Kauai is arguably the most beautiful island in the Hawaiian Archipelago. But don’t just take our word for it. Locals call Kauai “The Garden Isle” because of its lush tropical rainforests, and the Napali Coast is famous for its amazing cliffs which are frequently seen in Hollywood films.

The best way to admire these breathtaking cliffs, the waterfalls that fall from them, and the sea caves is on a Na Pali boat tour. These sailing tours in Kauai not only give you the opportunity to experience Na Pali’s stunning scenery but also often offer the chance to go swimming or snorkeling in the turquoise water surrounding the island.

Below we feature 3 of the top-rated Kauai sailing and boat tours as well as some information you will find useful in Your Guide To Vacationing in Kauai.

Be sure to see our reviews of Kauai Snorkeling Tours, Kauai Luaus and Kauai Helicopter Tours.

Best NaPali Coast Boat Tours in Kauai

	Na Pali Coast Kauai Snorkel and Sail	Na Pali Sunset & Sightsee Boat Tour	Leila Na Pali Sunset Dinner Sail
Departure:	Holo Holo Charters, 4353 Waialo Rd, Eleele	Port Allen Marina Center, Waialo Road, Eleele	Holo Holo Charters, 4353 Waialo Rd, Eleele
Start:	7:30 AM	2:30 PM	1:30 PM
Duration:	5 hours	3.5 hours	4.5 hours
Includes:	Sailing tour, experienced guide, breakfast, lunch, snorkeling equipment, soft drinks, water, wine, beer, and sunscreen	Sailing tour of Napali Coast, dinner, craft beer, wine and Mai-Tais	Sailing tour, Pacific sunset, experienced guide, dinner, champagne, mai tais, soft drinks, water, wine, beer, and sunscreen
	Tour Information & Booking	Tour Information & Booking	Tour Information & Booking

Quick Answer: The 7 Best Rated NaPali Coast Kauai Boat Tours

1. Na Pali Coast Kauai Snorkel and Sail
2. Na Pali Sunset & Sightsee Boat Tour
3. Leila Na Pali Sunset Dinner Sail
4. Kauai Niihau and Na Pali Coast Full-Day Boat Tour
5. Kauai Catamaran Sunset Cruise
6. Nā Pali Coast Zodiac Raft Expedition + Snorkeling on Kauai
7. Deluxe Na Pali Morning Snorkel Tour on the Lucky Lady

NaPali Coast Kauai Boat Tour Reviews

1. Na Pali Coast Kauai Snorkel and Sail

This is the best Kauai sailing tour for visitors who are interested in nature and beautiful landscapes. A luxury catamaran uses wind power to transport you along the Napali Coast where you can admire the 4,000-foot-high cliffs, sparkling waterfalls, lush valleys, and secluded beaches.

Photographers, film makers, and artists frequently visit Kauai to be inspired by this breathtaking scenery. Your expert guides will entertain you with the myths of Kauai, which will come to life as you see the landmarks associated with the legends.

The custom-built catamaran features a waterslide to provide swift and easy access into the warm, crystal-clear waters of the Pacific Ocean. Snorkeling equipment and expert guidance are available that enable you to snorkel over a tropical reef.

Depending upon the time of year, you may encounter whales, dolphins, seals, turtles, and tropical fish. If you have an underwater camera, you’ll find plenty of opportunities to take fantastic photographs.

If you care about the environment, you’ll be happy to hear that this tour is Eco-certified. The tour operator is dedicated to sustainability and promoting eco-tourism. This is a fully inclusive tour, so you’ll be served a continental breakfast, a gourmet lunch, and beverages on your Kauai boat tour.

As an added bonus, the experienced crew are fun and friendly. This is an excellent ocean excursion from Kauai that will provide you with memories to last a lifetime.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

Other Experiences You May Enjoy:

2. Na Pali Sunset & Sightsee Boat Tour

This is the best Kauai boat tour for exploring the hidden natural beauty along the Na Pali coast at sunset. Aboard a purpose-built catamaran, you’ll sail along the Napali Coast and come close to the Forbidden Isle of Niihau.

