Best Way to Explore The Napali Coast in Kauai | Hike, Boat or Helicopter?

The Napali Coast is one of the main attractions of Kauai and undoubtedly one of the most iconic places in all of the Hawaiian Islands.

The absolutely breathtaking lush jagged cliffs that line the coastal north shore is a sight sure not to be missed when visiting Kauai. But it is no easy task to get there, as vehicles have no access to the Na Pali coastline. Luckily there are other ways to experience the beautiful Napali Coast via air, foot, or water.

The easiest, yet most expensive way to experience the Na Pali Coast is by air on a helicopter tour. This takes you on a stunning adventure experiencing an aerial view of the whole island of Kauai.

If you enjoy getting on the water, then seeing the Napali Coast by boat tour can offer a unique way to cruise along the coastline. But if you easily get sea sick, this might not be the best option.

One of the more challenging ways to experience the Napali Coast is by foot. The most famous trail along the North Coast is the Kalalau Trail. But there are also trails in Kokee State Park and Waimea Canyon State Park that offer stunning views of the coastal shore from above.

Hiking along the coast offers more of an immersive way to experience the Napali Coast. If you want to get a closer view of the lush valleys, hiking the Napali Coast is clearly one of the best options.

Lastly, kayaking is also a unique option to explore the Napali Coast. This is probably one of the most challenging options and requires advanced planning. I’d only choose this option if you have experience sea kayaking.

Technically, there are 5 unique ways to experience the Nāpali Coast State Wilderness Park. In this guide we will break down the best way to explore the Napali Coast.

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What is the Napali Coast & what makes it famous?

The Napali Coast is famously known for the high cliffs that rise over 4,000 feet from the Pacific Ocean. Due to the amount of rain the Na Pali Coast experiences, the landscape is very green and lush.

The Nāpali Coast State Wilderness Park spans 6,175 acres and extends 16 miles between Polihale State Park Beach and Ke’e Beach in Haena State Park.

The most famous landmark to visit in the Nāpali Coast State Wilderness Park is Kalalau Beach. The only way to set foot on Kalalau Beach is by hiking through the Kalalau Valley, kayaking from either Polihale State Park or Ke’e beach, or setting up a boat drop off (not a common option/more info about this below).

Most of the boat tours and helicopter tours just cruise by the beach and you get to experience the views for less than 10 total minutes.

Napali Coast Weather

Helicopter flying above Napali Coast through cloudy weather

The weather on the Napali Coast plays a huge factor in why it is so lush and green. On average the north shore of Kauai gets about 40-60 inches of rain per year.

It is very common for it to rain somewhere along the Napali Coast sometime during the day/night.

Which can make it a challenge for knowing when to book a tour. But most tours have a good cancellation policy or will cancel/reschedule the tour if it won’t be a good experience for the customer.

Best Time To Visit The Napali Coast

The summer months are the best time to visit the Napali Coast (May-September). The weather will be more cooperative and you will experience less rain.

As stated above, rain is a very common occurrence in the Napali Coast State Park. So chances of cloud cover or getting rained on are much higher than on the south and west sides of the island.

During the winter months, the island experiences the most rain. But rain can occur any day of the year. Luckily they are often isolated showers, rather than a full day of rain and clouds.

The winter months also bring bigger waves to the north shore of Kauai. Boat tours will be most pleasant during the spring, summer, or fall. And kayaking permits for Kalalau Beach are only available in the summer.

Lastly, swimming at Kalalau Beach is potentially more dangerous in the winter.

Temperatures don’t fluctuate too much along the Napali Coast, therefore it can really be explored any time of year.

Hiking/Backpacking the Napali Coast:

Beginning the long hike back to the trailhead, looking back over Kalalau Valley.

There are actually quite a few ways to experience the Napali Coast by foot. But one of the most famous trails is the Kalalau Trail. The trail starts on Kauai’s north shore at Haena State Park. This trail requires permits and advanced planning.

The hike to Kalalau Beach is a challenging 11-mile hike (one way) that takes a minimum the majority of a day. But many people take at least 3 days to explore this beautiful area as a backpacking trip. Once you reach the beach, there is a beautiful waterfall and large sea caves to explore.

A popular day hike on the Kalalau Trail is a hike to Hanakapi’ai Beach and/or Hanakapi’ai Falls. The hike to Hanakapi’ai Beach is only 4 miles roundtrip. From the beach, you can extend the trip to Hanakapi’ai Falls an additional 4 miles, making the total trip 8 miles roundtrip. You will need a day-use permit for entering Haena State Park.

