Shaka Guide is a must-have if you want to tour any of the Hawaiian Islands. We purchased four tours on Kauai, and it was one of the best decisions we made during our trip. My grandson especially enjoyed the audio guide's commentary, stories, and music. The engaging narration kept the kids entertained throughout the drive while also teaching us about the island's history, culture, and landmarks. We were able to explore at our own pace and enjoy the many beautiful sights of Kauai without feeling rushed. Thanks to Shaka Guide, we discovered many of the island's top highlights that we likely would have missed on our own. I highly recommend purchasing Shaka Guide if you're planning to explore Hawaii independently. It made our trip more enjoyable, informative, and memorable!
About Activity
What's Included
Includes
- Tours NEVER expire
- Turn-by-turn audio navigation using GPS
- Offline map (map and GPS work completely offline -- no wifi or data needed)
- Freedom to explore at your own pace
- Tour highlights with activity and restaurant recommendations
- All 4 Shaka Guide audio driving tours for Kauai
- Audio narration with stories and music
Excludes
- Car rental
- Meals
Departure & Return
Departure Point
- The Waimea & Na Pali tour begins in Lawai. Select "Take the Tour" in the app, then select "Yes" for tutorial to the start of tour. From there, the app will give you turn-by-turn directions to the tour starting point. You can also join the tour at any point along the route.
Return
- The Waimea & Na Pali tour begins in Lawai. Select "Take the Tour" in the app, then select "Yes" for tutorial to the start of tour. From there, the app will give you turn-by-turn directions to the tour starting point. You can also join the tour at any point along the route.
Itinerary
Day 1
1
Before we get started visiting the picture-perfect beaches on this tour, pull over for a look at the Kalalea Mountain Range.
Remember the 1963 show Gilligan’s Island? Well, this picturesque beach is where the first season was filmed! Take a stroll on the beach where Gilligan and his crew started it all.
Kahili Beach is also known as Rock Quarry Beach because of a former rock quarry nearby. This is a remote rural beach with no facilities, just lots of beauty. If you have time, wade through the stream if it is low enough and check out the far left side of the beach. There is a huge rock to climb on for an epic view of the bay.
Located at the end of a scenic peninsula, the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge is home to a variety of local seabirds. Depending on the season there seem to be thousands of birds on the cliffs or in the skies. In the waters below, look out for spinner dolphins and monk seals in their natural habitat.
Take a short, 15-minute hike to the shore where you’ll find a beautiful and secluded white sand beach. Why is it a secret, you ask? This spot was relatively unknown in the past making it a popular nudist beach for hippies. But it’s not so secret anymore. Today, the beach goes by its Hawaiian name, Kauapea, and is better known for its breathtaking beauty.
Time to take out that snorkel gear! Anini Beach boasts the largest coral reef in Hawai'i and is considered one of the best snorkel spots in Kaua'i.
As you drive to Hanalei, on your right you’ll see a little shopping center for Princeville and to your left a scenic viewpoint. Pull over for a breathtaking view of Hanalei Valley with a patchwork of taro fields below and the lush mountains in the background.
The Okolehau Hike is a challenging 5-mile hike with some serious elevation gain. But if you just want to get out of the car for a quick walk, hike the first half mile of the trail until you reach an electric pole. There you will find an overlook of the Hanalei Valley.
Hanalei is a charming seaside town with a famous pier, restaurants, and shopping. While you’re here, it’s a great spot to grab some lunch or pick up picnic supplies for lunch on the pier.
Just past Hanalei is a small beach called Kahalahala. The trail will go down into a forested area before emerging in front of a beautiful pristine beach. This is where Nellie Forebrush sang the song “I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair” in the musical South Pacific.
This picturesque, huge, white sand beach is one of Kauai's most gorgeous. However, the steep sand slope creates a strong undertow and powerful waves that break directly on the sand.
Tunnels is the quintessential snorkeling and diving beach. There's plenty to explore here with underwater lava tubes with an abundance of sea life. In fact, Tunnels is consistently listed as one of the best snorkel spots on the island.
Strong ocean currents make Ha’ena Beach not so great for casual swimming. In fact, you may even see surfers out in the water cutting it up on the waves.
There is a cave called Maniniholo. It’s the remains of an old lava tube, evidence of Kauai’s fiery volcanic past!
If you are not feeling up to a hike, perhaps you can consider a stroll in the Limahuli Botanical Garden, located next to Ha'ena State Park. The garden is home to dozens of endangered plants and showcases native Hawaiian flora and fauna.
