Just returned from a week on Kauai. One of my favorite highlights was spending the day with Matt from Kauai Photo Tours. We were treated to epic photo spots across the island that otherwise we would not have known to visit. Matt was super helpful with photo shoot tips and made sure we enjoyed every stop along the way. We also got to eat some amazing local food from a food truck on the North Shore. If you want to capture some amazing photography, I highly recommend your reaching out to Kauai Photo Tours. You will have a great time! read more

I was visiting Hawaii for a Family Vacation and thought what better way to to view some out of the way areas than taking a Photo Tour. I was running a few minutes late (I was on the opp side of the island) but, it seemed I didn't hold everyone up that much. I don't recall the name of the tour guide but, he was outstanding and did a great job. I selected the tour with a bit of hiking involved which was great as we got to some out of the way locations. Overall it was just outstanding and the next time I'm back on Kauai I will for sure be taking another one of these tours. read more

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Had a fabulous time on the "Drive and Walk Photo Tour" with Damon. It was only me and one other photographer on the tour which made it super nice. Damon took us to some amazing places on the North and East shores I've never visited and didn't even know existed. So happy I had time left on my vacation to later take my family there as well. Also, Michele went above and beyond to accommodate renting me a lens. Our schedules didn't exactly work together but she made it happen! And the lens was perfect and very affordable. I will definitely return, even if just to say hi, on my next trip. Love this place read more

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Also an amazing camera shop with batteries, chargers, filters and any other accessories you might need. Best selection on the island :) read more

Beautiful way to see Kauai. Christian was very helpful for some photo novices (my wife and I). It was also really nice to be able to rent a good camera for some normally iPhone/Instagram photographers. Beaches were amazing, and the tour really oriented us to the east and north coasts. read more

Kauai Photo Tours - iPhone shot. Gotta upload the DSLR shots when we get home. - Tours Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

I totally forgot to bring any 35mm film with me on my 10 day trip to Kauai. I thought I would have to go without any film photos, but Kauai Photo Tours came through! I picked up a roll of Ektar 100 and Portra 400. Super excited to get to shoot some film this trip! Thanks Kauai Photo Tours for saving this trip!! read more

This tour was awesome! It was so awesome we're still on the island relaxing and I'm writing this review! If you're into seeing (and photographing) off-the-path amazing spots that you wouldn't normally see otherwise, this is for you. You'll spend the better part of a day (5+ hours) traveling around to the most serene spots Kauai has to offer. We took the hiking tour and it wasn't bad - though we did get a good workout, it was well worth it for the views and images we captured. Thanks to Vince for providing a wonderful guided adventure. read more

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This was our first tour of our trip and it was amazing!! Matt was our guide and he made our tour so interesting and fun. He took us to so many place and we got some wonderful pictures!! Would definitely recommend this as a must do for a trip to Kauai!!! read more

Kauai Photo Tours - Tours Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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My husband and I recently ventured out on photography Walking Tour with Kauai Photo Tours with Nate as our tour guide. We should have done this on day one of our stay in Kauai. Nate showed us some great places...a variety of beaches and sights, as well as King Kong's profile that I had been looking for and wasn't able to spot. Nate was very helpful with composition and exposure suggestions. I purposefully put aside my typical methods of shooting in order to try out the things that he suggested and the results were great. He was very good at recognizing the goal and skill level of each person on the tour and was patient in working with each one of us to get the shot that we were hoping for (even working diligently with one couple to help them get the selfie photos they wanted). In the office side of the house, Michelle was helpful in getting the tour set up and then offering to let me borrow a different polarizer then what I currently have, as well as offering to let us take out a bird book that they have at the shop on the tour. It is obvious that they care about making sure people have a good time, see great sights and get great photos to take home from vacation! read more

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We came to Kauai for the first time and booked the Photo Tour to see some of the beautiful sights and beaches we would have never found on our own. On the day of our tour it was raining heavily and they were kind enough to let us reschedule. Everyone was so friendly, accommodating and easygoing. Matt, our tour guide, showed us some breathtaking views, gave us history and info about each location and great photo-taking tips. He made it so much fun. They also had snacks and drinks on the air conditioned bus and we stopped at a food truck where we enjoyed a delicious poke bowl. It was one of the highlights of or our trip and I would highly recommend it. read more

