In May, we were able to cross Hawaii off our bucket list! We went to the island of Kauai and loved every minute of our trip. Below is our full itinerary. Please leave a comment or shoot me an email if you have any questions!
Day One - Travel Day
Day one of our trip was a travel day. We actually spent three days in LA prior to heading to Hawaii so we were able to have a very easy travel day. Flying out of LAX we were able to get a direct flight to Lihue which was super convenient. After picking up our bags and rental car, we were starving and immediately went to get some lunch.
We were in the mood for something quick, and ended up at Da Crack, a Mexican restaurant serving burritos, burrito bowls, tacos, etc. It's a small stand in a strip mall and you order at a counter and then take it to go but it is delicious!! It's also very affordable, which is great especially on a trip to Hawaii.
After lunch we were able to check into our condo. We stayed in Poipu and loved the location. If we ever went back, we would stay there again. We made a quick run to the store for some essentials (drinks, stuff for breakfast, snacks, etc.) and then immediately went to the pool at our condo to relax.
That night we drove out to Spouting Horn. It's a blowhole that releases water as high as 50 feet in the air. It was cool to see (and very close to our condo) but overall a pretty quick stop. I think we were there for a maximum of 15 minutes.
I wish I could say we were super fun and went out to dinner after, but the travel day and time difference had us beat! We made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at our condo and went to bed super early. Oops!
Day Two - Airplane Tour and Exploring the North Side
Day two was one of the best days of our trip. We started the morning with a plane tour over Kauai. We booked a tour through Wings Over Kauai. It was AMAZING. There is so much of the island that is only accessible/viewable by air or by boat so make sure you fit one or the other into your agenda for your trip. We opted for an airplane tour over a helicopter tour simply because of cost. Wings Over Kauai was only $250 total and the cheapest helicopter tour I could find started at $500. Despite the cost, it was amazing. We felt safe, our pilot was great and extremely knowledgeable, and we got to see all of the island.
Since the air tour left from the airport, we decided to spend the rest of day exploring the north side of the island. Poipu, where we were staying, was down in the south and it can take over an hour to get from one side of island to the other. The airport put us pretty closely in the middle so it made sense to head north after the air tour was over.
Our first stop was Anini Beach. This was a great beach for relaxing, snorkeling, and swimming as the water was very calm due to the reef. It was busy, but not overcrowded. We spent a few hours here enjoying the sun and water before we decided to get some food.
Lunch was at Kalypso Island Bar and Grill in Hanalei. Food was delicious and we had great service. After eating we walked around some of the shops in Halaei before heading to Hanalei Bay.
Hanalei Bay is a beautiful beach because you can see the mountains to your west. It is such a beautiful place to spend time. After leaving Hanalei Bay we tried to go to Queen's Bath in Princeville prior to heading back south. Queen's Bath is essentially a natural pool carved into lava in the middle of the ocean. However, we couldn't find anywhere to park and all the signs surrounding it strictly said no parking outside of designated spaces. We didn't want to push our luck so we opted out of seeing it. We made a quick stop to see the Kailua Lighthouse before continuing on our drive to Poipu.
This night for dinner we went to the Poipu Shopping Village for pizza at Pietro's Pizza e Pasta - it was delish!
Day Three - Waimea Canyon
Day three we drove over to Waimea Canyon to go hiking. We first drove to the Kalalau Lookout to try to see the amazing views. We got there around 10:30 in the morning and it was already all cloudy and we couldn't see anything. If you want to see the view, definitely get there even earlier than we did!
After that, we hiked the Waipoo Falls Trail. This is a 3.2 mile long trail. This hike has amazing views of Waimea Canyon and the falls. It is a relatively easy trail, however it is pretty steep in some parts. I didn't bring my normal hiking shoes from our trip to Banff because everything I read online said to be prepared for muddy trails and that the red dirt would stain. I didn't want to ruin those shoes so I brought older Nikes. I don't think it would have been as bad if I had actual hiking shoes, but just an FYI.
After enjoying the hike and taking in the views, we drove to Salt Pond Beach in Hanapepe since it was in between Waimea Canyon and Poipu. We ate a quick lunch there and decided to leave. The beach was crowded and since you can camp there we thought it was dirty. We ended up just going back to the pool at our condo to relax.
