How to Spend a Weekend on Kauai

While living on Oahu, we were only able to visit Kauai once during a weekend. The island is lush and beautiful with many things to explore and do each day but below is what we did each day.

On day one we chose to do a Catamaran tour of The NaPali Coast. This coast is amazing to see with lush green mountains and valleys. Many avid hikers will choose to hike the coast but we saw it from the ocean with Makana Charters. We chose to go on their 12 person Catamaran called The Makana. We got to see dolphins and went into a sea cave. The dolphins followed the catamaran and swam under our boat for over 20 minutes.

{"items":["eb3991_353128692cb54d9eb2a844fad2e55eff~mv2.jpg","eb3991_1ad17d53c9c54c49af77dae4adafdb18~mv2.jpg"],"styles":{"galleryType":"Columns","groupSize":1,"showArrows":false,"cubeImages":true,"cubeType":"fill","cubeRatio":1,"isVertical":true,"gallerySize":300,"collageAmount":0,"collageDensity":0,"groupTypes":"1","oneRow":false,"imageMargin":10,"galleryMargin":0,"floatingImages":0,"chooseBestGroup":true,"smartCrop":false,"hasThumbnails":false,"enableScroll":true,"isGrid":true,"isSlider":false,"isColumns":false,"isSlideshow":false,"cropOnlyFill":false,"fixedColumns":2,"enableInfiniteScroll":true,"isRTL":false,"minItemSize":50,"rotatingGroupTypes":"","rotatingCubeRatio":"","gallerySliderImageRatio":1.7777777777777777,"numberOfImagesPerRow":2,"numberOfImagesPerCol":1,"groupsPerStrip":0,"borderRadius":0,"boxShadow":0,"gridStyle":1,"mobilePanorama":false,"placeGroupsLtr":false,"viewMode":"preview","thumbnailSpacings":0,"galleryThumbnailsAlignment":"bottom","isMasonry":false,"isAutoSlideshow":false,"slideshowLoop":false,"autoSlideshowInterval":4,"useCustomButton":false,"bottomInfoHeight":0,"titlePlacement":"SHOW_ON_HOVER","galleryHorizontalAlign":"center","galleryTextAlign":"center","galleryVerticalAlign":"center","scrollSnap":false,"itemClick":"link","fullscreen":false,"allowSocial":false,"allowDownload":false,"allowTitle":true,"allowDescription":false,"loveButton":false,"loveCounter":false,"videoPlay":"onClick","scrollAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","scrollDirection":0,"overlayAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","arrowsPosition":0,"arrowsSize":23,"watermarkOpacity":40,"watermarkSize":40,"useWatermark":true,"watermarkDock":{"top":"auto","left":"auto","right":0,"bottom":0,"transform":"translate3d(0,0,0)"},"loadMoreAmount":"all","defaultShowInfoExpand":1,"allowTitleExpand":true,"allowDescriptionExpand":true,"allowLinkExpand":true,"expandInfoPosition":0,"allowFullscreenExpand":true,"fullscreenLoop":false,"galleryAlignExpand":"left","addToCartBorderWidth":1,"addToCartButtonText":"","slideshowInfoSize":200,"playButtonForAutoSlideShow":false,"allowSlideshowCounter":false,"hoveringBehaviour":"APPEARS","thumbnailSize":120,"magicLayoutSeed":1,"imageHoverAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","calculateTextBoxHeightMode":"AUTOMATIC","calculateTextBoxWidthMode":"PERCENT","textBoxHeight":0,"textBoxWidth":200,"textBoxWidthPercent":50,"textImageSpace":10,"textBoxBorderRadius":0,"textBoxBorderWidth":0,"textsVerticalPadding":0,"textsHorizontalPadding":0,"titleDescriptionSpace":6,"customButtonText":"","customButtonBorderWidth":1,"customButtonBorderRadius":0,"loadMoreButtonText":"","loadMoreButtonBorderWidth":1,"loadMoreButtonBorderRadius":0,"imageInfoType":"NO_BACKGROUND","itemBorderWidth":0,"itemBorderRadius":0,"itemEnableShadow":false,"itemShadowBlur":20,"itemShadowDirection":135,"itemShadowSize":10,"imageLoadingMode":"BLUR","expandAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","imageQuality":90,"usmToggle":false,"usm_a":0,"usm_r":0,"usm_t":0,"videoSound":false,"videoSpeed":"1","videoLoop":true,"galleryLayout":2,"gallerySizeType":"px","gallerySizePx":300,"allowHover":true,"mobileSwipeAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","gotStyleParams":true,"showVideoPlayButton":true,"modifiedGallerySize":true,"selectedLayout":"2|bottom|1|fill|true|0|true","layoutsVersion":2,"selectedLayoutV2":2,"isSlideshowFont":false,"externalInfoHeight":0,"externalInfoWidth":0},"container":{"galleryWidth":2580,"galleryHeight":1440,"scrollBase":0,"height":null,"width":null}}

After the NaPali Tour, we drove up to Waimea Canyon. Thankfully we had rain jackets as it was raining. It's considered the wettest place in the world. The views at the top are amazing.

