Kauaʻi: What Is Open Now, and Who It Suits

Kauaʻi is welcoming visitors, but as of early October 2026 nearly all of its state parks are still closed after Hurricane Lowell. The Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority says most accommodations, restaurants, shops, tours and activities are operating as usual, with some businesses short of staff. The State Parks notice of 5 October keeps every Kauaʻi state park closed except part of Wailua River: Hāʻena with Kēʻē Beach, the Kalalau Trail, Waimea Canyon, Kōkeʻe with Kōkeʻe Road, and Polihale are shut, and all camping is closed. The Hāʻena shuttle is suspended, and on 28 September the state highways department listed Kūhiō Highway from Princeville to Kēʻē Beach as local access only. On 14 September the County encouraged people with upcoming trips to consider another island while Kauaʻi recovers. Check the State Parks notices page before you plan around any park.

Right now, if your trip depends on the Kalalau Trail, Waimea Canyon, Kēʻē Beach, camping or a Nā Pali boat, because as of early October 2026 all of them were closed or paused. Holo Holo Charters cancelled all tours through 10 October and other Nā Pali boat departures were reported not running in late September, while air tours were flying on limited schedules. 2026 has been a heavy storm season, and the Central Pacific hurricane season runs to 30 November. In ordinary years the North Shore is the seasonal question: the state's ocean safety program calls November to April the season of huge, dangerous swells on north shores, when inexperienced swimmers and surfers should stay out.

No one ranks it officially, but the Nā Pali Coast is what four of the five Kauaʻi tours on this page are built around, and as of early October 2026 the only working way to see it is from the air. With the Kalalau Trail and the Kōkeʻe lookouts closed and the boats paused after Hurricane Lowell, the options running are flights: the Wings Over Kauai plane from Līhuʻe Airport ($155, 65 to 70 minutes, 4.9 from 1,124 reviews) and the Safari Helicopters flight ($336, 4.8 from 490 reviews). Book either with each passenger's accurate weight.

Right now, build the four days around what is open: one for an air tour from Līhuʻe, one on the south shore around Poʻipū, one on the Wailua River side, and one held for a boat if Port Allen's operators are running again. As of early October 2026 the parks that usually fill a Kauaʻi itinerary (Hāʻena, the Kalalau Trail, Waimea Canyon and Kōkeʻe) were closed after Hurricane Lowell. Poʻipū Beach Park was off the County's closure list by 2 October. At Wailua River State Park the river, the landing and the trailhead reopened on 21 September, though individual kayakers may not go to Fern Grotto and the Uluwehi Falls trail is closed. An evening at Luau Kalamaku fits any of the four days. Visitors stayed about 7.4 days on Kauaʻi on average in 2025, worked out from the state's visitor figures.

No: by the state's 2025 figures Kauaʻi is the cheaper of the two, though neither is cheap. Visitors spent $282 a person a day on Kauaʻi against $305 on Maui, and the average hotel room cost $416.69 a night on Kauaʻi against $536.80 across Maui County, by the hotel survey DBEDT publishes. From January to August 2026 the averages were $436.32 and $547.54. On top of the rate, a hotel bill carries the 11% state transient accommodations tax, the 3% county tax and up to 4.712% general excise tax, about 18.7% in all. The cheapest-island guide compares all six islands.

It isn't: Lānaʻi and Molokaʻi receive far fewer visitors, though Kauaʻi had the fewest of the four large islands in 2025. It drew 1,407,632 visitors that year, against 1,724,952 on Hawaiʻi Island, 2,531,472 on Maui and 5,665,698 on Oʻahu; Lānaʻi had 32,911 and Molokaʻi 23,482. On an average day 28,577 visitors were on Kauaʻi, about a quarter of Oʻahu's 107,479. Its visitors are also the most likely to be returning: only 26.8% were on a first trip to Hawaiʻi, the lowest share of the six islands.

