The Best of Kauai in 5 Days

There are many islands in Hawaii and often times it’s hard to choose.  Maui and Oahu tend to be the most visited with lots of activities and nightlife.  For our family, we tend to look for the road less traveled.   We look for locations that offer things to do, but are less crowded and laid back.  For us, this Kauai 5-day itinerary fit the bill.  This island is less touristy but by far is the greenest and most lush of the islands, in my opinion.  They don’t call it the garden island for nothing.   

What Kauai lacks in nightclubs, large resorts lining the beaches, and more activities than you can ever do in one trip, Kauai maintains the true Hawaiian charm with open space, massive jungles, and many places for peace and quiet.  It is for these reasons we chose Kauai and I can say it’s my favorite of the islands.

One thing you may not think of when thinking of Kauai is the abundance of chickens and roosters.  After spending a day or two on the island, I think we saw more wild chickens than people.  As such, be ready for chicken shirts and souvenirs in the shops.  They call it the garden island, but it could easily be called the chicken island.

For those coming to this page directly, this trip to Kauai and eventually the island of Hawaii (The Big Island) was a result of a “secret trip” that was planned.  My family had no idea we were making this trip until the morning our flight left.  Read about how it was planned here.

Logistics

First, let’s get the logistics out of the way.  This island, while smaller than the others, still requires that you have a rental car.  You will not be able to see much of the island otherwise.   While we didn’t have any issues, I heard the availability of cars goes fast so plan to rent early (Do’s and Don’ts).

We flew Southwest Airlines from Los Angeles which is about a 5-to-6-hour flight but seemed to go quickly given the residual excitement of the secret trip that was revealed only hours before.

There were several activities we did on the island that were sold out as we approached the trip.  You will want to schedule your activities early or else you’ll be disappointed as you get closer to your trip or when you arrive.

Airport

Kauai’s airport comprises of several open-air buildings.  You will exit the plane onto the tarmac and walk into one of the buildings.  There you will find a small area with the baggage claim and a small parking lot with a shuttle to the car rental area.  There isn’t much more than that at the airport, so if you were expecting a huge terminal with a bunch of shops and fancy artwork, you’re on the wrong island.  The airport is located in the middle of Lihue where you will be on your way pretty quickly — certainly, faster than most Caribbean islands that operate on island time.

Lay of the land

In my opinion, there are three areas worth staying.  Depending on what you’re looking for you can choose which one best fits your style. 

Lihue

Starting with Lihue on the east side of the island, this is where the airport is.  We didn’t see much in the area in terms of lodging, but you could consider this the downtown area of Kauai.  It was mostly businesses, but from what we could tell it had some surrounding neighborhoods that likely had rentals as well as some restaurants. 

What Lihue does have going for it is it’s centrally located.  I would not normally suggest this area unless you are sensitive to driving a lot.  Compared to other Hawaiian islands, Kauai is fairly small so personally, I think the other two options are far better.

Poipu Beach

The second option is Poipu Beach, located on the south end of the island.  For those that want traditional tourist spots and hotels, this is the place for you.  It has many branded hotels, a tourist’s beach (recently named the #1 beach in North America in 2022), and tons of touristy restaurants, shops, and activities. 

I am not saying it’s bad, it’s just what it is.  If that is what you’re looking for, I would generally suggest going to Maui and Oahu as you will find a lot more of this type of stuff.  However, if you’re dead set on Kauai, Poipu Beach is as close as you will get to that type of atmosphere.

Princeville

Lastly, and where we stayed, Princeville is on the north end of the island.  While this side of the island gets the most rain, although I don’t recall it raining where we were there in June, it’s also the lushest and less touristy.  There are a number of nice beaches nearby and it puts you close to Na’ Pali, which if you have seen any pictures of Hawaii lately, is likely the area that was photographed.  There wasn’t a lot in the way of restaurants although there was a small town down the road that had plenty of options, in my opinion.  Also, you will find several resorts, condos, and rentals, but it comes across as more of a neighborhood than a line of resorts you will get on the other islands. 

As noted earlier, our family looks for peace and quiet and less touristy spots, so this area of the island ended up being the perfect fit for us.  That said, do plan on driving more as you explore the island.  If you look at a map of Kauai you will notice one road that goes around the island but does not connect on the North West side (Na’ Pali coast.)  As such, you will find yourself driving around the island to see the west side and areas like Poipu Beach.

Hotel

While there are a number of resorts and condos in the Princeville area, we ended up choosing The Cliffs.  It was right on the coast and set back in a neighborhood area that lent itself to a nice quiet stay.  Due to availability, we were only able to get a one-bedroom for a family of four, which was a little tight, but there was a sleeping area in the family room that suited us just fine for our stay. 

