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If Kauai is the prettiest of the Hawaiian Islands, it’s thanks in large part to the Napali Coast. You know those jagged green mountains from Jurassic Park? That’s Napali. And like most of the Earth’s most beautiful places, it’s extremely remote.
It’s so remote that there are only three ways to see it 1) a grueling 22 mile hike, 2) a boat tour, and 3) a helicopter ride.
While it’s possible to catch a glimpse of the Napali Coast on a day hike of the Kalalau Trail (read all about that here), the best ways to see it are via boat or helicopter. So which one is best?
Napali Coast: Boat or Helicopter?
The good news is, whichever one of these you pick is going to knock your socks off. And really, if you have the budget, why not splurge and do both?
But in case you’re not made of $$$, let me break down the pros and cons for you.
Seeing the Napali Coast by Boat
A boat tour down the Napali Coast is one of the most popular excursions on Kauai and for good reason…it’s a great way to see Kauai’s most epic scenery. Seeing the Napali Coast by water gives you a great perspective on just how majestic this piece of coast line really is. Being right up at the bottom of these mountains where they plunge into the ocean is really incredible.
It’s also the most cost effective Napali Coast tour option and the one where you’ll get the best bang for your buck. Let’s do some math.
The most popular Napali Coast boat tour in Kauai (Captain Andy’s Classic Na Pali Snorkel Picnic Sail) costs $185 for 5.5 hours. That’s $33.63/hour. My favorite Napali Coast boat tour (Holoholo’s Napali Adventure & Snorkel) is $315 for 4 hours. That’s $78.75/hour.
A helicopter tour over Kauai with Blue Hawaiian is $339 for 50 minutes.
So even the most expensive Napali Coast boat tour is a waaaaaaay better value when you’re comparing time for the money than a helicopter tour.
Besides offering a better value, you’re going to get to see the Napali Coast so much more up close and personal on a boat than in a helicopter. The Zodiac ocean rafts (what I prefer over the catamarans) are able to zip in and out of sea caves along the coast plus stop for snorkeling and lunch.
The big catamaran tours leave out of Port Allen, but I suggest going out on a smaller ocean raft or Zodiac from Hanalei on the north shore. You can read all about the north shore boat tours here.
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Seeing the Napali Coast by Helicopter
There’s a reason why helicopters are so popular on Kauai (way more than the other Hawaiian Islands). They offer a vantage point of the island that you simply cannot get any other way.
I am not super comfortable with the idea of flying in a helicopter, but my tour of Kauai is one of the most special things I’ve done anywhere.
Really, one of the big perks of doing a Kauai helicopter tour isn’t just seeing the Napali (since you can see it other ways), but places like Waialeale Crater that can only be viewed from the air.
A helicopter tour is arguably the most comfortable way to see the Napali Coast. A 50 minute air conditioned flight is certainly easier than a four hour boat ride with the potential for rough waves and sea spray.
So what’s the downside of a helicopter tour? Well just the price really. And if you’re most interested in seeing the Napali Coast, your 50 minute helicopter ride is really only going to feature it for 15-20 minutes.
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Also weather is (should be) a much bigger deal when you’re talking helicopters than boats. Weather will impact where the pilot is able to take you on the island and (hopefully) they’re more careful about canceling when the weather isn’t perfect.
Also, I’ll be honest. Helicopters make me kind of nervous and they don’t have the best track record in Hawaii. There are soooo many companies and it doesn’t seem to be as regulated as it should be. So you’ll be on the hook to do your research and make sure you’re booking with a company with a good safety record (pilots and equipment). Read more about Kauai helicopter tours (including a bunch of FAQs) in this post.
Want to read more posts about Kauai? I’ve got plenty!
Here’s one more really important thing you need to know before your Hawaii trip…
Reservations You Need to Make BEFORE Your Hawaii Trip
You’ve got your airfare, hotel, rental car and your big activities booked, so you should be good to go, right? Wrong!
