A Hiking experience by Kauai Hiking Tours. Back to all Kauai tours.
Tour Summary: The Nāpali cliff tops sit roughly 4,000 feet above the ocean, reachable only on foot from the Kōkeʻe ridge trails. A private guided hike for up to 4 people, with Waimea Canyon overlooks on the drive up.
The ridge trails start from trailheads in Kōkeʻe State Park or Waimea Canyon State Park, chosen on the day for your group and conditions. Image credit: Kauai Hiking Tours 
Waipoʻo Falls, seen from one of the overlook stops on the drive up the canyon road. Image credit: Kauai Hiking Tours The cliff-top overlooks sit around 4,000 feet above the coast, and views are weather permitting. Image credit: Kauai Hiking Tours Groups larger than 4 can book too; each extra hiker adds a per-person fee to the private rate. Image credit: Kauai Hiking Tours
4 Tour Highlights:
- The Nāpali Coast from roughly 4,000 feet up, on cliff-top trails that can only be reached on foot from Kōkeʻe State Park
- Two to three Waimea Canyon overlooks on the drive up, including Waipoʻo Falls dropping 800 feet into the canyon
- Routes from 2.5 to 8.5 miles round trip, planned with your guide to match your group's fitness
- Private group of up to 4, with hikers from age 4 to 75 guided on these days
Important: You must have a reasonable level of fitness and be able to hike up to 8 miles, and you must be able to walk on unpaved, uneven, steep and possibly muddy terrain. You should not participate in this activity if you have a heart condition, are pregnant, or have an extreme fear of heights.
Tour Information:
| Price: | Adult |
|---|---|
| (excluding taxes & fees) | $980 |
Tour Provider: Kauai Hiking Tours
Activity: Hiking
Tour start time: Flexible
Duration: 6-8 hours
Location: Waimea Canyon
Pick-up available? Yes, for a fee (depending on pickup location)
Cancellations: You may cancel up to 5 days before your tour starts. No cancellations, changes or refunds can be made within 5 days of your tour, but we will attempt to reschedule you if possible. Cancellations made more than 5 days before the start of the tour may be subject to a 10% service charge. Note: As Kauai’s weather is localized and changes often, tours will operate rain or shine, except in the most extreme cases.
Read more: about hiking in our Kauai hiking guide.
Read more about this tour
The Nāpali Coast runs for 17 miles, and no road reaches it. The cliff tops that look down on it from roughly 4,000 feet can only be reached on foot, on the ridge trails of Kōkeʻe State Park.
- Difficulty: Moderate/Difficult
- Distance: 2.5-8.5 miles (round trip)
- Elevation Gain: 800-1,600 ft
The ridge trails start from trailheads in Kōkeʻe State Park or Waimea Canyon State Park, chosen on the day for your group and conditions. Image credit: Kauai Hiking Tours
You pick the route, your guide makes it work
This is a private day for up to 4 people, and the guide plans it with you. The Nāpali cliff-top ridge is the flagship route, but the day can run easy to strenuous depending on what your group picks. Kauaʻi Hiking Tours has taken hikers from age 4 to 75 out on these days.
If your group would rather swim under a waterfall or follow a jungle ridge instead, say so: whole days have gone to entirely different trails once the guide heard what a group wanted. Along the way, guides narrate the plants, native birds, geology, and Hawaiian history. They carry binoculars that get steady use when kids are along.
Canyon overlooks, a cliff-top ridge, lunch at Kōkeʻe Lodge
The day runs 6-8 hours because the trailheads sit a long drive from the resort areas. Your guide meets you at a spot you agree on when booking, or picks you up for a fee that depends on where you’re staying. The operator has picked groups up at the airport too, including one that flew over from Honolulu just for the day.
Driving in from the east side you cross through Hanapēpē and Waimea into the island’s dry leeward side, then climb the canyon road with stops at two or three Waimea Canyon overlooks, where Waipoʻo Falls drops 800 feet into the canyon.
Waipoʻo Falls, seen from one of the overlook stops on the drive up the canyon road. Image credit: Kauai Hiking Tours
The hiking itself happens on unpaved trails with steep stretches that turn muddy and slippery when wet. Wear shoes you can ruin. The day breaks for lunch at Kōkeʻe Lodge between hikes, or at a picnic spot if you pack your own.
Guides steer toward trails the crowds skip. It’s normal up here to finish a whole hike without passing another group, or to stand at an overlook with no one else there.
Two notes before you book
Hawaiʻi State Parks charges an entrance and parking fee at Waimea Canyon and Kōkeʻe that isn’t included in the tour price. You pay it by credit card at the self-service kiosks in the state park lots, and the amount depends on your group size.
$980 covers a private group of up to 4 people; each hiker beyond 4 adds a per-person fee. Tours run rain or shine except in extreme cases, so pack a rain layer and bug repellent.
About Kauai Hiking Tours
Kauaʻi Hiking Tours is one of the few hiking companies on Kauaʻi certified as a Sustainable Tour Operator by the Hawaiʻi Ecotourism Association. It is also permitted by the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) to lead tours on state land and by the Hawaiian Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to carry passengers on public roads. We list them because the credentials match what happens on the trail: guides who talk plants, birds, geology, and Hawaiian history all day, and an owner who answers every review, the critical ones included.
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Booking through this page costs you nothing extra and is made directly with Kauai Hiking Tours. We earn a commission from the operator, not from you, and it is what pays for the research that keeps lovebigisland.com free and free of paid placement. We only list operators we would send a friend to. Details on our affiliate links are here.