Kauai Hiking Tours

Kauai Hiking Tours - What to Know

Many of our featured hiking tours in Kauai are fully customizable, allowing you to tailor the experience to your preferences. You can select what sights you’d like to see, how far you’d like to hike, all while benefiting from the expertise of local guides. These knowledgeable guides can take you to hidden trails off the beaten path, share fascinating insights into Kauai’s history and culture, and capture unforgettable photos for you and your group. Keep an open mind when it comes to the weather—rain can enhance the island’s beauty, creating colorful rainbows and contrasting landscapes. Fortunately, showers are often localized and pass quickly, so there’s plenty to enjoy, no matter the conditions.

Why Choose Kauai for Hiking

Kauai is a world-famous hiking destination, offering a variety of landscapes and experiences. Choose to explore Waimea Canyon, with its bright red walls and towering Waipoʻo Falls, a massive three-tiered waterfall. Just a short drive away is the iconic Na Pali Coast, where ridge hikes provide views of sheer cliffs plunging into lush valleys and the vast Pacific Ocean below. On Kauai’s North Shore, the Hanakapiʻai Falls trail rewards hikers with a 300-foot waterfall after traversing a rugged, unmaintained path through dense rainforest. You can hike to get a panoramic view of Mount Waialeale, the tallest point on Kauai and the wettest place on Earth.

For a unique adventure, combine kayaking down the Wailua River followed with a hike to a secret waterfall, where you can swim directly beneath the cascading water. While Kauai’s rainforests may not teem with wildlife, keep an eye out for wild goats clinging to the steep canyon walls and roaming over the impossible heights.

Where to Go Hiking on Kauai

Waipoʻo Falls

This hike is located inside the Waimea Canyon and follows along the ridge to the top of the 800 ft (244 m) waterfall. There are a number of viewpoints into the canyon and is a moderate hike popular with families and children. 

Awaʻawapuhi & Nualolo Ridge

This hike gives unparalleled views of the Na Pali coast, located in the Kōkeʻe State Park. It is known as a moderately difficult hike with a strong chance of muddy/slippery terrain. The trail starts downhill to the valley rim of Nualolo with a grassy area at the end to picnic on.

Alakaʻi Swamp/Kilohana Overlook

This moderately challenging trail brings you through a scrub native rainforest and shallow bogs. There are lots of chances for bird viewing and botanizing with a vista at the end showing off views of Wainiha and Hanalei Valleys. The boardwalk tends to be very slippery.

Kuilau Ridge Trail

At our turnaround point, there is a large open area with covered picnic tables and expansive views of Kahili Mountain to the South, Mount Wai'ale'ale, and Mount Kawi to the west and the Makaleha Mountains to the north. Our hike begins as a gentle climb up a wide, well maintained trail. The trail is lined with impressive Sydney blue gum trees (Eucalyptus saligna), which can grow over 150 feet tall, and the occasional smatterings of albizia trees, massive in girth and height. As we make our way higher, views of several mountain ranges begin to emerge.

Sleeping Giant

Climb the face of the sleeping giant in Kauai with this challenging trail. The trail ends with views of the ocean coastline and inland Wailua river and Mount Wai'ale'ale. The local legend is that a giant, formed from an enchanted fish, ate so much poi that it became full, fell asleep, and never awoke. Make sure to check out this trail from the town of Kapaa to see how it gets its name.

Hanakapiʻai Falls

A 300 ft (92 m) waterfall on the North Shore of Kauai, only accessible by day use permit. The first few miles are on a maintained trail down to a beach, but from there the trail becomes rugged and unmaintained to get to the waterfall. 

Powerline Trail

A long trail that is used by hikers and mountain bikers. It tends to be uncrowded and is open year-round. The trail offers panoramic ocean views, waterfalls, and views of Mount Wai'ale'ale on clear days. 

