Feb 28

Feb 28 Wander Like Us: 5-Day Kauai Adventure Travel Itinerary

When we think of Hawaii, we picture the warm water of the Pacific Ocean washing onto white sand beaches lined with palm trees. The island of Kauai has plenty of these beautiful tropical beaches—but also so much more natural beauty. The oldest of the Hawaiian Islands—Kauai has been shaped by rain, wind and waves into an adventurer’s playground!

Is five days enough to explore the rugged sea cliffs of the Na Pali Coastline, the deep trenches of Waimea Canyon and some of the most beautiful waterfalls Kauai has to offer? Continue reading to find out and learn how to make the most out of a short trip to Hawaii’s ‘Garden Isle’!

Some things you should know…

Our 11-day trip to Hawaii was split between Kauai and the Big Island. Looking for tips on what to do on the Big Island? Read our 6-day Big Island Travel Itinerary!
We arrived late and spent our first night at the Kauai Palms Hotel. This budget hotel can be booked through Airbnb and is a great option if you’re looking for a place near the airport. Use our link to save $45 CAD on your first home booking and $17 CAD on your first experience with Airbnb!
Check out our ‘Ultimate Guide to Camping in Kauai’ to find a list of incredible campsites available in Kauai! We cover the locations, how to get there and the prices involved with every campsite!

Hiking to the end of the Awa’awapuhi Trail

Venture off the beaten path.

With the majority of Kauai being unpaved and inaccessible by car and foot—you’ll need a good 4x4 vehicle to get around. Our recommendation is to book with Kauai Overlander! Owners Bryce and Melody have a fleet of eight four-wheel drive pickup trucks and one SUV—all of which are equipped with a rooftop tent and fully stocked pull-out kitchen. After booking our truck we were provided with a camp guide and a link to a Google Map showing locations of hospitals, grocery stores and even a few secret campsites!

Here are a few things you should know about booking with Kauai Overlander:

They have a 4-night minimum booking.
The minimum age to rent is 25 years of age or older.
Their rooftop tents can only be used at State Parks and Private campgrounds but NOT in County Parks. They can provide ground tents upon request for these parks.
Check out their full list of FAQs here!

If you only have a few days to explore Kauai—camping is the best option to be able to see as much as possible. Their trucks are a little more expensive than your average rental car, but unlike your average rental car your accommodations are able to travel with you! With your rental and accommodations combined into one—you’ll save time and money by not having to check-in or out of hotels or Airbnb’s and avoiding the costly service and cleaning fees (Bryce and Melody actually encourage that you bring the trucks back dirty!).

**If you're looking to save even more money—consider booking a cheap rental and bringing your own tent!

Beach Camping at Polihale State Park with Kauai Overlander

Chasing Waterfalls while heading North.

Before leaving from Lihue our first stop was at Ha Coffee Bar. Offering a small but delicious food menu of açai bowls and bagels as well as a large assortment of coffee, tea, kombucha and smoothies—Ha Coffee Bar had everything we needed to start our day off right!

While it is possible to see up to four incredible waterfalls in one day on your way to the north side of the island—we recommend picking two or three and spending the time to explore each one. These waterfalls include:

Wailua Falls - being the closest of the four waterfalls to Lihue—Wailua Falls attracts a lot of tourists. But most of these visitors choose to observe this 173 foot waterfall from the viewpoint at the top. Want an even better view? We suggest making the short but steep hike down to the bottom!
Opaeka’a Falls - Another waterfall that is easily seen from a viewpoint above the falls and therefore attracts quite a few tourists. We had planned to hike to the bottom of these falls as well but due to a late start and some heavy rain the day before we decided to just make a quick sunset stop.
Makaleha Falls - This occasionally difficult to follow trail will have you crossing over the Makaleha Stream multiple times. You’ll also venture through a bamboo forest and climb over large boulders before finally reaching the two-tiered waterfall spilling between deep canyon walls. This challenging hike was easily one of our favourites on the island!
Ho’opi’i Falls - If you’re a fan of Jurassic Park you may remember an early scene where they find a fossilized mosquito encased in amber. The reason we are telling you this? Because this scene was filmed at Ho’opi’i Falls!

