Rental or guided tour?
You can reach Secret Falls on your own with a rental kayak or paddleboard, or with a guide. The rental is cheaper; the tour takes the guesswork out of a river with real hazards.
Side by side
| Rental (kayak or SUP) | Guided tour | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | From $64 | $135 to $165 |
| Days | Mon to Fri | Mon to Fri |
| Navigation | Map and briefing | Guide leads |
| River crossing | Your judgement | Guide decides |
| Lunch | Bring your own | Included on some |
| Pace | Your own | Group's |
Choose a rental if
You are a confident paddler, comfortable reading a river and making the call to turn back, and you would rather go at your own pace. Kauai SUP's paddleboard rental ($64, 4.7 from 123 reviews) includes a map and briefing; reviewers warn that the paddle back is upstream and upwind, and to kneel when the riverboat's wake comes through.
Choose a guided tour if
It is your first time, you have kids, or you want the stories: guides point out the plants, the heiau and the history of a valley once reserved for Hawaiian royalty, and they make the safety calls at the crossing. The Secret Falls Kayak & Hike ($135) is the most booked; the Kayak Kauai small-group trip ($155) adds lunch.
Ready to book