Niihau is known as the Forbidden Isle because it has been privately owned since 1864 and off-limits to outsiders since 1915. It has a small population of mainly indigenous people and is the only island in the Hawaiian Archipelago where Hawaiian remains the first language rather than English.

There is a good chance of seeing spinner dolphins and sea turtles as you cruise along the shore. If you are there between Dec and April you have a great chance of seeing humpback whales. No need to take a separate whale watching tour! The captain knows the spots they are likely to be and will cruise by them.

As sunset approaches, the crew will serve dinner with fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables while you sip on craft beers, wine or Mai Tais.

Here you will find amazing underwater formations and a diverse range of aquatic wildlife. On this Kauai boat excursion, you will also see the spectacular waterfalls, hidden coves, breathtaking cliffs, and sea caves of the Napali Coast.

this Na Pali coast sailing excursion is liable to be the highlight of any vacation in Hawaii.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

3. Leila Na Pali Sunset Dinner Sail

This is the most romantic Kauai sailing tour along the Na Pali coast. The sunset over the Pacific Ocean is an unforgettable experience, and you and your partner can toast it with a glass of champagne.

The 50-foot luxury catamaran sails you along the Napali Coast, providing you with superb views of Kauai’s lush valleys, stunning cliffs, sparkling waterfalls, and intriguing sea caves.

Keep your eyes focused on the crystal-clear water to spot the local marine life. Depending upon the season, you may see whales, seals, turtles, dolphins, and manta rays. The knowledgeable crew will be happy to tell you about the local marine ecology.

As sunset approaches, you will be served a delicious island-style meal. Then when the sun dips into the horizon, you can sip on champagne.

Holo Holo Charters are dedicated to ecotourism. They are a certified Ocean Friendly Restaurant and also a member of the Hawaii Ecotourism Association. At the end of the tour, you will be asked to take the Holo Holo Pledge to promote sustainable tourism.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

4. Kauai Niihau and Na Pali Coast Full-Day Boat Tour

Your mission for today is to enjoy the beautiful Na Pali Coast and Kauai Niihau to its fullest, from one of the best perspectives out there. You’ll have all the food, drinks, views, and expert navigation you could want, and it’s frankly surprising how affordable this tour is!

If that sounds like fun to you, do yourself a favor and check out the Kauai Niihau and Na Pali Coast Full-Day Boat Tour!  Wake up early and head out to the Port Allen Marina Center, where you’ll meet your captain and crew for a day filled with fun and adventure.

I loved how friendly everyone was, paying attention to the needs of every participant to make sure everyone is comfortable and having a good time. Your vessel for the day is a state-of-the-art catamaran with plenty of room for everyone to relax and enjoy the 360 views of this paradise.

Start off by enjoying a delicious continental breakfast while you enjoy phenomenal views – you may even catch sight of spinner dolphins and even whales! You’ll then arrive on shore, where you’ll get to explore lush green valleys, cascading waterfalls, sea caves, and even some hidden beaches!

As you venture through, your guides are there to provide a captivating background on each spot. You’ll then arrive to the fascinating Lehua Crater, where you’ll have the option of donning the included scuba equipment and exploring the pristine underwater world. A

fter your snorkeling expedition, you’ll fuel up with a deli-style buffet lunch consisting of fresh sandwiches, salads, and more! Soft drinks, along with beer and wine are also available – take a sip while you listen to the tales of this region’s history.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

5. Kauai Catamaran Sunset Cruise

While the previous tour was a comprehensive all-day adventure, you don’t have to take a full-day tour in order to experience this region’s beauty. If you already have a packed schedule and want to enjoy Kauai from the water, this next tour is perfect for you.

The Kauai Catamaran Sunset Cruise Tour is an excellent alternative if you’re looking for a romantic restaurant date spot. Clocking in at just 1.5 hours, this tour is easy to fit into just about any schedule! While I find it has a romantic appeal, it’s just as fun and exciting to go with friends or the entire family, too.