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I am a professional photographer on vacation in Kawai for 10 days. I use a 4 x 10" view camera, and had neglected to bring neutral density filter's along. I stopped into the store, and was pleasantly surprised to find that they had exactly what I was looking for. Christina, the sales person, was very sweet and knowledgeable. I can highly recommend this store. read more

Wonderful photo and hike tour with Levi! Too bad I cannot give more than 5 stars for this tour. It was the absolute highlight of our Kauai trip. The tour was a present for my husband, who loves to photograph. I am not into photography, but decided to join him. Apart from us there, was a wonderful couple from California in our group. Our guide was Levi, who was borne and grew up on Kauai and turned out to be the kindest and nicest person one could meet - pure Aloha. He not only supported and assisted the photographers in any possible way, but also explained and told us so much about Kauai. This tour is not just a hike and photography tour - it is a tour that gives you deep insight in the culture of this wonderful Island with a truly genuine guide. We went to places with fantastic views and photo opportunities, stopped at a fruit stand where Levi would open coconuts for us. I never cared much for coconuts, but these fresh ones taste so different - thanks for this experience Levi! For lunch we went to Hanalei Taro + Juice for great Hawaiian food before our tour continued with further great photo opts. There are a view steep sections to walk when yiu choose the hiking tour, but never more than a view minutes. Changed from my Salomon hiking shoes to my Teva sandals during the tour and both worked fine. Throughout the trip you get cold drinks which was more than welcome after the hikes and even snacks are offered. In addition, Levi continuously asked us if we had any questions and was happy to answer then. Be them about photography or any other subject. The couple that went with us on this tour was so nice and easy going which added to the wonderful time we had. Lots of laughter on this tour. We highly appreciated the photo that Levi did of us on this tour. You can feel his love for photography and his artists eye. We loved this picture so much that we chose it for the postcards we sent to friends and relatives. If we have the chance to come back to Kauai, I would love to do a portrait tour with Levi. With his love and knowledge about photography and his emphasis to catch the special moment, this must be awesome. The whole team (super friendly girls in the office!) made for an incredible experience we will never forget. If you are into photography or not - we can whole heartedly recommend Kauai Photo Tours! They offer a wonderful introduction and insight of Kauai and we went to places we would never have found on our own. read more

I had never heard of a "photo tour" until I sat down at the concierge desk at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Kauai. The whole idea intrigued me. The tour guide would drive us to all the most scenic parts of our area, and give guidance on how to get the best photos from our camera. All the guides are photographers by trade, so they know what they're doing. We read a lot of Yelp reviews about tour guides Matt and Levi. They got a lot of positive reviews so we requested them but neither were available. We got Damon who turned out to be pretty good himself. We opted for a private tour, so it was just us and Damon which was ideal. We showed up at KPT office which wasn't too far from our hotel and we jumped in their SUV and we were off. At the office we bought a polarizer lens which was a great help in reducing glare on some of our photos. We spent 4-5 hours driving up the east coast of the island, stopping at all the scenic spots. Of course there's much to see, so you can talk with your tour guide and let them know where you'd like to stop. If you have some spots that you prefer to check out, the tour guide will try to make it happen. We were into seeing some "secret beaches" that we read about, so Damon brought us to a couple of them. One beach was where they filmed the old TV series "Gilligan's Island". The other one we visited was the beach were they filmed the old movie "South Pacific". Both were beautiful and we got some good photos. We stopped for lunch at a food truck (Hanalei) and Damon promised we'd be happy with the food, and we were. There's a lot of stopping and getting in and out of the car, but that's what it's all about. It was nice not to be in a crowded, stuffy bus with other people. It was just us, and we could customize the trip the way we wanted to. We were happy with the tour. Damon helped our daughter get better acquainted with her camera and was full of information. Now, we could've grabbed our cameras and taken our rental Jeep and made this trek up the coast on our own. We could've done the research and stopped at all these lookout points in our own Jeep, on our own time. But it was so much easier to be driven around, not looking at our maps, or GPS and letting Damon do all the work. That's what you're paying for and I think it was worth it. If you're the do-it-yourself type, then this tour is probably not going to be your cup of tea. I was a bit leery at first about a "photo tour" but in the end, I became a fan. read more

