This is my family's fourth or fifth time visiting the island of Kauai, but our first time taking a kayak tour..it was definitely alot of fun and a different experience. If you're willing to get wet and do some hiking then you'll have a good time..the hike isn't too difficult (I was able to do it in flip-flops! haha..but i reccommend wearing sandals that are good for hiking). The tour lasts about 4.5 hours..about 2 hours kayaking and about 2 hours hiking. You can seat 2 people per kayak or single..and you kayak along the Wailua river..the water is calm, cool and peaceful..there's alot of beautiful scenery to take in. Then midway we stop and leave the kayaks and hike out to Wailua falls..our tour guide Brandon was very knowledgeable about the history of rainforests of Kauai..telling us about the different fruit trees..Mango, ginger root, and we even got to taste some Lilikoi fruit!! yummay.. The waterfall is really nice, but the water is pretty cold!!! haha Lunch is provided in the tour so you get a turkey sandwich, chips, guava juice, cookies & fresh pineapple. After lunch, then we hike back to the kayaks and then kayak back. The tour isn't too difficult..you get a nice workout paddling and hiking too. I went with my family and my parents & aunt were able to hike it no problem! A few things to remember: -you're supposed to have closed toe shoes..(even tho i wore flip flops) - bring bug spray!!! lots of it -sunblock -waterproof camera The tour is about $103/person but it's pretty worth it if you're looking for something fun for the whole family read more

Eric made the trip what it was great guide with plenty of knowledge,Information, and safety of the hike to the falls. I would highly recommend this trip for anyone who is considering doing it. If you are having trouble deciding which company to use let this review be the reason you Choose Ali'i kayaks read more

Had a nice day with Ali'i Kayaks. Note that the tours isn't necessarily the same as in the brochures you see on the island. Prepare to go on 4-5 hour tour, part kayak (approx 4 miles one way and approx 2 miles hiking from water to waterfall). All in all, a good active day. Our tour started around 11 am, enough time to grab a Starbucks in Kilauea on the way to Ali'i Kayaks. We ended our tour around 3:30 pm. TC was the name of our Guide with his girl, Pepe the Chihuahua. All in all, a good fun day in sunny Kauai. read more

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4 miles round trip of kayaking and 3 miles round trip of hiking. Hike is not hard in terms of elevation but very rough trail of mud, rocks and roots, but we are 63 yrs old and we made it OK. But the payoff of reaching this out of the way waterfall was well worth it! Our guide Vance was INCREDIBLE, lots of local history, plant and animal life information, and he took good care of these two older folks! read more

Ali'i Kayaks - Waterfall - Tours Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

You gotta do this tour with IZZY! She is your island girl with all the inside island knowledge. She'll school you on the history of the kama aina, lead you on a kayak tour at your own pace whether expert or novice and a simple hike with lots of little surprises along the way to a secret waterfall. I would recommend paying attention to all the history because there could be a fun quiz at the end with more surprises. If you are a worthy group she might even let you meet her friend. Tweet, Tweet ;) read more

Had an amazing time on the guided kayak secret falls tour today. Our guide "TC" was awesome - highly recommend requesting him if you can!

Had a wonderful day Kayaking through the river and hiking, Our guild Ryan shared lots of information about Hawaiian culture and history. We never were rushed and it was very relaxing and fun. Definitely will recommend this.to anyone who is visitng Kauai. read more

A highlight of our trip! Easy kayak up river (we all surf so it may be harder for those who haven't done a lot of paddling, but there's no rush...it's not a race). Great hike! We got covered. Seriously, covered in mud. You will be slipping and sliding and getting dirty. At the end was a great waterfall and swimming hole. Christian, our tour guide, was awesome. He hiked barefoot and played ukelele the whole time! My only complaints: the waterfall was a bit crowded and people left behind trash. We picked some up on our way out...I saw a mouse there (yuck) probably hanging around because all the food. And, Ali's sandwiches weren't the best. I wasn't expecting poke or anything, but they could step it up a bit. All in all, a wonderful journey and great way to spend the day and see more of Kauai. read more

Ali'i Kayaks - Family on the hike into secret falls. - Tours Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

Kayak was fun but the hike was challenging (very rocky and a lot of roots to navigate over, not to mention wadeing chest deep through a river). The guide was way out in front and not very concerned with the people that were not as fast. Noticed this in both the kayak and hiking. During the hike I was behind an older lady and the rest of the group were so far ahead we had to stop and call out for directions, not cool. On the kayak back we were sent ahead (no guide) and told to wait at a specific location. Next time we will do the trip on our own. read more

Izzy is fabulous, she made our tour fun and super relaxed. She also gave us some historic background about the island on our hike to the waterfall! Also the waterfall is magical! But see for yourself read more

