Kauai

All viewers: The pins in the embedded map below include key info, tips, and tricks, as well as details ported directly from Google Maps like contact info and ratings. FINALLY, all in one handy place! Check out the sample Day-Ish Long Itineraries below the map to help explore these great spots to the fullest. Also, just click the full screen button ⛶ in the top-right corner to port the map directly into Google Maps as its own layer for easy navigation.

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Overview

If you’re just looking to tour around the island, it can be covered in about two days. Add another day if you want to do some serious hiking or are anticipating some rain. Fly into Lihue Airport (LIH) via Hawaiian Airlines and grab a rental car. The north and south shores of the island are generally dotted with higher-end resorts directly abutting the beach. Staying on the east shore has some advantages: it’s the more developed section of the island, it’s cheaper if you’re basically just looking for a place to stay for the night, it’s closer to the airport, and it’s a good jump-off point for day trips to the north shore and the south shore. Look for lodging in the Kapa’a / Wailua area.

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Imagine the island like a clock face - the main road by the shore covers an arc from about 11 o’clock to 8 o’clock, with side roads extending toward the center in various places. The section from 8 o’clock to 11 o’clock is covered by Koke’e State Park, the Waimea Canyon, and the famous Na Pali Coast where Jurassic Park was filmed.

Day-ISH Long itineraries

+ North Shore

Breakfast: Art Hemingway Cafe for classic American fare set in a quaint converted house, or Pono Market for poke.

Along the route, visit:

  • Kilauea Lighthouse - Check their website for tour details as the hours are inconsistent.
  • Hanalei Pier - Agricultural goods used to be loaded onto boats here, but is now a nice walk out onto the bay.
  • Hanalei pedestrian mall - Nice stop for lunch, with a variety of options for food and some clothing and souvenir shops. There's a Big Save Market for more poke! Catamaran and helicopter tours can be found here. Expect to pay $200-$300USD/person, and you may need to reserve in advance, season-depending.
  • Ha’ena State Park - About as far as the road goes. Abuts the Na Pali Coast. Prepare for a lot of slow, narrow roads.
  • Kalalau Trail - Famous hike into the Na Pali coast. Cool lookout point 0.5 miles in. Going further than 4 miles requires a obtaining a permit.

Cheap dinner option: more poke! Fancier dinner option: Sam’s Ocean View Restaurant. Check the tips section of each pin for more info.

+ South Shore

The South Shore route has a lot of variety:

  • Opaeka’a Falls - Quick stop at a beautiful waterfall just steps off the main road.
  • Kilohana - Former plantation has been converted to include art gelleries, shops, and restaurants. Stop in at Koloa Rum for a free tasting.
  • Warehouse 3540 - Cool coworking space has crafts for sale and food trucks out front.
  • Kauai Coffee Company - Try free samples of dozens of varieties of coffee. Also has a cafe serving sandwiches and pastries.
  • Porky’s Kauai - Hawaiian pulled pork on top of a pineapple pork sausage? Say no more.

Drive up the Waimea Canyon Road for some gorgeous views of the scenery:

  • Kalalau Lookout - Weather permitting, get to the top first and knock out this view (it's one of the wettest places on Earth!) At the top, there are some breathtaking views down the Na Pali coast. Watch the helicopter tours from above.
  • Waipo’o Falls Lookout - On the way down, this lookout offers views over the Waimea Canyon ("the Grand Canyon of the Pacific"). Another waterfall, more tiny helicopter tours for scale.
  • Koke’e Lodge - Small stop in a state park with a little museum of the area, and a restaurant/bar.

Check the tips section of each pin for more info.

Logistics

Airport Stuff: Fly into Lihue Airport (LIH) via Hawaiian Airlines and grab a rental car. There are public buses around the island ring but the schedules are limited, making sightseeing difficult.

Where to Stay: The north and south shores of the island are generally dotted with higher-end resorts directly abutting the beaches. Staying on the east shore has some advantages: it’s the more developed section of the island, it’s cheaper if you’re basically just looking for a place to stay for the night, it’s closer to the airport, and it’s a good jump-off point for day trips to the north shore and the south shore. Look for lodging in the Kapa’a / Wailua area.