{"items":["eb3991_6c7ebf0b74774f7bad43c1046425c742~mv2.jpg","eb3991_cea9af7411f84ec396d19217484dd9d2~mv2.jpg","eb3991_79175763c36d4b4487cb8f919865e620~mv2.jpg","eb3991_048c2d0512c247a3863ecb9a232f13e4~mv2.jpg"],"styles":{"galleryType":"Columns","groupSize":1,"showArrows":false,"cubeImages":true,"cubeType":"fill","cubeRatio":1,"isVertical":true,"gallerySize":300,"collageAmount":0,"collageDensity":0,"groupTypes":"1","oneRow":false,"imageMargin":10,"galleryMargin":0,"floatingImages":0,"chooseBestGroup":true,"smartCrop":false,"hasThumbnails":false,"enableScroll":true,"isGrid":true,"isSlider":false,"isColumns":false,"isSlideshow":false,"cropOnlyFill":false,"fixedColumns":2,"enableInfiniteScroll":true,"isRTL":false,"minItemSize":50,"rotatingGroupTypes":"","rotatingCubeRatio":"","gallerySliderImageRatio":1.7777777777777777,"numberOfImagesPerRow":2,"numberOfImagesPerCol":1,"groupsPerStrip":0,"borderRadius":0,"boxShadow":0,"gridStyle":1,"mobilePanorama":false,"placeGroupsLtr":false,"viewMode":"preview","thumbnailSpacings":0,"galleryThumbnailsAlignment":"bottom","isMasonry":false,"isAutoSlideshow":false,"slideshowLoop":false,"autoSlideshowInterval":4,"useCustomButton":false,"bottomInfoHeight":0,"titlePlacement":"SHOW_ON_HOVER","galleryHorizontalAlign":"center","galleryTextAlign":"center","galleryVerticalAlign":"center","scrollSnap":false,"itemClick":"link","fullscreen":false,"allowSocial":false,"allowDownload":false,"allowTitle":true,"allowDescription":false,"loveButton":false,"loveCounter":false,"videoPlay":"onClick","scrollAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","scrollDirection":0,"overlayAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","arrowsPosition":0,"arrowsSize":23,"watermarkOpacity":40,"watermarkSize":40,"useWatermark":true,"watermarkDock":{"top":"auto","left":"auto","right":0,"bottom":0,"transform":"translate3d(0,0,0)"},"loadMoreAmount":"all","defaultShowInfoExpand":1,"allowTitleExpand":true,"allowDescriptionExpand":true,"allowLinkExpand":true,"expandInfoPosition":0,"allowFullscreenExpand":true,"fullscreenLoop":false,"galleryAlignExpand":"left","addToCartBorderWidth":1,"addToCartButtonText":"","slideshowInfoSize":200,"playButtonForAutoSlideShow":false,"allowSlideshowCounter":false,"hoveringBehaviour":"APPEARS","thumbnailSize":120,"magicLayoutSeed":1,"imageHoverAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","calculateTextBoxHeightMode":"AUTOMATIC","calculateTextBoxWidthMode":"PERCENT","textBoxHeight":0,"textBoxWidth":200,"textBoxWidthPercent":50,"textImageSpace":10,"textBoxBorderRadius":0,"textBoxBorderWidth":0,"textsVerticalPadding":0,"textsHorizontalPadding":0,"titleDescriptionSpace":6,"customButtonText":"","customButtonBorderWidth":1,"customButtonBorderRadius":0,"loadMoreButtonText":"","loadMoreButtonBorderWidth":1,"loadMoreButtonBorderRadius":0,"imageInfoType":"NO_BACKGROUND","itemBorderWidth":0,"itemBorderRadius":0,"itemEnableShadow":false,"itemShadowBlur":20,"itemShadowDirection":135,"itemShadowSize":10,"imageLoadingMode":"BLUR","expandAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","imageQuality":90,"usmToggle":false,"usm_a":0,"usm_r":0,"usm_t":0,"videoSound":false,"videoSpeed":"1","videoLoop":true,"galleryLayout":2,"gallerySizeType":"px","gallerySizePx":300,"allowHover":true,"mobileSwipeAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","gotStyleParams":true,"showVideoPlayButton":true,"modifiedGallerySize":true,"selectedLayout":"2|bottom|1|fill|true|0|true","layoutsVersion":2,"selectedLayoutV2":2,"isSlideshowFont":false,"externalInfoHeight":0,"externalInfoWidth":0},"container":{"galleryWidth":2580,"galleryHeight":1440,"scrollBase":0,"height":null,"width":null}}

On our second day in Kauai, we tubed the old sugar cane ditches. We chose to do the tour with Kauai Backcountry Adventures. The tour includes historical information on the Sugar Cane Plantation and then you get to tube through the old irrigation ditch that supplied water to the sugar cane. They give you a tube, headlamp, and gloves as you'll bounce off the walls of the irrigation ditch as you tube down the ditch.