In this relatively short amount of time, it encapsulates some of the things Hawaii does exceptionally well: beautiful nature vistas, animal sightings, history, music, and delicious food. Kick things off right before sunset by boarding your 50-foot catamaran for the evening and get comfortable.

As you start to head out, you’ll be served cocktails, wine, and/or beer while you munch on some tasty appetizers! The service was better than what you’d find in even the best restaurants, which was such a pleasant surprise. Oh, and if you’re lucky, you and your crew will spot critters like dolphins, turtles, and even North Pacific Humpback whales!

For not being an official whale-watching tour or the like, I was so happy to be able to see these guys up close! You’ll also get to visit the Alekoko Menehune Fish Pond located near the Hulei’a River and see the Hulei’a National Wildlife Refuge.

As you cruise around, enjoy the breathtaking views while listening to some traditional Hawaiian music and the tales about the area’s history from your expert guide.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

6. Nā Pali Coast Zodiac Raft Expedition + Snorkeling on Kauai

Owned and operated by US Coast Guard veterans, you can ensure you’ll be taken on adventure and led by professionals who will keep you safe!

With the Nā Pali Coast Zodiac Raft Expedition + Snorkeling on Kauai, you can rest easy knowing you’re in good hands with people who know the area like the back of their hand.

This fun-filled adventure along the beautiful coastline will take you everywhere from sea cave rafting to snorkeling through some of the most breathtaking natural beauty the world has to offer.

While there are plenty of snorkeling tours out this way, most of them won’t take you on vessels small enough to get into the caves. However, we were able to do so on this tour, which was so cool and felt like we were heading into another world, almost!

The captain and crew were super friendly and made sure everyone was happy and taken care of, throughout the entire time.

Cruising out on a 30-foot Zodiac raft, we headed out onto the turquoise waters, watching dolphins play around us, which was so amazing to see! As we ventured along, the crew regaled us with fascinating stories surrounding the region’s history and plenty of lore to keep us entertained!

We then stopped at one of the best snorkeling spots around, with the crew there to help us out with putting on gear properly and leading us to some particularly cool places with schools of fish, dolphins, and more!

There were a couple of people in our group who weren’t strong swimmers and opted to stay on board instead of snorkeling, and they still had a great time being able to see everything. Expect 4 hours filled of entertainment and laughs!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

7. Deluxe Na Pali Morning Snorkel Tour on the Lucky Lady

Experience the timeless beauty of Kauai’s Na Pal Coast on a half-day catamaran snorkeling cruise that feels a bit more “premium” than most snorkeling tours out there.

The Deluxe Na Pali Morning Snorkel on the Lucky Lady combines adventure and entertainment with dramatic natural beauty and educational opportunities. Set sail along the stunning coastline complete with plenty of refreshing beverages and lots of fun to be had!

Starting off at the crack of dawn, they really take advantage of the morning to avoid other boat traffic and enjoy generally calmer waters. Upon arrival to their offices, we were checked in and given a safety briefing before boarding our catamaran with plenty of room and prime viewing.

The coastline is beautiful, with emerald cliffs rising from the rich blue waters, which felt like something from a postcard.

While that certainly would’ve been impressive enough for me, we also took in remote views of hidden beaches and cascading waterfalls that many visitors miss out on.

Onboard, the atmosphere was laidback and leisurely, with plenty of alcoholic and soft drinks to sip on as the gentle ocean breeze blows through your hair. We even spotted some dolphins along our way, along with a tropical reef, which I wasn’t expecting!

I also appreciated that they offered us some breakfast snacks along with a lunch consisting of sandwiches, chips, cookies, and pasta salad. It kind of brought me back to childhood, and was just such a fun little addition to our already exciting adventure.