Travel is BOOMING in Hawaii so a lot of state and national parks used the closure and reopening to institute reservation systems at some of the island’s most popular spots to make things a little more sustainable.
That means that there are now over half a dozen sites (beaches, trailheads, etc.) that require advance reservations. And some sell out well before you arrive on the island so you really need to have some sort of a plan.
I recently saw somebody in a Hawaii travel group post in a panic that they didn’t know they had to make reservations for things in advance…they thought they could just show up and “go with the flow.” I was tempted to say, well, “as long as the flow doesn’t take you somewhere that requires reservations, you can!” ; )
But I don’t want YOU to be that person, so I’ve pulled together a list of all the places you need to reserve entry in advance (plus all the details on booking windows, price, links, etc.) and a handful of popular tourist hotspots that book out really far in advance too.
Haleakala National Park (Maui)
To visit Haleakala National Park for sunrise at the summit, you must make reservations in advance here.
Reservations are required to enter the park gates between 3AM and 7AM (sunrise hours).
Online reservations are $1 per reservation/vehicle PLUS you’ll pay the park entrance fee of $30/vehicle when you arrive (National Park annual passes are also accepted at the gate).
The reservation booking window opens 60 days in advance at 7AM HST. There are also a limited number of tickets released two days before.
You can make one reservation every three days with the same account. So if you want to make reservations for back to back days (in case of weather/conditions), you’ll need to do so with separate accounts (email addresses).
If you can’t get reservations for sunrise, you can enter the park anytime after 7AM without reservations. The summit is spectacular during the day and you don’t need reservations for sunset.
I strongly recommend creating an account before and making sure you’re logged in at 7AM HST because it’s not uncommon for reservations to sell out quickly.
Waianapanapa State Park (Maui)
To visit Maui’s famous black sand beach at Waianapanapa State Park on the Road to Hana, you must make reservations in advance here.
Reservations are required to visit the beach and are distributed in windows from 7AM-10AM, 10AM-12:30PM, 12:30PM-3PM, and 3PM-6PM. And they are pretty strict about exiting by the end of your window time (you can arrive anytime within your window).
It’s $5/person to enter plus $10/vehicle to park and those fees are paid when you book your time slot.
Reservations open up 30 days in advance.
Iao Valley State Park (Maui)
To visit the lush, green mountains and hike at Iao Valley State Park, you must make reservations in advance here.
Reservations are offered for 90 minute time slots beginning at 7AM and ending at 6PM. They ask that you arrive within the first 30 minutes of your time slot.
Entry is $5/person plus $10/vehicle to park.
Reservations open up 30 days in advance.
Diamond Head (Oahu)
To hike to the top of Waikiki’s famous Diamond Head, you must make reservations in advance here.
Reservations are offered in two hour increments beginning at 6AM (6AM-8AM, 8AM-10AM, etc.) and ending at 6PM. If you’re parking onsite, they ask that you arrive within the first 30 minutes of your reservation window.
Entry is $5/person plus $10/vehicle to park.
Reservations open up 30 days in advance.
Tip: I recommend booking one of the first two time slots because there isn’t much shade on this hike and it gets pretty hot.
Hanauma Bay (Oahu)
To snorkel at Oahu’s pristine Hanauma Bay, you must make reservations in advance here.
Entry times are staggered in 10 minute increments from 7AM to 1:20PM with roughly 1000 slots being assigned in advance every day.
Reservations can be made two days in advance and they open at 7AM HST. They’re usually gone in minutes (if not seconds).
If you’re unable to get an advanced reservation, you can try for a day of, walk in ticket. They open at 6:45AM and they only have a limited number available. Everyone in your group needs to be present when you purchase your tickets in person.
There are no reservations for parking and it’s first come, first serve. $3/vehicle.
It’s $25/person to snorkel at Hanauma Bay (12 and under, active military, and locals with HI ID are free).
The Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve is open Wednesday through Sunday (CLOSED MONDAY AND TUESDAY) from 6:45AM-4PM. Last entry is at 1:30PM, the beach is cleared at 3:15PM and you have to leave the facility by 4PM.
