Kauai has long been high on my list of destinations to visit. Having just moved from the East Coast to the West Coast last summer, a trip to Kauai suddenly became much more feasible for our family of four when it was no longer a 12+ hour journey. When time came to plan our spring break, I did some quick research and within hours had my family of four booked (flights + hotel) for a week long stay in Kauai for next to zero dollars out of pocket. A busy work schedule coupled with two kids in different schools prevented me from doing as much research as I would have liked, prior to our trip to Kauai. Thus, we ended up embarking on a relatively unscheduled and unplanned week in Kauai, with just broad notions as to what we would like to do, but not actually having activities scheduled in prior to departure. We ended up having a ast in Kauai and I would say it is one of my Top 5 Family Vacations – perhaps even Top 3! Here’s my list of things to do in Kauai with kids!
1. Shaka Guide North Shore Kauai Driving Tour
Shaka Guide offers guided GPS tours on four Hawaiian Islands: Oahu, Big Island, Maui, and Kauai. In 2013, my family visited Maui with our then 4 year old and did purchase a guided CD tour of the Road to Hana. I don’t believe Shaka Guide was available at the time, but given the rave reviews online, I decided to download the Shaka Guide prior to our trip to Kauai and it turned out to be a great decision. The Shaka Guide North Shore Kauai Driving Tour provides three hours of audio guidance and although my husband was skeptical at first, it ended up introducing us to some of the highlights of our trip, including the “Gilligan’s Island” Beach and our hike down to “Secret Beach,” all of which we likely would not have found had it not been for the Shaka Guide.
Gilligan’s Island Beach; likely my favorite beach on the planet.
The walk down to Secret Beach; we followed a woman carrying a surfboard on her head because, of course we did.
Secret Beach
The beaches we experienced as part of the Shaka Guide were so great that we ended up planning a whole day around a return trip to one of the featured beaches, Gilligan’s Island Beach. Our Shaka Guide tour ended up being approximately 3.5 hours, including numerous stops and hikes down to various places, like Secret Beach, so for $10, it was money well spent. Our kids enjoyed it as we were definitely off the beaten path in Kauai.
2. Kayak Hanalei Bay
One of the fun memories I have of my pre-college years is kayaking with my brothers. When I was in high school, we had some crazy kayaking adventures in Catalina Island and San Diego. Suffice it to say, kayaking is high on my list of things to do, anywhere we are, and my husband and kids have become accustomed to my building in kayaking time wherever we are.
Kayaking Hanalei Bay was one of the kayaking adventures I was really hoping to experience in Kauai. Although my four year old has kayaked with us before (usually as the middle person on a two person kayak), I didn’t know if he’d be able to go the distance as part of a larger kayaking excursion. Kayak Hanalei offer double kayak rentals at $60/day for pre-1pm rentals and at a reduced price of $45 for post-1pm rentals. After a morning spent exploring the North Shore, I decided that we might as well see how my four year old would do on the kayak. Given that it was after 1pm, we paid $90 for two, double kayak rentals, which came complete with wet bags.
He was so comfy, he fell asleep on the ride down to the confluence and had to be shaken awake
To my surprise, we had a fabulous time! We barely made it back by closing time, 5pm, as we decided to extend our little kayaking excursion from the bay to the confluence; but long story short, we saw sea turtles, disembarked to enjoy a snack (and beer for the adults), and just overall enjoyed being out on the water. I highly recommend this adventure with kids.
3. Spend the Day at the Beach
My husband and I are busy people who like to be on the go when we are on vacation. Our kids, however, can happily spend the day at the beach. We made sure to build in plenty of beach time and Kauai’s unspoiled beaches were the perfect backdrop.
To get the most of our beach days, we actually spent a few dedicated beach days going from beach to beach. Some beaches offered protected areas for snorkeling and others were just good for general lounging. We simply packed a picnic lunch, stocked up on towels from the hotel, and took off for the day. Apply sunscreen as I definitely got a bit singed one day!
4. Coffee Plantation
Lyndgate Farms chocolate farm on Kauai offers a three hour “branch to bar” tour and tasting. Knowing full well that tour wouldn’t hold my kids’ attention, we skipped right to the important part: the chocolate tasting. Lyndgate Farms offers free tasting of all its chocolates and my kids each got to pick their favorite. We purchased a number of bars and I was glad to see they came with complimentary cooler bags to keep them from melting. My kids also enjoyed swinging on the giant swing in the parking lot, before getting back in the car.
5. Attend a Luau
Although I’ve been to Hawaii a handful of times, I never attended a luau until this trip. Although hokey and probably not worth the money to experience again, I’m glad we did it this time. As an added bonus, my kids loved the fire dance.
6. Take a hike!
There are a number of great hiking opportunities in Kauai and we took full advantage of these great adventures. On a rainy morning, we took a short hike near our hotel in Kapaa, and the boys not only managed the whole thing on their own two legs, but had a great time as well.
Anyone else hearing the Jurassic Park theme song here?
7. Hawaii Shave Ice
No trip to Hawaii is complete without Hawaii Shave Ice. We happened to stumble across Jo Jo’s, a Kauai classic, after a long hike up Waimea Canyon, and were happy to partake.
8. Miniature Golf
Mini-golfing at Kauai Mini Golf, located at Anaina Hou Park is a wonderful way to spend a few hours with kids. Not only is the course littered with native plants, but my kids really enjoy mini golfing, something that we rarely get to do in the hustle and bustle of daily life.
9. Visit Waimea Canyon
We spent a full day hiking Waimea Canyon and absolutely loved the experience even with our four year old in tow. But, for those who aren’t up for the day long hike, know that there are plenty of ways to experience Waimea by car. There’s not only a great lookout near the main parking area, but we took a tour down a road (that ended up leading to a restricted military base) and climbed a random hill (yes! all four of us) where we were treated to some amazing views. Do it. You won’t regret it.
10. Sunset Cruise of the Napali Coast
Experiencing the Napali Coast was a non-negotiable item on my list of things to do in Kauai. I’m glad we were able to find a vehicle in which to do it — Captain Andy’s Na Pali Sunset Cruise. Click here for my review of Captain Andy’s Na Pali Sunset Cruise.
Our family trip to Kauai was such an amazing experience that I really think I’ll be hard pressed to ever be persuaded to go on a beach vacation somewhere else. I hope our list of things to do in Kauai with kids will help inform your trip to Kauai!