I would give it three stars as it was a bit dated and they didn’t have air conditioning (which I HIGHLY recommend the next time) and wasn’t the most luxurious.  That said, it seemed to be a combination of condos people owned and timeshares.  While I would have no problems staying there again, I would probably look for a home rental in the same neighborhood area with a bit more space and the comforts of air conditioning.  I will say the view was amazing, though, so I can’t complain too much.

Itinerary

Now that the technicalities are out of the way, onto the itinerary.  As a general rule what we did ended up a good mix of keeping busy but at the same time relaxing.  It might be a bit much for some, but is a good idea of what you can do in a 5 day period without completely killing yourself.  I think if I were to do it again, I would have added one more day and spent it near the hotel area and beaches, otherwise was a good duration for someone trying to fit in another island without leaving home for multiple weeks.

Day 1: 

Day one was an eventful day for us.  Not only was Hawaii revealed as the destination for our secret trip, but we were also fortunate enough to get an early flight directly from LA to Kauai that landed around 11 am local time. This allowed us to make full use of that day.  While we did not do it, we noticed several folks on the plane in swimwear and coverups, and I can only imagine it turned into a beach day for them.

In our case, we choose to get an introduction to the island by means of helicopter, given we were already at the airport.  There were several companies that were offering helicopter tours, but only one landed at a waterfall mid-trip.  “Welcome to Jurassic Park”

That’s right, this tour begins at the airport and takes you southwest around the island’s coast.  We were able to see all the areas we planned to visit during our stay on the lush island.  However, the highlight of the trip was as we approached Na’ Pali coast.  It has the most magnificent display of jungle-covered cliffs you will ever see in an American state.  We flew into each cove, which felt like we were only feet from the cliffs with massive waterfalls and picturesque views that you only see on TV.

As you stare out the windows amazed by the view, your pilot then turns on the theme to Jurassic Park as you begin your landing at a huge waterfall.  It’s not just any waterfall, but the actual waterfall you see in the opening scene of the film Jurassic Park as they approach the island.

Once you’re on the ground, having landed on a grassy spot in the jungle, you walk a short distance to the base of the waterfall.  The pictures don’t do it justice, but you are able to stand at the base of the waterfall as the mist from the falls hits your face and the roar of the water takes over.

Once back onboard you continue your trip around the island weaving in and out of the cliffs and eventually arrive back at the airport.  If it wasn’t apparent by my description, I would highly recommend it.

As a bit of advice for those that have not been on a helicopter before or if it’s been a while, motion sickness pills are your friend.  While my family and I did okay without them, I was a bit queasy at the end. There was a teenage girl with her mom, also with us (the helicopter fit 6 people), that spent the last 20-30 minutes of the flight vomiting. 

This could not have been a freak occurrence, as the helicopter was well-equipped with little white bags like you see on airplanes.  Little did we know, our Covid masks would end up being used for smell protection as opposed to a virus that day.  Needless to say, two full bags later we landed and I don’t think they enjoyed the trip as much as we did. 

All in all, remember you are on a helicopter that goes up and down and side to side as means of normal flight, not to mention you are doing it alongside cliffs with airflow patterns and microclimates.  It’s not a rollercoaster, but it’s not a plane either.

Before heading to the condo, we dropped by one more waterfall, Wailua Falls, which can be seen in the opening credits of “Fantasy Island.”  To be honest I wasn’t overly impressed.  Maybe it was because it felt more like a tourist trap destination, or maybe it was underwhelming having just landed at one significantly larger from a movie, but it was okay. 

It’s near the airport and wasn’t out of the way, so I would suggest dropping by, but 20 minutes was about all you needed.  I think if I were to go to that area again, I would explore the Wailua River more, which seemed like it would have a lot of cool places to discover. But if all you have time for is a quick look-see, Wailua Falls was a good introductory waterfall.

Once we finished up, we headed to the grocery store and back to the condo for a much-needed break after the long day’s travel and time change.  All in all, the helicopter ride and Jurassic Park landing were one of the highlights of the trip, and we were glad we did it on the first day, as it gave us a good overview of the island.

Day 2:

After a long travel day, we planned an easy day for day 2.  We headed to Waimea Canyon State Park, which was a bit of a drive from Princeville. It’s about as far as you can drive, given the road does not connect on the northwest side of the island.  From what I recall it was about 2 hours, but we spent the time enjoying the island that we were still getting used to.

Upon our arrival at Waimea Canyon, we headed to several pull-offs but ultimately ended up at Kalalua Lookout.  In the area, there are several short hiking trails that adults and kids alike could manage with stunning views of the canyon.  If I were to describe the experience, it was like going to the Grand Canyon, but greener. 

