dinner in Lihue at Duke’s Kauai Food is so cool! It sits right on Kalapaki beach and has a fantastic atmosphere.
Go early enough so you can take some pics on the beach and then watch the sun go down as you eat!!
You can eat downstairs (right on the beach!) for more casual Hawaiian style dining.
We loved the poke tacos, calamari, & coconut shrimp!
Head upstairs for a fine dining experience with steak and fresh fish. You will likely need a reservation for the fine dining upstairs.
For a delicious end to your dinner, finish it up with some hula pie!

Day 2 Napali Coast, Sea Turtles at Poipu Beach & Jojo’s Shave Ice

Boat Ride on Napali Coast

For an outstanding adventure: take a boat along the Napali Coast. The beauty is indescribable and had me in tears. It’s a great way to see animal life, waterfalls and sea caves.

For the 7am tour we were guaranteed to see dolphins (a dream for my husband!), but the whales are usually more active in the afternoon. We saw dolphins, whales and a seal on the 7am tour. It was incredible!
Our captain also had a little snack lunch for us: pineapple, chips and soda. We got some time to swim & snorkel as well during the excursion as well.
While we were swimming a pod of dolphins came up to us and it was an unforgettable experience.
Bring some cash to tip your captain!
Winter has wilder waves on the Napali Coast, so just beware of that when booking your boat ride. We lucked out with a gorgeous February day, but they said we had the best day in the past month.

I would LOVE to do the helicopter ride of the Napali Coast next time we go. I’ve heard so many great things and it would be an amazing way to view the island.

Tasty eats in Waimea- Shrimp Station

Starving after your boat tour?

Grab some coconut shrimp at Shrimp Station in Waimea!
I also enjoyed a fresh coconut from the store next door, and my husband had a great mango fruit smoothie
There’s some fun shops right there as well!

Spouting Horn

As you’re driving along the coast, stop in at Spouting Horn for a pretty lookout at an active blowhole.

Sit Down Dining in Poipu- Keoki’s Paradise

If you’re looking for another meal with great ambience, sit down to eat at Keoki’s Paradise. It’s beautiful inside with live tropical plants everywhere. The fish tacos & Kama'aina Bowl were favorite dishes for our group.

Poipu Beach & Sea turtles

Continue over to Poipu Beach for swimming, snorkeling and sea turtles! Sea turtles go there to “bake” on the beach every evening just before sundown. I am amazed that they come back to the exact same beach location day after day. You’ll see orange cones and signs where they come in. Bring your snorkel and you can see them swim in under the water!!

Super Delish Shave Ice- Jojo’s

Grab Jojo’s Shave Ice for dessert! I’m not a big snow cone person, but I would eat one of these any day. Ice cream topped with shaved ice, syrups and cream- yummmmmm. Pina Colada was my favorite!

Day 3 Stunning Beaches & Our favorite Restaurant

Start with a short Hike - Queen’s Bath

Start with a morning walk down to Queen’s bath. Swimming there is very dangerous!! But you’re going to want to walk there to enjoy the view! The pathway was closed due to flash flooding and slippery conditions when we went and we were so sad to miss it.

The Beaches You’ve been Longing for!

Go play at the beach! Hanalei Beach is beautiful, and a lot less busy than Poipu.
You can walk the pier, snorkel, swim and play in the sand.
There is also a great beach just down from Hanalei called Pu’u Poa Beach. It has beautiful trees and we were the only ones on it!
You can park at the 1 Hotel parking lot and take the path down- it’s tropical and lush!

Our favorite meal of the trip- Kalypso’s

Kalypso is a must stop. Get the coconut shrimp- it has the best pineapple habanero sauce! We also enjoyed the chowder & fish n chips. The coconut shrimp was everybody’s favorite meal we ate on the island!!

One last Shave Ice - because You’re in Hawaii

Hit up Wishing Well Shave Ice for dessert!

Crowd Sourced Recs in Dreamy Kauai…

We’re going to break down our recommendations into where they are geographically, that way if you find yourself hanging out longer in a certain area, you can just browse our list to see what is nearby!

This is a little map to give you a general idea of where things are on the island:

North Shore - Princeville Area

Food:

Food trucks in Hanalei

Hanalei Taro
The Dolphin - get sushi
Pats Tacos
Red Hot Mama
JoJo’s Shave Ice

Beaches& Gorgeous Landmarks:

Ke’e Beach (beginning of Kalalau Trail)
Hanakap’ai Beach (2 miles in on the Kalalau Trail from Ke’e Beach)
Tunnels Beach
Hanalei Beach & Pier
Anini Beach - snorkeling & sea turtles
Queen’s Bath
Keiki’s Beach

Fun:

Hike Kalalau Trail - need a permit
Helicopter ride over the Napali Coast

East Side - Kapaa & Lihue (airport)

Food:

El Pastor Tacos
JoJo’s Shave Ice
Wailua Shave Ice
Duke’s Kauai Food

Fun:

Hopii Falls Hike

Secret Falls Hike (rent Kayaks to get there)
Kuilua Ridge Trail
Wailua Falls

South Shore - Poipu & Waimea

Food:

Da Crack
Merrimans ($$$)
Lapperts Ice Cream
Porky’s
Farmer’s Market
Uncles Shave Ice
Anakes Supermarket - for Acai
Puka Dog
The Right Slice - get the macadamia nut pie
Bubba’s Burgers
Waikomo Shave Ice
Keoki’s Paradise
JoJo’s Shave Ice
Shrimp Station
Chicken in a Barrel

Beaches:

Poipu Beach - go at night to see the sea turtles

Fun:

The Shops at Kuku’ula
Maha’ulepu Heritage Trail - good sunset hike, public parking East of Grand Hyatt
Spouting Horn - natural blow hole
Salt Farms
Waimea Canyon Hike - at the end of the canyon is Kalalou Lookout (view of Napali Coast)
Boat Tour Around Napali Coast
Helicopter Tour of Napali Coast and Wimea Canyon
Irrigation Canals - take rafts!

Love tropical destinations? Grab our cancun travel itinerary!

I can’t wait for you to have a fabulous trip to Kauai yourself! For more visuals of what everything looks like, head to our social media: Instagram, YouTube & TikTok. Make sure you give us a follow so you don’t miss any travel tips, family recipes, home hacks and sound bites from our podcast!

Check out our post about Oahu!