Tours

Many Hawaiian companies are owned by mainlanders or foreigners who fell in love with the islands and decided to stay. That is not the case for this tour company. Owner (and president) Bogart Kealoha was born in Hawai'i and has spent his whole life exploring his birthplace, Kauai. The name of his company means "family," and each of his employees aim to provide the kind of tour that could normally only be experienced if a Kauai local was a close friend or family member. Tours visit swamps, valleys, hidden beaches and waterfalls. The price starts at $150 per person for a 50-minute tour.

The "veggie vessels" that are owned by this tour company work in cooperation with local restaurants. The same oil that is used to cook a meal one night might be used to cruise to the reef the next morning. Daytime snorkeling excursions visit the dolphins, explore the caves, and tour the coral reefs. Evening sightseeing tours usually coincide with the sunset. The captains and tour guides are well trained in environmental awareness.

Among the spectacular sights you'll see on this tour are Manaowaipuna Falls (the falls seen in Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park), Mount Wai'ale'ale (if you are lucky, you will get to 'copter inside the crater) and, of course, the epic Na Pali cliffs. The combined narrative and background music adds to the stunning visual effects. Craft are equipped with floor-to-ceiling windows for optimal viewing. Owner and pilot Chuck DiPiazza has been in the business on Kauai for more than 10 years. Call for prices and more information.

Paddle the river through the rain forest, snorkel a hidden beach, or hike the path of the Hulei'a River. This Hawaiian-owned eco-tour company allows guests to participate in any of the above activities. The ultimate tour is the Helicopter-Kayak Adventure Tour; it combines all activities, starting with a helicopter ride above Na Pali and Waimea Canyon. While some tours are not appropriate for youngsters or persons with disabilities, some tours are appropriate for ages three on up to 80-something. Call for daily schedule and prices.

The three specialized sections of this company provide visitors with a complete look around the island of Kauai. Kauai Mountain Tours offers four-wheel-drive tours and hiking excursions around Palii-Kona Forest Reserve and Koke'e Park. Kauai Backroads goes where no tour company has gone before, trekking around private property and bumpy back roads. SeaFun Kauai provides tourists with the opportunity to snorkel the top spots off the Kauai coast. Take one tour or all three. The photo ops are endless.

Commended by the U.S. Coast Guard for its high standards, this charter company provides a variety of sailing tours off the coast of Kauai. Sunset cruises, whale watches, full-day cruises along the Na Pali coast and numerous snorkel excursions are offered. The cruises range from two to six hours and take place aboard motor-powered sailboats. The most popular excursion is a seven-hour trip to the Forbidden Isle of Ni'ihau. The two main vessels are approved for 99 passengers, although only 49 passengers are aboard at one time. Check website for details.

If you want to follow in the footsteps (or hoofprints, as it were) of the paniolos, book an excursion with CJM. Experienced guides lead riders on a tour of cattle country, through a working ranch and down the dunes to the ocean. Three different rides are offered. The earliest is a breakfast ride down to a private beach. The second two hour ride is the most popular. This tour is offered twice daily. The third tour combines a 90-minute ride with an ocean swim and picnic lunch. Several rides are offered daily. Call or check the website for a schedule or more information.

The aim of Captain Andy and his stalwart crew is to ensure that each guest has the maximum amount of fun. People who want to cruise and play will probably be more than happy with the Captain's itinerary. Sunset sails, whale watches, day cruises and half-day sailing adventures are offered. All of them provide the opportunity to spot whales (in season), spinner dolphins or other beloved Hawaiian marine denizens. Day cruises offer a buffet lunch; evening cruises include cocktails.

Awarded five stars by PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors), this center bills itself as "Kauai's most progressive and complete" scuba dive facility. Progressive it certainly is; it offers the widely publicized and very controversial new fuel known as Nitrox. Two dive boats run continuously each day, carrying small groups of divers to several sites off Kauai. Favorite attractions include the Sheraton Caverns and Koloa Landing. Instructional courses from introductory to advanced are also offered; instructor certification is available. Equipment is available to rent or buy.