So lucky we found this place. I cannot compare to other companies but hands down these guys were awesome. They provided good instruction and don't rush anyone. Tour guides are very knowledgable, some have been working there for over 10 years so they know the land and area very well. We are very fit people and enjoyed this. I did see a variety of people out there so anyone can do it but not sure they were enjoying themselves, I would not say this was necessarily "easy". Trail was very muddy so be prepared, I guess it could change dramatically because of the weather so perhaps ask ahead of you aren't willing for a muddy adventure. You will be embracing the mud. Kayaking on the way back was also a little tough because you are against the wind. The falls was worth it though!!! Wow! Up close and you can swim, it was beautiful. Shout out to our tour guide Justin! He was awesome, funny, and made the experience that much better. Ask for him if you can! read more

New/novice kayakers be warned this is not the company you should use. Alii Kayaks willfully misrepresents the level of guidance you will receive prior to departing on your trip, and is a fraction of what other companies provided as witnessed while returning to the launch site. If you are looking for a kayaking tour and have limited to no experience I would implore you to search for a different tour company. On Alii Kayaks' website, retrieved on 25 March 2022, they state on their main page, "For individuals without paddling experience our guides will provide you with instruction, assist you with your launch and accompany you for the duration providing assistance where needed. They know tricks and tips that will make your journey as easy as possible. We provide all the Kayak Equipment. You can feel safe with our guides who are Water Safety Instructed, as well as CPR and First Aid certified." This is extremely misleading at best and dangerous at worst; the guidance you can expect to receive from your guide is to step with the foot you stroke with, how far apart to place your hands on the paddle, and what direction the blades of the paddle should face. This is done verbally while walking to your departure point from the check in point. Other tour companies were seen giving guidance at the launch point while holding a paddle to give a visual component to their instructions, which Alii Kayaks fails to do. If you would like to know anything else about how to safely and correctly operate the kayak you can either learn prior your trip or wait and figure it out in the water all while the guide yells confusing, deprecating, and contradictory instructions on how to maneuver the kayak before asking you to return to the launch point. One such statement I would like to quote from our guide is, "whatever you're doing you're not paddling." This type of belittling comment to a group that is obviously under stress and needs guidance is unhelpful. This statement speaks to the level of professionalism you can expect when on your tour and likely indicates they type of care you can expect to receive in an emergency situation. I would not expect this guide to have your interest in mind and it would be best to expect no help from them if your find yourself in a more serious situation. Finally, I implore Alii Kayaks to remove the quoted statement above because at best they are unaware that their guides do not provide adequate guidance for individuals with no "paddling experience," and at worse they willfully mislead customers and are placing them in unnecessary harm. It would be better for them to indicate that some kayaking experience is required to have a safe and enjoyable time on this tour, rather than mislead customers into believing that no experience is required. read more

The tour was absolutely amazing and kayaking on the river, hiking through the forest and visiting the Queen's Bath and Secret Waterfall was worth every cent! The guides, Kai and Izzy, were delightful and truly seemed to enjoy being with our group and clearly love their homeland! I highly recommend this tour! read more

Ryan was very entertaining, accommodating, and fun to be around. I recommend this hike to anyone trying to go on an adventure and learn about Hawaiian food/culture/history/ecology! read more

We rented paddle boards here for the river. The girls on the shop were super friendly and even let us store our left over breakfast in their refrigerator while we paddle boarded. The river was a beautiful place to explore even though the wind kicked up and blew us off a couple times. read more

This was a wonderful tour and the highlight of our week-long stay in Kauai. It is beautiful! Our guide was outstanding, and his cute little dog that came along added to the fun. Our guide provided a lot of local knowledge that made the trip even more interesting . The people in our group were fun, too. It was a perfect day! You do cross waist deep water, which had I researched more I would have known. We will definitely do this again the next time we are there. Don't miss out on this! read more

We had an amazing experience with the kayak tour on the Wailua river to Secret falls. TC and his dog make great guides. Educational and enjoyable. Where else can you be serenaded by a ukulele while hiking a beautiful trail. Would definitely recommend doing this. read more

Ali'i Kayaks - Tours Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

Definitely the best kayak, walk & swim tour. It was the perfect blend of nature, culture & activity. We loved it. We had the very best guide, Kai. He's smart, enthusiastic & energetic. We truly appreciated the knowledge he passed on to us. read more

Had a wonderful time exploring the river, learning a lot about the history and flora, thanks to our fantastic guide, Ryan. He did a great job of keeping everyone safe and making sure we got the most out of our experience. The only complaint which is not directed at this company is the amount of people allowed on the trail. It was incredibly crowded for such a secluded spot. Other than that, a fantastic day spent in nature on the beautiful island of Kauai. Highly recommend Ali'i Kayaks read more

