Kauai 7 Day Itinerary: The Absolute Best Itinerary for Kauai

Visiting Kauai and wondering how long to stay? This Kauai 7 day itinerary will go over all of the best things to see in Kauai, where to stay on Kauai, and the absolute must-add attractions to your itinerary for Kauai.

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Kauai 7 Day Itinerary Overview: The Perfect Itinerary For Kauai

  • Day 1: Hanalei Beach & Hanalei Town
  • Day 2: Kayaking Hanalei Bay
  • Day 3: Queen’s Bath & Hanalei Valley Lookout
  • Day 4: Kalalau Trail
  • Day 5: Wailua Falls & Ho’opi’i Falls
  • Day 6: Na Pali Coast Boat Tour & Waimea Canyon
  • Day 7: Poipu Beach

Where to Stay in Kauai

This itinerary for Kauai will look in-depth at the best things to do in Kauai, but one of the first considerations is finding the best place to stay in Kauai. The two most popular areas to stay in are Poipu and Princeville, which are on opposite sides of the island (about an hour drive apart). Both areas are beautiful, and you may want to split up your trip and stay 4-5 days in Princeville and another 1-2 in Poipu. In then itinerary for Kauai listed above, days 1-5 are most convenient from Princeville, and days 6-7 are closer to Poipu.

Kauai Rental Car: Do You Need to Rent a Car in Kauai?

If you are planning on traveling around Kauai and seeing the main Kauai attractions, then you definitely need a car. The island of Kauai is relatively small and easy to get around, but there are long drives and you definitely need a car to see most major attractions. If you’re looking for an affordable rental car that is easy to access for your trip to Kauai, you can find more information here.

Kauai 7 Day Itinerary: Day 1 Hanalei Beach & Hanalei Town

If you are staying in Princeville, Hanalei Beach is a wonderful way to start your trip to Kauai. Known as one of the most photographed beaches in the world, Hanalei Beach is a stunning contrast of beautiful beach, crystal clear water and lush jungle-like conditions in one place. It is easily accessible by car with a very short walk to the beach, and the town of Hanalei offers many food and shopping options.

Hanalei Beach is pristine location to enjoy the sun and sand, but there aren’t food options or restaurants on the beach itself – you will need to walk to drive a few minutes to any of the many restaurants in Hanalei, many of which are found a few minutes away on Kuhio Highway.

Another close attraction is Hanalei Pier, a long dock where you can find even more incredible views of the mountains and jungle and get some incredible sunset photos.

Kauai 7 Day Itinerary: Day 2 Kayaking Hanalei Bay

For day 2 of your itinerary for Kauai, I recommend staying in the Hanalei area and signing up for a kayaking tour of Hanalei Bay. We did this with Kayak Hanalei, and it was a bucket-list experience.

The easiest way to do this is to arrive at Kayak Hanalei, which is only a few minutes drive from Princeville. You can arrive and book a kayak upon arrival, or book a tour in advance – like this kayak and snorkel tour.

If you kayak the entire way, you’ll get to see both Hanalei River, including turtles and exotic birds, and Hanalei Bay. This kayaking location offers some of the most incredible ocean and jungle vegetation views that you can imagine, and it’s definitely worth booking. The kayaking excursion takes about half a day, and you should be prepared to feel like you’re getting a good workout while kayaking.

If you’re concerned about not being in great shape, keep in mind that you can take it slow and enjoy the scenery – we also brought our phones along to take photos and videos and didn’t have any problems, as the Hanalei River is very calm.

Kauai 7 Day Itinerary: Day 3 Queen’s Bath & Hanalei Valley Lookout

Kauai is known for its incredible hikes and ocean views, and on day 3 of your itinerary for Kauai you’ll get to see some of both.

Hanalei Lookout

Hanalei Lookout

Staying in the Princeville area, the first stop of the day is Hanalei Lookout, which is a breathtaking view of the valley, accessible by car and perfect for incredible photos. We stopped at Hanalei Lookout several times during drives through the area, and we felt it was worth visiting more than once for photos.

Queen’s Bath

Queen’s Bath is located in the heart of Princeville, and it is a short walk/hike that leads to incredible ocean views and tide pools. To get to Queen’s Bath, you will need to walk about 10-15 minutes from the main road and parking area, and while you can do the walk in flip-flops, you might have an easier time in closed-toe shoes.

