We had such a great experience on our Napali Coast tour. We were a group of 12, ages ranging from 4 to 70 and every single one of us had a great time! Loved that they stopped along the way to point out sights and tell stories of what we were seeing. Just an absolute great time. Highly recommend them! read more

Incredible experience! This is a must-do excursion on Kauai. First, a big thanks to Sean and Matty. These guys were amazing. They made us feel like family, were extremely knowledgeable locals and a blast to be around. I can't thank them (and the office staff) enough for making our trip so memorable. As for the tour, it was beautiful, exciting, fun and adventurous. The sea caves were awesome (our kids favorite), the boat ride was fun and snorkeling was wonderful. I'd recommend skipping the larger charter boats...they can't get into the sea caves (nor snorkeling spot we were in). Thanks to the entire North Shore Charters crew! You guys are the best! read more

North Shore Charters - Boating Near Me - Kilauea, Hawaii

What a great afternoon! Gary and Lee are locals who truly love where they live. We were on the Na Pali tour that began at noon. A super friendly driver, Deb, took the group to the beach to board the boat (and on the return, a lovely woman, whose name I did not get). Gary and Lee told us about local history, and showed us the beautiful coastline and mountains. We saw caves, sea turtles and then went snorkeling. And, yes, we saw colorful fish on the reef - it was great. Lunch was a delicious sandwich, chips and a variety of sodas (you can call ahead if you have dietary restrictions). A bunch of strangers soon became friends for the afternoon. One of the best tours I have ever taken. Thanks all at North Shore Charters. read more

We've done the Napali Coast zodiac tour from a competitor a few years ago that launched from the westside of Kauai. We chose this tour 7/23/17 because we were staying in Princeville and didnt want to have to drive to the westside again and North Shore Charters (NSC) was highly rated on Yelp with good reviews and offered kamaina discounts. Good: Janel extremely pleasant (office) Quick check-in Quick transit to Napali Knowledgeable captain (Gary) and crew (Matty) Scenic snorkeling experience Decent quick lunch Informative and memorable experience Bad: Nothing bad, just feedback to make it better: Allow more time for photos or offer to take some for passengers Music on transit back. The previous charter had a longer transit but they had a nice music system which made the transit back fun In the end, highly recommend them. read more

What a fun trip we had!!!!! The crew was fabulous and full of all kinds of stories about the island's history.

I was snorkeling on my own at Tunnels Beach and got pulled out way too far from shore. I saw this boat nearby and asked for help. They didn't hesitate. A crew member jumped in with a surf board and pulled me back towards shore! If they treat a random stranger with so much help, imagine how well they must treat their customers. That crew and captain didn't argue about what to do, within seconds they were in the water and got me safety. Tremendous. I"m still dumbfounded that they were willing to be so helpful. I've been on many boat tours in Hawaii and if I have the chance, I'd definitely trust these guys to provide an enjoyable and most of all, safe experience. read more

I've done the 'cattle-maran' cruise from the West Shore - don't waste your time unless you hate having fun. Seriously... The Zodiac boats carry no more than 14 passengers and, unlike the boats that leave from the west side, they will cruise up the entire Na Pali coast. You will be guaranteed to see dolphins and turtles, explore at least 3 sea caves and snorkel an amazing reef along the coast. Lunch is provided and captain Gary and his lovely assistant Gabby treated us like family. Our trip was a seriously fun time. Bouncing up and down the surges of the ocean, chasing dolphins, exploring sea caves...memories that I will have for a lifetime! Don't waste your time or money on the big boats out of the west side - experience Na Pali up-close and personal with North Shore Charters! [P.S. If you get sea sick easily, this may not be the boat for you ;) ] read more

After watching Jurassic Park it was no longer an "option" to see the Na Pali coast, it was a must. FYI there are very few companies that travel the whole Na Pali coast that take off from the North Shore. We were SO fortunate to stumble across North Shore Charters. We left at 8am and returned at around 1pm. We were on a motorized-raft boat. It was so much fun! Much more fun than a "cattle-maran". If you are the outdoorsy type that is more adventurous, I'd definitely recommend the raft trip. I road in the front and held on with my dear life. It felt like we were traveling at high speeds. Riding the waves all the way up the coast, getting facts about the Na Pali Coast, the caves, being swarmed by hundreds of dolphins jumping and twirling, and a sea lion having his lunch of puffer fish. We stopped and went snorkeling for an hour where I finally saw something worth seeing. Lots of schools of fish. Afterwards we were fed the best darn sandwiches I've ever had (note: I was famished) and then we headed back. The raft boats are also much better than the sail boats because 1) LESS people and 2) they can go INTO certain caves that the sail boats can't fit into. oh and most importantly, we saved about $100 doing the low maintenance/high fun route. Our crew of Gary and Gabby were perfect, they kept it real, which is hard to find when you are doing the "touristy" thing. read more

