Four-Day Kauai Itinerary for First-Timers Filled with Epic Scenery & Delicious Eats

We spent four days getting to know Kauai and it was the perfect intro to the Garden Isle. I had only been here once when I was younger for a field trip, which is kind of embarrassing since I was born and raised in Hawaii. So for me, it really was like experiencing the island for the first time!

Our four-day Kauai itinerary had a good mix of foodie activities, scenic sightseeing, and some downtime to enjoy resort life. Let’s get to the deets, shall we!

Where to Stay on Kauai

Kauai has hotels clustered in several main resort areas such as Poipu to the south, Princeville/Hanalei to the north, and a handful on the east side of Kauai closer to Lihue. If hotels aren’t your vibe, you can also check out one of the many options for vacation rentals, including condos and homes, on sites like VRBO.

I’m often a big fan of condo stays when it comes to Hawaii simply because they are more affordable. Hotels in Hawaii are pricey and out of reach for many (unless you can swing a swanky stay on points, like I did at the Grand Hyatt!).

Grand Hyatt Kauai

For this trip, where to stay on Kauai was a no brainer. I had Hyatt points to spend, so it was the Grand Hyatt Kauai for us!

The Grand Hyatt Kauai is the true definition of a tropical resort. The property is massive, spanning across 50 acres with just over 600 guestrooms. It sits oceanfront and has numerous onsite restaurants, daily activities great for families (many of them free!), an amazing pool layout, and even their own luau.

You could spend your whole vacation at the resort and keep yourselves busy (though I wouldn’t recommend this – there’s just so much to see on Kauai!).

I was very excited to snag a room here with a king-sized bed, ocean view, and Grand Club Access with our Hyatt points at 39,000 per night. I wrote a very detailed review on our stay at the Grand Hyatt Kauai and included notes on how I booked our stay there for “free” completely on points!

Rooms at the Grand Hyatt start at over $800 per night, so it’s well worth saving up Hyatt points to book stays here. We had a fantastic time and I’d definitely stay here again (once my points balance reaches that threshold).

1 Hotel Hanalei

If we had more days on Kauai, I would have loved to stay a couple of nights at the 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay and base ourselves on the north shore. This hotel is absolutely gorgeous but is very expensive and you can’t book a stay with points unless booking through a credit card travel portal. That’s really not the best way to maximize points value, but if it’s your dream to stay here (like me) then maybe it’s worth it?

If you check room rates during low season, like end of October/early November, you can find rooms in the $800 – $900 per night range. Looking at weekday stays is also a good option for cheaper stays. Yes, it’s bougie – but sometimes hotel stays like this are worth the splurge for a special occasion or trip.

As an alternative to the 1 Hotel, Hanalei Bay Resort next door is a more affordable option for a condo-style stay with Hanalei Bay views. My sister-in-law stays here with her timeshare!

Kauai Airport & Rental Cars

You should definitely rent a car when visiting Kauai! There are so many amazing things to see on the island and having a car gives you the best flexibility for sightseeing.

The Kauai airport is relatively small and easy to navigate, with rental car facilities offsite. A quick shuttle ride will get you to all of the rental car pickup spots!

I generally use Avis when traveling to Hawaii and I highly recommend signing up to be a Preferred Member for a faster checkout process (it’s free – do it). Avis is also one of the few car rental agencies that allow your spouse as an extra driver at no additional cost.

Know Before You Go

Here are some tips and facts about Kauai that are good to know ahead of your visit:

• Kauai gets a lot of rain and Mt. Waialeale is actually the second wettest spot on earth! More rain = more beauty when it comes to the landscape. You can also expect a higher level of humidity here.
• Commercial buildings aren’t allowed to be built over the height of a palm tree (a tongue-in-cheek measurement), or roughly four stories. The tallest structures we saw on Kauai were the larger resort hotels.
• Traveling in low season will get you better hotel rates. This pretty much goes for all of Hawaii. Avoid popular spring break weeks, summer months, and winter holidays for better rates. We visited in mid-October and things were pretty quiet around the island.
• Restaurants tend to close early on Kauai, often as early as 8:00 p.m. I hope you like to eat dinner early!
• Reservations are almost a necessity for the higher-end restaurants, even in low season. Plan ahead.
• Focus on more casual eateries for the best food on Kauai. Pick one or two “fancier” spots and visit the island’s food trucks, breweries, and diners.