Queen’s Bath is a great place to take some pictures of turtles, enjoy the tide pools, and see beautiful ocean views. There are also spots where you can swim in the pools, but be wary of conditions and make sure to stay away from the ocean waves.

Kilauea Lighthouse

The Kilauea Lighthouse is about a 15-minute drive from Princeville, and there are tours you can do of the lighthouse with beautiful views of the ocean and surrounding areas. You do need a reservation for the Kilauea Lighthouse, and tickets cost $10 for anyone 16 and older, and are free if you’re under 16. You can find reservation and ticket info here.

Anini Beach

After visiting the Kilauea Lighthouse, head over to Anini Beach, which is on the way back to Princeville and is a great spot for snorkeling in Kauai. With crystal clear water, conditions are good for swimming and snorkeling, and it is also a known spot for windsurfing on Kauai. There is also a beautiful coral reef you can check out, and odds are good to see fish or other wildlife. Anini is known for its calm conditions, and it’s a great place for kids or beginning swimmers.

Kauai 7 Day Itinerary: Day 4 Kalalau Trail

Kalalau trail in Kauai is ranked as one of the most beautiful hikes in the US – and also one of the hardest. Kalalau Trail is an 11-mile hike along the Na Pali Coast, and it is both breathtaking and physically challenging.

Hike the Entire Kalalau Trail

In order to do the entire trail, you would need to plan a day to hike the entire 11 miles from Ke’e Beach to Kalalau Beach, and plan to camp at Kalalau Beach, and then do the 11 miles back the next day. In order to camp or hike past the first 2 miles of the trail, you will need a permit, which you can find here. You will also need a reservation to Hā’ena State Park, which you can find here. The hike can also be fairly treacherous in parts depending on weather conditions, so only consider this option if you are a skilled hiker.

Hike Part of the Kalalau Trail

If you are looking for beautiful views of the Na Pali Coast without overnight camping or hiking so many miles, you still have several good options. The first is to hike 4 miles round-trip to Hanakāpīʻai Beach, which is located only 2 miles in the Kalalau Trail and does not require a permit.

The second option is to do an 8 mile hike to Hanakāpīʻai Falls, which are located 2 miles from Hanakāpīʻai Beach, for an additional 4-miles round trip, equaling an 8-mile hike. Both of these options offer incredible views and do not require a permit, but are still considered difficult hiking. While you will not need a permit for either of these hikes, you will still need a reservation to Hā’ena State Park, which you can find here.

Ke’e Beach

If hiking isn’t your thing, never fear – you still have options here! Ke’e Beach is also a beautiful place to hang out for the day, and the drive from Princeville to Ke’e Beach is breathtaking. Ke’e Beach is protected by a reef and is a great place for both swimming and snorkeling, and it’s crystal clear waters are something you won’t want to miss on your Kauai trip. Even if you aren’t hiking, keep in mind you will still need a reservation to Hā’ena State Park, which you can find here.

Kauai 7 Day Itinerary: Day 5 Wailua Falls & Ho’opi’i Falls

Day 4 of this itinerary for Kauai is fairly physically intensive, so for day 5 it’s time to focus on another area of the island and outdoor activities that are overall pretty physically easy.

Most of the activities so far have been along the Na Pali Coast or in the Princeville area, but day 5 of this itinerary for Kauai heads toward Lihue, where the airport is.

Wailua Falls

Wailua Falls is a stunning double waterfall located near Lihue in Kauai, and it is a great place to visit if you’re looking to swim under a waterfall or see rainbows. There is an overlook above Wailua Falls if you don’t want to walk all the way down, and you can park nearby and just walk over to take photos of the falls. If you want to actually get in the falls, there is a path leading down that is quite steep, so you’ll likely need to take it slow.

Ho’opi’i Falls

Ho’opi’i Falls is another waterfall and hiking trail that is about 30 minutes from Wailua Falls. It is more of an actual hike than Ho’opi’i Falls, and it can often be muddy, so check the weather and wear proper shoes. The trail itself is quite flat and leads to two beautiful waterfalls, and there are areas where you can swim and enjoy the water. The hike is considered an easy one, just be mindful of the mud as it can be slippery if you go on a rainy day.