This tour was my favorite memory of Kauai. We did the morning tour rather than the afternoon tour because we felt it would be cooler. It doesn't really matter because once you get moving, the ocean spray keeps you pretty cool. Tour: You go along the north coast, stopping to take pictures of waterfalls, caves, beaches, sea turtles, etc. The best part is that the speed boat is small enough to get into every cave. I know there are a lot of nice, fancy catarmans doing tours along the coast, but they can't go into the caves. These boats can. Once we reached the tip, they give you some food, and you can go snorkeling. I'm not the best swimmer, so they gave me a noodle, which really helped. Then we went back to the start area. We didn't stop much on the way back. The guide and his helper were really knowledgeable about the island and entertaining. Boat: If you are get seasick, this is not the tour for you. It is a choppy ride when we are going fast. There were approximately 12 people on our tour. My boyfriend gets seasick pretty easy, but he was fine. I thought it was really fun. Everyone sits along the edge of the speedboat. There is a rope that you can hold on to. I sat towards the front of the boat. Every time we hit a wave, I flew a little bit. After this tour, I slept for three hours. I was so tired. The next two days, I was really sore. I would not recommend this tour for little kids or someone who would not be happy with the bumpiness. This is really ideal for people in their teens to mid-forties. If you have sensitive joints, I would not do this. I really preferred doing the speedboat to a catarman or sailboat. The catarmans and sailboats can't get into the caves nor can they get as close to the island as the speed boats. Riding along the coast in a speed boat was so much fun. Speeding around the people packed in the sailboats and catarmans was even more fun. They got to watch us go into all the caves. Honestly, spend the extra money and do this tour. It really is worth the extra money. read more

This is not for the faint of the heart. That being said, it is definitely something you have to do if you want an unforgettable adventure and to experience the na pali coast up close and personal. I decided to take the challenge and deal with being sore the next day to go on the zodiac ride bc I read so many awesome reviews here. Truth is, you do get sore a little and your butt gets sore from being bumped up and down on the return trip... But trust me, the ride was TOTALLY WORTH THE PAIN. We saw four caves, with the zodiac zoomed through the caves in a way that catamarans cannot do. Also saw lots of sea turtles, pods of dolphins and many many waterfalls. We went snorkeling at the end point and the crew prepared sandwiches for us. Our camera died half way through the trip but honestly, it wouldn't have been able to capture the majestic view anyways. The coastline was absolutely breathtaking. The return trip was the bumpy trip since we were against the current. We got totally soaked and was whipped by the waves, but we lucked out since it was a warm beautiful day when we went on the ride so we weren't cold. Apparently no two trips are the same so fingers crossed for great weather! BIG shout out to captain Mike and his first mate Drew, who make this trip totally awesome! Totally friendly, funny, professional and knowledgable, highly recommend the crew! read more

We had a great Zodiac trip down the Na Pali Coast. For nearly 5 hours, we cruised in and out of caves and tripped down the coast. The scenery was incredible, the information given by the guides were great, and the snorkeling and sea lunch were great. It was a great way to see the shore and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. read more

Our boat and snorkeling trip was awesome! Gary and Lee told us a lot about the history and culture of Kauai. The scenery was spectacular! And the snorkeling was really good. I highly recommend North Shore Charters. read more

Greeted by Janelle at 7 am for our first trip to the Na Pali Coast!! Filled out our paperwork, tucked our stuff into 'dry bags' and hopped in a van for a short ride to Anini Beach to hop on our Zodiac. At Anini Beach we met our captain and first mate - Captain Gary and Matt. We boarded the Zodiac raft and 20 minutes later we were awestruck by the shear beauty of the coastline for the next 14 miles. During the trip we saw a baby monk seal in a cave, goats along the mountainside, schools of spinner dolphins, and tropical fish and sea turtles while snorkeling and having lunch. The rock cliffs, caves and waterfalls are spectacular sites to see and would highly recommend North Shore Charters for your trip !! read more

Kamaaina rate is $125 (including tax) making this actually the most reasonable Napali Coast viewing and snorkeling trip I have found that leaves the North Shore and not the South Shore! You want to book a trip leaving the North Shore because they spend more time up the coast then if you just take one leaving Port Allen. The snorkeling stop was the best snorkeling I did on the North Shore. I didn't think Tunnels or Ke'e were anything special (but I'm used to excellent snorkeling). We saw a few turtles on the trip (not when snorkeling though), a TON of dolphins, 3 rays, and a seal. We went through caves which you cannot do with larger boats, and saw (and went under!) water falls. Only suggestion I have (and which is why -1 star) is to offer vegetarian sandwiches. Great way to spend 4 hours =) read more