Kauai 4-Day Itinerary Summary

Alright – let’s get to the itinerary! Here’s a quick day-by-day summary of our four-day Kauai itinerary:

• Day 1: Arrival, saimin lunch, Koloa Rum tasting, check into Grand Hyatt Kauai, and dinner at hotel
• Day 2: Pool time, Kauai Island Brewing, and Captain Andy’s sunset sail to the Nā Pali Coast with dinner
• Day 3: Foodie day & drive to the North Shore to visit Hanalei
• Day 4: Waimea Canyon, Kauai Coffee Estate, lunch at Porky’s & Puka Dog, pool time & dinner at Break + Feast

Day 1 – Arrival to Kauai

Our first day on Kauai included a mid-day arrival from Maui. We picked up our rental car from Avis and headed straight to an iconic spot for some big bowls of hot noodle soup at Hamura Saimin.

After lunch, we visited the Kilohana Plantation for a pre-booked Koloa Rum tasting appointment and then made our way to the Grand Hyatt to check in for our stay.

We spent the afternoon and early evening digging into what the Grand Club at the hotel had to offer (including the best kalua pork nachos ever!) and ended the night with a sushi dinner at Stevenson’s Library at our hotel.

Day 1 Highlights

• Arrival to Kauai
• Lunch at Hamura Saimin
• Koloa Rum Tasting
• Maluhia Tree Tunnel views
• Check into the Grand Hyatt
• Hors d’oeuvres in the Grand Club
• Dinner at Stevenson’s Library

Lunch at Hamura Saimin

Hamura Saimin is a mainstay of the Kauai food scene, having been open since the 1950s. Located in Lihue, it’s the perfect stop to get lunch after you land at the airport!

This restaurant focuses on serving up a Hawaiian-style noodle soup called saimin – a dish adapted from Chinese and Japanese cultures thanks to immigrants who came to work at Hawaii’s plantations back in the day.

Hamura has an old school diner vibe with retro décor, low counters, no AC (at least there’s ceiling fans), and is a cash-only establishment. It’s a quintessential Kauai dining experience!

We ordered the Shrimp Saimin, Special Saimin, and a piece of their famous lilikoi chiffon pie. Steaming hot bowls of soup on a warm, humid day makes total sense right? The saimin was delicious and worth every bead of sweat. The tempura shrimp in my saimin was light and crunchy and when dipped in the saimin broth, created a perfect bite.

The lilikoi chiffon pie was very light and airy but I was hoping for more of a punch of lilikoi flavor. It’s easy to devour after you’ve gulped down a bowl of soup, but next time I’ll be going for the savory wontons instead.

All in all, it was a great first stop on the island!

Rum Tasting at Koloa

With bellies full, it was time to head over to the Kilohana Plantation for a rum tasting at Koloa Rum.

But first, a refreshing dole whip after that hot soup experience! Before our tasting, we sauntered over to The Pineapple Shack across the parking lot from Koloa Rum to get an ice cold Dole pineapple whip. That hit so good on a hot day! It’s worth a stop here alone.

After our Dole Whip, we lined up to be shuffled into the cool rum tasting room. Our tasting guide was lively and informative, not only telling us about what we were tasting but also about Koloa’s history on the island.

The rums we tasted were a little sweet for me (mostly flavored rums like coconut, cacao, and coffee), but it was a nice way kill a little bit of time before heading to our hotel for check in.

Maluhia Tree Tunnel

A highlight on the drive down to the south shore was passing through the Maluhia Tree Tunnel on the way to Poipu. Be prepared for these views right after exiting Kamuali’i Hwy (Hwy 50) onto Maluhia Road.

This tree tunnel is made up of about 500 eucalyptus trees planted well over 100 years ago! It’s a pretty epic (and scenic) way to enter this part of the island.

Hotel Check-In

We arrived at the Grand Hyatt for our four-night stay on Kauai and let me tell you, this resort is breathtaking! Walking into the grand open air lobby will instantly make you feel spoiled.

At check-in, we got the rundown on resort offerings and activity schedule, got our room key and a welcome lei, and headed to check out our ocean-view king room!

We took a little bit of time to chill in our room, enjoy a cold beverage, and snack on our welcome pineapple. This would also be a great time to take your first dip in the pools.

Hors d’oeuvres in the Grand Club

Since our room booking came with Grand Club access, we headed there to check out the offerings for the evening hors d’oeuvres.

