Fantastic, early morning boat trip down the Napali coast. Captain Caleb and Jackson were fun, safe,…read moreprofessional and full of interesting local information. Can't recommend this more highly.

We got super lucky with our adventure and snorkel tour with Hanalei charters- we saw Humpbacks!!!…read moreI was recommended by a coworker to pick a tour that leaves from the North shore vs South, and Hanalei charters did exactly that. From our check in at arrival, to end of tour - everything was seamless. Our captain was Dale, and first crew teammate was Caleb - they were both very friendly and had so much information to share! Our ride through some of the sea caves was amazing, and the very first for us as well. They do provide snacks and beverages on the tour as well, right after snorkeling. 100% recommend!

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.

Spectacular experience on all levels. Highly recommend this company. We went near the end of the…read moreseason in October so we weren't able to snorkel but the trip was wonderful anyway

My boyfriend and I are on vacation and the service was the best part of the experience. Roland,…read moreJimmy, Larry, and Jon all were incredible. They were so funny and attentive. Unfortunately many of us got seasick and they were all so helpful and made it lighthearted and bearable. We will 100% be back (after we bring lots of Dramamine).

Capt Andy's is great! They have truly wonderful customer service and have polished their outings…read moredown to the last detail. Our entire crew was wonderful. IMPORTANT NOTE: we all ended up getting sea sick (there was 5 of us), but this was not the fault of the crew at all--we learned we are all just prone to sea sickness. Especially as you near the Napali coast, it is very bumpy. Note that you will be on the boat for around 5 hours--if you are prone to motion sickness at all, we would not recommend this. It inevitably gets bumpy and for five hours, it is a lot to handle for anyone who is not an experienced with boats/sailing. ***Also note: this is not mainly a snorkeling excursion. We signed up thinking the focus would be snorkeling, but we went to a sub-par snorkeling spot (barely saw any fish) for around 45 minutes than were back on the boat for the rest of the time. This excursion is mainly about being on the boat and seeing the Napali Coast, which is very beautiful. However, overall, if you are looking for a snorkeling outing or are prone to seasickness, I would pass on this. You can see the Napali via helicopter, which may be the better option. The ride is so bumpy near the coast that it is hard to enjoy the beauty. This outing is quite expensive so we just want people to be aware of the drawbacks ahead of booking. Again, Capt Andy's is WONDERFUL and were so kind and entertaining the whole day, it is just quite a long time to be on the boat if you're not accustomed to it. If you're looking for a boating excursion, want to see the Napali Coast by boat, and don't get sea sick at all, Capt Andy's is the way to go.

We had the best time!! Even during "winter" but please keep in mind these guys cannot control the…read moreweather! It is not their fault if the ocean is rough that day. And yours need to cancel, turn back, or etc. And even on a nice day, it's the ocean and the water/wind is unpredictable. Even those not prone to seasickness need to come prepared! There is plenty of ways to prep in advance and ensure your not in the middle/back looking at the deck or a bag the whole time. We saw so many humpback whales! And even a mama and her baby! As well as Hawaiian spinner dolphins! And of course the Na Pali coast line! Even on the way back blasting thru the ocean I was able to spot humpbacks in the distance. So it's also what you make of it and my husband and I really had the best time. I also want to say this but all of us are just guests on Hawaii and yes we are paying for a tour but they are stewards to showing us some of the most important parts of Hawaiian history and landscape. That is a PRIVILEGE and I think too many of us forget that. I really would like to thank Shawn, Elijah, and Jay for closing out our trip with such a memorable experience. You guys are all stars! Mahalo!!!

If you're on the fence about whether this tour is worth it -it absolutely is. We honestly had zero…read moreexpectatons and booked a morning tour in January, and it turned out to be the best decision. The water was calm enough for snorkeling, and we got incredibly lucky - we saw hundreds of dolphins, whales, albatrosses, turtles, and so much more. And that's not even mentioning the unreal beauty of the Na Pali Coast. Huge shoutout to the captain, who made it feel like a full-on adventure - taking us through sea caves, near waterfalls, and still making sure everyone felt completely safe the entire time. A few tips if you're not very experienced with boats: - Definitely bring towels and warm clothes -- it can get very windy. - Sunscreen is a must. No explanation needed. - Take Dramamine about an hour before boarding if you're worried about motion sickness. Everyone in our group took it and felt great, unlike a couple of other tourists who were clearly struggling. The worst part is when the boat stops and rocks on the waves. Another awesome bonus was the unlimited drinks, plus really tasty sanwiches and snacks throughout the tour. Highly recommend - this ended up being the best experience we had in Hawaii!

Captain Greg, Evan, Chad and the whole crew were AMAZING!!! This was a 10/10 experience!! The…read moresnorkel in the morning was BEAUTIFUL!! The food was DELICIOUS!! The service was TOP NOTCH and we felt safe and cared for the entire journey. Captain Greg was very knowledgeable and made a point to share history and island tradition. We saw whales, dolphins and sea turtles not to mention countless fish at the snorkel stop. I would 10/10 recommend and a trip I would do again!! Thank you Kauai Sea Tours!!