Kauai Photo Tours went so far above and beyond what I could have ever expected! To be interesting in photography and be in Kauai you would be nuts to not go on a photo tour with these guys! We did the portrait tour on August 11th with Levi. He got a lot of wonderful shots of my wife and I and took us to several amazing locations throughout the day. These locations are off the beaten path, no way I would have found them on my own. The experience is definitely well worth the money. Michele, Vince, & Kris in the office were so cool and easy to talk to. If you forgot or needed anything, they had anything you could think of in there office. Levi was fun, easy going and very knowledgeable about photography and had a lot of great stories. But what sets these guys apart from the rest is what they did for me. I had around 65GB of photos (I shoot in raw) and Hi-Def video collected from our 2 weeks in Hawaii. Every day after shooting I would copy the new pics to my netbook and also back them up to an external usb drive. I would then do a low level format, did this because I thought it gave me better burst speeds, although this is debatable. At any rate, somehow beyond me I left my bag containing the netbook and backup drive (they were together which is awful, but the backup was more because the netbook had an ssd drive in it and I don't fully trust that technology yet) on the plane from Maui to San Fran. Lot more to talk about regarding that, but that isn't the point. I let the guys at Kauai Photo tours know because I remember that I had Levi's business card in my bag and wanted to let them know just in case someone contacted them. Well I am pretty sure it was stolen and not turned in, I never did get it back. It has been very upsetting and devastating dealing with this. Here is where the gang at Kauai photo tours does what nobody does. They felt really bad about what happened and sent us a package containing a heartfelt letter as well as a photo album with tons of amazing picture that the owner Vince has taken. The letter was really, really nice and the pictures contained in the album are unbelievable. This has definitely helped to ease the pain. It is rare that people do something that nice these days, it really is. In closing, you can't go wrong with Kauai Photo Tours! read more

We booked a 5 hour photo tour for the three of us, and lucked out on a perfectly beautiful day for the tour. We also rented a camera for my Mom, and purchased polarized lenses for my husband and I. We got there pretty early, but we got the chance to hang out with Michelle - she is a wonderful lady...very helpful, friendly and upbeat...a totally awesome person! For our tour, we were very lucky to get Levi as our guide. He is a local, native Hawaiian and quite a character! He showed us some great spots, gave us tips and was very attentive, frequently asking if we needed help, photo tips, if we were having a good time - really a fantastic guide who genuinely cared. He even picked flowers for the ladies on two separate occasions. Give this guy a raise! :) The photo tour focuses on the north and west shore above Kapa'a to a little north of Hanalei. We went down a lot of local roads to out of the way stops and pull overs - even to one more dangerous spot which required a large lava boulder scramble on the side of a cliff. No worries, though...Levi was patient, encouraging and helpful! Snacks, juice, and plenty of water were provided for everyone, and we stopped by a local food truck for some incredible authentic Hawaiian cuisine. The 5 hours went quick- I think we even went a little over the 5 hours. I got about 350 pictures! The only negative thing I think I can say was that I got tired of getting in and out of the van towards the end of the day. But that's it! I completely recommend Kauai Photo Tours. Everyone here is genuinely wonderful and definitely customer service oriented. Thank you all for providing an excellent experience that I won't soon forget! read more