I loaded my plate up with salads and veggies and made a big pile of some of the best kalua pork nachos I’ve ever had! Against better judgement, I went back for seconds because it was too good to resist.

If you get access to the Grand Club at the Hyatt, it’s definitely worth taking advantage of for as many meals as you can, especially for breakfast and evening hors d’oeuvres.

Dinner at Stevenson’s Library

We ended our first day on Kauai with an evening at the Grand Hyatt’s literary-themed sushi restaurant, Stevenson’s Library.

Yes, we still went to dinner after eating piles of nachos. No, I don’t have any regrets. Dishes at Stevenson’s Library are pretty light and seafood focused, so it wasn’t too big of a mistake getting that second helping of nachos at the club.

My favorite bites at the Stevenson’s Library were the refreshing Niji Rainbow sushi roll, the misoyaki black cod, and their themed yuzu and gin cocktail entitled A Cocktail of Two Cities. We also had their poke and hamachi carpaccio, which were both tasty.

Reservations here are highly recommended to ensure you get a spot!

Day 2 – The Epic Nā Pali Coast

Our second day on Kauai was focused on seeing one of the most incredible scenic views on my travel bucket list – the Nā Pali Coast.

If you’ve seen Jurassic Park then you’ve seen shots of this iconic coastline! The only problem is accessing it, which can only be done by boat, helicopter, or hike. Since I’m deathly afraid of helicopters and am not a big hiker, boat tour it was! We headed out on an afternoon/sunset dinner sail with Captain Andy’s and it was truly epic.

Before our big adventure of the day, we also had breakfast at the Grand Club, chilled at the pool for the morning, and popped into Kauai Island Brewing in Port Allen for a beer flight and light snacks before our cruise.

Day 2 Highlights

• Breakfast at the Grand Club
• Morning pool time
• Light bites at Kauai Island Brewing
• Afternoon sunset sail to the Nā Pali Coast

Breakfast at the Grand Club

Since we planned a chill morning before our big Nā Pali Coast adventure, we popped into the Grand Club to see what they had to offer for breakfast.

The spread for breakfasts here is continental style, with fresh fruit, bagels, pastries, smoked salmon, deli meats, juices, and coffee offered each day. They also have rotating hot dishes each day, like scrambled eggs and sausages, bacon, and loco moco. It was a great way to fuel our day without any added expenses!

Pool Relaxation Time

The pools are undoubtedly the best part of staying at the Grand Hyatt. If you stay here, you must make time to enjoy them!

I am one of those people who generally have a hard time relaxing when we travel. I want to get out and see everything since we usually have limited time! However, since we stayed at such a grand resort, I forced us to make time to slow down for a change and enjoy as much of the resort life as we could.

After wandering around looking for towels for far too long (pro tip: you can only get them at the main Recreation Desk), we made our way to the adult pool area to swim and relax at the pools for a bit. The water was a little cooler than expected up at the adult pool, but the sun warmed us up quickly while we lounged in the pool chairs.

This was the perfect way to enjoy the beautiful morning weather before heading out on our big boat adventure.

Bites at Kauai Island Brewing

Nā Pali Coast boat tours on the south shore depart from Port Allen where Kauai Island Brewing is also conveniently located. After we checked in early for our tour, we had a little time to spare so we crossed the street and sidled up to the bar for a taste of local Kauai beer and some light bites.

The beer was actually quite good and their crispy pork and shrimp lumpia were excellent! It was just the snack I needed to fill up on before doubling up on my Dramamine for the boat ride.

Nā Pali Coast Sail

If there was only one thing I was going to see when we visited Kauai, it was the Nā Pali Coast. This coastline is simply iconic and you can’t picture Kauai without it coming to mind. The views of the coast are spectacular and worth every penny you spend to see it, be it by boat or helicopter.

We booked our Nā Pali Coast tour with Captain Andy’s – one of the most highly-rated Nā Pali tours on the island. Since my husband and I aren’t big into snorkeling, we went with the afternoon sunset dinner cruise.

It is important to know that afternoon sailings can be a little risky when it comes to weather. Mornings on the water are typically much calmer. In Hawaii, the winds pick up mid-day, which means choppier waters in the afternoons.

The waters on this side of the island can already get a little hairy because there’s no real protection in the channel from neighboring islands. It could be a wild ride! We got extremely lucky with the weather on our cruise and conditions were nearly perfect. Thank you, Mother Nature.

