6 Days in Kauai, Hawaii — The Active Voyager

Welcome to Kauai

It is immediately obvious how Kauai became known as the Garden Island; the island is lush, green, and alive. While on Maui, where we started our trip, we were told by several locals that Kauai is their favorite of the Hawaiian islands. This seemed like a pretty solid review given Maui’s beauty. Though more difficult to get to, Kauai is quieter, less developed, and less touristy than Maui. We enjoyed some amazing hikes with views of the famous Na Pali coast, and explored quiet, undisturbed beaches.

Where to Stay

We stayed in Anahola, a neighborhood about 15 mins north of Kapa’a, a small town with grocery shopping and restaurants. It ended up being a bit more off the beaten path than we expected, especially since the hiking on the western side of the island is fairly inaccessible from the eastern side (you have to drive all the way around the island to get there.) As a result, we stayed mostly on the eastern side of the island. That said, being off the beaten path also meant that we were able to find completely empty beaches very close by. Were we to return, we might try staying a little further south (e.g., in Wailua), but would also happily return to the Anahola area.

An early morning flight from the East Coast, or an early afternoon flight from Maui or another island, will land you in Kauai mid-afternoon.

4:00 - Arrive in Kauai Lihue Airport (A) and pick up a rental car for the week.

5:00 - On the way from the airport to the Airbnb or hotel, stop at the Safeway in Kapa’a for groceries (B). If you don’t already have a Safeway card, sign up; food is expensive in Hawaii and you’ll likely be back a few times. Be sure to pick up bug spray and sunscreen. We ended up cooking all of our meals in Kauai, having splurged on a lot of tasty but expensive meals in Maui. (You can read more about that here.)

6:00 - Check in to the Airbnb (C). Cook dinner and enjoy sitting on the outdoor lanai.

**Day 2.**
**Hike the Awa'awapuhi Trail and See Waimea Canyon**

You’ll be impressed by the views of the Na Pali Coast and Waimea Canyon on the first day trip in Kauai.

7:00 - Have breakfast and pack a hiking lunch. Get an early start and drive to the Koke’e State Park, following directions for the Awa'awapuhi Trailhead (A) (~90 mins from Anahola).

9:00 - Hike the Awa'awapuhi Trail (B), a 7-mile out-and-back trail which is mostly down on the way there and up on the way back. Much of the trail is through dense forest, but at the end, you’ll get an amazing view of the Na Pali Coast. We were as high up (if not higher) than the helicopter tours we saw weaving along the shoreline.

1:00 - After finishing the hike, drive to the Waimea Canyon Lookout. There are several small lookouts on the way down which are worth stopping at. At the officially-marked Waimea Canyon Lookout, you’ll pay a $5 entry fee and do a short walk for panoramic views of the canyon. In truth, it wasn’t really necessary to see the view from the official lookout, but we wanted to support the state park so we opted to stop in and pay. The views are incredible no matter where you stop.

3:30 - Arrive back at the Airbnb (C). Relax and cook.

**Day 3.**
**Relax on a Secluded Beach**

We found several beaches that were completely empty during our time in Kauai. Nearby Anahola Beach was our favorite. (Note that all beaches are public but you cannot cross private property to access a public beach.)

10:00 - You can feel good about relaxing on the beach for a day after your hike yesterday. Have a relaxing morning, and head to Anahola Beach (A), or another small beach near you (you can easily find them on Google Maps). To access Anahola Beach, you’ll have to walk down a path through some trees in order to get to the ocean. The first beach you’ll come to is rocky, but the second beach is sandy. Pack a picnic lunch to eat on the beach.

Note that most of the beaches we found in Kauai are not great swimming beaches. If you do want to swim, 1) you should be very careful as the surf is stronger than it looks, and 2) you’ll probably want waterproof shoes since the ground is quite rocky. We were content to sit by the water and read, and occasionally dipped our feet in by the edge of the surf.

2:00 - Stretch your legs with a walk or jog along the Kauai Path (B to C). The path follows the ocean for several miles.

4:00 - Cook and relax back at the Airbnb.

**Day 4.**
**Hike or do a Boat Tour of the Na Pali Coast**

The Na Pali Coast is among the main draws of Kauai. The coastline views are straight out of Jurassic Park. There are a few ways to see the coast: on foot, by helicopter, or by boat.

Up until recently, much of the Na Pali Coast was closed to hikers due to mudslides. However, they’ve since re-opened the trails to permit access. We had hoped to be able to hike a part of the famous Kalalau Trail, but were unable to get a permit in time. If you do want to hike (whether or not you want to camp), you need to obtain a permit in advance.

Since we knew we wouldn’t be able to hike, we elected instead to take a boat tour of the Na Pali Coast. (The helicopter tour was deemed too crazy for this risk-averse travel duo.) While on Maui, someone recommended Blue Ocean Adventure Tours. We planned to do a half-day zodiac boat tour, which, based on the reviews we read, was supposed to be pretty incredible. Unfortunately, due to an unexpected illness, we ended up having to bag the trip and spent another day near the Airbnb on the beach. Were we to go back to Kauai, we’d definitely try to make this happen.

**Day 5.**
**Hike the Sleeping Giant Trail**

Located on the western side of the island, the Sleeping Giant Trail is a quick drive with hugely rewarding views from the top.

8:00 - Pack a few snacks and drive ~20 min to the Sleeping Giant Trailhead (A). Make sure to pack bug spray, and check the reviews in advance so you know what to expect; when we were there, the trail was incredibly muddy (we were slipping and sliding our entire way up.) The trail is 3.5 miles total, and we did it in about 3 hours, slowed down by the poor trail conditions. At the top, you’ll get incredible 360 degree views of the island.

11:00 - After the hike, head to the Hindu Monastery (B) ~10 mins away. It is only open until noon, and you’ll need clothing that covers your knees and shoulders. Only between 10:45 and 12:00 are non-worshiping visitors permitted to enter the temple. Even if you don’t go into the temple, the grounds are beautiful and peaceful.

12:00 - From there, you can easily drive to Wailua Falls (~25 mins) (C). It’s a beautiful waterfall, though a bit disappointing if you can only view it from the road (as of January 2020, the trail down was closed.) If you can hike down, it would definitely be worth a visit.

1:00 - Head back to the Airbnb (D). Spend another afternoon at the beach, exploring the town of Kaap’a, or doing whatever else draws you for your final few hours in Kauai.

Say goodbye to the tropical paradise of Kauai.

10:00 - Check out of the Airbnb. Have an early lunch at Sleeping Giant Grill in Kapa’a and be sure to order the ahi wrap.

12:00 - Head to the airport to fly home. Speaking from experience, try to avoid taking a late-night flight home. It is more difficult than it would seem to entertain yourself for the day without being able to return to a hotel to clean up before the flight. The ideal flight time is about 3:00 pm.

Have More than 6 Days?

We came to Kauai after spending a wonderful seven days in Maui (you can read more about that here.) Two weeks in Hawaii, including a week on two different islands, was great; we were there long enough in each place to be able to see a ton and also relax, and really got into a vacation groove.

Costs for Two People

One-Way Flights (Kauai to NYC) - $1100
One-Way Flights (Maui to Kauai) - $200
Lodging - $1500 ($250/night)
Rental Car (incl. gas) - $500
Food and Drink - $400 ($67/day)
Activities - $300
Total Costs = $4,000 (in 2020)

Pre-Travel Checklist

Confirm open hours.
Get a permit to hike the Na Pali Coast.
Research trail closures and reviews (especially to see if any are too muddy to traverse.)
Download offline google maps for Kauai.