How To Plan a Kauai Hawaii Trip with Grandkids

When we lived in Alaska, our trips to Hawaii were a yearly event, escaping the long winters for a week or so. We soon learned each island is very different, and they all continue to evolve and develop in terms of infrastructure and activities!

So, if you are thinking about choosing a Hawaii island for a family trip, it can be tricky, especially when your group has multi generations from toddlers to grandparents.

As grandparents organizing a week trip to Hawaii, our top criteria were:

• Planning an itinerary that fitted with ages 2-4 to 74
• Direct flights from US mainland airport (we flew from Denver (via Seattle) with Alaska.
• Being close to a beach that works for toddlers (calm, shallow, less commercialized)
• Finding activities that worked around nap times and short drives from our base
• Child friendly restaurants and short walks from car parks to beach and activities
• Finding a place to stay that is convenient, comfortable with shared areas, and affordable

Kauai Basics: What To Know Before You Go

Getting There

Kauai's main airport is Lihue Airport (LIH) on the east side of the island. From the US mainland you'll usually connect through Honolulu, Seattle, Los Angeles or San Francisco — we flew Denver via Seattle with Alaska Airlines and the connection was easy.

From Lihue it's around 14 miles (30 minutes) to the Poipu Coast on the south shore, which was our base for the week.

Getting Around

A rental car is essential, even for short hops. Most of what you'll want with little ones — beach, playground, restaurants, shops — is a 5-15 minute drive from Poipu, and the island's main sights (Spouting Horn, Kauai Plantation Railway, Kauai Coffee) are all easy day drives.

Parking at Poipu Beach fills fast, so aim to arrive before 11am or later in the afternoon.

Weather & What to Pack

Kauai is called the 'green island' for a reason — brief tropical showers can happen any time of year, even in the dry south. Pack light rain jackets, water shoes, and plenty of swimwear so you're never waiting on laundry.

Hawaii law requires mineral (reef-safe) sunscreen — buy it before you travel as it's pricier on the island. A Costco run near the airport covers snacks, milk and breakfast supplies for the week.

When to Visit

We visited in late January and loved it: warm days, fewer crowds and whales offshore. Shoulder months (April-May, September-November) are also great value. Avoid major US school holidays if quiet beaches matter to you, and note the west side (Waimea Canyon) can close for road works or weather — have a backup plan like we did.

Previously, we had visited Maui and Big Island. But our good friend Amy who has pretty much spent time on every island, suggested we check out Kauai, geologically the oldest of the six main islands, often called 'the green island' – lush and a quieter vibe. So, our short list ended up being:

• Kaanapali Beach Area, Maui
• Kona and Kohala Coast, Big Island
• Poipu Coast, Kauai

Doing further research, we ruled out Maui and Big Island really because they felt more suitable for older kids, and maybe a more all-inclusive beach resort experience.

We then decided to rent a house vs stay at a resort. A big resort is great for teens where there are more activities, but in our experience little ones just don't make use of them so why waste your cash? If you find a beach with a well set up playground, this is a goldmine!

So, our framework for a week in Poipu Beach area ended up as:

• Direct flights to Lihue from Seattle
• Car Rental Pick up at Lihue Airport (14 miles and around 30 mins drive)
• VRBO Accommodation (short drive to beach - <10 minutes)
• Plan 2-3 non-beach activities (Railway Trip, Short Cliff Top Hike, Old Koloa Town)
• Organize activities around nap times – ie. avoid full days out for the most part.
• Enough restaurants to know we didn't need to drive far to eat.
• Costco for breakfast supplies, snacks (near airport in Kauai) to minimize grocery shopping

Our Relaxed 1 Week Poipu Beach Hawaii Itinerary (we visited late January)

We feel this is a useful framework of things to do and how to shape out your itinerary. As grandparents, this is work you can easily take off your kids backs, as they're going to be busy enough getting the little ones set up for flying, and being away from home.

We decided to arrive a day before everyone else, so we could get into the property, check out any needs, go shopping, and orientate ourselves to the area.

Honestly, I think this was super helpful to everyone and certainly took some planning angst off our minds.

You might need to adjust this framework to suit the time of year you plan to visit, other activities going in during your stay, energy levels and budget.

• Depending on your time of arrival, we suggest an hour or so introduction to the beach.
• If you want a casual meal, head to Poipu Shopping Village, handy also for Starbucks and beach items. They have live Hawaiian music performances Mondays and Thursday at 5pm.
• Alternatively, for an easy first evening dinner try Brenneckes. It's in the Beach Park so 2-minute walk from the beach. Their cocktails are delicious if anyone wants a little break from the action. Just know it can be busy around sunset (6pm) so book a table beforehand for a group of 4+ to avoid waiting.

• In reality, on vacations with little grandkids and families, don't plan getting out of the house before 10am. Having breakfast, chatting on the private veranda was quickly part of our week's routine and very relaxing.
• On days you plan to head to the beach, do either go later in the afternoon or before 11am (especially at weekends) because the car park fills up really fast.
• The beach park is adventure playground with entertainment centered on the gentle bay waters, perfect for introducing little ones to paddling. The sand area is not huge, but everyone seemed to find a space to dig in with buckets/spades, park deck chairs and shades.
• When we visited, we had monk seals and green sea turtles resting on the sands which was an incredible experience for all ages. Wildlife volunteers have the area roped off when they arrive most afternoons, or use exclusion zone cones set up, so the animals are not disturbed.