Seasickness Tips

If you are prone to seasickness at all (like me), there are a few things you can do to prepare:

• Take Dramamine or another motion sickness pill ahead of boarding the boat. This is not medical advice, but I doubled up on pills after reading others’ experiences with prepping for this. I easily get sick on boats so I was extremely nervous for our ride. The double up saved me and I did not get sick!
• Avoid the main cabin during the boat ride. Pick a spot on the deck or at the back of the boat where you can get your face whipped with fresh air and keep your eye on the horizon.
• Limit your alcohol and fluid consumption to avoid going to the restroom often. Getting down there in the cabin can make your motion sickness much worse.

Surf & Turf Dinner

Once we reached the most epic views of the Nā Pali Coast and started to turn back to port, dinner service began. We chowed down on a delicious plated dinner cooked by the chef, including a starter salad, grilled shrimp and filet mignon with veggies, and key lime cheesecake for dessert.

This Captain Andy’s cruise also offers guests with an open bar which includes a signature Mai Tai-style drink, beer, and wine. And of course, unlimited non-alcoholic drinks are available as well. The staff regularly made rounds around the ship to bring guests their drinks without us having to get up!

Our cruise ended just outside the harbor where we watched the sun set over the ocean. It was an amazing afternoon and I have zero regrets about this tour!

Cost & Booking

Excursions in Hawaii these days aren’t cheap. Our Captain Andy’s cruise was $245 pp (plus taxes and fees)! However, with limited options to see the Nā Pali Coast, it’s just something you have to be willing to fork out the cash for. It’s worth it in my opinion!

Book your Captain Andy’s Cruise here

Day 3 – Food + The North Shore

Our third day on Kauai focused on exploring some of the island’s food scene and visiting the north shore for its scenic views. We started our day with a sweet breakfast of malasadas at Kauai Bakery, and then made our way up the east side of the island to The Musubi Truck in Kapa’a for something savory.

Once on the north shore, we stopped at a viewpoint overlooking the Kilauea Point Lighthouse and National Wildlife Sanctuary, where we got to see several different types of birds (my favorite!). We then headed into Hanalei, stopping along the way for views of the lush and green taro fields.

After wandering around Hanalei town eating shave ice and poke, it was time to head back south to relax at the hotel. Our evening ended relatively early after a quick trip to the Grand Club for wing night!

Day 3 Highlights

• Malasadas at Kauai Bakery
• Lunch at The Musubi Truck
• Kilauea Lighthouse & birdwatching
• Hanalei taro field views, shave ice & poke
• Wing night at the Grand Club

Malasadas at Kauai Bakery

Malasadas are a must-try sweet treat when visiting Hawaii, no matter what island you’re on! Thank you to the Portuguese who brought their style of donuts to Hawaii. I try to get to as many places as possible so I can find the best of the best.

We started our morning at Kauai Bakery in Lihue, ordering the cream-filled guava and lilikoi malasadas. Since I knew we were eating several things today, I tried to keep it as light as possible and not overdo it.

The lilikoi was my favorite! If I had a do-over, I’d skip the guava and get two of the lilikoi – plus try out their sugar-coated malasadas too.

The Musubi Truck

Next up on our trip to the north shore was a stop at The Musubi Truck in Kapa’a, which is their original location (they have three spots on the island).

Musubi is one of Hawaii’s favorite hand-held meals, which was allegedly invented on Kauai back in 1983. You’ve got to try it at least once and why not on the island where it originated?

The Musubi Truck not only makes a great OG spam musubi, they also have some more inventive creations like kalbi beef and seared ahi musubi. The kalbi beef was the best in my opinion, but they were all delicious!

The special musubi are on the larger side (more like a little burrito) so they make for a filling meal. We had the kalbi beef, seared ahi, and OG spam and were stuffed.

Kilauea Point

Before making our way into Hanalei, we stopped at the lookout for Kilauea Point Lighthouse and National Wildlife Refuge. Since I didn’t feel the need to visit the actual lighthouse (the views of it from afar were just fine), we stopped in the little parking lot before the entrance to the refuge, which is free.

If you do want to walk out to the lighthouse and check out the refuge visitors center, you’ll need to pay $10 per person to enter and you MUST book a reservation online in advance for timed entry (it’s also $1.00 for the online reservation fee). They do accept America the Beautiful passes if you have them as well.

More info on how to visit the Kilauea Point Lighthouse and National Wildlife Refuge can be found here. Note their temporary closure through April 30, 2025 for renovations.