Have you ever dreamt of having a horseback wedding, finding your spiritual side while you ride, or galloping across gorgeous Hawaii? Well, Esprit De Corps Riding Academy can make these equestrian dreams come true. Located in the town of Kapaa, this academy offers various trail rides like the "All Day Adventure", "Fast Half Ride", "A Taste of Kauai" and many more. Private and group lessons, camps and apprentice programs are available too. Gallop your way to a fun vacation. Rides and lessons are available as per age group, skill and the like, so choose accordingly.

Kauai's eastern side is home to many natural attractions, not the least of which is this enormous lava cave wreathed in ferns. You will need to take a river tour in order to catch a glimpse of it. If you want to make a day trip out of it, take one of the more rugged kayak tours. These include a few other stops past the grotto. Speedboat tours are faster and also include entertainment and refreshments.

Kauai Sugar Plantation is the last working sugarcane plantation in the Kauai Island and among the last two remaining in the Hawaiian islands. It is located off Highway 50, just after mile marker 19 in the city of Kaumakani. A tour of the plantation is offered by Gay & Robinson Tours. Taking this tour will enable you to understand the harvesting and processing of sugarcane. There is also an on-site museum where you can check out photographs, documents, equipment and artifacts, all related to the sugar industry on the island for free. For details, check the website.

If you want to see everything, see it by helicopter. This company offers daily tours, departing from both Lihue and Princeville Airports. Journey down the spectacular Na Pali coastline, over ancient Hawaiian trails, Waialeala Crater, Waimea Canyon and more. Na Pali, in particular, cannot be viewed by car; an aerial view is the best way to experience this Kauai phenomenon.Several different tours are available; all cover island highlights and are conducted by experienced pilots. Rates average $135 per person for 45 minutes. Call for timings.

Soar over Hawaii's Garden Isle in an A-Star chopper for a unique holiday experience! Heli USA Airways offers aerial tours and awesome views of this volcanic island and its principal attraction, the fiery Mt. Wai'ale'ale. Choose from a gamut of tours, most of which start off from the local heliport and cover all of Kauai's natural wonders. From spectacular waterfalls to lush rainforests, and pristine beaches to stunning igneous rock-faces, each tour unfolds a different facet of the island. Views of the Waimea Canyon and the Mt.Wai'ale'ale Wailing Wall are not to be missed, neither are the breathtaking, 4,000 foot tall Na Pali sea cliffs. Tours are priced from USD120 onwards—some offer treats, such as a lunch voucher or a champagne toast to be enjoyed as you cruise the skies.

There are very few ways to visit the island of Ni'ihau, otherwise known as the Forbidden Island. This is one of a select few companies that can bring non-natives onto the shores of the Hawaiians only island. It also offers luxury snorkel tours, whale watches, sunset cruises and private charters. While these excursions cannot quite offer the mystique of the Ni'ihau adventure, tourists might still be won over by the protected cabins and the free-flowing beer and wine. Motor and sail cruises are offered.

Distinguished by their rainbow-striped hulls, these helicopters are special for another reason: A section of the unique "Scenic View" windows open, allowing passengers to avoid the glare factor that ruins many-a-picture. The helicopters tour the Na Pali coast, Waimea Canyon and other stunning landmarks. Navigated and narrated by experts, the tours have earned rave reviews from such expert guides as Conde Nast.

Situated in the 2,500 acres Princeville Ranch, the Jungle Valley has an adventure packed tour on hand. Combine hiking, kayaking and zip-lining for a rumble-and-tumble experience. Tourist are escorted by well-trained and experienced guides. So if your brave enough to navigate yourself through the rough waters in a barrel-shaped boat, pack your bags and book a tour at the 'Ranch'. Check website for admission rates.

Back-roading takes on a whole new meaning after you have experienced one of these wild rides. Yamaha or Honda 250 Semi-Automatic ATVs are the mode of transportation, and adventure is the point of the journey. Different tours are offered including a private guide tour, a waterfall tour and a scenic plantation tour. The little four-wheel vehicles are sturdy, fun and ready for any kind of road—or no road at all. The course goes down dirt roads through the cane fields, up ridges and along the coast. While the ride is not smooth and clothes can get muddy, thrill seekers should enjoy this tour quite a bit. Call for prices and tour times.