Awesome folks! Picked us up right at the cruise ship dock, for a great day with Levi in a van with just 6 of us. When your driver heads down a dead end residential road and points at his Uncle Ron's house, then unveils this amazing view with no one else around but us, you know you have found something special. Appreciated the photography tips, the local knowledge of a lifelong resident, and the stop at the road side fruit stand selling coconuts and tangelos on the honor system. To top it all off, I stupidly left my camera in the shop at the end of the tour. We're in their van headed back to the ship with Michelle when Kristina calls her to see if it belongs to one of us. Kristina then hops in her car and RACES to the port (I'm sure she obeyed all speed limit laws). My hubby was waiting at the gate - Michelle insisted on staying with him - until Kristina got there. I was back on the gangway letting them know he's on his way! He was the very last one on the ship. Michelle said he could come sleep on her couch if we left him - now that is just above and beyond the expected customer service! Thanks, Kauai Photo Tours! read more

Great people, wondrous island. I spent most of my time in Hawaii in Molokai (the friendly isle), but that moniker could be easily applied to the people at Kauai Photo tours. Friendly, accommodating and just damn good at their craft as well. I have recommended their services to a few friends who are vacationing there soon and I hope they take it! read more

I was going through some pics the other day and came across some from Kauai last year and I realized that I never reviewed one of the best things we did on the trip... The photo tour. Very, very cool stuff! Travel tip #1: If you're going to Kauai, Make this the first thing you do, on the first day! This tour will show you all the sweet spots you wanna go back to. Not only do you get the tour of the spots and the photo ops, your guide will likely be an authority on all things local, at least ours was. When you book your tour, try to go with Christian, he was all about all things Hawaiian and we had some good laughs too. Five stars. He took us everywhere you'd wanna go if you knew those spots were actually there. Maps and guide books not enough. He had all kinds of tips too. :-) The people at the tour office were all super cool and they had all kinds of goodies avail in case you forgot something. The van we cruised in was very comfortable. Nice AC flow, leg room, gear storage, all good. I posted a few pics on yelp from our tour, be sure to have a look. Here is my Flickr album with all my favorite shots from Kauai: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tdlucas5000/sets/72157635541296144/ *** Take the tour, you won't be disappointed . *** Cheers All. read more

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Do this on your second day on the island. That way, you can go back to some of the spots they show you!! (you will do some hiking so bring sneakers, and you can do some swimming at the beaches if you wish so bring a suit and towel) Amazing (though a bit pricey) tour. I have a short attention span and usually dislike group tours (who wants to get stuck with a bunch of weirdos anyways!) This tour is different. It was just me and the hubs and another couple. We had Levi as our guide, who was seriously the BEST guide ever! He was so personable, and is a local (so knows all the great places to go). We rented one SLR camera from the shop, and boy did it make a difference in our pictures (in comparison to the ones we did with our regular camera). We also got some great couples shots at different locations (huge plus when you are on your honeymoon...thanks Levi) So do this tour if you want amazing photos to remember Kauai, see some great beaches, learn a bit about the island, and see pretty much all you need to see on Kauai! Oh yea! They give you snacks/water/suntan lotion. Half way through the tour they stop at the BEST food stand ever in Hana Lei (across from post cards cafe...wish i knew the name so I could yelp that stand!) read more

I can't add much to the other positive reviews... Michelle is your first impression and she is super friendly, informative, and accommodating. Christian was my tour guide and he was quite lovely, friendly, and knowledgeable. The tour itself is amazing but how can you go wrong in Kauai? Everything is so beautiful. We did go to places I hadn't been the 5 days prior to the tour so that must mean something! ;) I always have a great time wherever I go but this time the company was superb and I couldn't have spent my day with a greater group of people. Thanks guys! read more

We had a great photo trip right before Christmas with Kent, and were very happy with the experience. He is knowledgeable about all the beautiful places on the island, and is full of local flora and fauna lore, too. When the day was done, he helped us locate the sites we'd visited on a map so that we could revisit them later for more shooting at different times of day. (Tip to others taking the tour - definitely buy a map at the shop so you can jot down the plethora of gorgeous places you'll visit during the day.) We would definitely do it again for a private tour to learn about different spots not on this route, and would recommend it to friends. Friendly people, great customer service, they made us feel like ohana (family)! read more