Best. Trip. EVER! Captain Mike was awesome! Very knowledgeable about Kauai, the Napali coast, and native island customs. Morning trip was calm and clear out to the snorkeling area (very busy) so we were able to go under waterfalls and in the sea caves. Trip back was very choppy. A lot of fun but very tiring. I'd do it again in a minute! read more

This is a stand up operation!! A Very well oiled machine and organized. The tour was amazing and being in a zodiac gave us the opportunity to go into the sea caves that other boats could not. The Captain was respectful of each rider's needs especially when going over large waves/dips. We feel we walked away with Kauai history, scenery that compared to none, and the amazing opportunity to snorkel with sea turtles and beautiful fish. We felt like we could not do a helicopter ride because of vertigo issues with 3/4 of our family so this was our alternative and well worth the money. The lunch was unexpectedly great, much more than we expected! The bus ride was clean. Staff was very patient with everyone and their needs. read more

We had a really great experience with North Shore Charters. The owner was very pleasant and down to earth; he drove us a few miles from the office to the loading dock once we all checked in. Our ship captain Mike and assistant Drew were spot on - friendly, but not annoying-tour-guide friendly, informative, humorous and mellow. They have tons of information about Kauai, the Na'Pali coast, etc. Both guys are locals, having grown up in the very area they are giving the tour of. The boat is a small certer console "inflatable" boat - similar to the ones used by the Navy for amphibious landings. In rough seas it can be bumpy, as it was for us, but more fun bumpy than harsh bumpy. They do prescreen people with some basic health questions, though. For those that can handle it, the small boat is advantagous - we were able to manuever into caves and coves that the few other tour boats we saw out there were not. The Na'Pali coast is certainly worth a visit. Small boat tour is a great way to visit. North Shore Charters fits the bill. There was some good snorkeling on the trip( they provide all the equipment) as well as deli sandwiches & sodas/water for lunch. Trip was about 3-4 hours. They mentioned they shut down for the winter, as the seas are too rough. read more

Great captain, crew. Very organized and punctual. Great trip. Good sandwiches. Perfect size boat.

We got lucky great day and great crew Shawn and Kai! But Why I pick this small company was because of Janelle who answers the phones she was so kind as I called three times asking question and comparing tour companies. Highly recommend made my vacation an experience! read more

North Shore Charters - North Shore Charters Kilauea, HI - Boating Near Me - Kilauea, Hawaii

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Just returned from Princeville, and this was the absolute highlight of our trip. Whenever I travel, I try to do at least one fun excursion. This experience zoomed to position #1 at the half way point. We saw sea turtles and spinner dolphins along the way, spied some goats and hikers along the Kalalau trail, and had a fantastic time snorkeling at a great reef spot before lunch (if you need vegetarian, mention it when you reserve). Gary and his assistant Asher were entertaining, knowledgeable about the island, and really helpful regarding suggestions of other snorkeling spots and best places for dining, sights and must do ideas for the duration of our time on Kauai. This was definitely a history packed lesson in adventure, embellished with a great stand up routine, Capt. Gary style. The ride back was great fun, and included a heroic rescue of a passenger's hat when it decided to take flight. AND North Shore Charters is the most reasonable Napali tour we priced. If you are staying in the Princeville area, or on the East Side, there is no reason to drive all the way to Port Allen. (Advice from Asher--- when you are in the ocean, you are very likely in no trouble IF you are larger than the thing you are observing!) read more

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Highlight of our trip! Loads of fun with a knowledgable and safe crew. While their boat is smaller than some other charters, Capt. Mike takes advantage by exploring sea caves that can't accommodate the bigger boats. It also doesn't hurt that they're the best deal in town. Highly recommend! read more

North Shore Charters - Boating Near Me - Kilauea, Hawaii

Captain Mike and nephew Ashton were awesome! Local company, local employees, very professional, knowledgeable about ocean conditions, history of the area/island. Zodiac was very well maintained with proper safety equipment on board. Snorkel, fins and waterproof day bag provided for use while on the tour. Mike took us into several sea caves along the coast which was unbelievable. Took the morning tour and the sea conditions picked up on the way back which made for a fun, adventurous ride. We snorkeled for about an hour, had lunch (healthy sandwich, chips and drinks) on board then headed back to the pier. Would recommend this company to anyone looking to see the Na Pali coast up close and personal. read more

