Kauai Waimea Canyon, Wailua River Boat & Fern Grotto Tour
4.5
Kauai Waimea Canyon, Wailua River Boat & Fern Grotto Tour
By Polynesian Adventure
About
Those short on time can pack in Kauai’s top natural sights on this full-day tour of Waimea Canyon and the Wailua River. Travel in a comfortable air-conditioned bus as your local guide shares stories of Kauai’s rich history and narrates passing sights. See Waimea Canyon, also known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, and then float down the river that carved the colorful canyon on a Wailua River cruise.
from per adult
$377.79
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 0-99, max of 24 per group
Duration: 10h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
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Highlights
- See Kauai’s natural sights, including Waimea Canyon, on this full-day tour
- Float through the lush Wailua River Valley on a Wailua River cruise
- Hear stories of Kauai’s rich history and colorful past from your local guide
- Enjoy convenient round-trip transport from selected Kauai hotels
- Tour narration by a professional driver/guide
- Wailua River Boat Admission
- Pick-up and drop-off at specific Kauai Hotels
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Lunch
- Entry/Admission - Wailua River State Park
- Entry/Admission - Fern Grotto
- Entry/Admission - Puakea Golf Course
- Entry/Admission - Waimea Canyon State Park
What's not included- Gratuities
- Port pick-up and drop-off
- Your morning begins with pickup from your Kauai hotel by deluxe air-conditioned bus. As you drive towards Waimea Canyon, your guide shares legends from Kauai’s past and provides narration as you pass such sights as the Old Sugar Mill of Koloa and village of Hanapepe. Stop at the Spouting Horn blowhole, to see bursts of water make their way through lava tubes for an exciting spout that can reach as high as 50 feet (15 meters). The tour follows the Waimea Canyon Scenic drive to the rim of Waimea Canyon stopping for several photo opportunities at scenic viewpoints along the way. From there, hop in a boat and cruise the lush Wailua River Valley on a Wailua River cruise and then finish your sightseeing tour with a stop by Opaekaa Falls and the Fern Grotto, a fern-covered lava rock that at one time was accessible only to Hawaiian royalty. At the end of your full-day adventure tour of Kauai, you are dropped back off at your hotel early in the evening.
- Start:Multiple pickup locations offered.Pickup details
- For guests staying at a North Shore or Princeville hotel, the meeting point is at the Outrigger Waipouli Hotel in Kapa'a. Parking is available at the municipal parking lot near the Outrigger Waipouli Hotel. The tour times provided reflect the start and end of the tour, but not your exact pickup location and pickup time. Whether or not you've provided your hotel/lodging at the time of booking, you are required to contact the tour provider no less than (2) days prior to your tour date to receive your exact pickup time and location. The tour provider will advise you of the specific area at the hotel/lodging you should wait; for example, "at the front entrance." Please be there at least 5 minutes before your pickup time. Please allow a 10-15 minute grace period, as the driver will be picking up other guests in your area. If your hotel/lodging is not included on our pickup schedule, you'll be advised to meet at nearby location. Please note that we are prohibited by certain properties to pick up non-hotel guests and we do not pick-up at private properties such as Airbnb’s and residential areas.
Hotel pickup offeredDuring checkout you will be able to select from the list of included hotels.Airport pickup offeredDuring checkout you will be able to select from the list of included airports.- Kauai Island Airport, 3901 Mokulele Loop, Lihue, Kauai, HI 96766
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Infants must sit on laps
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 2360KAUAI- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Please contact the tour provider at minimum of 7 days prior to the tour date for ADA and all special requests.
- Most travellers can participate
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 24 travellers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- Which attractions will I visit with Kauai Waimea Canyon and Wailua River Boat Tour?
- During this experience, places you will visit include:Discover and book Kauai Waimea Canyon and Wailua River Boat Tour on Tripadvisor
- How much is Kauai Waimea Canyon and Wailua River Boat Tour?