This tour is a must do for the whole family when visiting Kauai. Our guide TC and his trusty sidekick Yoda (awesome little scruffy dog) were THE BOMB. Could not have asked for a better experience. Alii equipment was in very good shape. TC's instruction and interesting stories during the paddle and hike enhanced the tour experience. The paddle is about 2 miles, not difficult, but not easy. Weather had been sunny for a few days, and the trail was mercifully dry for the most part. The hike can be very challenging with a lot of rain, but we managed to luck out with the weather. Definitely plan to get muddy and wear good mud shoes (we recommend hiking sandals)... 4 stream crossings and all the mud ensures your feet will be wet the entire journey. The prize at the end of the hike is the Secret Falls. Just amazing. Young kids can handle this tour - we had a young girl (maybe 5 yo) in our group and she did great. Saw some senior folks on the trail also... so if you are in decent physical condition, and don't mind a little mud and water... DO THIS TOUR! Great job TC and Alii Kayaks! Mahalo read more

Absolutely the highlight of my time in Kauai. Eric was our guide and he was so informative, funny, and most of all cares about the history of the land he takes tourist through and makes sure everything is respected. The ruins were fascinating, the hiking was a blast- going through the mud, and the waterfall was so cool!! Thank you so much Ali'i Kayaks!! read more

Bryson our tour guide really made the experience awesome!! We would recommend this company to anyone hoping to experience this tour in the future! read more

This company has amazing customer service both emails and phone calls were returned in a timely manner. Unfortunately, we had to cancel our tour at the last minute but we will be back just for this tour. Thanks for making my day better. read more

This was a beautiful kayak trip with a hike to a waterfall. We had a great time and feel it was worth the time and money. It took our group about 4 1/2 hours from start to finish. This is not an adventure for young kids, people with injuries or disabilities that are not as mobile. The kayak is some work but the hike is the part that is a little tricky. Wear tennis shoes that you don't mind getting wet and covered in mud. The trail has parts that the mud was up to our shins. There is no way to avoid it so just enjoy it. A walking stick is a must in my mind. There are a lot at the beginning to grab one. The waterfall was gorgeous and a fun place to swim around. Our guide, Eric, was informative and friendly. read more

Great day with our guide Kai. Informative, interesting and fun day. We all enjoyed it. Even the rainstorm while kayaking!! The falls were the highlight. read more

We had a great time with TC and Lilo! TC's expertise made this an unforgettable experience. The river and falls were beautiful but it was TC's humor, storytelling, and comfort leading the group that put this over the top as a highlight of our vacation. read more

AMAZING Tour!!! Eric was out tour guide and he was simply the best... walled the entire hike to secret falls barefoot and playing the ukulele. The view were stunning, the tour guide was on point and the waterfall was priceless. Overall we had a killer time and would highly recommend anyone visiting the island to go to Ali'i Kayaks and ask for Eric. read more

Ali'i Kayaks - Eric wad is guide and he was simply AWESOME! - Tours Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

This tour is worth it. You're paying for the helpful guide and TC was pleasant with his stories and ukulele.

Really relaxing, easy kayak trip with nice and knowledgeable guides. Our guide Sean was really great and let us paddle and hike at our own pace. My favorite part was the hike. We stopped at a little waterfall before we got to Secret Falls (actually not such a secret) and learned a bit about the history of the sacred land. Secret Falls itself is very beautiful, but crowded with other commercial tours in the afternoon, still it was a nice place for lunch and we did get a photo op alone under the waterfall. A great way to spend the afternoon and get some sun too! read more

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We had a great time doing this trip. It defiantly requires some arm and core strength. We love adventures like these and our instructor was amazing. And of course his little dog! read more

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We had a fantastic time on the Wailua River Kayak and Secret Falls hike. Our guide was Justin and he was extremely entertaining and knowledgeable. He played his ukulele on the hike and shared all kinds of information on Hawaiian customs, plants and animals. Justin also handled a very difficult situation with class. A couple brought their toddler along on what they viewed as an opportunity to conduct a photo shoot of the mother. She was literally changing into dresses and posing for photos for her husband at Secret Falls while ignoring their toddler who could have drowned! Justin kept them on track as best he could so the rest of us could enjoy the trip. read more

Awesome tour of the Wailua river with our guide Kai! Highly recommend, make sure to wear sturdy water safe shoes. Mahalo -

My wife and I had a wonderful time on the Kayak and hike to the waterfalls. Kamo, our guide, was great. He was very knowledgeable, made it fun for everyone, and his jokes cracked us up ever time we stopped. Thank you John and Aruna. read more