As a National Wildlife Refuge, this area is home to a variety of different bird species. If you’re into bird watching, bring a pair of binoculars! There’s plenty to see from the lookout up here in terms of birds in flight.

It’s also a nesting site for Laysan albatross. We were there in October when the furry albatross chicks were starting to poke their heads out of their nests on the cliffside, some just feet away from the fence line.

The refuge is also home to a colony of Nene geese, Hawaii’s national bird and one of the rarest species of geese in the world. Be very careful driving here as the Nene will nest right next to the road. Drive slow for their safety!

You will likely see some Nene waddling around the parking area too. They seem to be quite used to humans, but as with all wildlife, please remember to give them space and do not feed them.

Hanalei Valley

After our little wildlife fix, we continued on our drive into Hanalei. The views of the taro fields are stunning and will make you appreciate just how lush this island is.

Mark your Google Map for the Hanalei Valley Lookout to either make a stop at on your way into or out of Hanalei town! We stopped here on our way down into town.

Hanalei Town

When we arrived in Hanalei, it was bustling just after mid-day. Parking here can be a little limited but we did end up finding a spot in one of the lots. You really can just park once and explore the town on foot the entire time.

The humidity on this side of the island was extra! But it is all that moisture and rain that keeps everything so green. It sprinkled a bit while we were in town, which was actually nice and refreshing.

wishing well Shave IcE

One of the main reasons I wanted to pop into Hanalei town was to try out some of the food options. We were on a little DIY island food tour after all! Since we were still kind of full from our larger-than-expected musubis from lunch, we kept it light here.

Our first stop was at Wishing Well Shave Ice to get one of Hawaii’s most treasured desserts. As is typical for me, I stuck to tropical flavors and got guava and lilikoi, along with a mandatory (for me) scoop of macadamia nut ice cream. The shave ice was a wee bit pricey, but good quality!

Hanalei Poke

One thing to note about visiting Hanalei (and restaurants/food trucks in general on Kauai) is you really need to check open/closed hours of spots you want to visit. Places often close earlier than you might expect. I missed a spot I really wanted to try because they were closed by the time we arrived (I really wanted the garlic shrimp from Wake Up Delicious – next time!).

Instead, we headed to Hanalei Poke, which was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. It was quite a long wait due to its popularity and pretty expensive for the portion size (I ended up spending close to $30 for one poke bowl).

The flavors and ingredients were super unique, though. I got the Hanalei Special which came with mango and avocado – ingredients I’ve never had in poke before! For the creativity, I give it a thumbs up. I just wish it was a few dollars less.

Regrets for visiting Hanalei: not leaving enough time for checking out the views of Hanalei Bay. By the time we got our poke bowl, the day was getting late and I knew we were going to hit a little traffic heading back south. So, we called it a day in Hanalei. Next time we’ll definitely stay in this area to explore more!

Wing Night at the Grand Club

Considering our food-filled day of eating up and down the island, we were feeling a little portly and not into going out for dinner. Instead, we decided to hit up the Grand Club for evening hors d’oeuvres, where they happened to be featuring chicken wings.

It’s quite amazing how many wings one can eat when they aren’t really hungry! I had some salad too (for balance, duh) and a cup of cold bubbly to wash them down with.

This turned out to be a perfectly acceptable way to end our third day on Kauai.

Day 4 – Waimea Canyon & More Food!

Our final day on Kauai was packed with sightseeing and more good eats!

Another must-do activity when on Kauai is visiting Waimea Canyon. Since we aren’t big hikers, we opted for a self-drive scenic tour of the canyon, stopping at various viewpoints points along the way. The canyon was a beauty and I’m glad we had great weather!

After Waimea Canyon, we dropped by the Kauai Coffee Estate for samples and did a self-guided walking tour of the property. We worked up our appetite for lunch and ate at not one, but two different stops for lunch – Porky’s for pulled pork grilled cheese and the famous Puka Dog for a savory Polish dog made Hawaiian style.

We spent the rest of the afternoon floating in the saltwater lagoon at the hotel and ended our day (and time on Kauai) with the best meal of the trip at Break + Feast.