This is a far cry from bus or helicopter touring. It takes place on a private plantation on the south shore of Kauai. Participants bike down a cane road through a sugar plantation and then hike a coastline trail to a patch of rainforest. Lunchtime is enjoyed at an isolated beach on the Mahaulepu coast. The tour company, Aloha Kauai Tours, bills its adventures as "the essence of eco-tourism," and indeed, these tours are about as back-to-basics as could be imagined. They are appropriate for novice and intermediate hikers from ages 8 and up. Also available are snorkeling and 4x4 tours throughout the island.

In California, tourists visit the wineries; in Hawaii they tour the coffee plantations. Kauai's largest coffee grower offers free tours around the estate. Visitors sip the finished product, wander among the coffee trees, and learn from the experts how coffee gets to the cup. This company is located on the Koloa Estate, a 3,400-acre estate that is known for its red dirt and pesticide-free practices.

There are many ways to see the sea off the shore of Kauai, and this company aims to cover all of the options. Raft tours, whale watches, catamaran cruises and first-class day tours are offered. Depending on the excursion, guests can snorkel just off the shore, get up close to larger marine life, enjoy buffet dining aboard the Lucky Lady, or visit an ancient Hawaiian village. Catamaran cruises are appropriate for everyone; raft expeditions are suited for hardier folks.

Anyone who is reasonably comfortable in a kayak might prefer a self-guided exploration of the waters off Kauai; it costs about a third of what a guided tour costs. It is not necessary to have a great deal of experience in a kayak; the most popular tour traverses a fairly calm stream. New, sturdy kayaks and PowerFlex paddles are rented here. Maps lead travelers on a journey up the gentle Wailua River and through the Fern Grotto.Guided tours are also offered.

A number of seabirds, including shearwaters, red-footed boobies and albatross can be seen at this reserve. Indigenous plant life also thrives. While experts will probably come prepared, regular tourists will appreciate the on-loan binoculars and the refuge's volunteer staff. Sometimes whales or other inhabitants of the sea can be glimpsed in the waters below Lighthouse Point. Do not forget to stop by the old lighthouse (an attraction in its own right) before leaving.

Some people might consider it romantic, while others would say it is a novelty. Either way, the horse-and-carriage tour of the historic Kilohana Plantation is an interesting way to spend an hour. Informative coachmen/guides regale the passengers with anecdotes and tidbits of information about Kauai's sugary past. Passengers stop to view the harvesters in action and nibble stalks of fresh cane. There is a one-hour tour and a 20-minute tour. Reservations are suggested.

This rough-and-tumble experience is like a cross between a motorcycle ride and a back-road trek. Tours take place on a working cattle ranch that covers 3,000 acres. Participants travel through forests, fields, up inclines and down riverbeds. Along the way there are plenty of sights to see; the Menehune Fish Pond and the Haupu Mountains are two of the main ones. This is the only way to gain access to Kipu Ranch. Participants ride sturdy Honda 300cc ATVs. Plenty of rules apply; call in advance for more information or to make reservations.

The sea cliffs of Kauai's west side tower above the wild and beautiful ocean, sometimes reaching as high as 4,000 feet above sea level. They give Na Pali its name, which is Hawaiian for "The Cliffs." In addition to being considered one of the most beautiful coastlines in the world, this 17-mile stretch also offers some of the world's best hiking. Less hardy sightseers will want to tour the area by helicopter or boat. There are several companies that offer Na Pali adventures.

Owned and operated by the former owners of Z-Tour-Z, this company offers the same high-powered excursions along Na Pali Coast. If conditions permit, five-hour excursions along the coast depart twice daily. The vessels are motor-powered inflatable rafts, known to provide a fast, exhilarating ride. Passengers can get prime views of whales and other marine life, and one segment of the tour actually goes inside several sea caves. Lunch and snorkeling are also included in every excursion package. Call for more information.

This business offers some of the best high-ticket hunting west of Africa. The island is only inhabited by a few native Hawaiians, but until recently, the inhabitants were the only ones permitted to hunt the island's boar and sheep, but the family that owns the island recently opened certain areas up to non-hunters. The hunt is guaranteed to be challenging, but a good hunter should be able to bag a boar or a ram. Assistance obtaining a Hawaii State hunting license (though not the cost of the license itself), round-trip transportation to the private island of Ni'ihau, transportation on the island itself, a guide, a skinning crew, lunch, snacks and cold drinks, trophy care in the field, boxing of horns and skins for a taxidermist, and two animals are included in the price per day. Riffle rental is available.