This evening we grabbed a quick dinner at Puka Dogs (Hawaiian style hot dogs that are delish) and took them over to Poipu Beach to watch the sunset. It was so beautiful! Once we were done there, we went back to the Poipu Shopping Village to shop and get some souvenirs.
We ended the night at Uncle's Shave Ice for dessert and it was AMAZING. You must make plans to enjoy some shave ice a few times during your trip Hawaii. Such a delicious and refreshing dessert!
Day three we drove over to Waimea Canyon to go hiking. We first drove to the Kalalau Lookout to try to see the amazing views. We got there around 10:30 in the morning and it was already all cloudy and we couldn't see anything. If you want to see the view, definitely get there even earlier than we did!
After that, we hiked the Waipoo Falls Trail. This is a 3.2 mile long trail. This hike has amazing views of Waimea Canyon and the falls. It is a relatively easy trail, however it is pretty steep in some parts. I didn't bring my normal hiking shoes from our trip to Banff because everything I read online said to be prepared for muddy trails and that the red dirt would stain. I didn't want to ruin those shoes so I brought older Nikes. I don't think it would have been as bad if I had actual hiking shoes, but just an FYI.
After enjoying the hike and taking in the views, we drove to Salt Pond Beach in Hanapepe since it was in between Waimea Canyon and Poipu. We ate a quick lunch there and decided to leave. The beach was crowded and since you can camp there we thought it was dirty. We ended up just going back to the pool at our condo to relax.
This evening we grabbed a quick dinner at Puka Dogs (Hawaiian style hot dogs that are delish) and took them over to Poipu Beach to watch the sunset. It was so beautiful! Once we were done there, we went back to the Poipu Shopping Village to shop and get some souvenirs.
We ended the night at Uncle's Shave Ice for dessert and it was AMAZING. You must make plans to enjoy some shave ice a few times during your trip Hawaii. Such a delicious and refreshing dessert!
Day Four - Hiking and Beach
The next day we started our day with the Sleeping Giant hike. It has 360 degree views of the island, mountains, beach, etc. from the top. This is a harder hike that the Waipoo Falls Trail. It is also exposed so it gets hot! It's a little over 3.5 miles long. We were exhausted when we finished, but mostly due to how hot it was.
Before heading back to our area, we stopped to see the Opaekaa Falls. When you stop there you can also see the Wailua River Valley. It's about a 10 minute stop.
After a quick lunch at our condo, we spent the rest of the afternoon at our condo pool. We loved having a cooler of drinks, our speaker playing a great playlist, and floating on noodles in the water. So relaxing!
That evening we made a quick stop at Baby's Beach and Lawai Beach. We wanted to take some pictures and also see what they were all about to see if we wanted to visit later in the week. Baby's Beach is true to it's name and is a great spot for families. Lawai Beach has a really small beach area but is a good place to watch the sunset! I also read online that it was a good spot for snorkeling and watching surfers.
After, we went and grabbed a drink at the Sheraton's hotel bar. They have a luau every Monday and Thursday. While we didn't want to spend the money (or the time) at a luau, I did want to see what it was all about. The hotel bar backs up to where the luau is going on, so we were able to have a drink and watch some of the show! 30-45 minutes was all we needed and I had my "fix" so I was really glad we didn't spend anymore money or time on it. This was recommended to us by another couple at our condo pool and is a great way to see part of a luau if you are curious what they are all about.
That evening we had dinner at Bangkok Happy Bowl for some thai food. The food was good, not great, but they had live music so it was a fun place to have a meal!
The next day we started our day with the Sleeping Giant hike. It has 360 degree views of the island, mountains, beach, etc. from the top. This is a harder hike that the Waipoo Falls Trail. It is also exposed so it gets hot! It's a little over 3.5 miles long. We were exhausted when we finished, but mostly due to how hot it was.
Before heading back to our area, we stopped to see the Opaekaa Falls. When you stop there you can also see the Wailua River Valley. It's about a 10 minute stop.
After a quick lunch at our condo, we spent the rest of the afternoon at our condo pool. We loved having a cooler of drinks, our speaker playing a great playlist, and floating on noodles in the water. So relaxing!