Day 4 Highlights

• Breakfast at the Grand Club
• Waimea Canyon self-drive
• Kauai Coffee for samples & a walking tour
• Lunch at Porky’s in Koloa
• Trying an iconic Puka Dog
• Afternoon saltwater lagoon swim
• Dinner at Break + Feast

Breakfast at the Grand Club

Before our Waimea Canyon drive, we again decided breakfast at the Grand Club would be the most efficient way to get something in our stomachs and optimize our morning time. It was kimchi fried rice day!

If you don’t have Grand Club access or are going to be at a different hotel, some Poipu alternatives for breakfast include Little Fish, Anuenue Cafe, and Anake’s Juice Bar (looks like they have some great acai bowls)!

If you get car sick at all, I would recommend taking your motion sickness pills like non-drowsy Dramamine with breakfast to prepare for the canyon drive.

Waimea Canyon Self-Drive

Waimea Canyon is a stunning piece of land that’s well worth a few hours of your time! You can either do a scenic drive for a shorter visit, or plan to spend more time in the park if you want to get some hiking in.

Since we aren’t big hikers, we were fine with a self-driving scenic tour of the canyon. Plus, we had a limited schedule and wanted to just hit the highlights while making time for the rest of the things I wanted to get to.

If you’re doing a self-drive, I highly recommend an earlier morning start. We left the hotel around 8:30 a.m. and it took about 30 minutes to get to the start of Waimea Canyon Drive.

With all the scenic stops we made, the whole drive took us about 1 hour and 45 minutes to get up to the Kalalau Lookout, which was our final stop at the top.

State Park Fees

Seeing Waimea Canyon means entering Waimea Canyon State Park – and that comes with some fees:

• Entrance Fee: $5.00 per non-resident
• Vehicle Fee: $10.00 per vehicle (this is in addition to the $5.00 pp fee)

Hawaii residents are exempt from paying all entry fees, but if you’re visiting with out-of-state guests, they will have to pay an entry fee.

Park fees are payable at payboxes in the main lookout parking lot areas. Once you pay at a station, you’ll get a pass for the day, which can be displayed on your vehicle dash. Staff are definitely nearby monitoring visitors to ensure payment compliance.

We did hear some grumbling from others about the expense and I do agree it is a bit steep, considering most people probably only spend a couple of hours there at most. Also, many of the scenic stops on the map are actually before the paid fee areas! But if fees like this go towards keeping up with park maintenance, then I’m okay with paying it.

Canyon Lookout Points

Lookout points are clearly marked on Google Maps, making a self-driving tour very easy. Here are all the spots we stopped at:

• “Niihau Lookout” (on a clear day, you can see the elusive neighboring island)
• “Canyon lookout with parking“
• “Stream and Canyon lookout“
• “Red Dirt Waterfall” (stay parked at the previous Stream and Canyon lookout and cross the road opposite of the canyon to see this one)
• “View point of Waimea Canyon”
• “Waimea Canyon Lookout” (this is the first “main” lookout area with a paved parking lot where you will need to pay the park entry fee)
• “Pu’u Ka Pele Lookout” (for waterfall views)
• “Pu’u Hinahina Lookout” (also with a paved parking lot and pay station)
• “Kalalau Lookout” (our final stop – try to get here before 11:00 a.m.; paved parking available)

Each viewpoint and lookout offers a unique perspective on the canyon, some even with waterfalls like Pu’u Ka Pele.

Many of these lookouts just have turnouts on the side of the road rather than a parking area. Make quick stops, see the views, snap your photos, and move on to the next one to make room for others.

The Red Dirt Waterfall is really unique but is on the opposite side of the road from the canyon lookouts. I recommend leaving your car parked at the “Stream and Canyon lookout” and carefully crossing the road to see this one as parking on that side of the road is a little sketchy!

The earlier you get here, the better chance you have of a photo without other people climbing around.

Our final lookout point on our Waimea Canyon self-drive was the Kalalau Lookout, which I recommend getting to before 11:00 a.m. to give you the best chance of a cloud-free view. I came across this tip when doing trip research and it turned out to be pretty true!

We arrived around 10:45 a.m. at the Kalalau lookout just as the clouds were starting to roll in. Lucky for us, we got to see the rugged cliffs of the Nā Pali Coast mostly uncovered.

Kauai Coffee Co.

Next up was a stop at Kauai Coffee Company’s estate – the largest coffee farm in the U.S.!

At Kauai Coffee Company, you can get free tastings of their line of coffees (served piping hot), grab goodies and souvenirs from their onsite coffee shop and store, or take a self-guided walking tour around the property.