The viewpoints of Wailua and Opaeka’a Falls offer the opportunity to see some amazing waterfalls and are great options for the whole family. But if you’re looking for an adventure and want to fully appreciate the natural beauty of Kauai—we highly recommend fitting at least one of these incredible hikes into your itinerary!

One of the most beautiful—and most dangerous—hikes in the world!

The Kalalau Trail is an 11-mile trek that traverses the rugged cliffs and valleys of the Nā Pali Coast on the way to a pristine beach—and is the reason we needed to make it to the North shore of the island on our first day. When we first started planning our trip, this hike-which is often regarded as one of the most dangerous in the world—was at the top of our list.

While it is possible to complete the entire 22-mi. return trip in one day—it’s not recommended for the average hiker. If this is the only reason you’re planning a trip to Kauai, or if you are spending more than five days on the island, consider getting a permit to continue hiking past Hanākapī’ai Beach and camp at Kalalau Beach at the end of the trail! Since permits are only issued up to 90 days before the hike and because we didn't know when they would sell out—we decided to get permits just in case.

After completing our itinerary, it was clear that we weren’t going to be able to spend a night camping at Kalalau Beach if we wanted to have time for everything else we wanted to see. Our plan was to start early and try and be the first to enjoy Hanākapī’ai Falls. Depending on how much energy we had left after this two mile detour at Mile 2 of the Kalalau Trail—we would then decide if we wanted to put our permits to good use and try to make it at least to ‘Crawler’s Ledge’ at Mile 7 before calling it quits and heading back to the parking lot.

Our plan started off perfectly. We were the first car in the parking lot on a warm, but gloomy morning. It was looking like we were gong to have Hanākapī’ai Falls all to ourselves! Unfortunately, Mother Nature had a different plan for us this day. As we neared Hanākapī’ai beach, we could hear the sound of rushing water. Already having wet shoes from passing through a few other streams along the way—we proceeded down towards Hanākapī’ai Stream. Due to some heavy rainfall the night before, this stream—which must be crossed to continue on the Kalalau Trail and to get to the trail that leads to Hanākapī’ai Falls—was experiencing a flash flood. We searched for an alternate way across, but with so much water flowing over the rocks we didn’t want to risk being swept downstream. Reluctantly, we decided to turn around and head back to the car. Even though we didn't get to swim at the falls or feel the rush of hiking the narrow cliff at ‘Crawler’s Ledge’—we were still happy to experience some of the beautiful Kalalau Trail. At least now we have a good reason to go back!

Some things to know before you go:

A permit is needed to hike the Kalalau Trail past Hanākapī’ai Beach—even if you don’t plan on camping.
Permits cost $20 USD per person.
Parking reservations must be made at https://www.gohaena.com if you just plan on spending the day on the Kalalau Trail. These reservations can be made 30 days in advance and each day has three timeslots—Morning (6:30AM to 12:30PM), Afternoon (12:30PM to 5:30PM) and Sunset (4:30PM-Sunset). Each timeslot costs $5 USD—meaning if you want to spend all day on the trail (6:30AM-Sunset) you will need to pay $15 USD.

Until recently, if you wanted to camp overnight on the trail you needed to take a Shuttle from Princeville or the Waipa Park and Ride because there was no overnight parking at Hā’ena State Park. The problem with this was that there was also no overnight parking at the Princeville shuttle stop or the Waipa Park and Ride—meaning you had to get creative when finding somewhere to park your rental car. It appears as if someone came to their senses however, because now there are limited overnight parking spots available at the trailhead. Like the permits, these spots can be booked up to 90 days in advance.

