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Kayak Hanalei

4.4 (321 reviews)
Closed 8:00 am - 5:30 pm
Updated 1 week ago

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Path into the river
Darren O.

Fantastic trip down the river to the beach with an excellent guide. Would not have tried to go on the open ocean without someone who knew the ropes. Had a great time snorkeling at Hideways Beach. Highly recommend this adventure if you're looking for something more than just a typical snorkel outing. Trip was very well organized with all the gear needed plus lunch. Felt safe the whole time. Pro tip. Don't forget to apply your reef safe sunscreen to your shins. Who knew that's the spot that burns.

Up river
James K.

We've kayaked the river a few times now and it's always a fun time. Kayak Hanalei is great! They're right on the water so it's easy to park and launch. The staff is great...super friendly and helpful. Always bring the aloha! You can paddle up river or down river from launch...or both! I love spotting the freshwater turtles. They're all over if you keep your eyes peeled.

Tommy T.

Loved the kayak adventure without the guide. Went up the river and got to see a lot of turtles. It takes about 1 1/2 hours to go upstream and the return is about an hour because you are going with the flow. Very tranquil and beautiful to see nature a long the way. The staff are helpful and the equipment is clean. They have nearby changing and restrooms. You can rent waterproof dry bags to store your items while on the kayak. They have plenty of free parking and there are many eateries within walking distance. Definitely worth the hour drive from airport area.

seriously the highlight of my trip to kauai. started off the morning with some sprinkles, but once we made it to the beach and started snorkeling, it was magic. saw so many turtles and fish! they provide everything, snacks, lunch, live ukulele music, and amazing vibes! learned so much about the island and the nature and so glad i did this. gabe and kolo (hope i spelled that right) were awesome! 100/10

$50 for a single kayak for ALL DAY is a deal you can't find anywhere else on the island. Being able to go up the river or down to the beach offers lots to do. Gorgeous nature to see and lush jungle to enjoy. The staff were all very nice and helpful. This place is also located next to an amazing coff shop, Wishing Well, which is a must do pit stop before or after. Would 100% do this again!

Chauncey G.

There are few adventures more quietly spectacular than a slow paddle through the Hanalei River. No engine. No urgency. Just the hush of the water, the flutter of wings overhead, and the occasional splash from a startled turtle or a curious fish breaking the surface. We rented our kayaks from Kayak Hanalei, a cheerful outpost just off the road, where the sand meets the green. The process was easy. The gear? Solid. The staff? Efficient, friendly, and knowledgeable. And so we set off. I had my daughter in my kayak. My wife paddled with our son. We glided upriver beneath a cathedral of jungle greens, as egrets stood like statues on the banks and the mountains watched from a respectful distance. We passed under vines, through reeds, alongside fish that seemed as curious about us as we were about them. We stopped mid-river to float and share snacks--tropical trail mix, laughter, and the sort of quiet that settles into memory. At some point, the children--sweaty, sunscreen-slicked and sun-kissed--wanted to switch. My son wanted to ride with me. My daughter with her mom. A simple request. A poetic moment. The kind of spontaneous decision that turns a great day into a legendary one. So we turned back toward the docks. And that's when it happened. A gentle but firm reminder from the staff: no switching boats. Against the rules. Liability. Policy. The kind of modern phrase that always feels like a door closing. And so, with a sigh, we ended the trip early. Now let me be clear--Kayak Hanalei is wonderful. The equipment, the setting, the ease of it all. I'd return in a heartbeat. But I can't help but wonder how much more magical it could be without such rigid rules. When you're floating through paradise, surrounded by birdsong and laughter, the last thing you want is bureaucracy in a life vest. Still, the memory remains--a river, a family, a kayak, and a day that almost reached perfection. Almost.

Tian D.

We loved our experience with Kayak Hanalei! Our guild is Kolo, he is great, he very knowledgeable, kind and lot of fun. He picked papayas and avocados to pair with our lunch, and at lunch he played ukulele at the beach for us. It was so perfect! Definitely need to check this place out when you are in Kauai!