Ha'ena State Park is located at the end of the road. The popular state park features beautiful Ke'e Beach and the Kalalau Trail--one of the most ambitious hikes in Hawai'i. The 11-mile trail takes you along the steep cliffs of the Na Pali Coast.
Now, we’ll start making our way back to Kapa’a with two stops along the way. First, you’ll head back to Hanalei to visit the historic pier.
Hanalei Pier dates back to the late 1800’s. This picturesque pier stretches into Hanalei Bay and has been featured in a handful of movies, like Beachheads, South Pacific, and, more recently George Clooney’s The Descendants.
This farm-to-table fruit stand serves up awesome tropical smoothies, fresh juices, and other delicious frozen treats. They also offer a neat variety of local fruits and vegetables.
After your refreshing treat, you’ll begin making your way back to Kapa’a. On the return drive, you'll hear stories about King Kamehameha and his attempts to invade Kaua'i.
Day 2
2
Wailua Falls is an iconic 173-foot waterfall surrounded by jungle forest. This spot is just a quick photo op as there’s no hiking to the falls. It’s one of the most epic falls on the island, so you’ll definitely want to make the stop.
Lydgate Park is a cool place for kids both young and old alike. Little ones will love the gigantic Kamalani playground. There are also rock-enclosed pools that make swimming safe and fun. The protective pools were constructed so that reef fish can still come and go as they please.
An ancient Hawaiian temple in the Wailua River State Park area, Holoholokū Heiau was a sacred site tied to Kauaʻi’s aliʻi (chiefly class) and royal births. Today, its stone platform stands as a powerful reminder of the island’s deep spiritual and political history.
A sacred temple site within the Wailua Complex of Heiaus, Poliʻahu Heiau is believed to have been dedicated to ritual and chiefly ceremonies. Though only stone foundations remain, the site carries strong spiritual significance and reflects Kauaʻi’s powerful ancient ruling center along the Wailua River.
Located in Wailua River State Park, 'Opaeka’a Falls is a spectacular 150-ft waterfall that flows over volcanic basalt rocks. This is another stop for a photo op right next to the parking lot as there’s no hike to the falls.
Nestled on the outskirts of Wailua State Park, you’ll find a 363-acre Hindu monastery that’s considered one of the holiest sites in the Hindu religion. This Kadavul Temple is home to the largest quartz crystal on earth, surrounded by 108 golden statues of the Hindu god Siva.
The Kuilau Ridge hike is a relatively flat trail with a broad shaded path through an old-growth forest. It’s quite long, but we recommend just hiking the first mile or so.
This is technically more of a leisurely walk than a hike. Here, you’ll see local plant species like monkeypod trees. If you’re lucky you might even spot a rainbow eucalyptus tree!
The first is Sleeping Giant (Nounou Mountain) - West Trailhead. Technically, Sleeping Giant has three hikes of varying difficulties, but our tour takes you to the Sleeping Giant West Trail, which is the easiest.
If you’re looking for the chance to hike to a waterfall, you might want to skip Sleeping Giant and head straight to the nearby Ho'opi'i Waterfall Hike. On this hike, you’ll meander along a forest trail until you reach the first of two waterfalls. If you want to swim, you’ll have to continue past the first fall to the second where you’ll find a rope swing that you can use to jump into the pool below.
Kapa’a Town is a seaside neighborhood with cute restaurants, a few hotels, and some historic landmarks. Spend the afternoon learning about these sites, walking around the town, visiting local shops, and trying some Hawaiian food!
We recommend Pono Market for a poke plate lunch, but we’re sure you’ll notice all the cute little cafes and restaurants in Kapa’a. Take your pick and refuel.
Day 3
3
Take a quick adventure through a few ancient Hawaiian Heiau, a blowhole, a tropical garden, beautiful snorkeling beaches, some mini hikes, and a scenic drive to an ancient fishpond.
Learn about Prince Kuhio and how he became a real life hero!
Take a dip in the most picturesque beaches in South Kauai. If you’re lucky, you may even spot a turtle here!
Watch as this blowhole with an interesting legend shoot water up to 50 feet in the air!
Find out why this place was previously known as the perfect stopping point for trading routes between the Americas and Asia
At Kaneiolouma Cultural Complex, you’ll visit an ancient fishing village that dates back to the 1400s and spans 13 acres. Here you can find: remains of houses fishponds religious shrines, and altars with carved idols that have lain undisturbed for centuries
Poipu Beach is the perfect place for snorkeling or just relaxing and enjoying the scenery. Water here can get a little choppy in the spring and summer. The fall and winter are usually more calm.