YOU MUST DO THIS!…read more the raft along the Na Pali Coast with Captain KK and Malu, was one of the most memorable days of my life! this will be the highlight of visiting Hawaii, not just Kauai, but the entire state I felt safe, and that I was with confident crew and captain we got to go inside sea caves, and under waterfalls, and we saw dolphins

We got here on a very rainy day. Nonetheless, the boat tour was good, the driver had interesting…read morestories, they had some live music and some native dance routines. The river cruise to the fern grotto was good and would have been great had the weather cooperated.

This is one of the places our friends recommended we check out on our trip to Kauai. We really…read moreenjoyed it! It's a perfect rainy day adventure (or when it's clear out). It was raining when we had our tour. The boat is covered and when you're in the fern grotto there are so many overhanging trees that we didn't even feel the rain. This boat tour was very relaxing and informative. The boat moved at a slow pace - even my husband who has motion sickness was able to enjoy this boat ride. On the way to the fern grotto there are stories of places you're passing as well as Hawaiian and festive (it was the holiday time) songs. It's a family run organization and many generations are involved in this tour. On the way back home there are more songs and dances and everyone gets to learn how to dance the hula. You get to disembark the boat and take a short walk to the fern grotto. What a beautiful place! So much greenery. The only way to get to this grotto is from this boat tour, so it is a peaceful and uncrowded place. We're glad we took this tour and recommend it as a fun and low stress activity on the island. It's good for all ages. There is plenty of free parking. Free cold water is available on the boat.

We were on the NCL Pride of American and wanted a beach day…read more Within 15 minutes of walking, here we were, the beach. We rented chairs and an umbrella. We thought we would get small beach chairs. Nope, we got nice lounge chairs! The umbrella was a must as it will rain on and off. Also, it provides nice shade. We were close to restrooms, shops, and Duke's restaurant. The staff were super friendly and accommodating. We will book through them again.

Beach Boys catamaran sunset cruise…read more I arrived to the Nawiliwili Bay & Hulei'a River cruise boat slip to join the other passengers on a sunset cruise. This particular day, for whatever the reason, didn't have too many passengers. It made for a better cruise experience, in my opinion. After the normal safety briefing, we set off on the Kalapaki Kai II (smooth sailing gorgeous catamaran!) with the captain narrating the entire evening. While this was not a dinner cruise, we did enjoy a full service bar with light snacks during the evening. In my opinion, the cruise seemed uneventful and not very entertaining, but I am not necessarily interested in history, which is mainly what the captain spoke about during the cruise. He did a thorough job speaking about the Kauai scenery, fish ponds, mangrove trees, Haupu mountain range, Kalapaki Beach, the lighthouse, golf-course and Kauai's still-standing original hotel! We even watched numerous people surfing in the Nawiliwili Bay.... Can't say I'll see that anywhere else except Hawaii! The sunset was not anything to speak of the night of my cruise... but that is clearly out of our control! While I had a ho-hum evening... I will still highly recommend this sunset cruise! It was an incredibly smooth sail.... Short & sweet -- started at 5:30p and ended just as the sun set!

Easily One of the Best Experiences of My Life - 10/10 Would Do Again…read more If you're debating whether or not to book with Nā Pali Pirates, just do it. Hands down one of the coolest things I've ever done. Captain Dom was the perfect mix of chill, knowledgeable, and safety-conscious--dude knew exactly how to handle the boat, even when we got up close and personal with some pretty intense waves near the cliffs and caves. And Chaz? Absolute legend. Kept the vibes light with some solid (and delightfully cheesy) jokes, plus he snapped a ton of pics so we could actually enjoy the moment without worrying about our phones. But the real highlights? Getting insanely close to the cliffs and feeling the sheer power of the ocean, then just floating out in the middle of nowhere, taking it all in. Oh, and did I mention we saw THREE whale breaches and a bunch of dolphins? Unreal. If you're on the fence, take this as your sign to book it. Zero regrets, just pure adventure.

If you are looking to see the Na Pali coast at high speeds and incredibly close up while in Kauai,…read morethis is the tour for you. My son and I did the morning tour and had one of the most incredible experiences of our lives. Not only will you get up close to the cliffs, you will venture inside caves and thru tunnels w scenery that will leave you speechless. Our captain, Dom, and first mate Chaz were fantastic. Not only do they educate you with historical and geographical knowledge of the island, but Chaz will have you cracking up w his Dad joke "Dad-a-base" lol. If you are in good health, and enjoy a fast pace, exciting tour, this is for you. Mahalo!! \m/

Unreal guides!! This trip was the greatest. Captain Greg & copilot Caleb made everyone feel like…read morefamily. From the lunch to the snorkeling to the vast amount of information... what a home run. Greg guided us perfectly through some rough chop and we came out on the other side ready for more. Greg is 6th generation Hawaiian so ask away... he knows everything. It is unbelievable !!! Would definitely do the tour again