- Kauai Waimea Canyon and Wailua River Boat Tour price starts from $364.84. Discover and book Kauai Waimea Canyon and Wailua River Boat Tour on Tripadvisor
- What is the Kauai Waimea Canyon and Wailua River Boat Tour cancellation policy?
- Kauai Waimea Canyon and Wailua River Boat Tour cancellation policy: For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience. Discover and book Kauai Waimea Canyon and Wailua River Boat Tour on Tripadvisor
- Which company provides Kauai Waimea Canyon and Wailua River Boat Tour?
- Kauai Waimea Canyon and Wailua River Boat Tour is hosted by Polynesian Adventure. Read reviews, discover additonal experiences or contact Polynesian Adventure on Tripadvisor. Discover and book Kauai Waimea Canyon and Wailua River Boat Tour on Tripadvisor
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 2360KAUAI
Reserve your spot
Similar experiences
Itinerary
- You'll get picked upSee departure details
- 1Wailua River State ParkStop: 45 minutes - Admission includedSee details
- 2Fern GrottoStop: 20 minutes - Admission includedSee details
- 3Opaekaa FallsStop: 20 minutesSee details
- 4Puakea Golf CourseStop: 60 minutes - Admission includedSee details
- 5Spouting HornStop: 15 minutesSee details
- 6Waimea Canyon State ParkStop: 45 minutes - Admission includedSee details
- 7Kauai Coffee CompanyStop: 35 minutesSee details
- You'll return to the starting point
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- PenelopeM8040 contributionsFun Movie TourIt was fun and informative. Who knew so many films were made here!!! Kaleo was our driver/tour guide. He was wonderful. He Was engaging, entertaining and was an absolute delight. We had a blast.Written 17 March 2024
- johnkQ4630CQ0 contributionsGrand Canyon of the PacificUnforgettable views! Speechless. Drove up on a Friday late morning. One of the best decisions during our visit to Kuaui. Stopped for lunch at the state park as well. So glad we did!Written 16 March 2024
- rosemarys6290 contributionsComfortable van, small group, nice lunch opportunities in HanalleGreat photo ops and narrative to go with them, Larry (our new ‘cousin’) was a great knowledgeable guide. Thoroughly enjoyed the movie clips matched to our stops.Written 14 March 2024
- Curiosity124537255530 contributionsLots of laughs, along with the views.Our driver ((Kaleo) was fantastic and humorous, made the ride very enjoyable. Educational and the views was worth the tour.Written 14 March 2024
- Sue B0 contributionsIncredible, far exceeding expectations!It was a long drive up to the canyon, and I couldn't imagine it would be all that great, given that I have seen the Grand Canyon in Arizona. However, it was incredible, and far exceeded my expectations!!Written 6 March 2024
- DEBBIEJ3410 contributionsLeave the driving to them.Very informative guide. It was so nice to let someone else worry about the driving. Beautiful vistas and lots to see. The lunch was outstanding and more than ample. Thanks Rosario, great job.Written 4 March 2024
- Midgeandmac0 contributionsInformative and entertainingIt was quite informative, not just about the movies made here but also about some island history. Ron, our guide, was quite approachable and helpful.Written 3 March 2024
- K6410ODsandyh0 contributionsFantastic easy excursionGreat easy excursion for everyone. Super fun to see the place it was filmed and watch the movie. Our driver and host Keleo, was super knowledgeable and made it extra fun. Who knew so many movies were filmed here?!?Written 21 February 2024
- sueaW4213RP0 contributionsGreat tourWill definitely recommend this tour along with our guide Nellie. She was very knowledgeable and had a great disposition.Written 20 February 2024
- sandyhE633TH0 contributionsGorgeous tourSuper nice tour! ! If you love movies , this is for you. Loved the beautiful scenery along the way. We learned about so many more movies that were filmed here that we didn’t know about.Written 19 February 2024
- KalS2990 contributionsAwesome way to see movie location sites!Our tour guide and driver (Kaleo) was amazing! Kaleo was friendly, professional and very humorous though out the tour. The tour was everything that I was hoping for. Highly recommend if you like movies.Written 18 February 2024
- StaceyHeinitz0 contributionsGreat movie tourFun tour! Our bus driver was great! We got to see lots of beautiful places which were scenes in movies. It’s chilly on the bus so bring a sweatshirt. Lunch stop is good.Written 18 February 2024
- 741eshap0 contributionsDo not recommend if you thought you were going to look at beautiful views of KauaiDidn't actually get to go to all places showed online like Jurassic Park water falls, light house etc. Felt like we were just driving around in the bus.Written 13 February 2024
- markgN7357IE0 contributionsWaimea Canyon a must see.Driver and sights were excellent. Bus was very comfortable. Lunch was very good. Sights were stunning and the driver’s knowledge of them was awesome.Written 10 February 2024
- 596stephenp0 contributionsFun busReally enjoyed Kaleo and his bus tour. Quite the entertaining guy. Buckle up for some dad jokes. Saw some great sites too .Written 9 February 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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4.5
112 reviews
Excellent
90
Very good
11
Average
5
Poor
5
Terrible
1
stowjo1974
Las Vegas, NV22 contributions
Jul 2023 • Couples
This was a fabulous tour! :)
I loved the fact that they picked us up directly from our resort in a comfortable air-conditioned shuttle.