{"items":["eb3991_69aff84cff06474183293850f163d444~mv2.jpg","eb3991_7f46c791f1ea4c77996ecc41d1ecd230~mv2.jpg"],"styles":{"galleryType":"Columns","groupSize":1,"showArrows":false,"cubeImages":true,"cubeType":"fill","cubeRatio":1,"isVertical":true,"gallerySize":300,"collageAmount":0,"collageDensity":0,"groupTypes":"1","oneRow":false,"imageMargin":10,"galleryMargin":0,"floatingImages":0,"chooseBestGroup":true,"smartCrop":false,"hasThumbnails":false,"enableScroll":true,"isGrid":true,"isSlider":false,"isColumns":false,"isSlideshow":false,"cropOnlyFill":false,"fixedColumns":2,"enableInfiniteScroll":true,"isRTL":false,"minItemSize":50,"rotatingGroupTypes":"","rotatingCubeRatio":"","gallerySliderImageRatio":1.7777777777777777,"numberOfImagesPerRow":2,"numberOfImagesPerCol":1,"groupsPerStrip":0,"borderRadius":0,"boxShadow":0,"gridStyle":1,"mobilePanorama":false,"placeGroupsLtr":false,"viewMode":"preview","thumbnailSpacings":0,"galleryThumbnailsAlignment":"bottom","isMasonry":false,"isAutoSlideshow":false,"slideshowLoop":false,"autoSlideshowInterval":4,"useCustomButton":false,"bottomInfoHeight":0,"titlePlacement":"SHOW_ON_HOVER","galleryHorizontalAlign":"center","galleryTextAlign":"center","galleryVerticalAlign":"center","scrollSnap":false,"itemClick":"link","fullscreen":false,"allowSocial":false,"allowDownload":false,"allowTitle":true,"allowDescription":false,"loveButton":false,"loveCounter":false,"videoPlay":"onClick","scrollAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","scrollDirection":0,"overlayAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","arrowsPosition":0,"arrowsSize":23,"watermarkOpacity":40,"watermarkSize":40,"useWatermark":true,"watermarkDock":{"top":"auto","left":"auto","right":0,"bottom":0,"transform":"translate3d(0,0,0)"},"loadMoreAmount":"all","defaultShowInfoExpand":1,"allowTitleExpand":true,"allowDescriptionExpand":true,"allowLinkExpand":true,"expandInfoPosition":0,"allowFullscreenExpand":true,"fullscreenLoop":false,"galleryAlignExpand":"left","addToCartBorderWidth":1,"addToCartButtonText":"","slideshowInfoSize":200,"playButtonForAutoSlideShow":false,"allowSlideshowCounter":false,"hoveringBehaviour":"APPEARS","thumbnailSize":120,"magicLayoutSeed":1,"imageHoverAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","calculateTextBoxHeightMode":"AUTOMATIC","calculateTextBoxWidthMode":"PERCENT","textBoxHeight":0,"textBoxWidth":200,"textBoxWidthPercent":50,"textImageSpace":10,"textBoxBorderRadius":0,"textBoxBorderWidth":0,"textsVerticalPadding":0,"textsHorizontalPadding":0,"titleDescriptionSpace":6,"customButtonText":"","customButtonBorderWidth":1,"customButtonBorderRadius":0,"loadMoreButtonText":"","loadMoreButtonBorderWidth":1,"loadMoreButtonBorderRadius":0,"imageInfoType":"NO_BACKGROUND","itemBorderWidth":0,"itemBorderRadius":0,"itemEnableShadow":false,"itemShadowBlur":20,"itemShadowDirection":135,"itemShadowSize":10,"imageLoadingMode":"BLUR","expandAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","imageQuality":90,"usmToggle":false,"usm_a":0,"usm_r":0,"usm_t":0,"videoSound":false,"videoSpeed":"1","videoLoop":true,"galleryLayout":2,"gallerySizeType":"px","gallerySizePx":300,"allowHover":true,"mobileSwipeAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","gotStyleParams":true,"showVideoPlayButton":true,"modifiedGallerySize":true,"selectedLayout":"2|bottom|1|fill|true|0|true","layoutsVersion":2,"selectedLayoutV2":2,"isSlideshowFont":false,"externalInfoHeight":0,"externalInfoWidth":0},"container":{"galleryWidth":2580,"galleryHeight":1440,"scrollBase":0,"height":null,"width":null}}

One thing I wished we had done while on Kauai was kayak Waimea River to Waimea Falls. If you google kayaking Waimea River, you can find lots of kayak rental places/tours.

If you have questions about visiting Kauai or want to book your next trip to Kauai, click here!!