Kayaking in Hanalei Bay
Holley Janae P.

While visiting in Hanalei, my family and I took a kayak tour with Kayak Hanalei. Our tour lasted 3-4 hours and took us down the Hanalei River to Hanalei Bay. Along the way, we spotted many sea turtles floating along the river. Once in the bay, we snorkeled and eat local snacks. Our guides were incredibly friendly and informative. It made for a great afternoon and family outing!

Kristin M.

Amazing trip down the river to Hanalei Bay for sea kayaking and snorkeling. A million fish and sea turtles everywhere. Our guide Gabriel was super knowledgeable about the flora, fauna, and history of the area as well as adept at managing a group of novice kayakers and snorkelers. The gorgeous back drop of beautiful Hanalei bay made the trip even more wonderful.

Map
Gina L.

Rented 3 single kayaks for a self-guided tour of both the nature + ocean. We were nervous about them running out of kayaks because it's first come first serve, but they had plenty to spare. However, a benefit of visiting earlier is the beat the afternoon fog, which may cover up the beautiful mountains and scenery during your ride. On the nature side of the river, you see plenty of trees (including coconut and banana), birds here and there, and beautiful views of the mountains. The turnaround point is a very obvious orange pipe that you will not miss. On the ocean side, you can kayak where the river meets the ocean, dock, and snorkel for a bit. It took us about 3.5+ hours to kayak all of it, with a few min spent hanging out at the beach. Unfortunately, we did not have our snorkeling gear, but if done again, we would have brought the gear, docked our kayaks, and snorkelled a little before returning. Definitely bring snacks because you'll need to replenish energy during the ride!

Beautiful waters and experience!
Emily A.

We had the best time and a great guide with Gabe! Highly recommend this. Best snorkeling

They even allowed my dog!

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10 months ago

Guide Kolo was great! Knowledgable and personable. He even played ukele and sang. Fun Hawaiian adventure

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2 years ago

Amazing time on the river. Really friendly and easy to get in and out of the water. Two double kayaks for a family of four.

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1 year ago

Eating fresh Papaya & Hibiscus plants brought the true culture full circle, our guide was the best!

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Ask the Community - Kayak Hanalei

Review Highlights - Kayak Hanalei

Kayak Hanalei offered a really fun, physical, beautiful and informative experience- our tour guide was Kolo.

Mentioned in 58 reviews

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Na Pali Catamaran

Na Pali Catamaran

4.8
(242 reviews)
0.3 mi

DRAMAMINE, y'all…read more You're choosing to do the Na'Pali coast from the North Shore, which means smaller boats, and choppier waves. I took one Dramamine, the night before. Then another, an hour before our departure. AND THE BOAT RIDE WAS GREAT. I was all smiles and adventure and breathing -in the ocean air and wind! Unlike, a few folks, who were NOT doing so well. (One or two barfed over the side, but thankfully I didn't notice. Know how your body handles boats and waves. Don't do tours like this, without proper prep. It will NOT be fun if you underestimate it.) Check-In staff was super friendly, and personal. They remembered me from my original email. Sweet. Parking was easy. Shuttles team was super friendly. The strangers we rode with, all turned out to be cool. 2 boats go out (mini-catamarans, with cover from the sun). They expertly traverse the waves, and cliffs, and the caves, giving you some amazing first-hand visuals and photos. But yeah, that boat will be a rockin', during those up-close cave moments. Spoiler: You probably won't see whales, unless you're there before May. But we DID see a cute pod of Dolphins, who cozy'd up to our boat for a while. Our boat had Casey and Spencer. They were wise beyond their years, in all things Kauai. Funny and friendly. Spencer navigated the heck out of those waves, while Casey handled the nauseous passengers with MOTHERLY CARE. Spencer was 50/50 on allowing us to snorkel, based on conditions and a previous scare, a few weeks prior. But he ultimately made the call to GET IN THE WATER. He wisely kept us on a leash (not literally), whistling at swimmers when they got too close to a reef (with waves that could wash you onto the reef). It was fun and chill. Saw a HUGE, MASSIVE KING DADDY SEA TURTLE. He did not enjoy us as much as we enjoyed him and he bounced. Followed by a JR. Turtle, who stuck around a bit longer. Tons of fish. Spencer & Casey gave us good food and hike recommendations, and everyone treated us like friends / family. Highly recommend this team if you're going out. And you already know I highly recommend some Dramamine.

