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The new guide to Kaua‘i’ – The Garden Isle

The oldest and northernmost island in the Hawaiian chain is draped in rainforest-clad emerald valleys, sharp mountain spires and jagged cliffs with cascading waterfalls, in short some of the most jaw-droppingly beautiful scenery in Hawaii.

The Waimea Canyon and the majestic fluted sea cliffs of the Napali coast have featured in many a Hollywood movie. Nicknamed the Garden Isle thanks to its fecund vegetation, Kaua‘i’ also has an alternative vibe.

Best things to do on Kaua‘i’

Scenic flights on Kaua‘i’

Much of Hawai‘i’s Kaua‘i’ is inaccessible so take to the air to marvel at its panoramic vistas. See the Napali Coast, Waimea Canyon, Manawaiopuna, Waialeale shield volcano crater, Hanalei Bay and more via a helicopter or small plane tour.

Kaua‘i, Hawaii Malama
Marvel at the untamed beauty of Kauai.

Explore the Napali Coast of Kaua‘i’ by water and land

There are numerous options for water-based tours including yacht cruises, catamaran and snorkel tours, sunset sails, and rafting tours. Adventurous souls will enjoy a one-day kayak trip along the 28-kilometre coast. Experienced hikers can hike the spectacular but dangerous 18-mile Kalalau Trail with a pre-booked permit. The Hanakapiai Falls Trail is a 13-kilometre round-trip day hike, half of it along the Napali coastline and the other half up to the stunning 100-metre Hanakapiai Falls. It does not require a permit.

Wailua Kayak, Kauai, Hawaii
Adventurous souls will enjoy a one-day kayak trip along the 28-kilometre coast.

More hiking on Kaua‘i’

The hiking is world class and can be challenging. Kaua‘i’ Hiking Tours, the island’s only certified Sustainable Tour Operator, offers guided hikes of the Waimea Canyon and Napali cliff top, Nounou Mountain (Sleeping Giant), Kuilau Ridge Trail to Mt Wai ale ale Viewpoint and more as well as four-wheel-drive tours of the island.

Napal Cliff top, Kauai, Hawaii USA
Kauai Hiking Tours offers guided hikes of Nāpali cliff top (Image: Jeremiah Felsen)

Best Beaches on Kaua‘i’

There are so many sublime beaches including the wide beach at horseshoe-shaped Hanalei Bay, framed by the pretty township of Hanalei, Haena Beach overlooked by Mount Makana (Bali Hai in the movie South Pacific), (see previous reference that advance reservations are required to visit the Haena State Park ) Lydgate Beach whose lagoon is a popular snorkelling spot, and Poipu Beach with a natural wading pool. Kekaha Beach on the west coast is a great surfing spot. Many beaches do not have lifeguards. Only swim when the waters are calm, generally during the warmer months.

Other adventures on Kaua‘i’

With all that dense vegetation, some of the longest courses and the most breathtaking views, Kaua‘i’ is a superb place to go ziplining over the rainforest.

Kaua‘i’ is also home to the only navigable rivers in Hawai‘i: the Hanalei River, Huleia River, and the tranquil Wailua River, which is the most popular for kayakers.

Explore Hawai‘i’s National Tropical Botanical Garden at its three sites: Allerton Garden and McBryde Garden just west of Kōloa, and Limahuli Garden on the North Shore.

Na Pali Coast Kauai Island Canyons Hawaii
Kauai is home to some of the most breathtaking views.

Weekly travel news, experiences
insider tips, offers, and more.

Best food experiences on Kaua‘i’

Visit Sunshine farmers’ markets all over the island. Sample homemade ice cream at Lappert’s Hawai‘i.

Tasting Kaua‘i’ offers fun educational food tours to help visitors learn how food is grown on Kaua‘i’, discover specialty fruits and vegetables unique to Hawai‘i, taste local specialties and support local farms and chefs.

Malama Taro lifestyle

Fifth-generation taro farmer Lyndsey Haraguchi-Nakayama is passionate about working her loi kalo (taro patch). “I’m trying to preserve something for generations to come. Our farm is also home to native Hawaiian water bird species. Our priority is to not only provide food for the community but to keep endangered birds safe as well."

taro fields agriculture, hawaii islands agriculture in hanalei, island of kauai, hawaii islands
Fifth-generation taro farmer Lyndsey Haraguchi-Nakayama says, “I’m trying to preserve something for generations to come."