Secret (Uluwehi) Falls

You will paddle leisurely through the Garden Isle’s most beautiful jungle river until you come to the trailhead for Secret Falls. Enjoy a moderate hike through the Wailua rainforest, original home of the first Hawaiians, who paddled from the Marquesas Islands to Kauai almost 1500 years ago.The final portion of your hike is to the enchanting Uluwehi Waterfall, which descends 125’ into a natural pool surrounded by rocks and vegetation.

Coastal/Beach Hikes

Stroll at length down a secluded beach, far beyond the tourist zone, and explore tide pools, sea arches, and other phenomena that result from millions of years of ocean meeting volcanic earth, teeming with birds, aquatic life and earth creatures great and small. If you’re lucky you’ll encounter sea turtles, albatross, Hawaiian monk seals, whales, dolphins and more.

Top Tips for Hiking in Kauai

• Best Time to Hike: The drier months, from mid-May to October, are ideal for ridge and canyon hikes, offering safer conditions and better views. For those looking to avoid crowds, April to June and September to November are slow months for tourism. Please be aware that while December to February bring heavier rains, making waterfalls more impressive, it also significantly increases the risk of flash floods around those waterfalls and waterways, so caution is highly advised during this time.
• Follow Leave No Trace Principles: Keep all trash with you and secured in your bag to properly dispose of when you return back to town.
• Properly Layer Clothing: Make sure the clothing is moisture-wicking, lightweight, and fast drying! You may be sweating a lot or it may be raining for short spurts and you will need to dry quickly. Weather can change rapidly, be sure to layer your clothing to avoid getting wet from sweat or being too cold on the trail.
• Wear Proper Footwear: Broken in/Used before with closed toes and grippy tread! Comfortable socks to prevent blisters and small shoe gaiters are helpful to keep rocks and sand from getting into the shoe and causing blisters or cuts. Waterfall hikes can be HIGHLY slippery, consider buying some jikatabis, tabis, or vibram five-fingers to grip mossy covered, wet rocks.
• Sunscreen & Sun Protection: Sunscreen, brimmed hats, sunglasses, neck coverings (may attach to hats), and UV deflecting long sleeve shirts can all help to combat the harmful and strong Hawaiian sun rays!
• Mosquito Repellent: Remember to bring bug repellent when heading into the rainforest, swamp, bog, or waterfall areas of Kauai. There are plenty of mosquitos in those areas.
• Trail Etiquette: Yield to uphill hikers and try to step aside on rocks or wide areas on the trail to protect the landscape. Avoid shortcuts, especially ones that go straight up between switchbacks to protect fragile ecosystems and prevent erosion.
• Respect Trail Conditions & Warnings: Many trails in Kauai get shut down or become impassable after heavy rain. Pay attention to weather reports and trail closures to avoid significantly dangerous conditions like flash floods or landslides.
• Carry a Map or GPS: Cell service is especially spotty in remote areas of Kauai, so downloading offline maps or bringing GPS devices can become essential in emergencies. Some trails, like those in the Na Pali coast or into the rainforest, are not well-marked, if marked at all, and navigation becomes key.
• Respect Wildlife: Observe wildlife from a distance, never chase, harass, or feed them.
• Know your Limits: Monitor for dehydration or heat stroke symptoms such as headaches, disorientation, rapid heartbeat, and nausea or vomiting. Be also monitoring for hypothermia in high altitude places, especially with rain.

Other Kauai Adventures

Check out other Kauai Activities at Kauai, HI Outdoor Adventures! These include kayaking, snorkeling, scuba diving, and surfing!

Field Trips for Shelter Dogs: Explore Kauai with a Canine Companion

Take a shelter dog on an adventure and help them find a forever home! Kauai Humane Society’s Field Trips for Shelter Dogs program has been a huge success since 2017, giving visitors and locals the chance to take adoptable dogs on hikes, beach walks, and other outings. These trips not only provide much-needed exercise and enrichment but also increase the dogs’ chances of adoption—leading to around five adoptions per week, sometimes by off-island visitors. Kauai Humane even offers guided trips once a month for an extra special experience!