Kauai’s Na Pali Coast Snorkel and Sail Tour

★★★★★ 4.8 (582 traveller reviews)

Na Pali from Port AllenBreakfast and lunchSnorkel stopSailing catamaran

You spend the morning on the water aboard Leila, a 50-foot sailing catamaran, with breakfast on the way out and lunch on the way home. In between you cruise the Na Pali cliffs and stop to snorkel, with the gear, the instruction and a float all in the fare. Beer and wine come out once everyone is back aboard. Children need to be 5 or older, and no more than 41 guests sail.

Hours, prices and access verified by the Kauai Sailing Tours team — last checked 2026-09-28.

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Your morning on Leila, at a glance

Leila, the boat you board

Holo Holo Charters runs this trip on Leila, which its own site calls a 50-foot motorized sailing catamaran designed and built on Kauai. That matters for what you should expect. The boat carries sails and engines, and the captain chooses between them on the day. This listing sells a sailing catamaran; it does not promise a set time with the engines off. If the wind is right, you may well see the sails go up. If it is not, you still reach the coast on time.

A 50-foot boat is on the small side for this coast, and the cap of 41 guests keeps the deck from feeling crowded. Travellers who have tried the larger catamarans say they prefer it. The front of any boat is where you feel the swell most and get wet first, so pick your spot to suit your stomach.

West along the cliffs

You leave from Port Allen Marina Center on the south-west shore, so the first hour takes you west past the long beach at Polihale State Park before the cliffs begin. Breakfast is served on that leg. Then the Na Pali Coast opens up: fluted ridges, hanging valleys, waterfalls after rain, and the sea caves at the waterline.

The crew talks through the coast's human history and its plants and animals as you go. From November to April, humpback whales winter in these waters, and in season they are a chance, not a promise. Spinner dolphins turn up in many travellers' accounts of this morning. More on what you might see, and the rules boats follow near them, is on whales and dolphins on a Kauai sail.

The snorkel stop, and the rules around it

When the sea allows, the captain picks a sheltered reef and the crew hands out the gear. You get a two-piece mask and snorkel, fins, a flotation device and a short lesson. Full-face masks are not allowed, so leave yours at home. Non-swimmers stay aboard: the rule is firm, and the crew applies it.

The snorkel depends on the day. Routes, stops and the swim can all change without notice for weather and swell. If conditions force a change, the captain says so at check-in, and Holo Holo's own policy lets you carry on, move to another date, or take a full refund. The boat never lands on a beach, so the swim is your only time off the deck.

Breakfast, lunch and when the beer comes out

Breakfast and lunch are both in the $292 a person fare, with soda and bottled water all day. Beer and wine are poured only after snorkelling, and the crew checks ID. You may not bring your own alcohol, a cooler or a drone. Bring a reusable water bottle; the crew asks every guest to.

That fare is the top of the range for a Na Pali morning. The other morning boats run from $233 a person, and every one is set side by side on Na Pali snorkel tours.

Your five hours on the water, step by step

1. Check in at Port Allen. Holo Holo's office is at the marina center; park in the gravel lot.
2. Breakfast on the way out. Served as the boat heads west along the shore.
3. The long beach and the cliffs. Polihale first, then the Na Pali valleys from the water.
4. The snorkel stop. Gear, a float and a lesson, when the sea allows.
5. Lunch. Served once everyone is back aboard.
6. Beer and wine. Poured after the swim, with ID checked.
7. Back to Port Allen. The trip ends where it began, about five hours later.

Who this suits: snorkellers aged 5 and up who want a full morning

What's included

Finding Holo Holo at Port Allen

Check in at Holo Holo Charters' office in the Port Allen Marina Center, Suite 5A, 4353 Waialo Road, Eleele, on the south-west shore. Park in the gravel lot the operator points you to. Your confirmation gives the check-in time for your date; the office phone is 808-335-0815.

There is no hotel pickup, so plan the drive. From Lihue Airport the road runs west along the south shore to Eleele. Both harbours and the route along the coast are marked on the Kauai sailing map, and what to pack is on the visitors guide.

Know before you go

• Take off your shoes. The boat is barefoot; orthopaedic exceptions are the captain's call.
• Bring lotion sunscreen. Spray and aerosol sunscreens are banned; use a reef-friendly lotion.
• Carry ID. No ID, no beer or wine after the swim.
• Plan around your flight. Do not snorkel within 24 hours of a flight over 5 hours.
• Take a seasickness remedy early. No refund for seasickness; remedies are on sale at check-in.
• Leave the walker at home. Canes, walkers, crutches and wheelchairs are not allowed aboard.
• Pack a towel and a jacket. The crew provides the rest, including the snorkel gear.

What travellers say about the morning on Leila

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