1. Kayak Wailua Tours

    1. Kayak Wailua Tours

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    Kapaa, HI

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    Kayak Wailua Tours

    4.7 (463 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

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    Rick B.

    Had a fantastic time today with our Guide Mckayla! She was amazing! Kayak trip was just long enough to be challenging but definitely doable for most. The hike was fun, muddy, and was a great adventure. The falls did not disappoint! If you go make sure to get the full experience and go under the falls! Can't say enough about Mckayla our guide though, she was amazing with her knowledge and how she interacted with our 6yr old son. He loved her in his words "Mckayla was the best person ever, and she made the best vacation ever"

    Mandi R.

    If this review were about the overall fun time we had, kayaking, hiking and swimming in the waterfall with our family, I would give it five stars! However, as a warning to others looking for a great tour/guide, I would sadly have to rate our experience with Kayak Wailea with two stars (which is generous). We chose to go with this company based off of their stellar reviews. After multiple reviews recommended Lisa as the guide, we scheduled our trip for a Thursday when come to find out, Lisa doesn't work Thursdays. When we arrived to the site, we got waved in by an employee who we assumed was our guide, only to never see her again. They provided us with dry bags and coolers, as well as told us what the best kayaking arrangements would be best for kayaking with five kids and five adults. After the few minutes it took our group of 10 to get sunscreened up, get life jackets for the kids, and lock away our belongings, we proceeded to sit around for the next 30+ minutes while another guide chit chatted with the other group. We all kind of sat around looking at each other, like, when are we going to get going? We finally loaded up the vans and headed to the river 50 min after our scheduled start time. Reed was the guide that drove our group of 10 plus two others to the river, though he never introduced himself to our group as our guide. After telling him what arrangements we wanted for the boats, he provided no instruction to our group as to kayaking technique, tips, etc., despite the majority of us being first timers. He simply instructed us to stay on one side of the river and to watch out for boats. Luckily, our group made it to the area where we stowed our kayaks and no kayaks flipped on the river in the process. At this point, we were still never told who was our guide, and there were two groups of 12 people. We began the hike and just followed the other large group for the duration. The hike itself was easy, albeit slippery in many areas. I definitely would not classify it as good for "all abilities" as advertised. After a little over a mile of hiking, and no guidance whatsoever along the way, we made it to a beautiful waterfall. At this point, Reed kindly took a nice group photo of our family. We stayed and played in the pool for a good 45 min or so before the kids in our group were cold and we were ready to head back. It was then that the two guides, Reed and Lisa, (it turns out Lisa joined us after all) had to strategize on how to get our group back at the same time as the other large group, as Lisa was planning on staying at the waterfall longer with a couple that arrived late to falls and wanted to enjoy it for more time. Initially, she alluded to us arriving back after dark? No thanks. Reed began heading back on the hike, and leading the group of 20, though this was never clearly communicated to us. We just followed him away from the falls, and when our 5 year old took longer than the others from the large group, our family fell behind. Instead of waiting at any point, the guide just plowed ahead and we ended up not seeing him again until we made it back to our kayaks. Never was there any apology, or "You made it!" offered. The lack of guidance was disappointing and frustrating, especially when reading the other reviews about how amazing the guides were. We were lucky to have had great weather and made it to the kayaks in a timely fashion by ourselves. We again kayaked back with no guidance or encouragement along the way. When all was said and done, our family/group of 10 had a wonderful time, in spite of the absolute absence of a guide or help. This review gives two stars; one star for the kayak and equipment provided and one star for the van ride. Maybe they had an off day, but our experience with Kayak Wailua was lacking, just like our guide.

    Great views from the river
    Nate G.

    Our guide Brandon was informative and funny. The kayaking was amazing. The hike was good but really slick and muddy, which we knew it would be going into it. Highly recommend wearing close-toed shoes but they had a whole bunch of "loaners" if you forget. They also have 3-seat kayaks. Great for a family or group with an odd number. Plan about 5-6 hours total including check-in, orientation and transportation to and from the location. It's our favorite excursion on the island, hands down.

    River, Set out on a guided kayak trip on the scenic Wailua River

    Tour was fantastic and very informative. Amazing views, amazing hike, and the waterfall experience was next level. Jonathan was awesome and made the whole trip fun and easy. Knew so much about the island and the landscape and really made us feel so welcome and educated. Would give 100 stars if possible, would recommend this for anyone! Families, Couples, solo riders looking to get close to the culture and history of the island. Can't wait to come back!

    Along the hike
    T A S.