Jellyfish patterns can also affect whether or not the bay is open so double check the day before/day of.
USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor (Oahu)
If you want to take the boat tour at Pearl Harbor out to the USS Arizona, it’s recommended to make advance reservations here.
Online reservations are guaranteed a specific boarding time to go out to the USS Arizona. If you’re unable to get an advance reservation, you can wait standby when you arrive. The line could be short (15 minutes or so) or long (hours) and it just depends on the day (if they’re having problems with the loading dock sometimes they don’t take many from the standby line) and the time of day.
Reservations are supposed to open up 60 days in advance, but keep an eye on your exact dates, because lately they’ve actually been opening up about 57ish days in advance???
They also release a small batch of tickets the day before.
The boat ride out to the USS Arizona is free, but it’s $1 to make the reservations online.
They recently started charging $7/vehicle for parking at Pearl Harbor.
Haena State Park / Kalalau Trail (Kauai)
If you want to hike Kauai’s famous Kalalau Trail, you must make advance reservations here.
You’ve got three options here:
1) Parking & Entry: This is the most flexible option and also the most limited. THESE RESERVATIONS SELL OUT IN LESS THAN A MINUTE. There are three time slots available: 6:30AM-12:30PM, 12:30PM-5:30PM and 4:30PM to sunset. You can purchase multiple time slots if you want to stay longer. It’s $10/timeslot (parking) plus $5/person and you have to reserve every person when you initially book. Everybody has to arrive in the same car and your ID needs to match the reservation.
2) Shuttle & Entry: If you can’t get parking at the trailhead, there’s also a shuttle option. Shuttle reservations are $35/person (16+), $25/person (ages 4-15), 3 and under can ride free. The shuttle runs every 20 minutes 6:20AM to 6:40PM.
3) Entry Only: If you’re a Hawaiian resident (with HI ID) or someone WITH a Hawaiian resident, you can purchase entry only for $5/person with no advance reservations. Also, if you’re walking or biking to the trailhead you can do this option. But there is NOWHERE to park in the area to walk in. So this really only works for those with bikes or who are staying close enough to walk. They will tow your car if you park outside the designated areas.
The reservation window opens 30 days in advance at 12AM HST. The parking & entry option usually sells out in a minute, but the shuttle availability will last longer.
There are a TON of FAQs here including the possibility of snagging a canceled reservation.
Other Things to Book in Advance
Hawaii is a busy place these days! Besides the state and national parks above, here’s a handful of miscellaneous things you should make reservations for in advance (if they’re on your radar):
Mama’s Fish House (Maui): The iconic spot is the most popular restaurant in Hawaii and dinner reservations usually start filling up about 6 months in advance (they open up bookings 18 months in advance). Make reservations through their website and if the dates you want are already booked, you can join a waitlist. Most people have pretty good success getting in on the waitlist (even if it’s for lunch).
Old Lahaina Luau (Maui): Honestly, any luau you’re planning to attend you should book early, but most people are usually shocked how far out the Old Lahaina Luau books out. Book it as soon as you know your dates (I think they open at the six month window). They also have a waitlist.
Kualoa Ranch UTV Tour (Oahu): Everybody loves Jurassic Park so getting to ride UTVs where they filmed the movies is very popular. The ranch offers a lot of different tours but the UTV tours usually book out a couple of months in advance.
Spa Reservations: If you’re staying at a resort with a spa (or planning on visiting one), don’t wait until you arrive to make your reservations. I’d make them at least a month in advance.
Tee Times: Same for golf, reserve your tee times well in advance.
Dining Reservations: Any “fancy” or resort restaurant is likely to be booked up these days so if you like having a nice dinner every night, make your plans in advance.
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P.S. Thanks for sticking around and reading this whole post! If you have ANY questions about planning your trip to Hawaii, you can join my free Facebook group here. I’m there answering questions every day and there are 7500+ other friends who have a ton of Hawaii information to share!
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