That evening we made a quick stop at Baby's Beach and Lawai Beach. We wanted to take some pictures and also see what they were all about to see if we wanted to visit later in the week. Baby's Beach is true to it's name and is a great spot for families. Lawai Beach has a really small beach area but is a good place to watch the sunset! I also read online that it was a good spot for snorkeling and watching surfers.
After, we went and grabbed a drink at the Sheraton's hotel bar. They have a luau every Monday and Thursday. While we didn't want to spend the money (or the time) at a luau, I did want to see what it was all about. The hotel bar backs up to where the luau is going on, so we were able to have a drink and watch some of the show! 30-45 minutes was all we needed and I had my "fix" so I was really glad we didn't spend anymore money or time on it. This was recommended to us by another couple at our condo pool and is a great way to see part of a luau if you are curious what they are all about.
That evening we had dinner at Bangkok Happy Bowl for some thai food. The food was good, not great, but they had live music so it was a fun place to have a meal!
Day Five - Walk and Beach
We started this day at Poipu Beach. It was the perfect place to spend a few hours. It's busy, but there's definitely enough room for everyone to spread out. While we were there we even got to see a Monk Seal and a Sea Turtle!
That day for lunch we picked up acai bowls from Anakes Juice Bar-- probably one of my favorite meals of the trip! (The juice bar is in the back of a grocery store, but it is delicious.)
In the afternoon we completed the Mahaulepu Heritage Coastal Trail. This is an easy trail walk along the coast that is about 2 miles each way. It is beautiful but it is hot! The trail markings also aren't always easy to see/follow. Bring some water and sunscreen because you will need it!
We spent a little bit of time at the pool before getting ready for the evening. Tyler grabbed a poke bowl for dinner and I had shrimp from Savage Shrimp. We also walked through the shops at The Shops at Kukuiula.
We started this day at Poipu Beach. It was the perfect place to spend a few hours. It's busy, but there's definitely enough room for everyone to spread out. While we were there we even got to see a Monk Seal and a Sea Turtle!
That day for lunch we picked up acai bowls from Anakes Juice Bar-- probably one of my favorite meals of the trip! (The juice bar is in the back of a grocery store, but it is delicious.)
In the afternoon we completed the Mahaulepu Heritage Coastal Trail. This is an easy trail walk along the coast that is about 2 miles each way. It is beautiful but it is hot! The trail markings also aren't always easy to see/follow. Bring some water and sunscreen because you will need it!
We spent a little bit of time at the pool before getting ready for the evening. Tyler grabbed a poke bowl for dinner and I had shrimp from Savage Shrimp. We also walked through the shops at The Shops at Kukuiula.
Day Six - Travel
Day Six was a travel day for us. To say we were sad to leave Hawaii would be an understatement. We spent some time at our condo pool before showering and getting ready for our flight home. We made a quick stop at Kauai Beer Company in Lihue on our way to the airport. It's worth a stop on one of your travel days since it is so close to the airport!
Kauai was an amazing trip that we still talk about weekly. We definitely want to return one day! Even though we had an amazing trip, there were a few things we weren't able to fit in during our time there. I think if we had 1-2 more days we could have done everything but now we have extra excuses to go back :). Some of the other items I would have added to our itinerary if we had the time are:
Day Six was a travel day for us. To say we were sad to leave Hawaii would be an understatement. We spent some time at our condo pool before showering and getting ready for our flight home. We made a quick stop at Kauai Beer Company in Lihue on our way to the airport. It's worth a stop on one of your travel days since it is so close to the airport!
Kauai was an amazing trip that we still talk about weekly. We definitely want to return one day! Even though we had an amazing trip, there were a few things we weren't able to fit in during our time there. I think if we had 1-2 more days we could have done everything but now we have extra excuses to go back :). Some of the other items I would have added to our itinerary if we had the time are:
- Holo Holo Charters Napali Boat Tour
- Bike rentals and biking the Kapaa Bike Path
- ATV or Zip Line Tour
- Visit Kauai Coffee Company
- Shave Ice from Wailua Shave Ice
- We did get some delicious shave ice on our trip but I heard so many amazing things about this place in particular! We were just never that close to it.
Hope this helps you plan your trip to Kauai! When you are researching for your trip and planning what beaches you want to visit, I would recommend looking up what facilities are offered at each beach. Not all of them have bathrooms, picnic tables, etc. so just make sure you're prepared. If you have any questions, please leave a comment or shoot me an email!
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