Sean and Matty were our captain and guide and were the BEST!!!! They were friendly, knowledgeable, hilarious, and fun!! We went in the most amazing sea caves, saw waterfalls, soooo many turtles, and a massive pod of spinner dolphins!! The zodiac ride was like a super fun roller coaster and the snorkeling was amazing! Our phone contact and van driver Janelle was organized, kind, and very friendly. It might have been the best trip we've ever done in Kauai and we've done many! read more

North Shore Charters - Boating Near Me - Kilauea, Hawaii

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Amazing trip with everyone from the Administration folks to the Captain and Crew fully embracing the Aloha spirit. Informative, friendly, caring people. We took the Sat morning trip down the coast. Left on time and returned exactly when promised. Sea caves and snorkeling. No one got sick and the Captain was sensitive enough to check in with everyone as we were under way. Took off from Anini Beach and boarding was a few feet from the shore with no difficulty at all. Highly recommend!! read more

This was a highlight of our trip to Kauai. Very nice guys and down to earth people. Gary and Lee are a great team as they have been pals from High School and grew up on the island. Very knowledgeable. The boat is comfortable and provides shade which is super nice. It can maneuver on calmer days into the caves which is super cool. The lunch is delish! Great fresh sandwich with chips and an assortment of icy cold beverages. But lunch was served after snorkeling around 3 pm so prepare for that accordingly. They take the time to offer each group multiple photo opps as you trek the coast. Christmas card is already locked in. :) read more

What an awesome experience! This was our families second tour with North Shore Charters and it was just as fabulous as our first trip! Great boat crew and friendly office staff! Lots of laughs and breathtaking views! Yummy lunch and great snorkeling! read more

We took the afternoon trip which was quite simply amazing, far surpassing the last zodiac trip I took on Kauai. From first contact with Janelle through ride completion back at the drop off point, everyone was helpful, friendly and informative. I chose our group of eight to go on this tour as we were staying on the north shore and didn't want to feel rushed to get up early to south shore for a snorkel tour with three kids (two are 7 and one is 10). North Shore did not disappoint. From its location of departure, we were able to spend more time on the Napali Coast, in and out of caves, driven under waterfalls (a few times), stopping for many photo opportunities along the way and provided a lot of history by Captain Mike. The max is 14 guests on the boat - which is nice as everyone is quickly outfitted and off the side of the boat if you choose to snorkel. The ride back after snorkeling is wet and wild. When they say no back or neck problems, take it serious! Two days later and all of us are still a little sore...but wouldn't trade it for the experience and memories. read more

Best experience we had on Kauai! It was a blast. Oh yes, it's bouncy and you will get wet. Loved the entire staff, Zack was our guide/ Captian and we felt safe...ha, most of the time . Our original date was cancelled because of weather issues but we were rescheduled easily a couple of days later. Went in all the caves, stopped for jaw dropping pictures and snorkeled a good while, saw lots of turtles and tropical fish. My husband and I are in our late 60's in just average shape and had no problems on this trip. Hold on to your hats, I lost mine. Do not miss this adventure of a lifetime!!! read more

Had a great trip boat captains were great, it's a must do trip once in a lifetime time!

We loved our trip with North Shore Charters! We wanted to use a company that left from the north side of the island and I am so glad we went with this company. The check-in process was easy and it was just a quick van ride to the boat launch. Our captain and the assistant were both from Kauai and had so much knowledge to share about the island. We loved chatting with them throughout the trip. The zodiac boat was so much fun--both my husband and I were so glad we chose it over a regular boat tour. I also thought that the lunch they provided was generous for an excursion. read more

This is the very fun thrill ride and we went on what was known as a calm day. I wouldn't recommend it for the little ones but teenagers and up have a blast. Captain Sean and his first mate kai were very safety conscious and informative and kind and polite. I could go on and on, really really great hosts on this charter.we saw turtles, spinner dolphins, even a baby spinner dolphin. And the waves were so calm we got to go in all the caves ...some more than once. Thankfully it was a sunny calm day, or this would've been a very cold wet adventure. And I can't neglect to mention the very professional and polite and thorough check in person named Janell- she treated everyone so great as well. Totally worth every penny we spent. read more

North Shore Charters - Boating Near Me - Kilauea, Hawaii

Incredibly fun way to see and learn about the Na Pali coast! We went for the snorkeling (which was awesome) but the boat ride, sea caves, and views of the coast were probably even better! You can't believe how breathtaking the coastline is until you can see it all. As some of the lower reviews mention the boat can be "wet and wild" so if you're not into that, then I would recommend a catamaran or smoother ride as an alternative. For us, it was exciting and fun splashing through the waves! I highly recommend this! Also, no big deal, but my wife and I are vegetarian and there were only meat sandwiches on board. We didn't tell them ahead of time of our dietary needs so maybe they are accommodating! read more