    Excellent tour! We've been to Kauai no less than 20 times, this was our first kayak adventure-- we were not disappointed! Very friendly staff who were ready and waiting when we arrived at 7:30am. Brendan (our guide) was friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and genuinely wanted to get to know us. He was conscientious to all members of our group throughout the entire trip. Highly recommend! Note: this is a trek, both by kayak and hiking. Not steep but muddy and slippery-- so worth the time and effort! The waterfall is gorgeous; take your lunch and ENJOY!!

    Ashley C.

    We had a morning tour with McKenzie. She was AWESOME it seriously felt like we were best friends and I had known her forever. She was funny and also informative. I love that she shared stories and pointed out things I never would have noticed. She was so caring and seemed genuinely interested in our trip and where we came from. The tour itself was just breathtaking and hard to believe it's a real place. A very perfect way to spend our morning

    Sean T.

    This was the highlight of our first trip to Kauai. The cost of a tour with Kayak Wailua is lower than renting a kayak from other companies. The equipment was in good shape, and they even offered dry bags, cooler bags, and loaner shoes. Our guide, Lisa, was introduced by another guide we ran into on the hike as one of the OGs on the river, and it showed through her mindfulness of keeping everyone safe at all times and sharing her wealth of knowledge with us! We learned about so many flowers and even got to taste some of the sweet nectar. She was very engaging with my 13-year-old son. She even played a drum for a portion of our hike. A passerby remarked, "bare feet and playing a drum, she must be a local." Lisa made a magical experience even more memorable. Highly recommend this company!

    Check in

    Very late review! Was here on a girls trip in September. Lisa was our guide. She is the best!!! She was patient and kind. She sang to us and told great stories. I was a little behind on the way back and she hung out with me as I struggled up stream. LOL!! I thought I was cool cuz I had my own kayak. Coming back this November and I hope we run into Lisa on the river. I highly recommend this company for your kayak adventures.

    Kayaking up Wailua river
    Pete R.

    We really enjoyed our guided kayak trip up there Wailua river. Our guide Kyle was great. We chose the early morning time and greeted our 7 other kayakers at the tour headquarters. A brief discussion on safety and shoes and we were off. My wife and I did a double kayak while our daughter did a single. While it's not super hard you will feel pain the next day from muscles you've never used! It took 45 mins to go up the river. Then it was a 30 minute walk to the waterfall. It's worth having a guide because we saw so many people not knowing where to go and it was great to have some help up a couple of the difficult terrain and name some of the plants and history of the area. Definitely jump into water, it's cold but so worth it!

    Samantha P.

    We had a wonderful experience with Kayak Wailua. Although our experience was cut short due to high water levels, we still had a great time. I really appreciate the staff caring about the safety of those attending to say that it was unsafe to cross. We also got a partial refund since we could not go the entirety of the trip. Even though we didn't make it to the falls, the view was absolutely beautiful. The part that made the trip as great as it was, was our tour guide, Makayla. (I am not sure if I am spelling her name correctly). She was very kind and helpful. She was very attentive to each person that attended and was very knowledgeable of things to do on Kauai and the nature along the kayaking route. We would definitely recommend using Kayak Wailua and if you can get Makayla as your tour guide, you'll have an amazing time.

    Tour guide said the waterfall was never empty like this, but we went on a windy day. I guess everyone was too scared.
    Laura J.

    This is probably going to live in my memory as my favorite adventure ever. You have to carry all of your items with you the entire time. They provide huge wet bags and bag pack style coolers. My husband and I were fine with only bringing 2 small towels, 3 liters of water, hats, and 2 protein bars each. The kayaking was just challenging enough for my husband and I in our late thirties. The hike was very easy, but you had to watch your footing. The stream crossing was very simple, but I guess with more rain it would be more challenging. Our guide was able to do the whole hike barefoot. I don't think our 10 & 8 years old girls could have done this trip. The hike moved too quickly and the kayaking would have been too much. Our guide, Annie, gave us the most incredible experience. She was so fun and encouraging. She knew the best photo spots along the river and was our personal photographer. I wouldn't count on being able to change and shower at the location afterwards. There's only 1 spot to shower and everyone has to double park, so unless you're ok with making everyone wait then make other plans.

    Lorie N.

    I can't rave enough about our kayak adventure to Secret Falls with Kayak Wailua. Our guide Fayd taught us so much along the way about the plants, foods and animals! I highly recommend both him as your guide and this organized and friendly company. This is a must-do family adventure for those interested in some outdoors fun on the island.

    Today's trip 10 and 12. Another great day.
    Ben C.

    This was our third time using Kayak Wailua and this time was just as great as before. Our favorite guide is Lisa, we first met her 6 years ago when our girls were 4 and 6. The river, hike, falls and experience have changed over the years and the amount of people on the river now is genuinely excessive. That being said, this business and their guides are top notch. We have kayaked and hiked all over the world and these guides are truly special. It's hard for a small business to keep employees for years and even harder in a tourist destination but this one has and will continue to do so. Thank you for another fantastic day and a priceless family experience.