Start your visit to Shipwrecks with a hike on the Maha'ulepu Heritage Trail for stunning panoramic views of the bay. The path from the beach leads to the top of a large rock cliff. The vantage point from there is absolutely breathtaking.
Just a few miles from Shipwreck Beach is Makauwahi Cave, a fascinating sinkhole inside a large limestone cave. Geologists believe that the cave began its formation up to 400,000 years ago as a sand dune. Today, it's one of the richest fossil sites in Hawai'i!
Here we will pull over to see the Pu'uwanawana cinder cone, which you can think of as a mini-volcano. This cinder cone, along with lava rocks on the beach and other volcanic features that dot these islands, tells the story of how Hawai'i came to be.
There’s loads of history on this tour, and the Koloa Jodo Mission Buddhist Temple is no exception. It’s a little temple that was built back in 1910 by Japanese immigrants who came to work in the sugar cane fields.
End your day by visiting the unique shops and boutiques in Old Koloa Town. Take your time to walk around the town here and absorb its unique heritage. There are also some great spots to grab dinner. We recommend Koloa Fish Market which has phenomenal poke bowls and other great local food plates.
After visiting Koloa Town, you can take a bonus drive a couple miles out of town to see a beautiful valley with a historically significant fishpond. This ancient fishpond was said to have been created by the legendary Menehune who are believed to be the first people to inhabit Hawai'i. This fishpond is a masterpiece of engineering invented in ancient Hawai'i, and the scenery that surrounds it is beautiful.
After you’ve explored Koloa Town or taken the bonus trip to the fishpond, we’ll point you towards Lihue or guide you back towards Poipu where you can end your day at the beach, grab some dinner if you haven’t yet, or do some shopping.
Day 4
4
Check out the app for more info!
Check out the app for more info!
Here in Waimea Town, there are some local places to shop and eat. Stop by if you need a quick snack for the road, but other than that we suggest you skip this spot for now and save it for your return trip. We’ll guide you back, we promise!
If you’ve been to Hawaii, you’ve probably seen a few waterfalls, but this waterfall is particularly unique. It runs through Kauai’s red dirt instead of lush green jungle which is what you normally see. Stop by for a quick picture and then continue into the park.
While you're on the trail, check out the interpretive signs that describe the native plants. The trail is actually named after a rare, exotic plant -- the iliau or Kaua'i greensword -- that is found nowhere else in the world but here on Kaua'i.
This is the first of two lookouts of Waimea Canyon. This lookout has some of the best views on a clear day. Stand atop the lookout to take in the expansive views of this natural wonder.
We’ll guide you to pull into a small parking lot for a view of an 800-foot waterfall that cascades into the canyon.
This is the second of the two lookouts for Waimea Canyon. Here at the end of the parking lot is the trailhead for Canyon Trail. The trail signs are a little confusing, so read the description under Hiking in our app Highlights before hiking.
Here is our first major hike for the day! The trail starts at the parking lot, and you’ll travel about ¾ of a mile through lush jungle to a spot called Cliff Viewpoint.
The lodge and museum at Koke'e are located at a small plateau in the mountain. The lodge is a sit-down restaurant with decent food if you are hungry. If you are lucky, sometimes they have live music! At the museum, there is a display of native plants, animals, and birds.
Here you will find your first view of the glorious Na Pali Coast. However, don’t be upset if dense fog prevents you from seeing any views. It’s typical at this altitude. Try waiting it out a few minutes as the fog tends to come and go in waves.
From this lookout, you get a view of the iconic Na Pali coast. You can also see the peak of Mt. Wai’ale’ale and a swamp called Alaka’i Swamp - one of the wettest places on the entire planet with about 450 inches of rain a year.
Their shave ice comes in a wide range of tropical and traditional flavors. We recommend getting one of their combos with vanilla or macadamia nut ice cream. Their small size is plenty big enough to share.
At the base of the mountain, just past the old swinging bridge is a hidden gem that reveals a fascinating part of Kauai's past: the Menehune Ditch. You might be thinking to yourself, what’s so cool about a ditch? Well, we’ll tell you the story of the Menehune who constructed this ditch thousands of years ago.
In 1778, Captain Cook became the first Westerner to discover Hawaii. The place where Cook first set foot in Hawai'i is right here in Waimea. We'll point out his statue in the middle of town.
Here in Hanapepe, there are a few quaint art boutiques, restaurants, murals, and an interesting little bookstore called Talk Story. In fact, it’s the westernmost bookstore in the United States! Feel free to stop anytime as we do a quick drive through the town.
