7 Day Kauai Itinerary for Families
Here at The Minivan Bucket List, we think traveling with family is essential. It boosts creativity and cognitive learning, promotes empathy and improves emotional connection. Whether it’s road trip adventures close to home or a bucket list trip to Hawaii, we always try to keep things affordable and simple because that’s what our kids love and remember! Kauai is easily our favorite place on Earth. If Kauai is on your bucket list and you’re wondering what to do and how to keep things affordable, we hope you find our 7 day Kauai itinerary helpful!
Make sure to check out our 7 day Maui itinerary if you’re interested in visiting other Hawaiian islands as well!
Quick note: This itinerary is geared towards staying in Poipu, so most of these things on our itinerary can be found on the south side of the island. But if you can, make sure to spend at least a day on the north side of the island as well!
2019 was a big year for us. We had a fourth baby and became debt free. After we did our debt free scream on the Dave Ramsey Show for paying off $183,000 of student loan debt in 3 years, we celebrated with a trip to Kauai. But we also did it all for super cheap. Even with no debt in our future, we still felt it was important to stick to our strategy of traveling as frugally as possible. Our hack? We kept costs way down by using Marriott Points and Delta Sky Miles. Because we paid virtually nothing for lodging or flights, we had room in the budget for uniquely Hawaiian things to do and food to eat.
If you want to learn how to make a trip like this more affordable, read this post on How to Save Money on a Bucket List Trip to Hawaii.
Day 1 of 7 day Kauai Itinerary -Arrival and Exploration
WHERE TO STAY
Koloa Landing Resort-Poipu, HI: We travel hacked this stay using Marriott Points. This was our absolute favorite resort we have ever stayed at! Between the multi-level pools and endless waterslides, the on-site gym and pool bar, the spacious villas with full kitchens, or the crazy amazing views and location to everything, it was heavenly.
Money Saving Tip: You can stay at this resort for 60,000 points per night but if you don’t have Marriott points just use this link and use discount code L6C for 35% off!
OF COURSE HANG OUT AT THE RESORT. BUT WHEN YOU NEED ADVENTURE, DO THESE THINGS:
WHAT TO DO on Kaui
- Sunrise/Moonset over Poipu: If you get a chance, walk down to Poipu to watch the beautiful sunrise, which you can always count on being awesome with all those Kauai rain clouds.
- Kilohana Kauai Plantation Railway ($19 for adults, $14 for kids): This wasn’t exactly “cheap” but as far as family excursions in Hawaii go, it’s as cheap as it gets. This was a fun and refreshing way to take the kids on a fun trip but also delve into the native Hawaiian way.
Tip: Sometimes Groupon will run deals for this place depending on when you go so be sure to check it out upon arrival. You will love riding on the historic train through the fragrant pineapple plantation and your kids will enjoy feeding the pigs and seeing the wild chickens.
Grab some matching pineapple outfits for the family for some extra fun!
- $14 Pineapple Dress Girls
- $12 Pineapple Boys Shirt/Short Combo
- $10 Women’s Pineapple Graphic Loose Fit Tee
WHERE TO EAT in Poipu
BREAKFAST We made Coconut Pineapple Pancakes with this $7 Coconut Syrup from Wal-Mart.
LUNCH Puka’s Hot Dogs $9 per dog (we shared these dogs cause they’re big) We recommend: Pineapple Field and Coconut Beach
DINNER Bubba’s Burgers Poipu $5 Burgers. We recommend the Teriyaki Burger (Robert Downey, Jr. loves this place).
DAY 2 of 7 day Kauai Itinerary-Beaches, Natural Wonders, Resort
WHAT TO DO
- Poipu Beach Park: Get ready to see some seals and fish with the clear water. We also loved the park they had for the kids when they needed a break from the sand.
- Spouting Horn: FREE This is one of the most photographed spots on Kauai. The Poipu surf channels into a natural lava tube here and releases a huge spout of water that can reach as high as 50 feet into the air. You’ll also hear a hiss and a roar that is the basis of a Hawaiian legend. Kids LOVED it.
- Walk around The Shops at Old Koloa Town to see art and grab hawaiian shave Ice
WHERE TO EAT in Poipu
BREAKFAST Cereal or breakfast in the hotel
LUNCH Da Crack. We recommend the pork tacos here are perfect for after the beach.
DINNER Dinner at the hotel room (We made steak from Costco and played card games on the balcony).
DESSERT Uncle’s Shave Ice at Old Koloa Town. We recommend POG or Pina Colada with cream and sweetened condensed milk
DAY 3 of 7 day Kauai Itinerary-Resort and Hikes/Lookouts
WHAT TO DO
- Hang at the Koloa Landing Resort, of course.