Once we did a little light hiking and took in some leisure time overlooking the canyon, we headed back out to the main road into the town of Waimea to look for some food before heading back to the condo.  Waimea is a small rural town and happens to be the closest to the canyon, so we weren’t expecting much, but we happened upon a great shrimp place, Shrimp Station. 

I am not a big seafood fan, but they looked so good I even tried one.  The shrimp didn’t last long with the rest of the family eating them. They were fantastic.  I am sure there will be folks that live in parts of the country where shrimp are a religion, but from our travels, they were definitely in the top 10, fresh and hand-breaded.

Of course, you can’t go to Hawaii and not have shave ice.  For those new to this, it is NOT called shaved ice in Hawaii.  After snacking on some shrimp and walking down the street with a few shops, we stopped by Jo Jo’s.  All I can say is HUGE.  It was a bit much for me, but seem to go down easy for others.  My only disappointment was that they were out of ice cream that day, and apparently, that’s the way you have to eat it.  Of course, no loss, it was only day 2 with more to come, and we had a luau planned that night with plenty of food expected.

After dropping by the condo, cleaning up, and getting ready for dinner, we headed off to the Smith Family Garden Luau.  Kauai is not known for its Luau so we weren’t expecting much (compared to those on Oahu) but thought we would give it a try.  I’ll start by saying I was pleasantly surprised.  The luau is located on a large section of land owned by the family and they have made it welcoming and relaxing to explore.  The grounds include an introductory tram ride followed by free time to explore on your own.  It is a large garden area with areas to sit and relax.

Once dinner is ready everyone is called over to witness the unearthing of the pig.  They put on a short ceremony, and introduce you to the family, which I think employs the entire luau (5+ generations), before heading to a large open-air structure for the feast.  It was standard luau fair with plenty of options.  I wouldn’t say it was anything to write home about if you have had a lot of Hawaiian food, but for those new to it, it was a good sampling, fruit punch and all.

After dinner, we were sent to the open theater for the show.  Honestly, by this point, it was a bit much in our day given how much we did and how late it was with the time zone difference, so while the show was good, I think the family and I were beat.  We made it through, but had we had more energy I think we would have enjoyed it more.  By this time, we made our way back to the condo at 11 pm at night (I think it was something like 6 am at home).

To summarize, the canyon was well worth the visit.  It wasn’t as spectacular as some of the other areas we went to in Hawaii, but well worth the trip.  I would suggest going to the luau on two conditions. 

First, do it on a day where you are a little more rested, it’s later in your trip and you’re more adjusted to the time zone, and then the evening show can be a little more enjoyable. 

Second, only go if you want more of a “locals” traditional luau.  That’s not to say it wasn’t put on well, but it was not the fancy, showy production that you might find on one of the other islands.  If you’re looking for large production value, you would be best served going to one on the other islands.  All in all, another great, but long, day.

Day 3:

I will admit I wasn’t sure how this day would turn out.  The main activity of the day was Haena State Park, more specifically Hanakapi’Ai Beach, via a 4-mile, 2.5-hour round trip hike along the Kalalau Trail.  With two 15-year-olds in tow, it was going to be an interesting experience, if nothing else.

If you do a lot of research about the trail you will find a lot of people caution you about the difficulty of the hike and the impact that weather can have on the overall safety of the hike.  From our experience, I would say it wasn’t nearly as bad as I was thinking it might be from all the things I read.  I would say there are a few things to keep in mind.

First, there are two parts of the hike, the first 2-mile part that takes you to the beach, and the continuation hike that takes you up to the waterfall.  We only did the hike to the beach, and while not an easy hike, wasn’t extremely difficult for the novices that are my family and me.  That said, I do hear the hike to the falls is much more difficult. 

From my perspective, the hike to the beach was all the average person needs to do.  If you’re a big hiker I’m sure you would feel like you didn’t get to see the whole thing, but for the most part, you will not be disappointed with only making it to the beach area.

Second, the weather was gorgeous the day we went — not a drop of rain.  That said, go EARLY.  The hike was great on the way there as we were one of the first on the trail when it opened.  It wasn’t too hot and trail traffic was almost nonexistent.  On the way back, however, there were a lot of people making their way to the beach and it took more maneuvering through the trail, but the bigger issue was the heat. We were VERY glad that we did the first leg in the morning. 

My suggestion is if you go, go first thing or don’t go at all (at least in the summer months).  Also, had there been any significant rain, I would not suggest going at all.  There were definitely steep areas that would have been very difficult had the trail been muddy.  Also, there were already some muddy portions, even on a dry day, that would have been impossible to cross in the rain.