I’m not a huge coffee connoisseur, but I found a visit here interesting anyway! We tasted a few samples, grabbed some iced coffees, and headed out to walk the grounds for their self-guided tour. Signs for the tour are placed throughout the property to guide you through the orchards and educate you on interesting coffee and farm facts.

Coffee bar tips: their regular iced coffee wasn’t the greatest but my husband’s iced caramel mocha was pretty good!

Lunch at Porky’s

On to my favorite daily activity – eating! After the coffee farm, it was time for lunch. We headed back into Koloa Village for our first lunch stop – Porky’s. With a name like Porky’s, you can probably imagine that the food here is all about dat pork.

The menu here is pretty simple, offering four different pulled pork-centric meal choices, including a pork sausage topped with pulled pork, an all-beef hot dog topped with pulled pork, a grilled cheese stuffed with pulled pork, and pulled pork rice bowls.

We went with the pulled pork grilled cheese and it was a wise decision. The melted provolone and Havarti cheeses had excellent pull, and the salty pork was absolutely delicious, with little pieces of pineapple mixed in for some sweet bites! For our included side, we got the pickled vegetables which also paired well with the grilled cheese.

Trying a Puka Dog

In true Hobbit fashion, we also had to get second lunch at Puka Dog which is a spot that Anthony Bourdain visited!

The dogs here at Puka Dog are Polish sausages served in a hollowed out, toasted bun and filled with creamy “secret” lemon garlic sauce ranging from mild to spicy. Options also include Auntie Lilikoi’s Hawaiian Mustard (which I think is a must), and choice of tropical fruit relish (i.e. pineapple, coconut, star fruit, etc.).

You can also go completely traditional with ketchup, mustard, and/or pickle relish.

How we built our Puka Dog: We went for the spiciest sauce (the lava, made with habanero peppers), lilikoi mustard, and pineapple relish. This was a pretty good combo of salty, spicy, tangy, and sweet in my opinion! The lava sauce was quite spicy and a fresh-squeezed lemonade was much needed to wash down each bite.

Get the lemonade full sugar with a lilikoi shot and thank me later. It might be the best lemonade you’ll ever have.

Saltwater Lagoon Time

We couldn’t say goodbye to our time at the Grand Hyatt without floating around in their amazing saltwater lagoon! This, in my opinion, is the best part of the pools at the hotel. The water in the lagoon is much warmer than the rest of the pools and it’s practically oceanfront. You can get those beach views with all the safety and comfort of a pool!

We spent the afternoon here sipping on drinks from our reusable water bottles, lounging on the pool chairs, and swimming around the lagoon. It was relaxation at its finest.

Dinner at Break + Feast

As a final sendoff to our wonderful four days on Kauai, we had dinner at Break + Feast in Koloa Village. Dining here was a last minute decision and I was thankful that we could get in without a reservation (perks of traveling in low season). The food here was UNREAL!

Break + Feast delivers a flavor-filled, island-inspired menu with their own elevated twists. Dishes here are unique, and that’s exactly what I was looking in what feels like a sea of similar menu items in Hawaii restaurants.

One of our favorite dishes we had was the Pork Belly Tinono – which was also quite possibly the best thing I ate on the entire island of Kauai! This is a Filipino specialty, filled with chunks of extra crispy pork belly, fresh tomatoes, onions, and roasted garlic, all tossed in a chili vinaigrette. It was texturally balanced with great acid. Umami all the way!

I also loved the Beef Tomato Short Rib – a take on a classic Hawaiian fusion dish. A generous portion of short rib rests on top of a whole grilled tomato, garnished with crispy fried onions. The richness of the short rib is cut well with the acidity of the whole tomato, and a side of rice will soak up the pool of jus. I cannot wait to return here and eat the exact same meal.

Have more than four days on Kauai?

And that ends our four magical, relaxing, and food-filled days on Kauai! The next morning, it was time to head to the airport (with one last stop in the Grand Club for breakfast of course).

Spending just four days on Kauai already got me thinking about what I would do if we could spend more time on the island. So, when we come back, here are some things that I plan to do:

• Stay on the North Shore for closer access to Hanalei town and splurge at 1 Hotel Hanalei
• Book an ATV adventure tour
• Take the Fern Grotto Boat Tour (I did this as a kid and would love to revisit)
• Book the Lydgate Chocolate Farm tour (a bit pricey, but maybe a must for chocolate lovers?)
• Spend more time eating in Hanalei!