We went on our tour yesterday, one of the best days you could have in Kauai. Sean and Marty were very knowledgeable, pleasant and made you feel very safe and comfortable. The ride out was extremely pleasant and smooth, and on the way back it is quite rough, but very exhilarating and adventurous. It is like an amusement ride and again you feel very safe with Sean and Matt. It's a must do if you are on the north end of the island and you must see the Nepali coast read more

This is a great company! Everyone we interacted with was so nice and accommodating. The driver (owner) was an awesome boat driver and tour guide for us. We saw gorgeous caves, shoreline, had a tasty lunch and snorkeled. I highly recommend trying this tour! I'll definitely be back. It was the highlight of our Kauai trip! read more

We booked this tour a few weeks in advance by recommendation of the hotel and the great Yelp reviews. We originally booked this tour for a Wednesday. I wanted to do it earlier on our trip because I read about the possibility of rescheduling. We were called the night before and asked to come on Thursday due to predicted ocean conditions. That was fine. We agreed to go out Thursday and had to change up childcare arrangements. Today we got up early and checked in at 7am. We did not leave the office till about 7:35 and headed out. When we got to the dock, we were informed there was boat trouble and we could not go out today. This was very disappointing but I understood. Everyone kept up spirits and went back to the office. We were told we could possibly get on a tour for the afternoon or the next day and to let her know. Now this is the part that frustrated me- a larger family was in line first and secured their spots for the next tour. We were told we could be on the waiting list. What I don't get it why there was not a priority list set up since we have already been rescheduled 2 times. We then held up hope for getting on the afternoon tour- which did not happen. So now we can try to hope to be bumped up from the waiting list to try a third time. They should have taken names and tried to come up with a better plan. It was a very frustrating experience and made me feel like we were not a valued customer. Next year, when we come back, we will try to find a boat company that has better customer experience. They did call to let us know that we could get on the Friday trip, but it was later and we already made other plans. read more

Excellent trip! Highly recommended. Added a last minute boat tour on the last day of our honeymoon and I'm so glad we did! We originally tried to do a sailboat but they were all booked - very happy about that in hindsight. The guides were funny and knowledgeable. We had done a helicopter tour earlier in the week and I still learned a ton. The boat was fast so we got to spend time doing great stuff. Sailboats take so long to get to Na Pali that they don't get much time there. The small boats fit into lots of little caves bigger boats won't. Plus, it was cheaper than other tours - nonus! read more

We had an awesome experience, highly recommended. Captain Gary is a great tour guide, funny, and a great captain. His rigid hull inflatable boat is small enough to enter all the sea caves and fast enough to keep up with the larger boats. The snorkeling is great (same spot as all the other boats). If the waves are choppy on the way home though, it can be quite an adventure -- prepare to get wet, and not for the faint of heart. We all loved it though, would do it again anytime! read more

AWESOME trip! We went with our friends and had 4 adults, and 7 kids in our party from ages 12 to 20. All of us LOVED this tour! Our guides, Sean and Matty knew the island inside and out and not only told us a lot of history but told us all the great spots to try. Sean knew how to navigate each cave and zipped us along the coast at the perfect pace. The kids LOVED blasting through the waves on the zodiac boat, and now my 15 year old wants a boat like that too! The lunch was delicious, the snorkeling was great, and it was one of the highlights of our trip! It was nice to leave from the North Shore-- so we didn't have to drive all the way to the other side of the Island. We also were at the Napali Coast within 15 minutes. You do have to hold on to the boat, so if you had any issues with that this wouldn't be the tour for you. read more

Perhaps my mistake was choosing to go on a zodiac. Holding on to a rope and hanging on for dear life as you hit large swells head-on is not my idea of fun. This certainly happened to us on the day of our trip and we were cold and drenched by the time we docked. On the positive side, being able to enter the sea caves and get in really close to shore was really good. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking. Also, our captain knew lots of interesting details about the history and the scenery we experienced. This would be a great excursion on a calm day with no trade winds! read more

Capn Mike and Drew were excellent on this Zodiac adventure- and I don't use the term flippantly. Late summer allows you to fly through sea caves, snorkel with turtles, and enjoy an easier/faster ride due to lower swell. You don't need to BYO snorkel set; the provisions are excellent. They're now providing vegetarian options for lunch but not Gluten Free yet. read more