The 20 Best Things to Do on Kauai

Living on the tropical paradise of Kauai…life is slow, nature is abundant, and sharing the things we love so much about Kauai is easy.  And that is what inspired me to create and share this list.

This is a list of what we love to do on Kauai, and what we love sharing with our visiting guests.  It’s our take on…

The 20 Best Things to Do on Kauai:

1. Light up a beach bonfire, complete with beer, wine, and s’mores.
2. Enjoy a sunset, and when the horizon is clear, watch for the green flash.
3. Kayak or stand-up paddle (SUP) on either the Hanalei River or the Wailua River.
4. Splash under a waterfall, accessible from easy hikes to challenging hikes, there are lots of them to choose from.
5. Walk out on, or better yet, jump into the bay from the Hanalei Pier (it’s a right of passage for the local keiki).
6. Hike at least to the first .50 mile marker of the Kalalau Trail, or go more distance to Hanakapiai Beach (2 miles one-way), Hanakapiai Falls (4 miles one-way), or Kalalau Beach (11 miles one-way, overnight camping permit required).
7. Surf, or at least boogie board, in some of Hanalei Bay’s awesome wave breaks.
8. Snorkel at Tunnels Beach, and don’t forget to look up when you are out in the water at the surreal emerald mountains.
9. Order at least two Pat’s carne asada tacos at Pat’s Taqueria near the Hanalei Pier (Monday – Saturday, noon to 3pm…Note:  No Pat’s Taqueria in May, Pat goes on vacation all of May).
10. Visit the Hanalei Farmer’s Market (Saturday’s beginning at 9:30am until around noon).
11. Attend the sunset ritual at the St. Regis Princeville Resort Bar (beverage service from 3:30pm, appetizers & sushi from 5:30 to 8:30pm, kids are welcome).
12. Pull off the road to view Hanalei’s Taro Fields and the waterfall ribboned mountain range (across from the Princeville Center); and the Hanalei Bay view turnout (as you make the turn heading down to Hanalei).
13. Belly up for an original Bubba’s Burger in Hanalei or Kapaa.
14. Have a frozen fruit frosty (creamy frozen fruit, usually pineapple or banana) from Banana Joe’s Fruitstand, in Kilauea.
15. Ride a bike along the Kauai Path, by far, one of the most scenic coastal paths on the planet (Coconut Coasters in Kapaa is right next to the path, and the easiest and nicest place to rent bikes).
16. Sit down and fill up on Hamura’s (a local legend of a noodle house) special saimin, teriaki chicken sticks, and a slice of lilikoi chiffon pie, in Lihue.
17. Sip a cocktail or two at Duke’s Kauai  at Kalapaki Beach, order their La Pina served in a locally-grown, hollowed out pineapple, or Duke’s Mai Tai, or both.
18. View Wailua Falls, “Da Plane, da plane!” (turn off is near Walmart in Lihue).
19. Take in the views in Kauai’s Waimea Canyon & Koke’e State Parks at the Waimea Canyon Lookout, the Kalalau Lookout, and the Puu O Kila Lookout, then stop in to the Kokeʻe Musem and The Lodge at Koke’e.
20. Shop at Long’s Drugs, Walmart, or Big Kmart, for local products or souveniers for mainland gifts.