Lyndsey also runs a food truck called Hanalei Taro and Juice Company, which serves her family recipes for taro mocha cake, zesty taro hummus, taro veggie burgers and taro smoothies as well as other more authentic Hawaiian food such as laulau, kālua pig, poi, lomi salmon, and kulolo. “Many people have a negative connotation of poi if they didn’t grow up eating it, but after they enjoy our dishes they walk away with a whole new appreciation of taro and its importance to Hawaiian culture."

For all your Hawai‘i travel information visit Go Hawai‘i, or download the GoHawai‘i app.

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12 grand journeys throughout North America

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    Discover North America’s epic adventures — from Route 66 and Alaska cruises to Hawai‘i road trips, NYC culture, Mexico trails and more.

    1. Route 66, the Main Street of America

    Travelling with: Ricky French

    Sunset on Route 66 in the California Mojave Desert.
    Hit the open road and trace America’s legendary highway. (Image: Getty/Der_Thomasa)

    Dubbed the Main Street of America, Route 66 radiates serious main character energy, cemented into popular culture through everything from John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath to the Disney Pixar film Cars. Spanning nearly 4000 kilometres from Chicago to Los Angeles, the historic highway celebrates its centenary next year, a timely invitation to take the mother of all road trips along the Mother Road. Allow two to three weeks to tackle the full length, or bite off a smaller chunk at either end, cruising the dramatic deserts of California or the more pastoral landscapes of Illinois, lined with neon-lit diners, retro gas stations and quirky roadside attractions.

    2. Mexico’s Día de los Muertos

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    emblematic catrina of mexico with flowers and necklace with sempasuchil flowers
    Celebrate life and honour loved ones in vibrant style. (Image: Getty/Fabian Pacheco)

    You might know Oaxaca as the birthplace of mole and mezcal. But the state in southern Mexico is also where the Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) began. Time your visit to coincide with the colourful holiday, on 1–2 November, which honours and celebrates loved ones who have passed away. Oaxaca is also Mexico’s Michelin-starred culinary capital, with 18 restaurants and a humble taco stand listed in the 2025 guide.

    3. Museum-hop in New York City

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    The Guggenheim Museum’s iconic spiralling exterior, a highlight of North America Epic Adventures.
    Step inside and marvel at bold, world-class art. (Image: Damiano Fiore)

    Your map app will look like it’s been scattered with confetti after you’ve dropped pins on all the museums you want to visit in New York City. Must-sees are the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art aka the Met, and the Museum of Modern Art. The American Museum of Natural History is also a draw. It’s also worth venturing into the boroughs to browse institutions such as the Brooklyn Museum, which has a huge permanent collection categorised by culture.

    4. The USA’s music scene

    Travelling with: Elizabeth Whitehead

    The Seattle skyline at night, aglow with city lights on North America Epic Adventures.
    Soak up skyline views and dive into the city’s coffee culture. (Image: Abigail Boone)

    If you’re a muso, chances are you’ve wanted to make a pilgrimage to the United States, the epicentre of so many beloved genres. Whether you’re head-banging your way around the Grunge Circuit in Seattle, chasing the twang of the pedal steel through Tennessee or bouncing between blues bars in the Mississippi Delta, the USA’s rich music culture has something that’ll strike a chord.

    5. Road-tripping Hawai‘i

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    A woman surfing in Hawaii, gliding across turquoise waves on North America Epic Adventures.
    Catch the waves and ride Hawaii’s iconic swells. (Image: Ben Ono)

    Hawai‘i is one of the most diverse US states to road trip around. Of the six major islands to visit, the Island of Hawai‘i packs in everything from the snowy summits of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa to black-sand beaches and lava fields frozen in the act of flowing forward. Change down a few gears on the island of O‘ahu, too, where you can find your own patch of sand on Waimanalo Beach. Visit poi and pineapple plantations. And hang ten on beginner-friendly waves on the North Shore.

    6. Cruising Alaska

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    Explora Journeys ship cruising in Alaska.
    Sail past glaciers and spot whales in pristine waters.

    Seeing Alaska from the sea allows you to cover a lot of distance quickly. This immersive frontier now beckons more than ever before with Explora Journeys adding the American state to its global destination portfolio. Best of all are the pre-and post-journey immersions that connect the luxury of a cruise onboard Explora III with the rugged grandeur of the Alaskan interior. UnCruise Adventures also weaves in access to remote national parks, legendary wildlife corridors and authentic cultural experiences on its Alaskan itineraries.