Our tour guide, Rosario was both amusing with his "dad jokes" & very informative about the history & legends of the area & the places we were visiting that day.
The sites we visited were stunning! Also, the Smith Family did a fantastic job hosting on the riverboat tour to Fern Grotto & the hula dancing was a lot of fun.
The only drawback on the tour was that it took a little while to get our food even though Rosario placed the order early but that wasn't his fault at all. I think the restaurant was just really busy that day.
The Waimea Canyon was my favorite site of the day as it is breathtaking in its vastness & beauty.
We had a great tour group too so it made for a really fun day! Would highly recommend this tour. :)
I loved the fact that they picked us up directly from our resort in a comfortable air-conditioned shuttle.
Our tour guide, Rosario was both amusing with his "dad jokes" & very informative about the history & legends of the area & the places we were visiting that day.
The sites we visited were stunning! Also, the Smith Family did a fantastic job hosting on the riverboat tour to Fern Grotto & the hula dancing was a lot of fun.
The only drawback on the tour was that it took a little while to get our food even though Rosario placed the order early but that wasn't his fault at all. I think the restaurant was just really busy that day.
The Waimea Canyon was my favorite site of the day as it is breathtaking in its vastness & beauty.
We had a great tour group too so it made for a really fun day! Would highly recommend this tour. :)
Written 17 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
equine_dvm
Lafayette, Louisiana4 contributions
Oct 2023 • Solo
Our bus driver, Miss K, was excellent from beginning to end. She was very professional and knowledgeable about the island and made the whole thing very enjoyable even though Mother Nature did not let us see Waimea Canyon due to rain and heavy cloud cover. The cruise down the river was also enjoyable with the songs and hula dancing. Would definitely recommend!
Written 6 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andrew M
1 contribution
Apr 2023 • Friends
Our tour guide, Rosario, was very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. We enjoyed the trip, although the river boat segment (Fern Grotto) wasn’t quite as interesting or extensive as the advertisement or cost suggested. If you have a rental car, a self-guided tour might be the cost efficient way to go.
Written 27 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cliff C
1 contribution
Great way to see the highlights of the island with a local guide who knows the history and the island very well. Our guide/driver Kaleo was very entertaining and engaging. I’d recommend to all travelers who want to see some do the main attractions and leave the driving to someone else.
Written 24 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Karl R
Margate City, NJ9 contributions
Kaleo was the perfect guide and he made the day special. The river cruise to the Fern Grotto was beautiful and the local family guides were fun with music, information and of course a hula lesson.😂. Lunch was great and the coffee plantation information was interesting with great coffee. For me, the highlight of the trip, besides Kaleo’s dad jokes was the Waimea Canyon. Words can’t even express the beauty of this place. Kaleo taught us Hawaiian phrases which we struggled through laughing the whole time. For our first day this was a perfect introduction to this gorgeous island. Thank you Kaleo.