This company offers a few outdoor adventures in addition to renting bikes and kayaks. "Bike Downhill" is similar to the Haleakala Downhill tours offered by many companies on Maui. The 12-mile tour traverses the Waimea Canyon. "Jungle Paddle" takes people down the island streams to waterfalls and jungle pools. According to the season, either the Kipu Kai or the Na Pali Coast tour is offered. Both tours take place in open ocean waters and are recommended for physically fit individuals.

Improbable as it seems, this company's large white vans seem to get to every valley, vista, waterfall and lookout point in Kauai. Tours visit such landmarks as Waimea Canyon in Kokee State Park, the Menehune Fishpond, Spouting Horn and Hanapepe Towne. Tours range from two hours to a full day. Schedules are available on its Web site or at any activity desk. Polynesian Adventure Tours also operates on Oahu, Maui and the Big Island of Hawaii.

There are four parts to the Princeville Ranch: stables, hiking and kayaking adventures, retreats, and sunset dinner and wagon rides. The ranch spans 2,500 acres of jungle, river and fields. Hikers and horseback riders can traverse the bluffs, explore the hills and relax by hidden waterfalls. Each part of the ranch handles its own affairs and has its own office hours. Activities start at USD59 and ddvance reservations are required. To see a listing of specific activities, visit the Web site or request a brochure.

Training and development can be fun at this ranch and resort; in fact, that is the goal. A professional facilitator is on hand to plan and manage any retreat, whether it is small or enormous. The gorgeous scenery of the 2,500-acre, island ranch is the backdrop for meetings or workshops. A bountiful amount of activities—group horseback rides or waterfall swims—can easily be worked into the daily schedule. Outdoor barbeques take the place of dinner parties. Japanese translation is available.

This well-known tour operator takes visitors to all of Kauai's major attractions and places of interest. Tour groups travel by bus or boat. Some tours only last a few hours; others last all day. The Waimea Canyon & Wailua River Tour is eight hours long. This company also offers day trips or overnighters to other islands. It works with other companies to provide customers the best rates on rental cars and hotels on neighboring islands.

This well-known tour operator takes visitors to all of Kauai's major attractions and places of interest. Tour groups travel by bus or boat. Some tours only last a few hours; others last all day. The Waimea Canyon & Wailua River Tour is eight hours long. This company also offers day trips or overnighters to other islands. It works with other companies to provide customers the best rates on rental cars and hotels on neighboring islands.

This air tour company is based out of Hilo and Kauai, and is owned by a retired Naval Reserves officer. With a small staff and state-of-the-art helicopters, the company aims to offer a truly unforgettable tour experience. Heli-tours visit the many waterfalls, jungles and isolated beaches of Kauai. Inter-island flights are also available. The Kaua'i tour is for 55-minute in the off-season, Internet discounts are sometimes available.

Check out beautiful streams, mountains, rich botanical and animal life on Kauai's North Shore with the Silver Falls Ranch. Peacocks, rare flowers and other treasures are all waiting to be found! This ranch offers leisurely and fast paced horseback rides, swims, picnics, customized rides and stable visits for all you horse and nature lovers. Let the trained & affable staff guide you through the gorgeous property and lush surroundings. The Hawaiian landscape awaits you! Check the website for details.

This tour company aims to not only visit the top tourist attractions, but also to show tourists parts of the island that are only known to locals. Common tour highlights include Waimea Canyon, Wailua Falls and Mount Waialeale (famous for getting the highest rainfall in the world.) The knowledgeable pilots know how to display Kauai's breathtaking natural beauty to the fullest. The charges are $209 per person.

Enjoy an adventure in the sparkling blue waters off the southern shore of Kauai. The craft is a speedy 24-foot Zodiac raft with a hard hull. Besides the fast-paced marine journey, passengers can enjoy an open-water snorkel. There are plenty of opportunities to spot dolphins, turtles and other sea creatures. Lunch and refreshments are provided. The three-hour trip departs from the South Side harbor located right near Spouting Horn. Admission: Adults: USD94, Children(5-12 years) USD84.