Waterfalls Travel · Tour
Kauai Wailua Valley and Waterfalls Self-Drive Audio Tour with Shaka Guide App, Offline
A self-drive tour with no guide on board: the Shaka Guide app plays turn-by-turn directions and stories while you drive your own car through the Wailua Valley, starting from Kapaa. Download the app, which holds the purchased tour, whenever you like and set off. Because the audio can be saved ahead of time, no cell service is needed along the route. The route covers 3 ancient Hawaiian temples, 3 waterfalls and 3 hikes, and the pace is yours: stop where you like, skip what you like, and nobody is waiting in a tour bus. Wailua Falls (173 feet) and Opaeka'a Falls (150 feet) are photo stops with no hike. The temple sites are Holoholoku Heiau and Poli'ahu Heiau in the Wailua area, and a 363-acre Hindu monastery on the edge of Wailua State Park holds the Kadavul Temple, with the largest quartz crystal on earth ringed by 108 golden statues of Siva. Lydgate Park has a large playground and rock-enclosed swimming pools. The hikes are the flat, shaded Kuilau Ridge trail, a leisurely walk at Keahua Arboretum, and the easy Sleeping Giant West trail, with the Ho'opi'i Waterfall hike suggested for anyone who wants a falls hike. Lunch in Kapaa, with Pono Market suggested for a poke plate, comes before a last roadside view of Sleeping Giant.
What's included
- Tours NEVER expire
- Freedom to explore at your own pace
- Offline map (no wifi or data needed)
- Turn-by-turn directions using GPS
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- Hours of audio narration with stories, travel tips and music
- Audio narration that plays automatically as you drive
Itinerary
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Lihue
Lihue, HI 96766, USA
Kapaʻa
Kapaʻa, HI 96746, USA
The tour starts in Kapaa. Download the app whenever you like and go.
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Wailua Falls
Wailua Falls is a 173-foot waterfall ringed by jungle forest. It is a quick photo stop, as there is no hike to the falls.
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Lydgate Park is a cool place for kids both young and old…
Lydgate Park suits children and adults alike. Little ones get the big Kamalani playground, and rock-enclosed pools make swimming safe. The pools were built so that reef fish can still come and go.
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Holoholoku Heiau
Holoholoku Heiau is an ancient Hawaiian temple in the Wailua River State Park area, tied to Kauai's ali'i (chiefly class) and to royal births. Its stone platform still stands.
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Poli'ahu Heiau
Poli'ahu Heiau belongs to the Wailua Complex of Heiaus and is believed to have been used for ritual and chiefly ceremonies. Only the stone foundations remain, along the Wailua River, once Kauai's ruling center.
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Located in Wailua River State Park
Opaeka'a Falls, in Wailua River State Park, is a 150-foot waterfall over volcanic basalt rock. It is a photo stop next to the parking lot, with no hike.
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Kauai's Hindu Monastery
On the edge of Wailua State Park lies a 363-acre Hindu monastery, regarded as one of the holiest sites in the Hindu religion. Its Kadavul Temple holds the largest quartz crystal on earth, surrounded by 108 golden statues of Siva.
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Kuilau Ridge Trail
The Kuilau Ridge hike is a fairly flat trail on a broad, shaded path through old-growth forest. It is long, and the tour suggests walking only the first mile or so.
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Keahua Arboretum
Keahua Arboretum is more of a leisurely walk than a hike. It shows local plants such as monkeypod trees, and with luck a rainbow eucalyptus.
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Sleeping Giant Trail
The first hike is Sleeping Giant (Nounou Mountain), West Trailhead. The mountain has three hikes of varying difficulty, and the tour takes the West Trail, the easiest.
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If you’re looking for the chance to hike to a waterfall
For a hike that ends at a waterfall, skip Sleeping Giant and go to the nearby Ho'opi'i Waterfall Hike. A forest trail leads to the first of two falls. To swim, continue to the second, where a rope swing drops into the pool.
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Kapaa
Kapaa is a seaside town with restaurants, a few hotels and some historic landmarks. The afternoon is for learning about the sites, walking around, visiting local shops and trying Hawaiian food.
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We recommend Pono Market for a poke plate lunch
Pono Market is suggested for a poke plate lunch, though Kapaa has many small cafes and restaurants to choose from.
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Sleeping Giant Trail
After lunch, one more scenic stop: a parking lot where the app explains Sleeping Giant and the mountain is seen from a different angle.
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Kauai
Download the app for more information.
Lihue
Lihue, HI 96766, USA
Kapaʻa
Kapaʻa, HI 96746, USA
Not included
- Meals & Refreshments
- Private Transportation
Good to know
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
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- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- The tour can be started in Lihue or Kapa’a and is completed in a clockwise loop, ending where you begin.
- The Kauai Hindu Monastery closes at noon. This means you will need to start at the recommended time if you plan to visit. It’s definitely worth it.
- An advanced reservation is required to enter Kauai Hindu Monastery.
- Travelers must have a smartphone compatible with the Shaka Guide app.
- The app must be downloaded and the tour redeemed before arrival.
- Strong Wi-Fi or cellular data is required to download the tour in advance.
- Location services (GPS) must be enabled on the device
- Travelers are responsible for securing any required entrance passes, reservations, or permits before starting
- Up to 15 travelers per booking.
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Guiding available in: en.
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