    7. The Wixárika Route in Mexico

    Travelling with: Elizabeth Whitehead

    People journeying through the Wixarika Route.
    Journey deep into sacred Huichol traditions and art.

    For generations, the Indigenous Wixárika People of Mexico have walked a sacred path known as Tatehuarí Huajuyé, or ‘The Path of Our Grandfather Fire’. The annual pilgrimage route spans 500 kilometres, taking in significant sites in Wixárika spirituality and cosmology. The route passes through the deserts, mountains and forests of northern Mexico before reaching Wirikuta, believed to be the place the sun first emerged. The route is a living cultural landscape of Indigenous culture pre-Columbian influence and, in July this year, was formally inscribed into UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

    8. Drive the Iceberg Coast in Canada

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    Iceberg off the east coast of Canada
    Chase icebergs along Expedition 51 on Canada’s east coast. (Image: Canadian Tourism Commission/ Chris Hendrickson)

    Download the icebergfinder.com map to better plan your road trip along Canada’s Iceberg Coast. The new highway, which has been nearly 25 years and CAD$1.1 billion in the making, threads through the country’s pleated coastlines around Quebec, Newfoundland, Labrador, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick before looping in the French islands of St Pierre and Miquelon. As well as chasing icebergs along Expedition 51, travellers will have the opportunity to engage with cultures that have thrived in the pristine provinces for thousands of years.

    9. A foodie tour of Nova Scotia

    Travelling with: Katie Carlin

    Lunenberg Nova Scotia
    Try lobster rolls in Lunenburg on the east coast of Canada in Nova Scotia. (Image: Natalia Kvitovska/ Unsplash)

    World-famous for its lobster, Nova Scotia is a Canadian province best savoured through its culinary clout shaped by sea and terroir. Bite into lobster rolls at historic Lunenburg’s Salt Shaker Deli & Inn and sip maple rum at Ironworks Distillery. Winery-hop around Wolfville’s rising vineyards (don’t miss Lightfoot & Wolfville). Take a maple syrup tour at Sugar Moon Farm near Earltown. And pull up a seat at waterfront Bar Sofia in Halifax, where Nova Scotia oysters aguachile arrive bright with cucumber, lime and pickled onion.

    10. Soak up the sun in the Caribbean

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    Overwater bungalows off a beach in the Caribbean
    Experience the white-sand beaches and cerulean seas of the Caribbean on board a cruise.

    The Caribbean is on the radar for seasoned cruisers. And it’s easy to see why, with white-sand beaches, cerulean seas and swaying palms so picture-perfect they look AI-generated. Cruise with Windstar, Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity on its inaugural Xcel season to the Caribbean to enjoy action-packed excursions such as snorkelling coral reefs and shopping for local trinkets. And those sea days? Spectacular.

    11. Red Chair Hikes of Canada

    Travelling with: Kassia Byrnes

    Red Adirondack chairs overlooking Lake Minnewanka in Canada
    Take a seat at Lake Minnewanka, one of more than 400 red Adirondack chairs scattered across Canada’s hiking routes. (Image: Getty Images/ Autumn Sky Photography)

    No one appreciates the great outdoors more than Canadians, emerging from snow-covered winters to tread glacial rivers and snowshoe through forests, or to hike mighty mountains and wildflower-strewn valleys come spring. Along popular hikes around the country, more than 400 red Adirondack chairs have been placed in peaceful, breathtaking locations. What started as a social media contest now sees hikers soaking in classic Canadian lake and mountain vistas, overlooking historic sites or gazing down on the mountainous path they just travelled.

    12. Ride the Rocky Mountaineer from Denver to Moab, USA

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    Sweeping views from the Rocky Mountaineer.
    The Rocky Mountaineer will continue as the Canyon Spirit in 2026, seen here carving through Ruby Canyon.

    Sighting wild animals is one of many incredible thrills along the two-day luxury Rockies to the Red Rocks route onboard the Rocky Mountaineer across America’s Southwest between mid-April and mid-October. In addition to the lone bear, we spot bighorn sheep, elk, beavers, pronghorn antelope, bald eagles and ospreys. Riding the rails onboard the luxury train, which was founded in Canada in 1990 and has been awarded the prestigious World’s Leading Travel Experience by Train several times, has never been about just getting from A to B. Ride the train from Denver to Moab and you will see the scenery change from snow-capped peaks to meadows, red-rock canyons and soaring cliffs that resemble ornate Gaudí-esque cathedrals. But it’s not until you get off the train that you can produce the ultimate Venn diagram, with nature and adventure in the intersecting spheres.