The beautiful island of Kauai offers so much to see and do. Here are the top 5 excursions you must do while on this Hawaiian island. We spent a week in Kauai and experienced the whole island by land, sea and air! And we want to share with you our favorite things we did so you can have an unforgettable trip.
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1- Island Helicopter Tour of Kauai
We started our Kauai adventure with an exciting helicopter ride. We chose this as our first activity for several reasons. First we wanted to see the entire island from above before we started exploring in our car. Our travel agent from Get Away Today highly recommended Island Helicopters. They offer a few different flights including landing at the famous Jurassic Park waterfall. We chose the 50 minute Grand Skies Island tour.
We soared over the island of Kauai and saw parts of the island that can only be seen by air. Our pilot pointed out all the not to miss spots and even showed us where they filmed several movies like Jurassic Park, Jungle Cruise, South Pacific and more. The views from the helicopter were unreal.
The pilot took us soaring above the mountains and down into the valleys. We got up close and personal to waterfalls, flew over Waimea Canyon, the Grand Canyon of the Pacific and took in the majestic Na Pali coast. You can’t drive to the Na Pali coast. You either fly over it, hike to it or take a boat around the island to see it.
And the views from above were some of the most memorable moments from our trip. We flew over Hanalei Bay and saw the best snorkeling area on the island! Our tour also included the crater of Mt. Waialeale, which our pilot said is one of the wettest spots on Earth!
Just a tip for first time helicopter riders. If you’re prone to motion sickness take something an hour before the flight to avoid nausea.
To book this once in a lifetime adventure with Island Helicopters go to their website and read about the tours offered. We 100% recommend the Grand Skies Island tour. This was a great way to start our Kauai vacation with an overview of the island. It gave us great perspective and got us very excited for our week ahead of us!
2 – Na Pali Coast Boat Excursion with Capt. Andy’s
The best way to see the Na Pali coast in Kauai is by boat! We loved this thrilling experience in a bouncy, wet, fast 24’ raft as our captain took us exploring through sea caves and so much more! The 6 hour excursion up the coast with Captain Andy’s was unforgettable. You should watch our adventure on YouTube.
We saw many waterfalls and learned about the fascinating island from our guides. We saw famous scenes from movies like 6 days and 7 nights with Harrison Ford and the first Jurassic Park to name a few.
Our captain pointed out sea turtles and dolphins during our adventure. The views from our raft of the Na Pali coast were incredible. After exploring the coast for about 2 hours we landed on a remote beach. They provided gear for us to snorkel in the gorgeous water. After snorkeling we enjoyed a hot Hawaiian meal with kalua pork, teriyaki chicken, rice, salad, roll, pineapple and a cookie. Drinks were also included.
After lunch we gathered with our group for a little nature hike. The website says a hike, but this was more of just an easy walk around the beach. We learned about the Hawaiians who inhabited this part of this island long ago. They estimated about 200 people lived in this area called Nualolo Kai. I loved learning about their way of life and how they used the land to live. 
Nualolo Kai ancient Hawaiian village tour on Capt. Andy’s excursion.
This was by far one of the best experiences on the island. Book a trip with Captain Andy’s when you’re visiting Kauai! We booked the 6 hour Na Pali Cave and Beach Landing tour. To see exactly what this thrilling boat ride is all about go watch my complete review on my YouTube channel.
Our travel partner Get Away Today booked this excursion with Captain Andy’s for us. They recommended so many things that we did while on Kauai. They too can help you plan your Hawaiian vacation to any island. To book your trip call 855-GET-AWAY and speak to one of their travel experts who know about each island. They also helped us choose the best hotel for our group! Let them know that Magical Tour Guide sent you for exclusive rates!
3 – Sunset dinner cruise on the Na Pali Coast
Seeing the Na Pail Coast in Kauai is a must do! We chose to do a sunset dinner cruise with Captain Andy’s because it came highly recommended by so many! Voted BEST dinner cruise on Kauai by Hawaii Magazine for a reason. Yes we already saw the Na Pali coast on the raft excursion as mentioned above, but we wanted a relaxing sunset experience as well. We boarded a 65” Star yacht for a 4-5 hour excursion up the breathtaking Na Pali coast. Watch our adventure on YouTube.
