Recently Viewed
Kauai Island Tour: River Cruise and Local Culture
4.6
581 Ratings
Wailua
Embark on a thrilling adventure in Kauai, exploring the stunning Waimea Canyon and cruising along the picturesque Wailua River. Discover the beauty, legends, and history of the Garden Island.
Embark on a thrilling adventure in Kauai, exploring the stunning Waimea Canyon and cruising along the picturesque Wailua River. Discover the beauty, legends, and history of the Garden Island.
Duration:
10 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Wailua River State Park - Board a spacious, open-air boat and cruise down Kauai’s Wailua River, surrounded by miles of lush trees and tropical plants. Cool breezes soothe as the captain shares stories of ancient Hawaii, when the river was lined with multiple Hawaiian heiau (temples).
- Fern Grotto - Enjoy a leisurely boat ride down the Wailua…
- Wailua River State Park - Board a spacious, open-air boat and cruise down Kauai’s Wailua River, surrounded by miles of lush trees and tropical plants. Cool breezes soothe as the captain shares stories of ancient Hawaii, when the river was lined with multiple Hawaiian heiau (temples).
- Fern Grotto - Enjoy a leisurely boat ride down the Wailua River to the famed “Fern Grotto,” aptly named for the Boston ferns that drape from the roof of a verdant cavern carved into the mountainside.
- Opaekaa Falls - Cascading into a hidden pool, this 151-foot-tall, 40-foot-wide waterfall is one of the island’s most accessible major waterfalls.
- Old Koloa Town - Enjoy lunch on one’s own in historic Old Koloa Town, surrounded by its charming atmosphere.
- Hanapepe Valley Lookout - Take in panoramic views of a valley blanketed in trees and wild green sugarcane. Hanapepe was one of the locations visited by famed explorer Charles Wilkes in 1840.
- Kauai Coffee Company - As the largest coffee farm in the United States, the Kauai Coffee Estate offers a chance to sample a rich cup of famous Kauai coffee.
- Waimea - Explore historic Waimea Town, a coastal community with deep roots in Kauai’s history. Enjoy time to stroll through town, browse local shops, and take in the relaxed atmosphere while the guide shares stories about the area’s past.
What's Included
- Admission to Smith’s Wailua River boat ride to Fern Grotto
- Transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle
- Pickup and drop-off at select Kauai hotels from Poipu to Kapaa
- Live narration by a professional driver/guide
- Admission to Smith’s Wailua River boat ride to Fern Grotto
- Transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle
- Pickup and drop-off at select Kauai hotels from Poipu to Kapaa
- Live narration by a professional driver/guide
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Cruise port pick-up and drop-off
- Lunch
- Gratuities
- Cruise port pick-up and drop-off
- Lunch
Additional Information
Discover Kauai’s natural beauty and local culture in a single day, with a local guide sharing island stories that connect each sight. Cruise the Wailua River to Fern Grotto, take in Opaekaa Falls, visit Kauai Coffee, and explore Old Koloa, Hanapepe, and Historic Waimea Town. Enjoy free time for shopping and choosing a personal lunch spot. Starting…
Discover Kauai’s natural beauty and local culture in a single day, with a local guide sharing island stories that connect each sight. Cruise the Wailua River to Fern Grotto, take in Opaekaa Falls, visit Kauai Coffee, and explore Old Koloa, Hanapepe, and Historic Waimea Town. Enjoy free time for shopping and choosing a personal lunch spot. Starting October 5, 2026, this temporary itinerary replaces Waimea Canyon and Spouting Horn.
- Please contact the tour provider at minimum of 7 days prior to the tour date for ADA and all special requests.
Location
Wailua River State Park
Highway 56
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.6
(581 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Lauradiitaly
Aug 17, 2026
Best way to visit Kauai - Our guide, Sabrina, was cheerful and exceeded our expectations. She gave us lot of information and fun stories about the places we were visiting.
Thanks to her excellent recommendation for restaurant in Koloa Town, we had a yummy breakfast/lunch at Break-Feast.
She also helped us to find some needed grocery stuff while in Koloa.
The tour was well organized and we never felt rushed.
Very comfortable pick up/ drop off at our hotel.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
T1941tvmatthewd
Aug 12, 2026
K-1 Waimea Canyon with John and Edwin - Today was an amazing day packed with lots of adventures. Our tour guide, John, and our driver, Edwin are the best. They made sure we enjoyed each and every minute on our 9 plus hour excursion.