Had a great experience this week with Lance and Miguel. Before we even got out of the bay we had…read morean amazing dolphin encounter. The tour itself was both breathtakingly beautiful and informative, with lots of great history and a thorough knowledge of the coast's features. We were able to get in close to the cliffs and even go into a couple of sea caves. On the way back -- a very bouncy and splashy affair in the best way for those of us who were adventurous enough to sit in the bow -- we stopped at Tunnels Beach to snorkel the outer reef, which was full of tropical fish and turtles. The tour included lunch and refreshments as well. Overall a great way to spend an afternoon -- definitely a 5-star experience. A word to the wise-- the northwest corner of Kaua'i is often rainy and can get a bit cold when the wind is up, so not a bad idea to bring something extra to throw on after you finish the snorkel and are heading back to port.

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Raw Nature.  No Starbucks drive-thru on this journey.
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Na Pali Catamaran
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Holoholo Charters

Holoholo Charters

4.7
(1.2k reviews)
21.8 mi
Locally owned & operated
25 years in business

Holoholo charters was my 8 year olds, and mines, most memorable and adventurous activity on…read moreKawaii!!! The boat, the crew and the Captain, took us on one hell of an adventure! If you're looking for some of the best snorkeling on Kawaii and a great trip, I highly recommend, Holoholo charters all day adventure!!!

The sunset cruise with Holo Holo Charters down the Nāpali Coast was an unforgettable experience. We…read morebooked it to celebrate my husband's 40th birthday, and it was perfect from start to finish. Captain Max was incredible--his sense of humor kept us laughing even as the rain and mist rolled in. The two women on the crew (I wish I could remember their names) were fantastic, making sure everyone was comfortable and answering all our questions with a smile. The playlist on board was spot on, setting the perfect vibe. I wish I could find it on Spotify! Despite the weather, the views were breathtaking, and getting a little drenched just added to the adventure. The food was delicious, especially the smoked pork, salad, and fresh fruit, and my husband loved the mai tais. Even without the sunset, the whole experience was magical. After chatting with other travelers, I'm convinced we had one of the best tours available. especially after talking to a couple at our hotel pool who had paid more than we did and only got snacks limited alcohol. I can't recommend Holo Holo Charters enough, and I'm already looking forward to trying their breakfast or snorkel cruise next time. If you're looking for an amazing adventure, this is it!

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Captain Kelly
Captain Kelly
Per Captain - Rare Turtle
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Breathtaking

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Breathtaking
Princeville Botanical Gardens