I had a really nice time on the tour. I was the only pro photographer and the only avid hiker so I might have preferred more/harder hiking and less instruction. That being said I had a great time and the day was catered to the majority of the group which I understand. We stopped at 5 major locations and a couple of quick roadside stops, covering a lot of ground. Light was challenging at times but it was good to know the spots to return another time. The guide Matt was friendly and very knowledgeable about the island and photography. I'd love to go and shoot with him again sometime. read more

My family and I went to Kauai this March. We love this island. My daughter and wife went off to have their own adventure and this was a gift to myself. I was not disappointed. Absolutely fantastic tour. Levi was our host- hysterical, knowledgeable-not only about photography (which was amazing) but also of the island/history. The time went too quickly. I gained a great deal of knowledge. I am very pleased with the result and will see if I can figure out how to post several. I would definitely do this tour (or another by them) again! Thanks to all of the kind staff and owners. read more

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This was my first time in Kauai so I set up the photo tour for the second day. It was a beautiful sunny day! Our photographer/guide Kent was awesome. He told us a lot about the island as we drove, stopped at some of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen and even taught me a few things about my camera and taking photos!! The food truck we stopped at halfway through the day was very yummy. (Beware, ginger soda is very strong!) I would recommend this tour to anyone and I would suggest doing it on the first day of your stay. Thank You Kent! :-) Cheryl Visited December 2014 read more

The service by their staff over the phone was great. Chris was good at the tour office. He was informative about the polarizer filter for SLR cameras. We totally forgot about it so ended up buying one there. He cleaned our front lens, the polarizer, and installed it for us. Great service and attitude! We got lucky with good weather that day. As a "go-getter" traveler checking out scenic spots around Western America on my own with research online, I found the spots we were taken to just "okay." It is true that I probably wouldn't have found many of the places on my own, but the views and spots did not "wow" me. If you've NOT been around scenic beaches in California like Laguna Beach, La Jolla Cove, Half Moon Bay, HWY 1, Santa Cruz area (Davenport); then this tour is definitely worth while. If you have, then the beach/cliff spots may not wow you. Considering other prices on the island of tours (kayak tours); their price is quite high. For me, coming from CA as a researched traveler (through the internet), I don't know if it's worth it. As for water falls you may see posted, we didn't see any big ones. The one we saw was small, perhaps 25 feet high. We booked the drive and hike tour, again, quite expensive for our taste due to our experiences in CA. Our tour guide was really nice, chill, and down to earth. She didn't offer much photo tips or photography information other than some nice spots and angles to take shots. Nothing we couldn't figure out. To us, the tour was not a "photo tour" but a tour of scenic spots on the island. We felt it was misnamed and a bit of a let down for us. It was helpful that she offered to take our pictures, so that's nice. We did tip her at the end btw. She was informative about the island and made restaurant recommendations. read more

We have taken two photo tours with Kauai Photo Tours - the first was a hiking tour (2010) and the second was a private tour (2012). Both were excellent. The hiking tour does have some strenuous sections, steep paths, etc. but it is not too bad. They do get you to 8-10 locations on the North and East side of the island during the 5+ hours. Many of the spots they take you to are in locations that are not easily found on your own unless you were a local. Others are well know areas but may have difficult access or parking that makes being in a tour worthwhile. The tour groups are small, typically 2-3 couples. Small enough to get personal attention, if needed. A good way to get to many photographable locations in an efficient manner. They get you to these locations and provide some tips for getting photos. They seem to be tuned-in to the skill level of each particapant and provide the approriate level of assistance. If you know what you are doing, they leave you to do your thing. If you need tips or assistance they are happy to provide help. These guys also know their stuff regarding photo equipment and can provide good advise prior to the tour. They have a good supply of filters (esp. polarizing filters), lenses, tripods, etc. for purchase or rental. This is a good thing in the event that you forgot something or are previously unfamiliar with the 'magic' that a polarizing filter can do for photos - particalurly in Hawaii. read more

WOW great tour! Loved all the beautiful senic stops. Nate our tour gide was awesome! Took us to a great lunch spot and every stop was just postcard worthy! read more