We met at the Banyan Resort which was very close to the cruise terminal making it easy to access the tour.
On this tour, we made a stop at ‘Opaeka’a Falls and Wailua River. We were able to take photos.
Our next adventure was a boat ride up the Wailua River. The boat took us to the Fern Grotto where we were able to get off the boat and experience the Fern Grotto.
We made a stop at Old Koloa Town which was established in 1835. We had 1.5 hours on our own to shop and eat lunch. Lunch is not included in the price of the excursion.
We made a quick photo stop at Hanapepe the home of the Lilo and Stitch movie.
We made a few photo stops along the way to Waimea Canyon Lookout. The views from the lookout were absolutely stunning!
We made a stop at Kauai Coffee which is the largest coffee estate in the United States. They offer free coffee sampling and also for purchase.
Our final stop was a photo opportunity at the Spouting Horn. This was so beautiful!
Please note there are many bathrooms along the many stops.
This tour is priced very well for all that it offers. We are visiting from a cruise ship and the tours offered through the cruise line didn’t have all the stops that this tour offers and the cruise line tour was much more expensive.
I highly recommend this tour and if you can request John and Edwin. They will make your day one you won’t forget!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
O3020yalynne
Aug 6, 2026
Fun Tour - NCLPOA
Albert was an amazing tour guide. He was very informative and knowledgeable. Thank you.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stephanie_d
Aug 3, 2026
From the second we were... - From the second we were picked up, we knew Sabrina was going to provide us with an excellent tour—and she did. Last Wednesday we thoroughly enjoyed touring Kaua’i, Sabrina was highly informative, energetic, and engaging. Sometimes with a day long tour, it can be tiring, but Sabrina kept spirits high and participants interested. It was a beautiful day!
Review provided by Viator
T_b
Jul 15, 2026
Good tour - Good day on the road with Johnna..She was engaging and entertaining. I was skeptical but this was a great tour of the island.
Review provided by Viator
355cinthiav
Jul 4, 2026
Unforgettable trip - Best experience ever !! Thanks to John and Ken🫶🏻
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kimco8658fl
Jun 26, 2026
Perfect Tour - Our Wailua River Cruise and Fern Grotto tour was one of the highlights of our visit to Kauaʻi! The boat ride along the beautiful Wailua River was peaceful, scenic, and filled with interesting stories about the island’s history and culture. The Fern Grotto itself is absolutely stunning and well worth the trip.
What made the experience truly unforgettable was the entertainment on board. The musicians were talented, engaging, and created such a fun, authentic Hawaiian atmosphere. A special highlight was young Lala, the daughter of one of the entertainers, who performed a beautiful hula dance for everyone on the boat. She danced with such grace, joy, and confidence—it was heartwarming to watch and added a truly special touch to the experience.
Mahalo to the wonderful crew for sharing the aloha spirit with us. We highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Kauaʻi. It’s a perfect blend of natural beauty, Hawaiian culture, music, and hospitality!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ramesh_r
Jun 25, 2026
Outstanding Tour - Gives a holistic perspective of the diverse ecosystems of Kauai. The stops during the tour are excellent.
Review provided by Viator
Josedaniel_m
Jul 8, 2026
A must do to experience the best of Kauai - Good experience, it takes definitely all day but not for the time you'll spend at the places you'll be visiting but because the traveling time between locations.
The boat experience was definitely enjoyable and the places for sightseeing were breathtaking definitely a must do, the convenience of someone taking care of the traveling is nice you can sit back relax even take a nap. They treat you with drinks and snacks is definitely a plus. While you travel they tell you stories about the places you'll visit, the ones passing by, give you recommendations to make more of your trip. We got a recommendation to visit a specific beach for wildlife sightseeing and was absolutely wonderful.
Review provided by Viator
Bonnie_o
Jun 23, 2026
Waste of money - The guide makes all the difference. Ours was from Bolivia and was very hard to understand also through no fault of his own his microphone didn’t work. I was very surprised that there were no amenities such as water or umbrellas, giving the fact that this cost us over $500. I was also surprised that we had to pay for our own lunch given the cost of this trip. The boat ride to the Fern grotto was lovely with excellent entertainment in hindsight we should’ve just taken that trip for $35 apiece and not the rest of the excursion. Wasn’t worth it.
Review provided by Viator