Our young friend recommended this as her favorite thing to do in all of Hawaii Nei. This was her…read morethird visit because she likes to bring all her favorite visitors on this tour. After taking it myself now, I can see why! We met Captain Greg Baptiste and copilot Caleb at Kiki'aola Small Boat Harbor at 8:45 and ended about 2:45. We were supposed to end at 2:30 but got delayed by kayakers who caused boat traffic. A 6th generation Kaua'i kama'aina, Captain Greg was extremely experienced, confident, and relaxed so we felt very safe with him at the helm, even when the boat was slapping the waters and we felt like we were on a mechanical bull ride. Luckily I didn't get seasick, so it felt a like a real life Disney ride to me. However, I don't recommend this for those who get queasy. His first mate, Caleb, took turns with him at the wheel and dove in to achor us. Throughout the tour Greg educated us with fascinating facts and tales about the geography, history, and lore of the breathtaking beautiful Na Pali Coast. One of the lessons from the legend of Na Keiki a ono iwi that resonated with me was 1.Listen to your elders 2. Do not Steal 3. You are responsible for your children's actions. (Teachers, gotta love this one!!) Highlights were the open ceiling cave and iconic "Cathedral " cliffs. We stopped for about an hour or so of beautiful clear snorkeling where we got to see turtles in addition to some beautiful and large fish. They use excellent Mantis brand snorkeling gear which I really liked and will fit you for fins. After that we were very ready for lunch! They normally cater sandwiches but something happened so we assembled our own with fixings from Costco which tasted extra good at sea! The only suggestion I would have for this business is to do a better job of briefing folks about safety and how to treat the reef. Some kids in our group were sitting and stepping on the coral. Mahalo nui Capt. Greg and Crew for an incredible day trip!! Will definitely recommend this to everyone I know!

Had a great time renting kayaks for a half day 12:30-5:30. Called in to make the reservation and…read morestaff was very accommodating. Wes met us at the river and went over very clear instructions and tips. It was great that they included wet bags to store your things. The river itself was beautiful, the waterfall 'hike' is generally very easy with a couple stream and river crossings that are slip hazards but overall not physically strenuous, and the waterfall is beautiful and the pool is swimmable. Plenty of time to check out both arms of the river. **WARNING - DO NOT park in the adjacent thrift store parking lot if the park parking is full. They slapped a huge sticker on our windshield and demanded $25 in payment when we got back to our car despite actually spending some time in the thrift shop and scheduling a donation time.

This one I'm going to have to file under one of the hardest things I've done in my life! But I'm so…read moreproud we accomplished this and did this! So many people talk about kayaking the Wailua River and hiking to Secret Falls. We didn't get a chance to do this on our last trip, but my youngest and I tackled this on this trip! Our guide, Ronda, arrived a couple minutes after our tour start time at 1pm. The morning guide said she'd be along "in island time." Once she got there, she took the time to tell us a little about herself, went around our group and had us each introduce ourselves and share a few words. She took the time to memorize all of our names! She also explained to us as all the other tours were heading out, that she liked to hang back and let everyone go do their thing so we can experience the falls privately as just our group. This girl knows what she's doing! It was about a two mile kayaking journey up the Wailua River with stops intermittently along the way for our "kayak kisses" so Ronda could tell us about the history and other aspects of the island. We were almost in our own little version of Survivor, thinking up ways we could survive out there and what we would need. It was honestly very cool. Once we got the end of the kayaking journey, we were given walking sticks for the moderate 1 mile hike to Secret Falls. There are a couple of areas where you have to cross through water, but nothing higher than the knees, at that time. The hike was beautiful! Ronda pointed out the Hawaiian Woodrose, kukui nuts, which we got to crack open and have a small sample, we washed our hands with awapuhi from the awapuhi plant, etc. it was such a cool adventure. We met the local songbird and dug to find worms for him to eat. He ate right from our hands! He actually landed on my hand and looked at me for a couple seconds! We saw cows on the journey home as well. Secret Falls is amazing. We had a blast swimming around there and resting from the journey. We met a lot of great people in our tour. It was like we all became a little family. We packed up and hiked back to our kayaks and headed back down the Wailua for the journey home. This time the wind was against us, so it was literally like paddling upstream both ways lol! This was such an amazing experience. I'm sure I'm leaving some things out because there was so much! I would say, if you're doing the 1pm tour, don't have any other plans the rest of the day. You don't want to be in a rush to get out of there. Our 5 hour tour ended up being close to 7 hours. It was nice because on the way back the motorized vessels were no longer on the river, so we didn't have to worry about other traffic. I'd also recommend having dinner for that night figured out ahead of time because most places locally close at 8pm. We were able to grab dinner from a spot about 10 minutes prior to their closing. They recommend tennis shoes or hiking boots, but my daughter and I used our water socks/reef shoes and while there were a couple times when we were bouldering I would have liked to have better shoes, ultimately it wasn't an issue. Ronda gives you an opportunity to unplug from the world, get yourself on island time, and take in all the beauty Kauai has to offer. Take it!