The other highlight (for the kids) were the chickens. To be honest these chickens are everywhere (and we mean everywhere) on Kauai. We heard various stories about why from being blown here by a hurricane to the terrain being rich in food sources. Anyway, be prepared to encounter chickens on the beach too!

The playground area next to the beach has everything for kiddies to use up their endless energy on when their interesting in digging or paddling wanes. There are also clean bathroom facilities here, so changing diapers or after a shower is easy.

Rides start on the hour from 11am to 2pm daily: $23.50 adults; $16.50 (ages 3-12); $20 for 62+ and free for 3 and under.

Located in Lihue, not far from the airport, and also a short drive from Poipu, you can treat the kids to a 40-minute railway ride, through fruit plantations where you might see pineapples, bananas and other fruits.

There is a short stop half way where you can disembark, and feed the animals from piglets to horses. It's really well presented and our grandkids loved it.

Perhaps the most memorable moment was the guard giving our tortillas as we left the main station – OMG, ever seen chickens run?? They were so entertaining, jostling for the flying tortillas. By the look of them, there was plenty to go round, as these chickens were very well fed, and loved their treats!

We had a late lunch/early dinner at the Poipu Beach Athletic Club – the Cabana Bar and Grill. Head past the club pool area to the back of the restaurant where you will find a treasure trove of kiddy toys and ample seating for family groups.

There is also Koloa Rum distillery here where you can taste samples (10am-5pm but not open on Sundays when we visited), a small gift shop, and a kiosk where you can treat everyone to a pineapple ice cream.

Kauai Coffee beans are grown in the largest coffee farm in the USA, and being caffeine lovers, we decided to take a short trip here. Although not a kid experience as such, the grounds where you can stroll through the rows of plants are great for little kids to run around, and afterwards enjoy an ice-cream in the shaded deck area. Plan on an hour or so here.

Late afternoon back at the beach was an easy activity and we spotted whales offshore playing, breeching and even the little kids loved watching the distant splashing.

With very young kids, it's also good to consider an evening in with an easy to prepare meal and perhaps a movie or a short walk. Sometimes the effort to get everyone back into the car is stressful for parents, so if they're happy to hang out, just eat in!

Our original plan for this day was to try a day trip to Waimea Canyon. But there was a total road closure with no traffic being permitted into the park for the entire week we were on Kauai (bummer). So, we moved on to other more local, shorter activities, which were in hindsight a better fit for our group with shorter car rides and easier nap scheduling.

Coastal Trail Hike

We found a short hike near the beach which is part of the Makauwahi Cave Reserve Trail. The road up to the car park area is a bit rough but easily doable. From here, it's not far to the cliff side and there are decent paths to follow. You might also see horse riders trekking here as it's a well-used route for local riders.

Views along the route are stunning as sweeping beaches at the foot of forested top cliffs fill the landscape. There is also a side path down to the beach (we didn't do the full trek as it would a steep climb back) but there are information boards along the way to keep everyone entertained.

Lunch in Koloa Town was an easy drive. We had a stroll around, then an early dinner at Kauai Island Brewing Company before a local ice-cream at Mangos. They also have a tiny market place selling fresh fruits – a bit pricey but always interesting to check out.

Spouting Horn Park

We made the 10 minutes or so drive to Spouting Horn Park to see a natural phenomenon, dependent on the tide. On a rising tide it will show off its most forceful blow holes pushing sprays of water into the air.

There is a convenient car park area and just a 5-minute walk on mostly flat paved areas to the viewing point. Plan for around 15 minutes max. to watch the show!

Our final full day was an easy one – just relaxing around and enjoying a sunset at the beach, with whales entertaining once again.

Day 7 was a travel day, so really it was just a check-out and head to airport/travel home flow. It's worth not over packing activities right to the end as packing can take a big longer with little ones.

If you have a later flight time, an option is to stop at Kauai Ocean Discovery in Lihue (part of the Kukui Grove shopping area). It's free but hours are quite limited, so check at Kukui Gove Center for times.

Reflections on Kauai with Grandkids

Overall, we found Poipu and the island of Kauai to be a fantastic fit for a multi-generation trip to Hawaii. For our under 5-year old grandkids, the blend of beach time and short activities worked really well, and for us adults it felt fun, relaxing with time to chat as well as explore together.

Our Kauai Highlights:

• Turtles, Seals and Whales – incredible sea life right next to us
• Train Ride – designed for little ones and very exciting to stop & feed the pets
• Beach – safe, small & well-kept with excellent family facilities

What We Learned:

• Definitely rent a car. You'll need one to get around even for short distances.
• Plan your outline activities but be prepared to be totally flexible, don't book tickets until you're sure
• It can rain at any time on Kauai (green island), so have some inside fun up your sleeve.
• Breakfasts at our rental gave everyone a leisurely start to the day – no pressure to be out by 8am!
• Keep it all simple – the most precious moments are the little ones.

Honestly, we're glad we didn't try to cram in experiences like an evening lu'au or whale watching boat trip with this age group, but if your kids are older, these are fantastic things to do in Kauai. Other activities worth checking out are:

• Skaka Zipline – you can check in at Po'ipu Shopping Village to book your tour.
• Chocolate Farm and Tasting Tour – Lydgate Family Farms are open daily, with free tastings and a range of fruits to sample.
• Also – go to Lydgate Farms and pop on a bee suit and learn more about 'life of bees' up close (age 7+)

Overall, Kauai was a fantastic destination for grandparents, parents and young grandkids to come together and relax. There is not a major resort vibe in this part of the island, although there are resorts on the coast, but if you rent within a local community, you really don't feel like you're boxed into a big facility style vacation.

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