Kapaa & East Shore Activities

You’ll find all the expected Kauai activities on the East Shore.  And it’s the best place on the island to learn about Hawaiian history and culture.

The Kauai Museum in Lihue has traditional artifacts – many made of koa wood – including ancient Hawaiian weapons, feathered standards of the royal family, and more.  If you’re traveling with kids, it’s one of the more educational things to do in Kauai.

You can visit the museum, then explore the seven ancient temples, or heiaus, along Route 580 between Wailua and Mount Wai’ale’ale, the wettest place on earth.

For a closer look at plantation-era Hawaii, Kilohana Plantation has a 1930s Tudor-style mansion, a lovely restaurant, and several top-quality crafts stores.  There’s a working farm that you can tour, horse-drawn carriage rides, and a vintage, narrow-gauge railway.

On the road to Nawiliwili, The Grove Farm Homestead Museum offers a glimpse into life on a sugar plantation.  The tour costs $5 and reservations are required.

If you’re interested in shopping for more than souvenirs, Lihue has major chain stores like Macy’s, Wal-Mart, and Costco, which is the most affordable place on the island for food, beach toys, and snorkeling equipment.

Depending on how much you would use a bicycle, it can be cheaper to buy one at Costco than to rent one for a week.  And you can do a good deed and donate it to a local charity at the end of your trip.

The Wailua River is a popular kayaking destination.  Several outfitters operate full- and half-day trips on the river.  On the Secret Falls tour, you paddle upriver through the rain forest to a trail head, hike for 45 minutes to a pristine waterfall where you can take a refreshing plunge, and then glide back downriver to the launch area.

Find the top activities on Kauai’s North Shore.