Views of the Nā Pali Coast on the Kalalau Trail

After our hike abruptly ended, we had to find something else to do with the rest of our day, so we decided to see what else the North Shore had to offer. Our first stop was the beautiful Hanalei Bay—or at least it should have been beautiful.

Hanalei Bay is the largest bay on the north side of the island. Typically, you can enjoy views of the lush green mountains while sitting on the beautiful beach and listening to the turquoise-tinged water wash ashore. Unfortunately for us—the storm that flooded the stream on the Kalalau Trail also led to some rather unappealing brown coloured water washing onto a debris-filled beach.

Our next stop included some more moody views just outside of Princeville at a well-known spot called the Queen’s Bath. Even on a calm day it’s recommended that you don’t try and swim in this natural ocean-filled pool (although that doesn’t stop most people). Some severe waves crashing into the pool made it almost unrecognizable during our visit meaning we didn't even need to fight the urge to go against these recommendations.

Washed-up debris on Hanalei Beach after a violent storm

Recharge and relax on a beachfront campsite.

Following two days of hiking and driving around the island we were ready for a relaxing day at the beach. Luckily we had planned to make our way to the beautiful beach at Polihale State Park where we would be setting up camp for the night. But first we had to make a few stops…

Our first stop? You guessed it—coffee! This time we decided to check out Aloha Roastery. With locations in Lihue and Koloa you’ll have twice the opportunity to taste their delicious specialty coffee before heading to the beach.

After enjoying our coffee, we visited some prehistoric-looking creatures at Lida’s Field of Dreams. This small nature preserve is home to roughly twenty tortoises and is located on Kauai’s southern shore near the town of Poipu. It’s also nearby the Makauwahi Cave Reserve—Hawaii’s largest limestone cave—which was once home to many, now extinct species. These reserves definitely make you feel like you’re on the set of Jurassic Park and are a great adventure for the entire family!

Polihale Beach is a remote white sand beach located on Kauai’s West Shore. With it’s stunning cliffside backdrop and the powerful Pacific Ocean washing ashore it’s no wonder this spot is a favourite for both locals and visitors alike. Even though we saw more than a few compact cars driving the extremely bumpy road that connects the highway to the beach—we were grateful for the four-wheel drive on our truck.

After setting up our campsite, we spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the sun, the sand and the cool ocean breeze. From watching the sunset over the horizon to laying under the stars and falling asleep to the sound of the waves—this beachfront site definitely made our list of top campsites around the world.

Want to know more about camping at Polihale State Park? Check out our ‘Ultimate Guide to Camping in Kauai’!

The Grand Canyon of the Pacific.

Waimea Canyon—with its scenic green and brown hues plunging 3,600 feet into the valley below—has often been described as “The Grand Canyon of the Pacific” and was our first stop on our second-to-last day on Kauai.

We arrived in the park early which meant we were one of the first cars in the parking lot at the Waimea Canyon Lookout. This lookout offers a stunning view of Waimea Canyon and definitely reminded of us some of the viewpoints of the Grand Canyon. The lookout also has some local vendors that sell some snacks and other items—we recommend trying the deep-fried bananas!

Between Waimea Canyon and Koke'e State Park there’s no shortage of great hikes--the problem is choosing which ones to pick with only one day. If you’re looking for a challenge, check out some of these choices:

Canyon Trail to Waipio’o Falls - At 3 miles (~ 5 kilometres), this moderately difficult out-and-back trail takes you to the top of Waipio’o Falls and is the only hike on this list that provides more great views of Waimea Canyon. Be prepared to get muddy!
Awa’awapuhi Trail - A challenging hike with an incredible payoff. This out-and-back trail is rated as difficult, is a total of 6.7 miles (~ 11 kilometres) and was one of our favourites on the island. You’ll spend the majority of the first half of the hike heading downhill through a dense forest. Although the trail doesn’t provide much to marvel at—it more than makes up for it with the spectacular views while standing on the spine of the Awa’awapuhi Ridge. Afraid of heights? You still get a great view without going all the way to the end of the ridge!
Honopu Ridge Trail - Another out-and-back hike with some impressive views of the Na Pali Coast at the end. The total hike is approximately 4.5 miles (~ 7 kilometres) and is listed as difficult. Although we didn’t have the time for this one—our research showed that it’s less maintained than some of the others on this list. It is recommended that you wear pants to protect your legs from the sharp brush that lines this narrow trail. Make sure you stick to the pink and orange trail markers to make sure you don’t end up going down the wrong path!
Kalepa Ridge Trail - Technically this trail is unauthorized but that doesn’t stop people from attempting it. Starting from the Kalalau Lookout, you’ll need to hop a fence to get to the start of the trail. The heavily trafficked, out-and-back trail is listed as approximately 2 miles (just over 3 kilometres) and offers an incredible vantage point to view the Kalalau Valley. Unfortunately we arrived at sunset and weren’t able to do this hike either—but you can bet it’s on our list for our next trip to Kauai!

With so many incredible views—a trip to the ‘Garden Isle’ just isn’t complete without visiting these incredible state parks!

Waimea Canyon from the Waipio’o Falls Hike

Money well spent.

By this point you've probably realized that travelling to Hawaii can be pretty expensive. While we were able to save some money by camping and cooking our own meals rather than eating at restaurants every day—we still took quite the hit in our bank account. But if you have a little extra cash you’ve been saving up from all those birthday cards filled with money—or have parents that are willing to pay half as an early Christmas present—we absolutely recommend booking yourself a helicopter tour of Kauai!

If you’ve followed this itinerary so far, then you’ll have already seen a lot of the places that are featured during the helicopter tours. However, there is just no match to seeing places like the Na Pali Coast or Waimea Canyon from a bird’s-eye view. Although we chose to save the best for last—it is actually recommended that you book your helicopter tour as early as possible in your trip. By doing this you’ll leave yourself room to reschedule your tour in case the tour company has to cancel due to poor weather conditions.

If you’re wondering which helicopter tour to choose—check out our post ‘Flying over Kauai’ where we outline everything you need to know about booking your tour! We’ve even included prices and descriptions of every tour offered by six different companies!

Already booked your tour? Read our guide on ‘How to Capture the Perfect Photo on your Helicopter Tour” where we cover everything to help you get that perfect shot!

If we had more time…

Here are some things we would have done if we had more than 5-days!

Hike the entire Kalalau Trail and camp at Kalalau Beach.
Take a boat or kayak tour of the Na Pali Coast.
Hike to one of the wettest spots on Earth… Waialeale Falls!
Surf at Hanalei Bay.
Hike the Kalepa Ridge Trail.

Recap

If you just came here for the itinerary part of this post then you’ve finally made it to the right spot!

Day 1 - Waterfall hikes on the way to the North Shore*
Day 2 - Hiking the Kalalau Trail**
Day 3 - Beach Camping at Polihale State Park
Day 4 - Waimea Canyon and Koke’e State Parks
Day 5 - Helicopter Tour of Kauai!***

*We chose to hike to the bottom of Wailua and Makaleha Falls!

**Our hike got cut short which gave us more time to check out Hanalei Bay and the Queen’s Bath.

***Due to our trip being split between Kauai and the Big Island we never had a full 5th day. With some extra time we might have included a morning hike of Kalepa Ridge before heading back to Lihue.

Hopefully this post has given you a good start on planning your island adventure. If you have any questions or would like some help with your itinerary—we would love to offer our advice! Leave a comment below or send us a DM on Instagram and we will do our best to answer any of your questions!

Share your photos with us!

We’d love to see photos of your adventure on Kauai! Tag @wanderlikeus AND use our hashtag #wanderlikeus in your Instagram posts and we’ll repost some of our favourites to our story!