Our crew then found a top spot to stop for some snorkeling and relaxation, with amazing visibility and the chance to see tons of cool sea critters!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

Na Pali Coast Boat Tours: How to Pick the Right Boat and the Right Season

The Na Pali Coast is the reason a lot of people fly to Kauai, and you cannot drive to it. No road touches it. Your options are a 22-mile hiking trail that takes a permit and two hard days, a helicopter, or a boat.

Most people take the boat. And most people book the wrong boat, because they pick on price instead of on what kind of day they actually want.

Three things decide your trip before you ever choose an operator. The boat, the harbor, and the season. Get those three right and almost any reputable company will give you a good day on the water.

The boat decides your whole day

Three kinds of boat run this coast, and they are not interchangeable.

The big power catamaran, 50 to 65 feet. Smoothest ride, stable, shade, a real bathroom, food and drinks, usually a waterslide off the back for the kids. This is the family boat and the boat for anyone who gets queasy. The trade-off is it cannot tuck into the sea caves. It cruises the coast and you look up at it.

The sailing catamaran. Same comfort, but the captain cuts the engine and actually sails part of the way. Slower, quieter, better if that is the day you want. Holo Holo’s Leila is a 50-foot sailing cat out of Port Allen, around $255 for adults and $235 for kids 5 to 12, with breakfast, lunch, gear, and a waterslide on a five-and-a-half-hour run.

The rigid-hull raft, the Zodiac type, 24 to 40 feet. Fast, wet, and bouncy. The payoff is it gets you inside the sea caves and right under the waterfalls where the big boats can’t go. The cost is your spine.

If you’ve got a bad back, if you’re pregnant, or if you hate getting slammed around, don’t book a raft. Operators will turn you away for the first two anyway. And some raft trips skip snorkeling entirely to spend the time in the caves.

Capt Andy’s runs a summer sea-cave raft, June 1 through late August, that’s $194 adult and $164 child for three hours with no snorkel stop. Read the listing before you pay so you know which one you’re getting.

Where you leave from matters more than the brochure says

There are three harbors, and the one you pick changes everything about your day.

Port Allen, on the south side near Eleele, is where most boats leave and it runs year-round. About 15 to 20 minutes from Poipu. It is the safe default and there’s nothing wrong with defaulting to it.

Kikiaola, the small-boat harbor out at Kekaha on the west side, sits closer to the coast and is where a lot of the rafts launch. Less time on the water to reach Na Pali, a bit more driving to get there.

Hanalei Bay, up on the north shore, is the prize and the gamble. It’s only a 15-minute run to the start of Na Pali from there, the shortest of any harbor, and you get the north shore scenery thrown in. But Hanalei boats only run from roughly March or April through October.

Winter swells shut the north shore down hard, and nothing leaves from there when they do. Na Pali Catamaran runs an 18-person boat out of Hanalei, four hours with snorkeling or two hours just sightseeing, and there is no bathroom aboard, so plan accordingly. Hanalei Charters runs a 40-foot raft from there too, around $279 for a four-hour morning snorkel.

The operators worth naming

A handful have been running this coast for decades and you won’t go wrong with any of them.

Holo Holo Charters out of Port Allen is the one most people land on. Solid fleet, both a sailing cat and a power cat, and they’re the operator for the Niihau add-on I’ll get to below. Blue Dolphin runs the two biggest catamarans on the island, 65 feet, 40 years in business, good for big groups and families who want room to spread out.

Capt Andy’s has been at it since 1983 and runs both sailing cats from Port Allen and rafts from Kikiaola, so they cover both styles. Kauai Sea Tours runs the Lucky Lady on a five-hour snorkel with a build-your-own sandwich lunch and an open bar after you’re out of the water.

One I’d point you to if you care where your money lands. Makana Charters, also booked as Liko Kauai, is owned by a Native Hawaiian family descended from the people who farmed taro in Kalalau Valley on that exact coast.

The boat has a proper bathroom and a freshwater shower, and you’re hearing the history from people whose family lived it, not off a script. Departs Port Allen.