Where to Eat in the Lihue Area

If you do one or both of these waterfalls and are looking for a good place to eat afterwards, make sure to check out Eat Healthy Kauai – Russell’s, which is located between Ho’opi’i Falls and Wailua Falls. It has healthy, plant-based food and is very small, but the food is fresh and awesome, and you definitely will walk away feeling full. If you’re looking for a small-town, healthy Hawaii feel – this place is awesome.

Kauai 7 Day Itinerary: Day 6 Na Pali Coast & Waimea Canyon

For day 6 of this itinerary for Kauai, you will be doing one of the coolest Hawaii experiences ever – which is a boat tour of the Na Pali Coast. The tours generally last half a day, and include out of this world views of the Na Pali Coast, snorkeling, and lunch with drinks.

Na Pali Coast Boat Tour

For most people, a Na Pali Coast boat tour is one of the most incredible things to do on Kauai. Even if you aren’t a huge fan of boats consider doing this activity. If you’re trying to choose a good boat tour, consider this Na Pali Morning Snorkel Tour, which will allow you to both snorkel and take in the coastline with good daylight. On your boat tour, there are also very good odds to see dolphins from the boat, swim with turtles and see beautiful coral reefs – and that’s all in addition to the stunning Na Pali coastline. I literally can’t recommend this activity enough, it was by far my favorite thing to do in Kauai.

In terms of planning time, the Na Pali Coast boat tour will likely take 5-6 hours, and it does include food and drinks. The boating company provides snorkel gear and will give you a tour of the Na Pali Coast while cruising, and the only things you really need to bring are sunscreen, your swimsuit and a camera. The pictures speak for themselves, but I can’t stress enough how cool this experience is.

Waimea Canyon

After finishing your boat tour of the Na Pali Coast, plan to drive about 30 minutes to get to the Waimea Canyon, which is a stunning red canyon known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. There is a $5 entry fee per person for the Waimea Canyon State Park, but it’s well worth it to see the stunning views. There are several lookout points at Waimea Canyon where you can take stunning photos of the canyon on a clear day, and if you’re wanting an even greater adventure, there are downhill bike tours of the Waimea Canyon.

How Much Time Will You Spend at the Waimea Canyon?

If you do choose to do a bike tour, you may want to consider splitting the Waimea Canyon and Na Pali boat tours into two days, to make sure you have enough time and energy. On the other hand, if you are planning to just view the canyon from the lookout points or do a short hike, you can easily fit both the Na Pali Coast boat tour and the Waimea Canyon in one day (and it’s convenient to do so, since they’re close to each other).

Kauai 7 Day Itinerary: Day 7 Poipu Beach

For your final day in Kauai, plan to take it easy and enjoy some of Kauai’s beautiful beaches before finishing your vacation and heading home. If you are staying in Princeville for the entire trip and just made the drive to Poipu for day trips, then you may want to stick to one of the beautiful beaches in that area, like Anini Beach, Puu Poa Beach or a return trip to Hanalei Beach.

Poipu Beach

If you are staying in Poipu for the last part of your trip (it’s closer to days 6-7), then a great place to check out is Poipu Beach, where you can enjoy shallow water, easy swimming areas and optional surfboard rentals. Poipu Beach is also known for its snorkeling, so if you are trying to see a few more turtles or even monk seals on your trip, this is a great place to spend your final day.

Maha’ulepu Heritage Trail

If you’re looking for a little movement and some last views of the Kauai coastline before ending your trip, the Maha’ulepu Heritage Trail near Poipu is a great option. The trail is 3.7 miles in and back, and usually takes about an hour and a half to complete. The trail gives great views of sea cliffs, tide pools, the beach and wildlife like monk seals, and it’s an easy to moderate trail to do. It’s a great option for a fairly easy activity on your last day, that also gives great views of the island.

That wraps it up for this Kauai 7 day itinerary. Kauai is an incredible island, and you’re sure to love your visit. Have you done any of these activities or are you heading to Kauai soon? If so, let me know in the comments!

Visiting any of the other Hawaiian islands? If so, consider checking out these guides to Oahu and Maui.

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