Kauai…the Garden Isle…the island your Jurassic Park dreams are made of…she’s quite a beauty!

I’ve got about 15 posts on Kauai on this site (not including the other islands or general Hawaii planning posts)…that’s a lot of good info!

To help you round it all up, this page is going to serve as home base for all of my Kauai travel tips.

Kauai Travel Tips

Here’s a quick “table of contents” for what’s in this post:

When to Go to Kauai
How Many Days to Spend on Kauai
Flying to Kauai (Which Airport)
Lay of the Is(land)
Where to Stay on Kauai
Things You Can ONLY Do on Kauai
Kauai Itineraries
Do You Need a Rental Car?
When to Book Activities
What to Pack

When to Go to Kauai

There’s never a bad time to go to Kauai ; )

But here are a few notes:

Summer vacation and winter break are peak season in Hawaii so expect higher prices and crowds.

The weather is pretty temperate and more or less the same all year round. The major thing is that during the winter months it rains a LOT more on the north shore. But that’s why it’s so green and lush!

Whale season is December through April.

Hurricane season is technically August through October, but they’re pretty uncommon in Hawaii.

When the kids go back to school is the BEST time to visit (in my opinion). The crowds practically disappear and prices are about as cheap as you’ll ever find them.

If you live in a cold weather climate, it’s pretty dreamy to be able to leave the cold and head to Hawaii during the winter ; )

How Many Days to Spend on Kauai?

I rarely ever suggest spending less than one full week on any one Hawaiian island and if you want the full Hawaiian vacation experience, I think that’s the best game plan for Kauai. Six full days is a good amount of time to really explore the island but still have plenty of down time to actually have a “vacation.”

BUT if you’re on a mission to see and do a lot and you’re more of the go-go-go type, you can see a LOT on Kauai in 3-4 days. Now, that’s a pretty active 3-4 days, but if you’re wanting to tack on a few days before or after visiting another Hawaiian Island to experience what makes Kauai unique, then it’s definitely doable.

Kauai is probably the most compact of the main Hawaiian Islands so if you only have a few days, you really can see a lot compared to Maui or the Big Island where I would definitely not recommend less than a full week.

Flying to Kauai (Which Airport)

Kauai’s main airport is the Lihue Airport (LIH). This is where you’ll fly in coming from the mainland and on interisland flights.

From Lihue, it’s about a 30 minute drive to the Poipu resort area (South side), and about a 50 minute drive to the Princeville resort area (North shore).

Lay of the Is(land) South Shore vs North Shore?

I’ve done a deep dive into that question here, but they’re very different. The north shore is lush, green, and a little more “local” feeling. But there aren’t as many resorts and hotels and it rains a LOT (especially in the winter).

The south side is a lot more tourist friendly (more resorts, swimmable beaches, sunshine, etc.) but isn’t quite as dramatically stunning. Only moderately stunning ; ) Most people stay on the south side and make day trips up to the north shore when the weather looks good.

Where to Stay on Kauai

This is where it all starts when you’re planning your trip. Kauai isn’t a very large island (that’s relative because all of the Hawaiian Islands are actually pretty big compared to islands in the Caribbean or elsewhere), but it has several distinctive areas.

Most people get hung up on whether to stay on the south side (dry and sunny) or the north shore (rainy but GORGEOUS). One of the most helpful posts on my site is this breakdown of where to stay on Kauai. It’s got pros and cons of each area, specific recommendations on hotels and resorts plus my picks for family friendly places, honeymoon resorts, and budget options. Read that post here.

And read my review of staying at the Grand Hyatt Kauai here.

***Want to save major $$$ on your trip to Hawaii? I get asked ALL the time how I’m able to travel so often to Hawaii and stay at really nice resorts. Well, my favorite travel hack is cashing in points to score free airfare and free nights at some of Hawaii’s most high end resorts. Read my full guide on the exact system I use to max out credit card rewards here. Seriously, it’s going to save you soooo much money.

Things You Can ONLY Do on Kauai

I could give you a list of 100 things you absolutely don’t want to miss on Kauai (and believe me I have on this blog), but I’m going to keep it short and sweet here.

You can go to ANY Hawaiian island and find beautiful beaches and fun adventures like snorkeling, surfing, paddleboarding, horseback riding, atv rides, tennis, golf, zipling, etc.

There are a lot of things that are 100% amazing (and worth your time and money), but you’ll find some version of it on every island. But there are the things you absolutely don’t want to miss on Kauai whether or not you have 3-4 days or two weeks:

Napali Coast Boat Tour: During the summer months (April to October), you HAVE to take a Napali Coast boat tour that leaves out of Hanalei. This is classic Hawaii…the Hawaii you see in movies, and it’s not to be missed. This coastline full of soaring green, jagged cliffs lined with white sand beaches is a sight that many choose to see on a helicopter tour but it’s best explored by ocean raft where you can zip in and out of sea caves and feel the ocean spray on your face. Read more about Napali Coast boat tours here.

Hiking Kalalau Trail: This famed trail along the Napali Coast is 22 miles round trip and requires a permit, but the first two miles (four round trip) are open to day hikers. The trailhead is at Ke’e beach at the end of the road on the north shore (reservations for parking and entry are required). Even if you’re not an avid hiker, you really need to try this one. Read more about hiking the Kalalau Trail here.

Waimea Canyon: Second only to the Napali Coast, the Waimea Canyon is Kauai’s biggest attraction. Called the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific,” it’s pretty stunning. There are a handful of overlooks, each offering a different perspective of the canyon. Don’t miss the Kalalau overlook. This is a great glimpse of the Napali Coast.

Read more in this post >> Things You Can ONLY Do on Kauai

Kauai Itineraries

I’ve put together a few different itineraries for Kauai here:

3 Day Kauai Itinerary

4 Day Kauai Itinerary

5 Day Kauai Itinerary

Do You Need a Rental Car?

You absolutely will need a rental car. Hawaii is not an all-inclusive destination where you’ll arrive by shuttle and never leave your resort (I mean you could do that…but it’s pretty expensive just to get to Hawaii so most people want to actually see Hawaii. If you want a cheaper resort only vacation, just go to Mexico).

Also, even though Kauai is the smallest main island, it’s still pretty big. Driving from Poipu on the southside up to the north shore can easily take an hour. And public transportation isn’t very good.

So you’ll most definitely want a rental car for your stay even if you’re staying in a resort area. I always book through Discount Hawaii Car Rentals. They’re seriously the only company I ever use. They’ll give you the very best prices, you don’t have to reserve with a credit card or pay until you show up, you can cancel and re-book anytime if you find a better rate, and they usually have a special that adds additional drivers for no fee. It’s a no brainer. Click here to check rates for your trip.

When to Book Activities?

One of the top questions I get asked is when the best time to book activities/tours/excursions is. Honestly, if there’s something you know you want to do for sure…you should book it as soon as you can.

There’s no advantage to waiting until the last minute. You won’t find better deals and more than likely you’ll end up missing out because things sell out. In the post COVID landscape, so many activities and tours in Hawaii (luaus, snorkeling tours, ziplining, atv rides, even RESTAURANTS) are fully booked 2-4 months in advance.

What to Pack

You’ll want the usual beach vacation clothes, but a trip to Kauai also means a lot of exploring and there are some odd/specialty things you won’t want to forget.

Read my full Hawaii packing list plus tips on what to wear here.

Kauai Travel Tips: START HERE If You’re Planning a Trip to Kauai