Princeville Botanical Gardens

4.5
(119 reviews)
2.5 mi

Came on a Tuesday, party of 2, for the 9:30am tour (they only do one 3 hour tour per day), price…read morewas $125 per person. Now I originally was aghast that a botanical garden tour was this expensive, but after doing it, I think it's actually well worth the price. This isn't one of those gardens you can just walk in and wander around - it's guided tours only with staff. Pros: - Probably the most entertaining and varied botanical garden tour I've ever done, complete with a chocolate tasting sit-down learning experience with the guides. - It's BEAUTIFUL - and doubles as a leisurely hike if you're very able-bodied. It felt like a very HAWAII experience given the lush greenery, the number of new plants I had never seen before, and fun facts about Kauai and this specific botanical garden. - There's different "stops" on the tour where you'll get to try more uncommon fruits and bites (we had longan, rambutan, apple banana, sugarcane plant, and this really delicious honey!!) and you get to try a cacao fruit (which tastes nothing like chocolate lol) - they provide organic herbal bug spray if you don't bring your own - Pretty easy to find, the staff were super communicative beforehand via email and text with directions - Our tour guide Lauren was super knowledgeable and answered all our questions kindly, even when she was visibly quite pregnant! I was impressed at her stamina - I personally liked that it was a pretty "active" tour, where you hike across a bridge, uphill a bit, etc. You should definitely wear comfortable walking or hiking shoes, because the dirt can get pretty wet if it rains. I wore hiking pants and hiking shoes and felt pretty comfortable, and I felt sorry for people who came in sandals - The chocolate tasting was really unique - we got to try their in-house chocolate that had notes of cinnamon - and they said that it was a cinnamon tree in their grove where water would pass that gave it this flavor! - They also provide walking sticks and umbrellas for people if you want them - Reservation only, online booking in advance - I think this preserves the magical vibe of this nature-y place and keeps the quality of the service high - The staff clearly love and care about what they do, which is very refreshing to see! Cons: - It can be pretty strenuous if you are elderly or have orthopedic issues.

We had an amazing time on our visit to Princeville Botanical Gardens. The vast beauty of the…read moregardens were surreal. Our guide was wonderful and knowledgeable. She answered questions and explain many details of the tour. Along the way we tasted many fruits grown in the garden. The chocolate tasting was more than just a tasting. We learned so much and enjoyed many varieties of chocolate. It is truly an interactive tour. We had several younger people and it was wonderful seeing them ask questions and engage with the group.

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Princeville Botanical Gardens
Princeville Botanical Gardens
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Kauai Farmacy

Kauai Farmacy

4.4
(49 reviews)
5.2 mi
$$

KAUAI FARMACY is off the beaten path and I love it…read more They offer Tea Tasting Events and we couldn't make it to those so I figured we could drive up there to check out the store anyway. Well, the "shop" is actually a small trailer beside their lanai, which they were busy setting up for lunch for their farm workers. How cool was that? I don't think anyone is supposed to be there when there is no Tea Tasting Event, but they were gracious enough to accomodate us and even allowed us to buy tea drinks. Like they made it for us and served it! I might have ruined it for everyone else now though and they will make sure that they are closed outside of the event times. Sorry! The LOVE POTION TEA was weirdly soothing. Felt like I was wrapped in a blanket indoors looking out of a window on a rainy day. The TROPICAL HIBISCUS felt like I was in a tropical island. Oh wait... Anyway, I love how I couldn't really pinpoint the flavors, but the feelings the tea evoked is clear. Tasted, and bought, some honeys too. Interesting take on the honeys. They had spices and nuts so they were more like marmalades that honeys that you could add to your teas. The garden is beautiful. There is limited parking, but it's surrounded by beautiful greeneries, fruits and flowering plants. It was a beautiful outing for sure.

This place is quite overpriced with pretty much zero customer service. 1oz of gotu kola for $55…read more(2oz is $18 at homegrownherbalist.net) and it came in a clear glass bottle rather than the recommended dark amber. Also, I ordered it on May 27th with no response for 7 days, so I called. No answer and the recording states it doesn't take messages. So I sent an email on June 3rd asking them to cancel my order and refund my money. Instead, they sent me an email the next day saying they have shipped my order today, "mahalo". Almost like a sarcastic response. No explanation, apology or even acknowledgment. The order finally arrived on June 10th. Ridiculous. I won't order from them again and I recommend anyone searching for organic, home grown products to try Homegrownherbalist.net. Dr Patrick Jones has lots of yt vids explaining all kinds of herbs and he grows tons of stuff on his property in Idaho. All organic and harvested at the perfect time. He was a veterinarian for 30 years and is also a naturopathic doctor and an herbalist. What a wealth of knowledge! He's very reasonably priced and ships his products out immediately.

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Curry and Moringa powder
Curry and Moringa powder
Fresh raw cacao
Fresh raw cacao
Macadamia nuts

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Macadamia nuts

Kayak Hanalei - tours - Updated July 2026

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