    The beautiful massive waterfall! Water was very refreshing.

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    $100 per person! Cannot beat this deal! The tour and hike was absolutely perfect for our first time in Kauai.

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    Lisa was an amazing guide. She actually taught us how to paddle and we felt like rock stars by the end of the tour!

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    Page 1 of 12

    Ask the Community - Kayak Wailua Tours

    Review Highlights - Kayak Wailua Tours

    The path to the waterfall can be slippery (highly suggest water shoes) but it's completely worth the trek.

    Mentioned in 181 reviews

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    Wild Kauai Chocolate

    Wild Kauai Chocolate

    4.9
    (69 reviews)
    0.1 mi

    My wife had been wanting to make her own chocolate bar for years and I was primarily interested in…read morethe process every time we come to Kauai. Well, we finally pulled the trigger on it and did the experience...and it was well worth it. Lance, the owner and instructor was fantastic. With only 8 spots available, you have to book this as soon as it is available. The shop is only 300 sq. Ft. So any more people would be too much and the set up was perfect. It is amazing this small space produces the chocolate! The overall lesson is great because he takes you from bean to chocolate. This is not tree to chocolate because he doesn't have the trees nor does he have the pods and that part of the collection process (however, Lance, if you or your wife are reading this, it might be a great future endeavor to have an option to work with one of your partners and add on the collection tour before!). While he doesn't have the collection process, Lance does an excellent job speaking to the process once beans are collected. From there, the chocolate making and tasting process is thoroughly explained and you are part of it. Finally, making your chocolate is a lot of fun and there are roughly 30 ingredients you can use for your 2 bars. I personally made: an Indian spice flavor chocolate for half a bar, coconut sea salt for second half, matcha coconut sea salt for 3rd half, and coffee bean sea salt for last). Bring your creativity! Thank you Lance for this fantastic experience.

    Very informative, great chocolate. My grandson and I had a fun time learning and making our own…read morechocolate bars.

    Photos
    Finished Santas.
    Finished Santas.
    Your host Lance demonstrates his separator.
    Your host Lance demonstrates his separator.
    Wild Kauai Chocolate bars

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    Kauai Farmacy

    Kauai Farmacy

    4.4
    (49 reviews)
    11.2 mi
    $$

    KAUAI FARMACY is off the beaten path and I love it…read more They offer Tea Tasting Events and we couldn't make it to those so I figured we could drive up there to check out the store anyway. Well, the "shop" is actually a small trailer beside their lanai, which they were busy setting up for lunch for their farm workers. How cool was that? I don't think anyone is supposed to be there when there is no Tea Tasting Event, but they were gracious enough to accomodate us and even allowed us to buy tea drinks. Like they made it for us and served it! I might have ruined it for everyone else now though and they will make sure that they are closed outside of the event times. Sorry! The LOVE POTION TEA was weirdly soothing. Felt like I was wrapped in a blanket indoors looking out of a window on a rainy day. The TROPICAL HIBISCUS felt like I was in a tropical island. Oh wait... Anyway, I love how I couldn't really pinpoint the flavors, but the feelings the tea evoked is clear. Tasted, and bought, some honeys too. Interesting take on the honeys. They had spices and nuts so they were more like marmalades that honeys that you could add to your teas. The garden is beautiful. There is limited parking, but it's surrounded by beautiful greeneries, fruits and flowering plants. It was a beautiful outing for sure.

    This place is quite overpriced with pretty much zero customer service. 1oz of gotu kola for $55…read more(2oz is $18 at homegrownherbalist.net) and it came in a clear glass bottle rather than the recommended dark amber. Also, I ordered it on May 27th with no response for 7 days, so I called. No answer and the recording states it doesn't take messages. So I sent an email on June 3rd asking them to cancel my order and refund my money. Instead, they sent me an email the next day saying they have shipped my order today, "mahalo". Almost like a sarcastic response. No explanation, apology or even acknowledgment. The order finally arrived on June 10th. Ridiculous. I won't order from them again and I recommend anyone searching for organic, home grown products to try Homegrownherbalist.net. Dr Patrick Jones has lots of yt vids explaining all kinds of herbs and he grows tons of stuff on his property in Idaho. All organic and harvested at the perfect time. He was a veterinarian for 30 years and is also a naturopathic doctor and an herbalist. What a wealth of knowledge! He's very reasonably priced and ships his products out immediately.