- Waimea Canyon State Park ($5 Parking and $5 entry)
THE GRAND CANYON OF THE PACIFIC – This drive is absolutely beautiful but we recommend going to the very top first and making your way down. It is so worth it. The scenery is straight out of a movie.
Tips:
- Download the Shaka Guide as you drive
- Research what stops you want to do ahead of time with kids because there are a lot of options for hikes and overlooks and it could easily be a day long event. We kept it a few hours.
- Most people stop at Waimea Canyon overlook but if you drive to the top you can see the Na Pali coast. That. Is. Worth. It!
- Plan for plenty of snacks in the car and making pit stops as there are no bathrooms
Parenting Warning: we bit off more than we could chew and our kids had meltdowns by the time we hit the top cause we didn’t plan ahead and bring snacks. There was more we wanted to do and see on the way back down but that’s parenting life sometimes!
OUR FAVORITE WAIMEA CANYON STOPS
- Kalaulau Lookout: This is at the very top of the canyon and you can see helicopters flying the Na Pali Coast. This has railings and is safer for the kids.
The kids said “it feels like we are in heaven.” Places in nature like this offer great teaching moments. We talked about how the railing keeps us safe similar to how rules keep us safe from harm and addiction.
2. Pu-U O Kila Lookout: This is a different angle of the Na Pali Coast and a short walk but worth it. Has unobstructed views but steep drop offs. It’s also the trailhead for a longer hike along the ridge – it looks pretty epic but definitely not kid friendly.
The giant leaves and and other features along the drive were so fun to stop at. We played “Jurassic Park” and hide n’ seek with the kids here. And, it’s a great place for potty breaks since there’s a lot of coverage.
WHERE TO EAT
BREAKFAST Our kid’s favorite breakfast was walking to Whaler’s General Store at Old Town Koloa
We recommend: Coconut and Guava Bread with fresh fruit
LUNCH Porky’s Kauai $4 Pork Hot Dogs. We recommend Baby #1. We got these before we headed up Waimea Canyon
DINNER – We had steak leftovers in the hotel room and fresh cut pineapple.
DAY 4 of 7 day Kauai Itinerary -BUCKET LIST ADVENTURE DAY/RELAX DAY
On previous trips to Kauai, we hiked and sailed the Na Pali Coast but always thought it was would be amazing to see from the air! But I had just had a baby and was prone to motion sickness plus we didn’t want to pay $380 a pop for each kid, so JJ took a helicopter tour solo (with some other extended family members) while I stayed at the hotel and relaxed at the pool with the kids.
Fun fact: the movie Jurassic Park was filmed in Hawaii and a lot of scenes were shot on Kauai, including the iconic shot where they arrive to Isla Nublar via helicopter and land next to a huge waterfall. That waterfall is actually on private land and only accessible to the public via helicopter. JJ even came prepared with a Jurassic Park t-shirt for the trip.
Check out this Instagram reel to see what it was like to check that adventure off his bucket list!
OTHER THINGS TO DO
Remember, because we got our lodging and flights for next to nothing, we were able to have money for more spendy adventures. Here are some things we didn’t get to, but you could.
Bucket list Adventures to do with kids in Kauai
- Wailua River Cruise ($30 for adults, $15 for kids)
- Kayak or Paddleboard the Wailua River
- Floating Lava Tubes with Backcountry Adventures
- Smith Familly Luau and River Grotto Ride
- Hanapepe Swinging Bridge
- Koloa Ziplines
- Do a jungle ATV adventure
- Helicopter Tour: CHEAPEST HELICOPTER TOUR is Island Helicopter tours but it doesn’t go to the falls. Those run around $200 per person. If you want the falls, expect to pay around $380 after taxes and fees.
- Go to Lydgate Beach (free)
- Rent Scooters and ride to Wailua Falls ($99 per day)
- Snorkel the North Shore and Hanalei Bay (free unless you need to rent snorkel equipment, which is cheap)
- Hike the Kalaulau Trail to Hanakapiai Falls (free but not recommended for little kids)
- Explore the Kapaa Shoreline trail–walk or rent a bike
- The Grand Hyatt at Shipwreck Beach: Take a romantic walk along the resort path (get a babysitter).
WHERE TO EAT
BREAKFAST Anuenue Cafe: this is a little pricy and pretty authentic but the kids would do well with their sides instead of a full on meal. We recommend: the Banana Macadamia Nut Pancakes
LUNCH Holoholo Grill: This was at our resort. We recommend: burgers, sweet potato fries and fresh fruit
DINNER Keoki’s Paradise:This was a date night place. We loved the ambience and the food—it felt like an upscale Rainforest Cafe. Live Hawaiian music made it so special and romantic. The food was great. We recommend: Panko and Mac Nut Crusted Fish and the Hula Pie.