Closed parks and roads first, then the ocean. As of early October 2026 most state parks were closed after Hurricane Lowell, and Kūhiō Highway beyond Princeville was local access only. When Hāʻena reopens, parking outside the park breaks the reservation terms and can bring a ticket of $200 or more and a tow. At Hanakāpīʻai, two miles along the Kalalau Trail, the state warns that drownings occur regularly, and north-shore swells from November to April are dangerous for inexperienced swimmers. Give wildlife room: 50 yards from spinner dolphins under a federal rule, 10 feet from sea turtles and 50 feet from monk seals.

Neither is better for everyone: Kauaʻi is the smaller, quieter island, while Maui is bigger and busier, and as of early October 2026 far more of Maui is open. Kauaʻi covers 552 square miles to Maui's roughly 727, and on an average day in 2025 it hosted 28,577 visitors to Maui's 54,500. Kauaʻi was also cheaper per day ($282 a person against $305). But after Hurricane Lowell nearly every Kauaʻi state park was closed, while Maui's had all reopened by 5 October except Polipoli. Maui or Kauaʻi goes through the trade-offs.

As of early October 2026 they were paused: Holo Holo Charters cancelled all tours through 10 October, and other Nā Pali boat departures were reported not running in late September. Port Allen's launch ramp reopened on 2 October, but its slips and moorings were still closed, and a 16 September report said Kikiaola harbor at Kekaha, where the Na Pali Riders raft leaves, was still closed. The calendars show dates on sale (from 7 October for the raft and from 11 October for Holo Holo's sunset sail when we checked), but a date on sale is not proof the harbor is open, so confirm close to the day. The raft checks in at its Waimea office 45 minutes before departure, then you drive yourself to Kikiaola and pay $20 plus tax to park; late arrivals lose the trip with no refund. Holo Holo's free cancellation runs only to 7 days before.

Yes, and both listings spell them out. Wings Over Kauai takes no passenger over 297 lb (135 kg), a party of four to six must weigh under 1,100 lb in total, and there is no refund at the weigh-in if the total is higher, so give accurate weights when you book. Safari Helicopters asks any guest of 250 lb or more, or any two guests who weigh 420 lb together, to buy an additional seat, and does not take passengers who cannot sit upright on their own. Its show time is an hour before departure, and a late arrival may lose the seat with no refund. Safari's listing also rules out children under 2, pregnancy, claustrophobia, a fear of heights and motion sickness; for the plane, one reviewer advises taking something beforehand if you are prone to motion sickness.

From age 5 on the boats, and from age 2 on the helicopter. Holo Holo's sunset sail and the Na Pali Riders raft both turn away children under 5 and pregnant guests; the raft also excludes anyone with back or heart problems, and Holo Holo does not allow canes, walkers, wheelchairs or other mobility aids on board. Safari Helicopters takes children from 2. Wings Over Kauai's listing sets weight limits but no minimum age, and Luau Kalamaku's listing gives no age limit.

An evening at Kilohana Plantation: a lei greeting and open bar, a luau buffet, then a 45-minute show telling the story of a voyage between Tahiti and Kauaʻi, with hula and fire dancing. The menu includes gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options and changes with the seasons. It cost $179 when we checked (4.5 from 1,007 reviews), with free cancellation up to 24 hours before. The train ride and hotel pickup cost extra, and seating comes in standard, elevated and premium options.

By plane, into Līhuʻe Airport; no ferry serves Kauaʻi. Southwest flies non-stop from Honolulu and Kahului, and Hawaiian, whose flights have carried Alaska's AS code since 22 April 2026, flies between all the main airports. Līhuʻe to Kahului takes under 50 minutes; from Kona or Hilo you usually connect in Honolulu, so check for a non-stop. Since 3 October 2026 Hawaiian's check-in and bag-drop cutoff for flights between the islands has been 50 minutes before departure. The only passenger ferry between islands runs from Māʻalaea on Maui to Lānaʻi.