Or (with the correct permit) you can continue on the Kalalau Trail to Kalalau Beach as an extended backpacking trip. This trail is not for the faint of heart as it stretches 11 miles one way on rugged terrain. Plus the hiking trail climbs over 6,000 ft in elevation through the up and downs of the valleys. (read our extensive review about backpacking the Kalalau Trail)

If you are looking to experience the Na Pali Coast with an easier hike or viewpoint, you should consider heading to Kokee State Park.

Hiking & Viewpoints in Kokee State Park To See the Na Pali Coast

Kalalau Lookout and Puʻu o Kila lookout are two viewpoints at the end of the road of Kokee State Park that offer a bird’s eye view of the Napali Coast without much effort. It is a great way to view the majestic Na Pali Coast if you want an easier, less time-consuming option.

Pu’u o Kila Lookout also is the start of the trailhead for the Pihea Vista Trail. Which is 2.3 miles with 465 ft elevation change. This trail is often very muddy and messy but you get to see the stunning jagged mountains of the Nāpali Coast.

Other hikes in Kokee State Park that offer beautiful views of the coast line are Awa’awapuhi, Honopu Ridge Trail, and Kālepa Ridge.

Awa’awapuhi trail is 6 miles with 1,945ft elevation change. The beginning of the hike can be a challenge, especially after recent rainfall, but undoubtedly one of the best hikes in the park. There is a section where you will be in the middle with steep slopes on each side, so be sure to take your time and be extra cautious.

Honopu Ridge Trail is a trail less traveled, so you can expect an overgrown trail. It is 4.4 miles with 1597 ft elevation change. Long sleeve shirts and pants are strongly encouraged. Also, this trail is not suggested after heavy rainfall as it will be very slippery and dangerous.

Kālepa Ridge is the easiest of the 3 and offers stunning views. The hike trail is 1.9 miles with 610 ft elevation change.

Helicopter Tours of the Napali Coast:

The best way to experience the island of Kauai as a whole is by helicopter. A helicopter ride is exhilarating and incredibly scenic. You get to see many remote waterfalls, mountains, and valleys that can only be seen via helicopter. Plus you only travel in small groups or by private tour.

But since the helicopter tours are only about an hour long, you really only get to see the Napali Coast for a short time. So while the views are incredible, you only spend about 10-15 minutes passing the NaPali Coast.

There are both ‘doors-on’ and ‘doors-off’ helicopter tours. Doors-on tours tend to be less expensive and climate controlled. But photos and videos suffer from the glare on the windows.

A big reason to choose doors-off helicopter tour is for photography.

But they are pretty strict on what you can bring on a doors-off helicopter tour. So while it might seem great for snapping photos, you might experience precipitation and have trouble wiping it off since you aren’t allowed loose items. And it might not be climate controlled. But you will get pictures without glare, which can be a huge bonus for epic photos.

Jake and I used Island Helicopters for our tour around the island of Kauai. It is one of the cheapest helicopter tours on the island. We don’t have a comparison between other helicopter tours, but we had an exceptional time from checking in, pre-flight tutorial, and the ride itself.

We had a great experience, the only thing we wish was different is the pilot to have a little more enthusiasm. But nonetheless, an absolutely amazing experience to see the lush green mountains, Waimea Canyon and the Napali Coast from above.

The company we went with didn’t offer a ‘doors-off’ ride. But you can find many Helicopter tours of the Napali Coast that offer a doors-off experience.

Tips for Helicopter Tours in Kauai:

If you are riding in a doors-on helicopter, then it is best to wear all black or dark colors. Lighter colors reflect off the glass, and you might not be able to snap a photo without getting a bright glare from your clothes reflecting off the window in the shot.

If you are primarily going for photography, you might consider doing an off-doors helicopter tour. Or consider doing a specific photography tour which many companies offer. A photography helicopter tour will sometimes hoover over popular locations to get that perfect shot.

Another bit of caution for photography, is that many people get motion sickness when taking photos or videos. Try to limit the amount of time spent looking through your camera’s viewfinder or at your phone screen.

And if you often get motion sickness, plan ahead and pick up some medicine before your ride. Suggested medicines consist of: diphenhydramine (Benadryl), dimenhydrinate (Dramamine), and scopolamine.

Whether or not you get motion sickness, it’s still best to not drink alcohol the night before. Or at least keep it to 1 or 2 drinks total.

Jake and I don’t tend to get motion sickness much, but we did experience nausea toward the end of our flight.

Airplane Tour of the Na Pali Coast:

If helicopters scare you or the price is too steep, then you can still witness the island of Kauai by airplane tour. The biggest negative to an airplane is that they can’t fly lower than 1000 to 1500 ft.

So ultimately, you can’t get very close to the cliffs, and you won’t really be able to see some of the waterfalls which is part of the whole experience.

Helicopters can fly as low as 500 ft, so the experience is much more immersive. Plus some helicopter tours stop off at Jurassic Falls if that is of interest (which is impossible for airplanes to land at).