If you’re interested in checking out a cool swinging bridge, there's one in Hanapepe. Look for the sign when you're walking around town.
Hanapepe is only a few minutes from Lawai, where you started the tour. We’ll guide you back in that direction with a fun story about Kauai's "state bird" along the way.
Language Offered
Additional Info
Cancellation Policy
Reviews
The tour was great. Make sure you start at the beginning. The music was invigorating and relaxing. We got lost and listened for a long time.
This was an excellent driving companion, highly recommend ! The addition of using the GPS allowed us to stop and start without missing pertinent information, and we were always oriented to our location.
Amazing guide! We saw everything in Kauai! Would highly recommend!
It’s a nice way to amplify the trip. Using the app ensures you’re able to obtain whatever level of experience you’re seeking.
Informative tour with options of starting points in Kauai. Enjoyed the narrator, the history and facts about the different stops along each tour. Affordable and a great way to see many parts of the island. Highly recommend!
Kauai Hawaii bundle tour was informative and entertaining. It added a lot to our experience without adding a lot our of our pocketbook!
Good tours. Easy to listen to and interesting details Directions were clear and helpful Saw things we might have missed on our own Worked well and was easy to connect and reconnect
This was the best way to see Kauai and all the hidden gems!! You can go at your own pace, explore places or pass them by! You also get to hear about the culture and history of the Island
It’s a great app! Showed us great spots that we wouldn’t have found otherwise. Amazing views also!!!
The tour lets you take your time and is filled with so many facts and stories of the island. The guy narrating the tour is funny.
My family really enjoyed the audio tours of Kauai. We discovered a lot of hidden gems that we would not have known about when driving on our own and my kids stayed entertained.
The app needs to work with your gps. A bit corny, but there is some fun history there
This was a great app. Easy to use, and took us places we wouldn’t have otherwise known about. Very much worth the money.
Absolutely hands down favorite tour(s) to date! The history and tidbits shared have been more than just a drive to see these sights! We have done two of the four and cannot wait to do the others…
We love the Shaka Guide Tours! We have taken many guided tours through this company and always see things we would have never seen and gain a better experience from the insight and education. Highly recommended!!
Too many restaurants and shopping locations and not enough viewing sites. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
App was very easy to install and provides clear directions. Tour narrations are very enjoyable and informative. Do need to download so you do not encounter difficulties when internet connection is spotty.
Great value. Drove around the island learning history and seeing all the sights. Very enjoyable trip.
Great app to use for becoing familiar with the area we were visiting, Kauai. I plan to use this app again when visiting new areas.. Very informative. A must for travelers who want to visit important sites and become familiar with the history of the area. I am not technically savy and initially had difficulty using this app that resulted in me contacting the vendor for additional assistance but will definitely purchase this app, Shaka Guide, when visiting new locations where it is available.
I had to come on here and thank Shaka Guide for creating this. My mom has trouble walking and touring areas for long periods of time. This was the perfect solution. We were able to stop and go anytime we wanted, we saw places we would have never thought to stop, and it even made us laugh while giving us stories about the culture and tour spots. It really made us feel like the tour was catered for us! We will definitely recommend this to our friends and family!
We LOVED this app. So much interesting information combined with culture and occasionally music. I wish I had an app like this for my home town.
App was easy to setup and use. The audio tours were very easy to follow and very informative. Recommended!
If you are older and are not a technology person you might have problems like we did. If it was able to track where you were and start it would be better. It had us go out of our way and go back to the starting point several times which made no sense. the only tour that worked was the Waimea Canyon tour which was wonderful. When we went to Princeville to start the tour it said the tour was running but we were not getting any directions to listen to. It was more than aggravating! The only way I would do this is if I had someone younger who understands it all. Overall, I was not happy with it.
Shaka Guide was so simple to use. We enjoyed all four tours, so informative and the guides were interesting and funny and it was so easy on the GPS. I feel like we saw so much of Kauai because of these tours. Highly recommend!
Loved the Boat, the staff was very friendly and accommodating, they took us to all the really nice and scenic views, and told us the stories of the island
I ran this on an Android phone and it never went past "preparing map". I tried downloading the additional maps with the same, terrible, results.
Great app overall!! The driving directions and GPS were spot on! It even included construction zones. For the price highly recommended. We downloaded the app and took a day to see each part of Kauai. Was a nice alternative to taking a tour bus!
Not all tours are audio it was very easy to follow once you figured out how to get around the app unfortunately the tours that we picked had no audio
It was very informative and interesting. If we had known it was so good, we would not have spent a ton of money on an all day bus tour. We would definitely recommend it to others and we look forward to using it in the future.