Kauai Photo Tours - Tours Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

Very enjoyable day on the hiking tour with our guide, Christian. Can't say enough great stuff about him. Very knowledgeable about the island, (local) and photography (also a professional photographer). My wife, who is my favorite model, and assistant on any other day, rented a camera and got some great shots! She loved being on the other side of the lens for a change. Michelle in the office was a sweetheart too! GO ON THIS TOUR ON YOUR FIRST or SECOND DAY ON THE ISLAND IF POSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY IF ITS YOUR FIRST VISIT TO KAUAI. Great way to see many hidden places, which you can revisit later in your vacation and spend more time at each. read more

I visited Kauai in March with my family. I realized that I forgot my extra batter and charger for my DSLR camera. I was having trouble finding one at a bigger store but discovered Kauai Photo Tours and Camera Shop from a Google search. The owner, Michele, was very nice when I called and was able to tell me that she had a dual charger with batteries in the store. When I went in later to pick it up, she had already charged both new batteries for me which was awesome. Life saver! While I was there, Michele handed me a flyer for their Kauai Photo Tours. I decided to take one of the tours and did not regret it. The tour guide took us around to some gorgeous spots. He also offered help with using my camera in manual mode and how to get some great shots! This was a bonus for me because I'm an aspiring photographer. Very fun day! read more

If you are on Kauai and you happen to have misplaced a 77mm filter (ND or Polarizer) this is just about the only place to find a replacement. That being said I didn't take the tour, but the customer service in the shop was great. And for being on the island the prices weren't bad either. The staff was friendly and helpful and even shared directions to a couple of decent photography locations. If I ever find myself marooned on Kauai again with only a .9 stop ND filter I'll be stopping back by Kapa'a for another! read more

This was a beautiful tour, and we were so happy to have been able to do it during our time on Kauai! It provided a great opportunity for photo-taking, but was also an exceptional way to see the island and, most of all, discover little hidden beaches that we wanted to return to. Our tour guide, Kent, was fantastic. He was SO excited, so happy and so considerate throughout the entire tour. We really enjoyed talking to him and learning about his family and his experience as a professional photographer. He offered many useful tips for taking pictures, while simultaneously giving us a local's guide to Kauai. He waved to everyone he knew along the way (he knows everyone, really), and told story after another. If you're looking for a guide who will take you off the beaten path, treat you like family and show you the ins and outs of the island, Kent's your man. The only thing we regretted was that we didn't take this tour earlier in our trip. The only reason for this is that we discovered so many outstanding beaches and hikes that we would have liked to return to during our time there. If you can take the tour on day one or two of your stay, do it! That way you'll have plenty of time to go back and explore. Overall, we walked away feeling that this was an exceptional tour with genuinely wonderful guides and staff. And we'll have the photos from it forever; what better souvenir could you ask for? read more

Had a fantastic time with Kauai Photo Tours! I didn't bring my Canon T3i with me and only had my point and shoot, but the locations were great and the tips were fun. I'll definitely take more time to get to know my technology before my next trip, but I'm extremely happy with the tips and new knowledge of the camera I brought. I was very impressed by our guide, Matt and his life experience, knowledge of Kauai and the Hawaiian Islands and his photography expertise. This is a fantastic way to see Kauai. Thank you to Matt, Michelle and everyone at Kauai Photo Tours!! read more

We went on the Kauai Photo Tour in 2016. It was a highlight of our trip. I made our reservations for our recent trip with Michelle. She was very accommodating and made sure she understood exactly which tour would be best for us. We toured last week and it was, again, the best way to begin our vacation. Nate made sure we saw all the sites, he showed us things about our cameras and setting pertaining to the Hawaii light, local cuisine, and Kauai life in general. It was a wonderful day and I felt like I had new friends in Nate and Michelle. read more

We found them from their ad in the "Romance/Adventure" magazine - and was easy to book over the phone with Michelle. She was great and very personable. On the tour itself, we enjoyed the day with Matt. He was easy to talk with and took us to some beautiful spots, of which some we knew and others were new spots. I also had my 12 yr old son, who loved the day and enjoyed the time. read more