The snorkel stop is usually Nualolo Kai, a reef off an old Hawaiian fishing village, or wherever the day’s conditions are cleanest. Figure about 50 minutes in the water. The reef here is healthy and the water on this coast is some of the clearest in the islands.

The Niihau add-on, and whether you want it

Some Port Allen boats push past Na Pali, across the channel to Niihau, the privately owned island people call the Forbidden Island, and snorkel Lehua Crater off its coast.

The water out there is about as clear as it gets anywhere in Hawaii. Holo Holo’s Niihau and Na Pali combo on the 65-foot Holoholo is the standard, a seven-hour day running around $295 to $325 a head.

Here’s the honest part. That channel crossing can be genuinely rough, even in summer, and it makes for a long day. If you’re a strong snorkeler chasing the best water in the islands, it’s worth every dollar. If anyone in your group gets seasick, skip it and do a straight Na Pali run closer to shore.

Season, seasickness and booking

Summer is the season. May through September the coast goes calm, the boats reach the full length of it, the rafts get into the caves, and the snorkeling is good. Winter, roughly November into March, the swells build, Hanalei harbor closes, and the Port Allen boats still run but may not reach as far or enter the caves.

When Na Pali is too rough, the good operators reroute to the south shore around Kipu Kai instead of canceling, and they’ll refund or rebook you if they scrub the whole day.

Whales change the math in winter. Humpbacks are here December through April, and a winter cruise can be loaded with them even when the snorkeling is off. Spinner dolphins show up year-round. So do sea turtles, and now and then a monk seal.

Seasickness is real on this coast. I’ve watched fit people lose their breakfast on a flat-calm morning. If you’re even slightly prone, take Dramamine or get a scopolamine patch the night before and again that morning, not after you already feel green. Sit low and center on the boat, keep your eyes on the horizon, and stay out of the cabin.

Book early. Na Pali tours sell out faster than almost anything else on Kauai. Peak summer dates on the popular boats go six to eight weeks out. Standard Port Allen catamarans usually still have room three to four weeks out.

Book the boat first, then build the rest of your Kauai days around that one date. Do it backwards and you’ll either find your day sold out or end up with a boat slot that wrecks the rest of the trip.

FAQs

Can you see the Na Pali Coast without a boat?

Three ways. Hike the Kalalau Trail, which is 11 miles each way, needs a permit, and is no joke. Take a helicopter, which gives you the aerial view but no time in the water. Or take a boat, which is how most people do it and the only option that puts you snorkeling under the cliffs.

Catamaran or raft?

Catamaran if you want comfort, shade, a bathroom, and a smooth ride, or if you’re bringing kids or anyone who gets seasick. Raft if you’re after the sea caves and the up-close adrenaline and your back can take a pounding. Pick honestly. The raft is a worse day for the wrong person.

When is the best time of year to go?

Summer, May through September, for the calmest water, the sea caves, and the best snorkeling. Winter is rougher, Hanalei tours stop, and some boats can’t reach the full coast, but you trade that for humpback whales December through April.

How long are the tours and what do they cost?

Half-day snorkel catamarans run about five to five and a half hours and roughly $230 to $275 a head. Sunset cruises run from around $115 up to $250 for a dinner sail. The Niihau combo is a seven-hour day at $295 to $325. Sea-cave raft trips land around $190 to $280 depending on length and whether they snorkel.

Will I get seasick?

Maybe, and don’t assume you won’t. The crossings are exposed. Medicate the night before and the morning of if you’re at all prone, sit low and center, and watch the horizon. It’s the difference between a great day and a miserable one.

Is snorkeling guaranteed on every tour?

No. It depends on conditions, and some raft tours are sightseeing and sea caves only with no snorkel stop at all. If snorkeling is the point for you, confirm it’s on the specific tour before you book.

Which harbor should I book from?

Port Allen is the year-round default and the easiest call. Hanalei is closer to the coast and gorgeous, but it only runs summer through fall. Book based on where you’re staying and what season you’re visiting. If you’re up north in summer, Hanalei saves you a long drive across the island.