Book an airplane Tour here

Boat Tours of the Napali Coast:

Couple posing in from of Napali Coast Kalalau Beach from Boat

Boat Tours are the ultimate way to experience the Napali Coast. Most tours last half a day (roughly 4 hours). Most companies offer both morning tours and afternoon tours.

Plus many of the tours add in a snorkel tour if that is of interest. There is so much beautiful marine life that lines the coastal shore and they know the best snorkeling spots. If you choose a morning tour, you have more of a chance to see Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles.

And if snorkeling isn’t your thing, it’s very popular to see Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins and Humpback Whales on your ride from one of the ports to the Napali Coast. Plus you will pass by an ancient Hawaiian fishing village where ancient Hawaiians once lived.

We found the boat tour to be one of our favorite ways to explore the Napali Coast. However, boat tours in the summer are better because the ocean is calmer. Boat tours are more likely to be canceled/rescheduled due to waves in the winter

We took a boat tour in November, and the ocean was extremely rough, even for the big boat we were on. I think most passengers were experiencing some motion sickness. And Jake even threw up overboard at one point!

Boat tours leave from two different ports. In the west, boat tours will leave from Port Allen. In the north, boat tours will leave from Hanalei Bay.

The best way to see the numerous sea caves that line the Napali Coast is via boat tour. Many of the tours will drive you very close or even through some of the sea caves depending on the calmness of the sea.

Jake and I used Makana Charters which offers a larger boat and is one of the least expensive options. We loved our guides, as they were very personable and knowledgeable. Our captain kept reminding us to take in the nature for ourselves rather than snapping photos or videos through our phone. But of course, we still wanted to remember this trip, so we still snapped many photos and videos!

Other popular boat tours are Napali Pirates and Holo Holo Charters.

Or one of our favorite websites to find a great deal is Booking a Boat Tour of the Napali Coast on Viator.

Kayaking the Napali Coast:

Kayaking the Napali Coast is a unique way to explore the Napali Coast. It is highly recommended to have experience kayaking on the ocean. Especially for taking off and coming into the beach with big waves crashing ashore.

First, you need to apply for a permit. They only allow kayakers to approach the beach during the summer months from May 15 to Sept 7. Popular take off points are from Polihale Beach in the West and Haena Beach in the East.

Once kayakers are on the water, they can only land at Kalalau Beach and Miloli’i Beach. Landing at Hanakapi’ai, Honopu, and Nu’alolo Kai is prohibited.

There are also full-day kayaking tours with a guide. So if you don’t want to camp at the beach or don’t want to tackle the route on your own, you can go with a guided tour.

Some companies that offer this are Napali Kayak and Kayak Kauai.

Boat Drop off at Kalalau Beach:

Commercial boat transport is illegal on Kalalau Beach. Therefore, the only way to get a boat drop off on Kalalau Beach is by a private unpaid charter. You basically need to know somebody in Kauai with a boat.

So it’s pretty uncommon to use this method to get to the beach, rather a way for locals to get to and from the area if they own a boat or know someone who owns a boat.

You will still need a valid camping permit to land at Kalalau Beach if you arrive by boat.

Takeaway | Best Way to explore the Napali Coast

Honestly, we loved every chance we got to experience the Nā Pali Coast. Each adventure offered a different perspective and was unique in its own way.

Our first time witnessing the Napali Coast was the long 22-mile slog on the Kalalau Trail. We worked hard for our views and we loved that we actually got to spend some time on Kalalau Beach.

We actually got to experience more intimate views of the landscape because of the 11-mile hike through the lush valleys. But we don’t suggest this for anyone that isn’t an experienced hiker, because it is very challenging.

Second, we went up in the air on our first-ever helicopter ride. It was probably the coolest way to see Kauai Island as a whole. But it was over in just 55 minutes, so you really don’t get to experience more than 10 minutes along the Napali Coast.

We personally feel that everyone should at least do the helicopter experience once if they are in Kauai. It is truly worth the price.

Lastly, we went on a boat tour. From witnessing the Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins and the state parks from the water was extra special. Because we went during the winter months, the waves were much bigger than we thought, but a fun time nonetheless.

But getting to take in the view of the Napali Coast from the water for about 30ish minutes was magical.

Overall, it’s hard to pick the best way to explore the Napali Coast as they are all great in their own way. But I think a helicopter tour is a must-do when visiting Kauai.

If you are going strictly to experience the views of the Napali Coast, then a boat tour in the summer might offer the best experience. Especially because tours last 4 hours versus a helicopter being around 1 hour.

But truly, you can’t go wrong, as long as you at least explore the Napali Coast by hike, boat, or helicopter.