Best Things to Do on Kauai for First-Time Visitors

If you’re planning a trip to Kauai, first off, let me say I’m jealous. Kauai is genuinely the most beautiful place I’ve ever been. And it’s not just the sights–being there does something to you. I mean, I drove around that island and genuinely believed I could write folk songs and learn to play the ukulele. Cheesy? Maybe. But I was in la-la-Hawaii -land…

If you’re wondering how you should spend your precious time in paradise, I’ve got you covered. Whether you’re looking to hike to waterfalls, relax on a beach, spot sea turtles, or take a thrilling helicopter ride over the island, here are my best things to do on Kauai for-first time visitors. All with breathtaking views, of course.

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Captain Stuart and I

Take a Helicopter Tour

Okay, if you splurge on just ONE thing in Kauai, make it a helicopter tour. I mean, sure, the view from the ground is fantastic, but from the air, it’s truly something else. You’ll go places you can’t otherwise go–after all, only 10% of the island is accessible by car.

There are a few popular options for flying tours on Kauai:

Doors off helicopter tour: For thrill seekers, a doors-off helicopter tour is the only way to go. Sure, the only thing restraining you from, well… the world is your seatbelt, and it’s a little nerve racking at first, not gonna lie. But the fear quickly dissipates once you see get into the air and see those views.

I mean…

I did this tour with Jack Harter, and I highly recommend it. For my solo travelers, this tour is solo friendly. I noticed several tour companies had a minimum of two travelers, but this one did not.

Doors on helicopter tour: Ahh, the luxury of doors. This would be a little less scary but also, your photos wouldn’t be as good. Soooo…tradeoff.

Wings Over Kauai: So this is not a helicopter, but rather a cute little plane! It’s generally less expensive than a helicopter, and you get most if not all the same views. My friend did this tour and she enjoyed it.

Enjoying Waimea Canyon. Maybe a little too much.

Go Hiking

Hiking was the main draw of Kauai for me. If you’ve ever looked at pictures and thought, I want to go hiking in Hawaii, Kauai is your place. There are so many great hiking options:

Waimea Canyon: They call it the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, and it’s easy to see why. It looks a lot like the Grand Canyon but greener. There are several hiking trails here of varying lengths to choose from if you want to go beyond what the drive will show you.

Hanakāpīʻai Falls: Okay, this was one of the most breathtaking hikes I’ve ever done. It was also the hardest hike I’ve ever done. My prior hiking experience consisted of hikes in a drier climate, including a Colorado thirteener. Hiking is completely different in hot, humid, slippery, and let’s not forget muddy, conditions, so if you’ve not yet experienced that, be warned.

But it’s absolutely worth it for the views, and I will never forget my first glimpse. All of a sudden, you look up, and you just go wow…

You can swim in the falls as well. I got in, but it was so cold that I got right back out. If I had it to do over again, I would have sucked it up and gone and swam right underneath the falls. Missed opportunity…

You will need a permit to hike to the falls. You can either get a parking permit or a shuttle ticket. I opted for the shuttle. Permits are listed 30 days in advance. The parking permits go super quickly. The shuttle ones go fast too, but you have a little leeway on those. I got mine at a decent hour (like, 10 a.m. my time) with no problem.

Kalalau Trail: This is the big one. It’s notoriously difficult to get permits for this trail, but if you log on at midnight Hawaii time 30 days in advance, you might have a shot. You cannot log on any later than this, or they will be gone. I have heard that some people have had luck with cancellations, though. This trail is roughly 11 miles each way and is one of two ways you can get to Kalalau Beach–the other being by boat.

You do not need a permit to hike the first two miles of the trail to Hanakāpīʻai Beach, but you may want to get a parking permit or a shuttle reservation anyway. They will let you park if there’s availability, though. You might have a better chance at available parking if you come later in the day after the early bird hikers have left.

Relax on a Gorgeous Beach

Kauai’s beaches are stunning, but don’t underestimate the ocean. Conditions can change quickly, and some beaches are much rougher than they look. And be careful with sun exposure–it’s really strong. You will need ocean-safe sunscreen. Here are a few favorite beaches:

Hanalei Bay: Beautiful beach surrounded by mountains. And there’s a cool pier you can walk out on. Some folks were jumping off it, but I wouldn’t, personally, because it’s shallow.

Anini Beach: Very chill, lesser-known beach on the North Shore.

