Kauai is such a beautiful, outdoorsy place to explore. We really enjoyed hiking and seeing the beautiful scenery. There are so many activities to check out on the island!
A friend of ours went to Kauai a few months earlier and recommended the kayak and waterfall hike tour by Kayak Adventures. We absolutely loved it! It was the perfect early morning activity.
We kayaked about 2.5 miles through Wailua River and trekked 1 mile through the tropical rainforest to Uluwehi Waterfall aka Secret Falls. The tour lasted about 4.5-5 hours.
Kayak Adventures provided a dry backpack that you can attach to the kayak to keep your things from getting wet. I would recommend bringing a hat, towel, swimsuit (underneath your clothes), sunglasses, and of course your phone/camera/gopro. Don’t forget to put on sunscreen and bug spray beforehand! The tour will provide water and lunch so you don’t need to worry about bringing food or snacks.
Thank you Kayak Adventures for hosting us on this tour. As always, all opinions expressed are our own!
I would recommend wearing water shoes like Teva Water Sandals or Shoes. If you wear tennis shoes or hiking shoes – your shoes and socks will get wet. It is wet from the start since you board your kayak in the river. On the hike to the waterfall, we crossed a low river with only a rope to assist us across. There were no rocks to jump on while crossing the river. Water shoes definitely help when swimming in the waterfall as well.
Hiking to Secret Falls
Kayak Adventures Lunch
Secret Falls
We had an amazing tour guide named Thomas. He was super friendly and very knowledgeable. He told us about different plants, animals, and history of Hawaii. Thomas also prepared a pretty lunch for us with flowers and leaves, which consisted of sandwiches, chips, and fruits. You get to choose what type of sandwich you would like before the tour, but it was nice he went the extra mile and made lunch look so pretty!
Hiking to the Secret Falls is not a strenuous hike, and a much easier hike than the Hanakapi’ai Falls Trail (Napali Coast hike) we did two days prior. You still need to be careful and pay attention to where you are stepping. Avoid walking on tree roots and watch for rocks on the ground. You should be especially mindful of the rocks in the waterfall since some of them are hidden. Due to my clumsiness, I got a few scrapes and bruises, but Thomas helped bandage me up perfectly fine. There were all sorts of people of different ages on our tour, from young to old, none of them as uncoordinated as I was!
Secret Falls was a breathtaking view after kayaking and hiking! The waterfall is over 85 feet high and opens up to a natural pool. The water was surprisingly warm and it was such a refreshing swim in the falls. We definitely enjoyed a beautiful view with our lunch before heading back. It was a nice break to enjoy the scenery and imagine how Hawaiian Royalty once resided here.
I would recommend taking the kayak tour in the morning. We did the 7 AM tour in February and found to the waterfalls to be less crowded and it was more comfortable kayaking when the sun was not at its peak. Kayak tours are not operational on Sundays so make sure you plan your trip ahead of time!
We had an amazing kayak and hiking adventure with Kayak Adventures. It was definitely a great tour, which was well organized. The store front was easy to find, check in was quick, and we got started on the tour promptly. We felt safe and learned some new facts about Kauai. We loved the scenic kayak tour and of course, swimming in the gorgeous falls. I would highly recommend checking out Kayak Adventures for a great morning kayak and waterfall hike while visiting Kauai!
440 Aleka Loop, Islander Shops #2
Kapaa, HI 96746
Phone: 808-826-9340
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Thank you Kayak Adventures for hosting us on this tour. As always, all opinions expressed are our own! 
26 Comments
I grew up in hawaii and never knew about this opportunity before today! Pretty pics, too!
March 29, 2017 at 8:29 AMAww thank you! You should definitely try it! Love kayak tours!
March 30, 2017 at 12:10 AMSuch beautiful scenery! I love that waterfall 🙂 I haven’t been to Kauai yet, but I love kayaking so I’ll definitely have to check out Kayak Adventures whenever I go!
March 29, 2017 at 8:38 AMOOH, you will love it! You should def do it if you ever visit Kauai!
March 30, 2017 at 12:10 AMSecret falls looks stunning! I cannot wait to get back to Kauai soon!
March 29, 2017 at 8:46 AMThank you! Isn’t Kauai such a beautiful place!?
March 30, 2017 at 12:10 AMLooks beautiful. I’ve tried sea kayaking and really enjoyed it. It’s definitely something I’d like to do more of.
March 29, 2017 at 12:41 PMYou will definitely enjoy this! The kayaking isn’t very strenuous, but more relaxing actually!
March 30, 2017 at 12:11 AMThis sounds like so much fun!Kayaking + hiking + pretty lunch = perfect day))
March 29, 2017 at 4:45 PMhehe Thank you Uliana! It was a great day!
March 30, 2017 at 12:11 AMWoa, Nature is always surprising us <3 Mother earth has much to offer us! <3
March 29, 2017 at 11:35 PMSO very true! 🙂
March 30, 2017 at 12:12 AMSounds like a wonderful day! I can’t wait to visit Kaui – thanks for the inspiration 🙂 Pinning your post so I know what to do when I go to Hawaii. P:S Also following your adventures from now on 🙂 Happy travels xx – Divya
March 30, 2017 at 9:53 AMWhat a fun adventure! I’m a sucker for waterfalls, so we’ll check this out next time we visit Hawaii. It’s been a few years already, so maybe it’s time to go back?
March 30, 2017 at 10:04 AMLove how you can see so much nature with a kayak! Love the pictures!
March 30, 2017 at 11:31 AMThe hubs and I love to go kayaking! We’d love to do this in Kauai and end it with a gorgeous waterfall. Good call on the water shoes- I still need to get myself a pair. Did Cooper go on this adventure too?
March 30, 2017 at 3:06 PMI love the sound of this tour! It’s so fun to experience nature by kayaking or hiking – love that this tour combines both. That waterfall looks breathtaking! Good to know the tip about going early – definitely would want to beat the crowds!
March 30, 2017 at 7:49 PMThis tour sounds like a fun way to tour Kauai and see the beautiful nature! Great tips on the water shoes! I am leaving for Maui tomorrow and just realized I haven’t bought mine. Heading out to the store now!
March 30, 2017 at 8:35 PMA morning kayaking tour seems like such a peaceful way to take in all that beauty there. I bet the waterfall was amazing.
March 31, 2017 at 12:28 AMI would also be the clumsy one stepping onto the wrong things. I remember hiking in El Yunque and I put myself into some compromising moments occasionally. I’m sure it was all worth it.
March 31, 2017 at 8:50 AMIt always helps having a friendly tour guide who is knowledgeable! I love kayaking anywhere I go so I am super jelly ya’ll got to!! Secret Falls looks like the perfect ending!
March 31, 2017 at 12:01 PMThis looks so fun!!! I love kayaking and I would love to do when I visit. The waterfall looks well worth the adventure!
March 31, 2017 at 11:28 PMI love kayaking and always find it a better way to explore the water life around islands. The waterfall looks amazing too!
April 1, 2017 at 3:16 AMI would love to do something like this! Kayaking is such a great workout for your arms haha and the waterfalls that you both reached look gorgeous!!
April 2, 2017 at 10:54 AMI’ve day dreamt of discovering Kauai many times before, but taking a kayak tour looks like the way! Is Secret Falls really much of a secret? If it is it’s astounding. Thanks for leaving a tip for checking out Thomas, he sounds like a knowledgeable dude.
April 3, 2017 at 8:43 AM[…] Per recommendation from our friend, Pear, we checked our a great tour with Kayak Adventures. You can read more about our experience here! […]
April 13, 2017 at 12:32 AM