Written 31 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A S
Florence, Italy1 contribution
This tour was amazing!! Our first full day in Kauai and Rosario, our tour guide, made it extra special. He was so knowledgeable, friendly and made every effort to personalize the experience as much as possible. We drove to see the canyon, took the boat tour to the fern grotto, drove through beautiful neighborhoods, enjoyed coffee at the Kauai Coffee Company and learned so much about the island along the way. Will definitely look to Polynesian Adventure Activities for our next visit to Kauai. Highly recommend this tour company and their great team!
Written 12 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WojtekJH
New York City, NY2 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
Our tour was incredible! The canyon is spectacular and the other stops were great as well (including the coffee stop!). Each one was unique and they were spaced out perfectly to not spend too much time on the bus itself. Our guide Kaleo was engaging, funny and informative. I would recommend this tour to anyone who wants to see the many thunks Kauai has to offer.
As an added bonus, the family also learned how to say humuhumunukunukuapua’a!
As an added bonus, the family also learned how to say humuhumunukunukuapua’a!
Written 23 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nancy R
1 contribution
Aug 2023 • Family
Kaleo was an amazing guide! Take this tour on arrival to Kauai. His knowledge, flora, geology and history is vast. He is attentive and keeps it family oriented. Wailua/Waimea Smith’s Boat tour to fern grotto included live music and a hula lesson. We all got married there. Take this tour. OXO. Pictures will not do it justice 8 hours of fun ❤️
Written 23 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Edward B
Wollongong, Australia45 contributions
Mar 2020
Do this tour before you do any flight. It sets the island in perspective, which is an unique experience. The Hawaiian guide was incredibly knowledgeable and provided an indigenous perspective on settlement and history of Kauai as well as the Hawaiian islands. A busy, enjoyable day.
Written 17 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
luckyteacher
Flushing, NY108 contributions
Jul 2023 • Couples
This all day tour was average. We did enjoy some parts of it and learned some information about Kauai (the state bird is nene goose which is endangered, the history of all the roosters/chickens on the island). The best part of the tour was Smith's Fern Grotto Cruise (which you can do on your own) and the visit to Waimea Canyon. Our driver/guide Sabrina was very friendly, kind and patient, but didn't seem to have too much experience giving tours. The lunch was meh, not many choices and nothing hot. You only got one can of soda and if you wanted more, you had to pay. Also, there was no dessert.
This tour company does not give out any water on the tour and it was a very hot summer day. They have a cooler in the front seat next to the driver, but don't give out bottles of water. To me, this is cheap and ridiculous. The tour price is very expensive and it wouldn't kill them to give out a few bottles of water to satisfy their customers.
If you don't have a car, I would suggest this tour. But if you have your own car, then you can drive around and see the sights on your own. Make sure you bring your own water, bug spray, sunscreen, a hat, etc.
This tour company does not give out any water on the tour and it was a very hot summer day. They have a cooler in the front seat next to the driver, but don't give out bottles of water. To me, this is cheap and ridiculous. The tour price is very expensive and it wouldn't kill them to give out a few bottles of water to satisfy their customers.
If you don't have a car, I would suggest this tour. But if you have your own car, then you can drive around and see the sights on your own. Make sure you bring your own water, bug spray, sunscreen, a hat, etc.
Written 7 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We appreciate your feedback and are glad to hear that you found some enjoyable aspects of the tour and are pleased to hear that the driver left a positive impression. We're sorry to hear that some aspects of the tour fell short of your expectations and will take your comments into consideration. Your suggestions regarding added convenience for our customers are important to us. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and recommendations. Mahalo.
Written 22 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
ticktock1504
Hoover, AL
hello, we are cruising to Kauai. Do you offer pick up from the cruise terminal? Our ship docks at 8a - will this arrival time work for the tour? thank you
George H
7 contributions
I have a trip planned for later this month. I have seen on the news that there has been a lot of flooding on the island. Will the roads to Waimea still be drivable?
Yes, my husband and I just did the drvie today in a basic 4/5 passenger vehicle.