A Napali Coast + Snorkeling + Cruise experience by Holo Holo Charters. Back to all Kauai tours.
Tour Summary: EXCELLENT value 7-hour Napali Coast tour to Niihau with snorkeling, breakfast, lunch, and drinks included.
The Holoholo catamaran moored at a snorkeling spot off Lehua island. Image: Holoholo Charters. 
Lehua crater. Image: Holoholo Charters. Holoholo is a powerful, sleek, and comfortable, 65-foot power catamaran. Image: Holoholo Charters. - Large photo
The approximate 90+ nautical mile route you will take. Image: Holoholo Charters. - Large photo
Holoholo in front of Kalalau / Napali coast. Image: Holoholo Charters. Holoholo in front of Kalalau / Napali coast. Image: Holoholo Charters. You will find lots of marine wildlife at the chosen snorkeling spot. Image: Holoholo Charters. The Keyhole Rock formation. Image: Holoholo Charters. Lehua crater. Image: Holoholo Charters. The deep waters directly off Lehua make for GREAT snorkeling conditions. Image: Holoholo Charters. Holoholo is a powerful, sleek, and comfortable, 65-foot power catamaran. Image: Holoholo Charters. You will find lots of marine wildlife at the chosen snorkeling spot. Image: Holoholo Charters. Snorkeling gear and floatation devices are provided. Image: Holoholo Charters. The waters off Lehua and Niihau are considered some of the best in all of Hawaii and are known to offer over 100 feet of visibility on some days. Image: Holoholo Charters.
3 Tour Highlights:
- 7-hour tour covering over 90 nautical miles on a fast and stable catamaran.
- Snorkeling off the coast of Niihau at Lehua, a small crescent-shaped crater.
- Continental breakfast, gourmet deli lunch, drinks, and snorkel instructions and equipment are included.
Important: Not suited for pregnant woman and children under the age of 5. This is a full day of fun and adventure, most people can’t get enough, but for some people, seven hours may be too long on the water. Consider the stamina of everyone in your party to be sure no one is limited in their ability to have a good time!
Tour Information:
| Price: | Adult | Youth |
|---|---|---|
| (excluding taxes & fees) | $315 | $295 |
Tour Provider: Holo Holo Charters
Activity: Napali Coast + Snorkeling + Cruise
Tour start time: 6 am
Duration: 7 hours
Location: Nāpali Coast
Pick-up available? No
Included: Continental breakfast, gourmet deli lunch, drinks, and snorkel instructions and equipment are included.
Cancellations: All no-shows or tours cancelled within 24 hours of check-in time is a 100% charge of full fare. Larger groups of 6 or more have a 7 day (1 week) cancellation policy. There is a late rescheduling fee (24 hours prior to check in) of $25 per person plus tax.
Read more: about napali coast in our Kauai napali coast guide.
Read more about this tour
This award-winning Napali Coast Tours by local outfitter Hole Hol Charters takes you up the majestic Napali Coast and across the Kaulakahi Channel to Lehua Crater off the “Forbidden Island” of Niihau—all in one amazing day! With breakfast, snorkeling, lunch, and drinks included—this unforgettable 7-hour Kauai tour to Niihau is excellent value.
The Holoholo
The Niihau & Napali Coast Tours takes place on the Holoholo. This is a 65-foot power catamaran with twin Cummins QSB diesel engines. She cruises at up to 22 knots (about 25 miles or 40 km per hour) and covers more than 90 nautical miles on this tour. With its low center of gravity and hull design, Holoholo bounces less than some double-decker boats.
Holoholo is a 65-foot power catamaran. Image: Holoholo Charters.
Breakfast and the Nāpali Coast leg
The tour starts with a continental breakfast at sunrise as the boat leaves Port Allen and runs up Kauaʻi’s west side to the Nāpali Coast, with its 4,000-foot cliffs, waterfalls, valleys and sea caves. Turtles, monk seals and dolphins are sometimes seen along the way. Your captain narrates the legends and history of this stretch of Kauaʻi’s northern coastline.
The Nāpali coast seen from the water is one of the iconic images Kauaʻi is famous for. Credit: Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) / Vincent Lim
Crossing the channel to Lehua Crater
After the Nāpali Coast, Holoholo speeds up and crosses the 17-mile Kaulakahi Channel to Lehua Crater off Niʻihau’s coast. The crescent-shaped crater is a State Wildlife Sanctuary for seabirds, including several endangered and native species. Lehua Crater also has a “keyhole” rock formation.
The Keyhole Rock formation. Image: Holoholo Charters.
Your captain will explain how Niʻihau got its nickname, “The Forbidden Island.” Almost no one is allowed to go there.
Snorkeling at Lehua and Niʻihau
There are several snorkel options along the outside of Lehua Crater or off the coast of Niihau, and your captain will determine what’s best for the day based on wind, swell, currents, and other conditions. The crew fits you with the right size fins and goggles, gives a safety briefing, and then you get in the water.
The waters off Lehua and Niʻihau rank among the best snorkeling in Hawaiʻi, with over 100 feet of visibility on some days. Image: Holoholo Charters.
The waters off Lehua and Niʻihau rank among the best snorkeling in Hawaiʻi, with over 100 feet of visibility on some days. You may see endemic fish, endangered monk seals, manta rays and underwater lava formations. Bring an underwater camera.
Snorkel time can be up to an hour, depending on the day. If you’d rather not snorkel, you can stay on Holoholo and lie out on the nets.
Lunchtime and your trip back
The crew serves lunch after snorkeling. Water, juice, and soft drinks are available all day, and after snorkeling the crew also serves beer, wine, and seltzer for the ride back across the Kaulakahi Channel.
About Holo Holo Charters
Holo Holo Charters has been offering Niʻihau boat tours from Kauai since 1997, longer than any other Kauai boat tour company. Overall these years, they modified and upgraded their boat, refined the menu, and dialed in all the details. They consistently strive to give you the most fun, exciting, and visually stunning day of your Hawaiian vacation!
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