    Photos
    Curry and Moringa powder
    Curry and Moringa powder
    Fresh raw cacao
    Fresh raw cacao
    Macadamia nuts

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    Macadamia nuts
    Prince Kuhio Tours

    Prince Kuhio Tours

    3.9
    (266 reviews)
    108.4 mi
    $$$$

    Location 3.5: Kewalo Harbor off of Ala Moana Blvd in Honolulu Oahu, Hawaii. This is a few miles to…read morethe west of Waikiki beach and not a short walk from there. You can drive, take a taxi, bus or Uber, or the Prince Kuhio staff can arrange pickup and drop off for you at an additional cost. There is plenty of paid parking at the harbor. Service 5: Super nice and friendly staff, all the way from the reception team to the photographer, the servers, the bartender, the chef and the captain. Ambiance 5: The enthusiasm of the staff rubs off on the guests. It is a happy gathering with breathtaking views. We took the Friday night dinner-cruise which lasted longer (and was more costly) so that we could enjoy the Hilton Hawaiian Village fireworks. The ship 3: The Prince Kuhio was first commissioned in 1984 as a passenger ferry. In 2020, she became part of the Prince Kuhio Tours family and was converted for use in scenic dining cruises. It can accommodate up to 138 passengers with plenty of outdoor and indoor space for dining, cocktails, and sightseeing. The upper, open deck where we sat, has 2 person and 4 person tables with all bench seats facing forward. The set up is optimized for sightseeing which is great. Viewing-wise, every seat is a good seat. Accommodation-wise, the setup is simple and not really fine-dining; hard seats with no cushioning, no tablecloths or cloth napkins, no metal silverware and no glassware. There is a bar facing the dining tables which at the time of our visit in August 2025 only served soft drinks and non-alcoholic mixers. For some undisclosed reason no alcohol was being sold on board but guests were encouraged to bring their own, which we did! Not sure if this is a long-term situation or temporary. The alcohol situation is not clearly stated on their website so if you plan to be drinking you might want to inquire ahead of time whether you should bring your own. The lower deck is enclosed and views are limited compared to the upper deck. The admission price for the lower deck is a little less ($115 vs. $132 at the time of our visit). The restrooms are aft on the lower deck. Again pretty basic. Boarding and seating 3: We got there plenty of time ahead of the scheduled boarding but there was already a long line outside. There was very little supervision. The line was disorganized and people were cutting in and jumping the line. We were greeted cheerfully at the entrance, checked in, and photographed for a separately-sold souvenir photo. Although we had paid for upper deck seating as a family of four, by the time we got there all tables were taken. Again there was no supervision by the staff and it was kind of a "free for all". We had to personally negotiate with the other guests (who had spread out over multiple tables) to secure a 4-seat table. This was a little chaotic and unexpected. Food 4: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner have different menus. We had taken the Sunset Dinner Cruise. Dinner included a garden salad, an entrée and a dessert (cheesecake). For the entrée, you are limited to Fish (Catch of the Day) or Beef Short Ribs. We all had the fish and it was delicious and nicely plated. Given the amount of people that they feed in as short as a time, I do not know how they do it but it came out really well. We met the chef who was going around and meeting the guests after the dinner was served, and he told us that everything is done fresh and on premises in real time. Hats off to the chef and the staff! Drinks 3: As mentioned earlier, they only served soft drinks and mixers at the time of our visit in August 2025. No alcohol was sold on board but patrons were encouraged to bring their own. Suggest you check ahead of time with Prince Kuhio Tours whether this is still the situation. The Last Word 4: The breathtaking views, the friendly crew and the delicious (albeit limited in options) food offerings elevate this experience to a solid 4. I wish they could do better with the boarding process and the seating arrangements. Overall a great experience!

    Food: AMAZING! We had fish. It was tender and moist. The chef told us he was grilling it as we ate…read moresalad. The wasabi cream sauce made the dish with bok Choy, edamame beans, and rice. The salad had a really yummy sweet papaya sauce. Cheesecake standard but very yummy too! Best food on a boat. They even got our baby some fish and noodles and Cheetos. Service: Alex was so kind and attentive. My son got sea sick and she packed his food, gave me barf bags and a towel. She showed a spot where it was less rocky. She was lovely interacting with the children. Showed them all she decorated. Ambience: very chill vibe, clean bathrooms, Desiree was a cool bartender making everyone comfortable. It was very fun experience for our family. We got great pictures with Diamond head and the sunset. Captain was kind to take pictures while steering the ship. Loved it and will do again when Oahu!

    Photos
    Prince Kuhio Tours
    Brisket loco moco with scrambled eggs and fresh fruits
    Brisket loco moco with scrambled eggs and fresh fruits
    Diamond head

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    Diamond head

    Kayak Wailua Tours - tours - Updated July 2026

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