Day 5 of 7 day kauai Itinerary – Beach Day
Recommended Beaches:
- Shipwreck Beach
- Kiahuna Beach
After a fun but tiring day of adventures, we wanted to balance things out with a relaxing day at the beach. We started the day out at Shipwreck Beach, which is famous for a big cliff that some people (not us) like to jump off – like Harrison Ford did in the movie Six Days Seven Nights. More movie trivia!
Even if cliff jumping isn’t your thing, it’s a nice, sandy beach with a shore break. While we were lounging we noticed a pod of dolphins not too far from shore, so JJ grabbed his inflatable paddleboard and paddled out to hang out with some dolphins. Super cool!
Shipwreck Beach also has a great, easy, kid-friendly hike called the Mahu’ulepu Heritage Trail. If you go all the way to Punahoa Point it’s 3.7 miles round trip but you don’t need to go that far to get stunning views of the undeveloped coastline. We just enjoyed walking through the forest and took the kids as far as the first set of sea cliffs.
The shore break waves started to get a little too big for our little kids, so after the hike we migrated over to Kiahuna Beach next to the Sheraton Kauai Resort.
- Kiahuna Beach: The best part about this one is that there’s a little surf shack right on the beach. So we rented a surf board and JJ gave the kids a little impromptu surfing lesson ($40 to rent compared to $175 to take a surf lesson). You can also rent boogie boards if surfing isn’t your thing. And there’s a nice grassy area to hang out on if you get sick of the sand but still want some sun.
Day 6 of 7 day Kauai Itinerary-Relax and Hula/Luau-Lihue, HI
WHERE TO STAY
As awesome as Koloa Landing was, we wanted to experience another part of the island, so we switched over to the Marriott Kauai Beach Resort. The hotel rooms felt a little dated compared to the villas we just came from but they were much cheaper. But the pools and amenities were nice and the location was hard to beat!
The hotel is situated right on Kalapaki Beach and has some breathtaking views of the bay surrounded by mountains. Another good option is heading up to the North Shore to experience the magical Hanalei Bay, Tunnels Beach, Ke’e Beach, and the Kalalau Trail. We didn’t do that on this trip but have on past trips and it’s delightful. We recommend staying at the Westin in Princeville!
WHAT TO DO
We started the day with an early morning drive to Wailua Falls. It had rained a ton the night before, so we were surprised to see what normally is a double waterfall into one giant waterfall. Thankfully the rain turned the crowds away even though the sun had started peeking through the clouds by the time we got there, so we had the place to ourselves to enjoy a peaceful morning.
We spent the rest of the day hanging out at the hotel to take advantage of the pools, waterslide, and beach. It’s a great place to paddleboard around the bay, try your hand at surfing, or just play in the sand. We even had a beachside hula lesson as the sun went down.
Day 7, Last day of 7 Day Kauai Itinerary – NA PALI COAST CRUISE
- There are many options for cruises but we went on Blue Dolphin Charters both times.
We saved the best for last! On our last trip to Kauai, JJ & I went on a snorkel cruise along the Na Pali Coast and it was our favorite thing we did. We only had two kids at the time and they weren’t old enough to go (you have to be at least two but we figured they should at least know how to swim first). This time those two kids were 7 & 5, so we wanted to take them and have them experience our favorite place on Earth with us!
If you go in the winter, expect higher waves, which means it takes longer to sail along the coast. When we went in the summer, we were able to sail along the entire Na Pali Coast all the way to Ke’e Beach from the port in Eleele.
Either way, you’re guaranteed to see dolphins, sea turtles, enjoy stunning vistas, and have a blast sailing and snorkeling.
Tip: Don’t wait until the last day to do the cruise in case of cancellation. We just had iffy weather and this was the only day that worked for us.
WHERE TO EAT
BREAKFAST Served on cruise
LUNCH served on cruise
DINNER Duke’s Kauai in Lihue
We recommend: Crab Wantons and Fish Tacos
Want to travel hack your trip to Kauai like we did? We recommend using these credit cards:
- Delta Sky Miles Amex – keep an eye out for a 70,000+ bonus miles (normally 40,000 miles)
- Marriott Chase Visa – sign up and get 3 free nights worth up to 35,000 points per night.
For more ideas on how to make your dream Hawaiian vacation more affordable, check out our other Hawaii posts:
- 3 travel hacks to go to Hawaii for cheap
- 24 free or cheap things to do in Hawaii
- 7 day Maui itinerary
- 23 Kid-Friendly Adventures on Oahu
- 14 Best Beaches on Oahu
Mahalo!
Brittany
Our family is on a mission to experience the best affordable, kid-friendly adventures in the US help other families create lasting memories in the process. You can follow us on Instagram @theminivanbucketlist or check out our Hawaii Bucket List for a list of the top kid-friendly adventures in the Aloha State across Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island.