Poipu Beach: A must! Sea turtles and endangered Hawaiian Monk Seals are known to come here to bask, and they do everyday, like clockwork, in the evenings. Definitely free up an evening to come out here and watch.

Kick Back at a Resort

Not staying in a resort on Kauai? Me either. But the Grand Hyatt and Royal Sonesta sell day passes. I spent my last day on Kauai at the Grand Hyatt before my 7:30 p.m. flight back to the mainland. There was plenty of shade, which I needed because I was burnt to a crisp. It was nice to spend my last day relaxing, eating nachos, and drinking seltzers before I had to return.

A rough go…but where else are ya gonna get views like this?

Take a Boat Tour of the Nā Pali Coast

I mentioned the rough waters earlier, but it bears repeating. The ocean is ROUGH. If you’re prone to seasickness, I’m not sure I’d do a boat tour of any kind. With that being said, here are some options:

Catamaran: While hiking to Hanakāpīʻai Beach, I watched a tiny catamaran bounce over the whitecaps, looking like something out of an old hand-drawn cartoon. I remember thinking, Damn, that ocean is rough.

The views of the Coast, though, are spectacular, so if you can brave the rough sea, it would be worth it. Some of the catamaran tours include snorkeling as well.

Raft: This is for the adventure seekers, and I don’t say this lightly. I’ve been whitewater rafting, and this was more adventurous than that. The way it was described by the guides was “Whitewater rafting on steroids.” Yep.

At first it was all fun and games. We’d catch a big wave and the whole boat would go Woo! Good tunes were blaring. But it got rougher and rougher until the waves felt like we were hitting concrete. Over and over.

By the time I was done, everything hurt–especially knees and elbows from clinging on for dear life. The couple next to me weren’t doing well and I’m surprised neither of them threw up. The woman reached into her bag for more Dramamine partway through, and the man started bleeding from hanging onto the ropes too tightly. Side note: he refused the gloves offered to him a few times before finally putting them on… Stubborn man.

If I’m being honest, the best part of my raft experience was the storytelling by the guides. I learned a lot about the sea caves, Na Pali Coast, and Kalalau Valley – the latter of which sent me into a multi-hours rabbit hole reading about the hippies who live in the valley. The sea caves were really cool as well, but man. I could have done without the rest.

Drive up Waimea Canyon

I mentioned it before for the hiking, but you don’t have to hike to experience the beauty of Waimea Canyon. Simply drive up and stop at the lookout points. It’s worth going as early as possible. Clouds tend to roll in and obscure the view.

Roadside Attractions

I do love a good roadside attraction. Here are some you can find in Kauai.

Kilauea Lighthouse: This lighthouse is worth a small detour to see. Stop and look at it from the road, or if you’d like, you can tour it.

Spouting Horn: This natural blowhole shoots seawater high into the air as waves crash into the lava tubes below. It’s one of Kauai’s most famous roadside stops, and it only takes about 15–20 minutes to visit. Nearby you’ll usually find local vendors selling souvenirs.

Food to Try for First-Timers on Kauai

If you’re in doubt about what to eat on Kauai, honestly, you can’t go wrong with a food truck. There are sushi trucks, poke bowl trucks, shaved ice trucks… you can get pretty much anything from a food truck. But beyond the food trucks, here are a few things I went out of my way to try:

Hula Pie: Imagine macadamia nut ice cream on a chocolate cookie crust covered in hot fudge and whipped cream. I was so excited to eat it that I forgot to take a picture.

Shaved Ice: Like a mountain of a sno-cone with condensed milk on top. Similar to a New Orleans sno-ball.

Poke, Poke, poke. With all the poke bowls I ate, I don’t know how I didn’t get a picture of one. The Foodland in Princeville has fantastic, cheap poke bowls. Can’t go wrong with poke from a food truck either.

Hanalei Burger: I am not a burger person at all. I can’t remember when I last had a burger before this one. But something about this place drew me in, and I’m so glad I tried it. Delicious.

Hanalei Bread Company: Get there early to beat the lines. With that being said, the line does move fast. I pigged out here–had a blueberry pop tart, coffee, and a brekkie sandwich. All delicious and hit the spot. Seating is plentiful.

Kauai Cookies: These are scrumptious little shortbread cookies, and they come in many flavors. Visit the bakery or just buy the boxes and take them home for all your friends. You can find them in many souvenir shops and at the airport.

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