Lastly, make a reservation!  As of 2022, you must make a reservation to go to the park.  There is limited parking at the trailhead and is often taken by locals.  The best option, which is what we did, was to make a reservation for the bus transfer. It will make several stops along the way you can use for the day, but the farthest stop (maybe 15min) is the trailhead.  The bus transfer was well-organized and was not an issue.  I didn’t feel like I missed anything or had to go out of my way to take it. 

If you happen to luck off and get a reservation for parking I would suggest it, but at the same time don’t feel like it’s going to be an inconvenience if you have to take the shuttle – it was painless.

That all said, the hike was definitely one of the highlights of the trip and was not to be missed.  We were timid when considering the hike based on all the cautions we read, but at the end of the day, go early, go on a nice weather day, take a lot of water and snacks, dress appropriately (hiking shoes), and stick to the trail to the beach. You’ll be fine.  We saw kids as young as 4-5 years old that were just fine.  However, if you are not of average health or the weather is bad, try another day if you can.  

Now for the fun part — the hike was amazing.  It borders the Na’ Pali area and will make you speechless as you travel along the mountainside.  I can’t put words to describe it and will leave it to pictures we took along the way.

Once you arrive at the beach, the effort you put in only becomes more worth it.  As noted, we left early, so by the time we made it to the beach there were maybe 5-6 people there.  We took our hiking shoes off and spent about an hour on the beach relaxing. 

I wish we would have brought more food as we were hungry, but it was otherwise fantastic.  It was still fairly early so the shadow of the cliffside provided some nice shade.  In addition to the beach and the river that flows into the ocean, we were also met with a small pond filled with tadpoles.

After a great time at the beach, we hiked back to the shuttle.  On the way back we found ourselves gawking at the scenery less and taking fewer pictures, as we were hot, hungry, and working our way through our water quickly. We made it back to the shuttle in probably half the time it took to get to the beach.

Day 4:

It was time for another relaxing day after the hike.  Day 4 brought us to Poipu beach, which is one of the top-rated beaches in America.  We set up our towels under a palm tree and geared up to go snorkeling. 

Entrance to the water is a little difficult with the coral shelf lining the beach, but there are a few areas where you can enter.  The day we were there the current was quite strong, so some good fins made navigating the cove a bit easier.  There is a more sheltered portion of the beach that the lifeguards were directing people to if they were not strong swimmers.  Also, down at that end we found two turtles resting on the beach. 

That said I am going to offend some and pop the bubble of others.  I honestly wasn’t that impressed.  Don’t get me wrong it was a nice beach, but it was crowded and touristy.  I’m sure others thought it was great, but being a Floridian, it didn’t make me think WOW.  Also, I am used to the “glamping” version of beaching.  When we are at home, we can bring all the right gear, set up shop, and enjoy a day at the beach with minimal crowds, plenty of personal space, and in “locals” areas.

Poipu beach is what you would expect at a touristy beach — some nice sand, and minimal waves, but otherwise, it was crowded and too overrun with people to enjoy what I am sure is a nice beach.  If you’re in the area, it’s worth a stop, but after about an hour or two, I was done.  I would look to other islands, Florida, or the Caribbean if you’re looking for a great beach experience.

If you do decide to go to the beach, or even if you don’t, you have to try Puka Dog which is next to the parking lot for the beach. 

The line was out the door and down the street, but worth it.  It’s the Hawaiian version of the hot dog.  Puka means “hole,” so it comes in an enclosed bun with a hotdog stuck into the middle of it.  Then you pick your traditional and non-traditional toppings that they jam into the center of it until it oozes out of the top.  You can top your dog with garlic lemon sauce, relishes made from coconut, mango, passionfruit, bananas, pineapple, or even papaya, and you have to try the famous Aunty Lilikoi’s passion fruit mustard. Beach or no beach you definitely need to drop by for the dog.

Day 5:

I am sure you’re tired of me saying this, but along with several of the other things we did, Day 5 was definitely another highlight of the trip.  Our last day on the island before heading to the island of Hawaii was the Na’ Pali coast raft tour. 

It was by far the best way to see the Na’ Pali coast by water.  Don’t go on one of the catamarans or you’ll miss half of what there is to see.  These are powered rafts, so you don’t have to paddle or anything.

First and foremost, you will get to go into the caves along the coast.  Our trip took off near our condo and we headed down the coast.  Along the way, we were able to enter several caves varying in size, but each unique.

During our travel, we ran into a school of spinner dolphins that came right up to the raft.  There were too many to count, but we were able to stop while they surrounded us.

Of note, similar to the helicopter, if you are sensitive to being on a small boat in the ocean, motion sickness pills will be your friend.  We took a low dose and had zero issues.

To continue to day 6 go here (Link Coming Soon) where we leave for the island of Hawaii (The Big Island)

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