Our Captain shared interesting facts about the island, pointed out locations seen in movies and more. We saw waterfalls, sea caves, dolphins, sea turtles and of course the star of the show was the gorgeous Na Pali coast! From the moment we stepped onto the 65’ Star yacht we were impressed.
There’s a whole crew onboard the ship dedicated to making sure you have the best experience. We found a seat in the back and as soon as we sat down they were taking our drink orders. The crew continued to keep the complimentary drinks coming during our whole trip! Our Captain was very informative. And she would point out dolphins or even stop to let us watch them in the water. Captain Claire was kind enough to invite anyone who wanted to come up and steer the boat. Now that was a thrill and a first for me!
Next up after cruising up the coast we stopped for some photos and turned around to head back. This is the point when they started serving our 4 course dinner. All of the food is prepared on the ship by the chef. He came around when we first boarded and asked if we had any food allergies. So if you need any special accommodations they can do that for you. The main course included filet mignon, jumbo shrimp, two vegetable sides and roasted potatoes. We topped off our meal with key lime cheesecake for dessert.
Dinner was fantastic and we ended just as the sun started setting. At sunset the Captain stopped the boat for us to enjoy the moment. Crew members came around asking if they could take our sunset photos. This was a beautiful moment with the people I love the most! What an unforgettable time we had on the sunset excursion. This was a highlight of our trip for sure!
We booked the Star Dinner Sunset Sail with Captain Andy’s. My travel partner Get Away Today booked this dinner cruise for us. They too can help you plan your vacation, call 855-GET-AWAY and tell them Magical Tour Guide sent you.
4 – Tubing through old Sugar Plantation Canals
One of the unique experiences we did while in Kauai was floating through the old plantation canals with Kauai Back Country. It’s the perfect activity for all ages. We floated in a tube through the canals and tunnels that were hand dug around 1870.
The water flowed slow and pretty speedy in some parts. This was not like a lazy river type floating trip. We floated through 5 different tunnels. You’re given everything you need for this experience. We had helmets with headlamps to see inside the tunnels and gloves to protect our hands from rough surfaces.
You must wear water shoes in order to do this activity. Wear your own or rent from Kauai Back Country. After we floated through the canals we finished our excursion with lunch. Our meal was included with the cost of the excursion. This was a fun way to see the back country of Kauai. The excursion included transportation to and from the floating location. My travel partner Get Away Today booked this tubing excursion for us and they can help you too 855-GET-AWAY.
5 – Kayak to Secret Falls
If you’re looking for an adventure that includes a kayak and hike to a waterfall then book a kayak tour up the Wailua River to Secret Falls. There are several companies that offer this tour. You can even just rent kayaks yourself and do the hike.
Some companies offer lunch and some don’t include lunch so you decide. But just know this excursion is not suited for everyone. You must be able to paddle in a kayak for 45 minutes and then hike 45 minutes to the waterfall. The hike was a little hairy in a few spots. I was able to do it and I’ve had double knee replacement, but it was a challenge for me, not gonna lie. So make sure everyone in your party is physically fit for this adventure.
It’s so worth it to hike to the falls, so don’t let that scare you, I just want to be honest it’s not a nature walk. We had a guide up the river but it was just kind of follow the kayaks and keep paddling til we get there. We beached and left our kayaks while we hiked. As we were hiking our guide stopped to share with us information about the trail and island. When we reached the waterfall we had time to swim and enjoy the views. Our excursion included a lunch, but it wasn’t anything spectacular you could book this without a lunch and save money. They do give you a dry bag to pack your belongings in, but you do have to carry it in and back out of the waterfall.
After we ate and took lots of photos we hiked back to the kayaks. Then paddled back to where we got in the Wailua River and hopped in the vans back to our original meeting location. Our family enjoyed this excursion and we were all tired when we got back to our hotel! We slept real good that night! And of course my travel partner Get Away Today booked this kayak excursion for us. They too can help you book this tour.
These are just the top 5 things we did while in Kauai. We experienced other things that I will write about in another article. But I wanted to highlight the must do things when you’re planning a trip to Kauai, Hawaii. I can’t stress enough the importance of using a travel agent. I booked everything through Get Away Today at no extra cost! They are knowledgeable and helpful every step of the way. Give them a call to start planning your incredible vacation to Hawaii at 855-GET-AWAY! Tell them I sent you for the best rates!
