5-Day Itinerary: Kauai

Having been to three of the four major Hawaiian islands, I can see why Kauai is called the garden isle. The entire island is so lush and green which is mainly a result of all the rain the island gets. In fact, Kauai is one of the wettest places on earth. But like any of the islands, the weather can vary dramatically depending on which side you're on. This was a major factor for us when deciding which area to call our home base for the week. Since we were going in the winter which is during the rainy season we decided to avoid the north shore and opted for the east side which positioned us well to access all sides of the island in decent time.

We ended up staying at Kauai Shores which we booked through Costco (another travel hack to save $$!). The resort had recently been updated and offered a lot of amenities for guests including bike rentals, a pool and hot tub, and direct access to the beach. The hotel is also home to Lava Lava Beach Club which is the only toes-in-the-sand dining experience on the island. My only real complaint was the parking. The spaces were very tight and it was a hassle to find a spot when we would arrive back later at night. They do offer free valet with the resort fee so keep that in mind.

Below I've included a breakdown of how we spent each day of our trip. I will be writing more detailed guides about our time in each area of the island but I hope this post helps you plan out your days and must see sites! 

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Day 1: South Shore (Read my full South Shore guide here)

• Breakfast at the Kountry Kitchen in Kapa'a
• Exploring Hanapepe Town
• Glass Beach
• Warehouse 3450 and The Fresh Shave
• Lunch at Kauai Island Brewery
• Na Pali Sunset Cruise with Captain Andy's (we ended up not being able to sail to the Na Pali due to weather but still had a great experience and would highly recommend!) 

Day 2: Waimea Canyon (Read my full guide to exploring Waimea Canyon here)

• Exploring Waimea Canyon - also called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific this is a must-see site. 
• Hike Awa'awapuhi Trail - 3.1 miles each way this hike was moderate but SO muddy which made it more difficult. The views of the Na Pali Coast at the end were worth every step. It took us around four hours total to complete. 
• Lappart's Ice Cream (on our way back through Waimea)
• Dinner at Monico's Taqueria in Kapa'a

Day 3: Mountain Tubing/Kapa'a

• Mountain tubing with Kauai Backcountry Adventures - Read my full review here! 
• Wailua Falls - this is an easy road side stop with views of a gorgeous waterfall. While it's frowned upon to hike to the bottom we decided to take the risk. It is definitely muddy and steep but as long as you're careful and take it slow you'll be fine. There are also plenty of ropes throughout to help you up. 
• Happy hour at Lava Lava Beach Club - The Super Bowl also happened to take place during our visit and we were able to watch the game with our toes in the sand. 
• Shopping in downtown Kapa'a
• Dinner at Mermaid's Cafe

Day 4: North Shore

• Kauai Juice Co. - best way to start the day with their cold pressed juices!
• Kilauea Lighthouse
• Explore Hanalei Town
• Hanalei Bay Beach
• Lunch at Chicken in a Barrel BBQ
• Wishing Well Shave Ice
• Wet/Dry Caves - unfortunately due to the storms and flooding in April 2018 the road past Hanalei town was still closed and we weren't able to see the caves. The Kalalau Trail was also still closed to the public which is one of the most popular hikes on the island (sigh - guess we have to come back).
• Shopping at Coconut Marketplace (back in Kapa'a)
• Relaxing on the beach outside our hotel
• Dinner at the Shrimp Station

Day 5: East Side

• Bike riding along the Coconut Coast (one of my favorite day's of the whole trip)
• Opaekaa Falls - another quick road side stop with views of the falls.
• Koloa Rum Tasting - free tastings are held every 30 minutes but you do need to sign up. Unfortunately we didn't have enough time to wait for the next tour before we had to head to the airport. 
• Fly to Maui - read more about how we spent the next 5 days of our trip.

As always, no amount of time is ever enough! There are still so many things left to see and do. We didn't get a chance to explore Poipu or hike the Maha'ulepu Hertiage Trail which I've heard amazing things about. I would also love to kayak the Wailua River to Secret Falls and explore Queen's Bath on the north shore which we didn't hike down to because of the high tide. 

What is on your must-see list for Kauai?