Really enjoyed This bundle. Saw some great places off the beaten path and on the beaten path. Loved the music and entertainment. It was great deal and was mostly easy to find tour starts.
We definitely saw different areas than we would have on our own. Definitely recommend for first time visitors.
Perfect, even though the tsunami wasn't part of the program, depriving us of some of our visits! 🤣 La navigation dans l’application est parfois déroutante mais au bout d’un certain temps on s’en accommode.
Easy to use, great, interesting narration. I would definitely purchase again for other destinations.
We rented a van and did our own tour in Maui and it was miserable. We were constantly navigating and researching food options or next stops and had never explored the area. It felt frustrating and a total waste of time. Shaka guide is a curated experience with clear step by step directions, music along the way and local and historical stories to keep you informed and entertained. The best part was setting our own pace and picking and choosing our stops and/or hikes.
I like to plan my vacations around where these apps are available.They are that good. We have 3 so far. It is like a personal tour guide.Sitting in the car with you.It will tell you where to turn the history behind where you are going.What to skip what is worth visiting?How much energy you're going to exert?Whether the hike is worth it what you will see on the hike.
Super informative, great directions, and a great way to see Kauai for the first time without being stuck on a tour bus. Shaka has done a great job creating these audio tours.
This app was difficult to find where to start, and if we got off the schedule route it had difficulties reconnecting to our location
Once you download the app and set up your car speakers. This was the most user friendly way to plan a tour. Without the personal tour guide costs. Also, you travel at your own pace.
So happy to discover this Audio Driving Tour! Had no idea something like this existed. We purchased the 4 tour package (covering 4 different areas on Kauai) & used it multiple times during our 2 week trip. We learned about history and places that we never would have discovered without the guide and were able to turn it on and off at our discretion. We had a "free" afternoon one day and just decided to visit an area that wasn't on our "must-see" list and followed the guide for a very enjoyable couple of hours. This guide definitely enhanced our vacation! p.s. loved the story telling & Hawaiin themed music that plays inbetween sights.
Wonderful way to explore a new place or learn new things about somewhere you have already been. Fun facts and historical overview you won't get from those viewpoint signs.
So fun and easy to use! We just adapted the tours to where we were and let them fill in the blanks for us. Totally recommend!
These driving tours were a great way to see the islands. The bits of history kept things interesting between stops. The tours took us to places we never would have seen or experienced otherwise. There were a couple of technical issues with delayed directions and such, but that was probably the fault of the GPS, not the tour. I would recommend these audio tours to anyone that likes to see the country and experience the "untouresty" things.
You can go at your own pace, skip what you aren't interested in and spend more time where you are interested. Check if reservations are needed. We wanted to see the light house in Kauai, and we didn't realize reservations were needed. The tours were very informative, and we enjoyed the stories and history. Well worth the money!
Didn't work with android auto. I had difficulty getting it to work. I called customer service. And they said that they're working on getting android auto available.If I'd known that I wouldn't have ordered it
We never were able to have the experience! I sent an email to the help link on Friday- no answer. Saturday, I called the number for our guide and the recording said they must be busy, they would call back. We went to the meeting place , tired the number again- still not answering. Called the original number, she said it was too late to redo and they would refund my money. Two hours later I received an email from “our guide” with the information and directions we needed. By that time we were cancelled. It was a frustrating process and put a major damper on the mood and morning!
This was such an incredible tour package and highly recommended if you have a rental car and several days to explore. We were able to take our time and explore at our own pace. I am a fan and will gladly recommend this to friends and family. I love that there are other islands and even parks that have this as well. Kudos for a very easy and self guided tour!!!
Fun, educational, funny - fantastic. The fact that the software knows where you are and adjusts automatically (for example skipping a venue or just doing a driveby) is great. A lot of fun activities for the more active customer too.
We HIGHLY recommend the Shaka guide audio tours! This is the second time we’ve used them for the road to Hana. The first time was 7 years ago when my husband and I were here as a couple. This visit we brought our 3 kids and they got SO much out of the audio tour! We are likely going to do another while we are on this trip it was such a hit! They are homeschooled so it felt like we were checking off a lot in the education department for the day and it kept them quietly listening in the backseat and not teasing their siblings! Haha! Win win!
We saw things we might have missed. Loved hearing the history of the island. We completed two of the tours and have time for the other two. The honestly about trail difficulty helps us plan our adventure. Thank you Shaka for this terrific traveling tool.
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