Great company, fantastic tour guide (Nathan), and a great place to start a wonderful vacation. We wanted to take in more of the beauty of Kauai. This was the perfect way to do it. Nathan took the time to find out what we wanted to do instead of staying on a scripted tour. We went to spots we never would have seen on our own. We had a great time, took wonderful photos, and would recommend Kauai Photo Tours to everyone. read more

I just returned from my second photo tour (the first was 3 years ago) and it is still a great Photo and wonderful sightseeing activity. You are taken to out of the way locations that otherwise you would only see on calendars or in art galleries. A wonderful way to see Beautiful Kauai! read more

My husband and I had an amazing photography experience with Nate seeing secret local spots and photographing beautiful scenery. We ended up having a private tour due to bad weather during the week , and we totally benefited from that ! We stopped for lunch at the food trucks and had delicious local food . Highly recommend this tour . We always enjoy supporting local family businesses on vacation! Bring good walking shoes , sunscreen, and an umbrellla just in case! read more

One of a kind guided tour to lots of hidden beaches out of beaten tracks! Our guide Damian is a professional photographer and knows all the spots and timings to capture breathtaking shots. The tour ended up being one of our trip highlights unexpectedly, just like the weather on this garden island! Highly recommended, even if you are not into photography! read more

Took me a lot of research to find this tour and it met my expectation. I had been to Kauai twice before via cruiseship, so I already had seen the unreal canyon, flew in helicopter and drove rental car to north, stopping at beaches along the way. I wanted to return to the gorgeous beaches,perhaps see some I hadn't found and not have to drive. This tour was well run and the three of us in our party enjoyed it and our enthusiastic guide, Kent, very much. This is a great tour to take if staying on the island. You can see many pretty beaches and pick one for each day afterwards. Next trip will be to stay in Kauai for a week or so! read more

I took this tour so I could break away from the family to squeeze in some focused landscape photo work. The tour was for on the north/east side of the island, and it did not disappoint. First off, props to our guide Levi... Levi is excellent. He started out getting everyone familiar with each other. I discovered I had a pro and a few enthusiasts with me in the van, and we learned what what everyone liked to shoot. To my pleasant surprise everyone cared about technical part of photography... an added bonus since you learn a lot from the people around you also and the chatter in the van is at a higher level (including some Nikon vs Canon ribbing). I focus on indoor sports photography, so having Levi and the others there to guide me through landscape work was great. The next surprise: the locations themselves... Levi took us to places that I did not expect at all. Most were out of the way beach locations with a great range of texture, color, and depth. Despite the standard rules for sunrise/sunset landscape photos, I think you want a nice partly cloudy day (more sun, less clouds) for this tour to pull the color out of Kauai. For each of the several tour stops (somewhere around 8, if I recall correctly), Levi would show an example composition and everyone would work around that. You can bring a tripod but you will have to be fast and some of the spots don't have the footing to make it fast. I decided to ditch the tripod early and just focus on shooting. My advice is if you like a spot, pin it and come back to it later and work it at your own pace. I processed the photos when I got home and was pleased... the vegetation, sky, ocean, volcanic rock, and red dirt all made for some great shots. For equipment, I recommend a polarizer or ND filter... Levi helped me get the most of it as I was new to this equipment. The shop home base will rent them out if you need them. I ran with a 24-70 lens + polarizer on my Canon. Also, I carried a loupe so I can chimp in direct sun. Levi took us to a little mall in Hanalei for lunch, I think the place was Village Snack & Bakery. I gobbled up the lunch plate (local fair) and found something I came back for later several times in our trip: Vanilla Haupia pie. Chocolate is good... but I think vanilla is better folks. The lady who runs the place is really nice. I came back several times later during the trip. Overall, a great experience for someone who wants to hang with other photo enthusiasts and just have some fun without pressure. I will be booking with them again, but I want to try a south side tour. Nice job Kauai Photo Tours! read more