Liko Kauai Cruises

Extremely attentive and knowledgable crew. The boat is a perfect size for the elements along the Na Pali coast.

This was probably the best part of my vacation. The crew was friendly and informative, and took us in close to the Spinner Dolphins, waterfalls, and caves. The scenery was breathtaking — worth every cent.

I have done quite a few catamaran tours, including another one in Kauai, and this trip was by far my favorite. Everyone on the crew was super friendly and told great stories. Because it was a smaller boat than the ones I’ve usually gone on, it felt much more personal. The guy driving the boat was great at spotting wildlife — dolphins, turtles, flying fish, etc — and would take us right over to them. We even saw a mommy dolphin and her baby and they hung out right by the boat for about 5 – 10 minutes along with a bunch of other dolphins! Views were of course incredible. Highly recommend this tour!

This was by far the best cruise out here for the Na Pali coast. We left at 8:30 and docked around 2. That was a perfect time to go down the coast. We ran into at least 100 spinner Dolphins and saw dozens of sea turtles. The crew and captain were great and very knowledgable about the area, the coast line, and the boat. The boat fit 15 people pretty comfortably. The snorkeling spot that they picked was perfect as we got to swim with turtles and schools of really colorful fish.
This was the best captaining I’d ever experienced with a boat this size. There were rough waters but we didn’t get a single splash into the boat. And this was the largest boat allowed to maneuver in and out of sea caves and the captain did it with ease.
Lunch was provided on the boat and lucky enough for us, the offered Gluten Free sandwiches. This was well worth the cost to be on such a great boat with a very attentive crew. We will use them again when we come back.

Captain Rob and Wilton along with Mary were hospitable right from the start. We wanted a smaller company and boat — so glad we went with them. The day could not have been any better which allowed us to get into several caves. Most tour boats are too large to do this. Both shared a lot of local history of the Na Pali coast, the island and pointed out places to hike in or drive in to camp on the beach. We had a lot of dolphins playing with our wake, saw flying fish, several turtles and a monk sea all before stopping to snorkel. If you want a fun and safe crew, you can’t go wrong.

good tour. good crew. decent lunch. very accommodating for little kids including toddlers. pretty comfortable boat. had some shade which is especially nice with the kids. definitely recommend.

Awesome Napali tour. We’ve taken the tour before but with a different company. This was by far much better. Got to go into several sea caves which were amazing. Captain Rob and Darrell were great.

Our favorite Na Pali cruise on Kauai. Rob and Daryl provide family like hospitality and give you insights only a local would know. They make every effort to make the best of conditions and get you up the whole coastline, see inside caves, come close to mammals and enjoy a leisurely snorkel time. They are great with all ages.

Booked a Napali coast tour in October 2014. This is just a really late review. I was planning a wedding and wanted to have all of our guests see the coast together. Mary was easy to work with. She made it super easy for each family to call and make reservations. There were 27 of us so we were able to secure a private tour. Mary and I spoke at least 3 – 4 times before the scheduled date to confirm party size and meeting (in case of bad weather).
Mary, Daryl and Rob met us as scheduled. They talked about the tour, providing safety precautions and sharing that we would try to snorkel, but might not be able (because of choppy waves). Rob and Daryl were wonderful tour guides. They were energetic, knowledgeable, and seem to love their jobs. We had a great deal of fun. Immediately upon departing we saw dolphins. We later saw turtles too. The waves proved to be difficult, so no snorkeling for us. There were many happy screams as the boat rose with the waves and crashed down. Luckily, we had given all of our guests Dramamine when they arrived. A few guests got sea sick (they didn’t take the Dramamine in time). Daryl moved them to the stern and was attentive. Our guests made it through the ride okay. It was a breathtaking trip, but also extremely safety focused. The crew would ask for us to sit when necessary and provided instruction throughout the trip.
Lunch was simple, but good. We had amazing views of the entire coast which was absolutely breathtaking. The boat was wonderful with seat belts and some shade. We were comfortable. The 2 children on the boat (2, 5) loved the ride. This was absolutely one of the best memories of the whole wedding trip. Great fun, an amazing ride, and good people. I highly recommend this company. I hope to return and will definitely take another trip with Liko Kauai.

This was a fabulous trip. We’d been to Kauai several times as a family, but had never had the opportunity to see the full Napali coast. It was gorgeous, and fun and special in many ways.
Firstly, this cruise takes you around the west side of the island and past the full length of the Napali coast. I was amazed at the way the captain was able to get us into many of the sea caves on this trip, for spectacular sights and photo opportunities. The coast is just as breathtaking as I’ve read.
Second, the sea life. Dolphins! We slowed down to see spinner and bottle-​nosed dolphins. We saw sea turtles from the boat and while snorkeling. The captain and crew pointed out and described the different types of sea birds.
And then there was the crew. They were are really friendly and knowledgeable about the coast and its recent and distant history. They seemed to genuinely be enjoying their work, and they were great about making sure everyone was safe and having a good time. This particular company welcomes kids, and though we didn’t have any in our party, the crew was great with the kids that were there, and the kids’ excitement made it more fun for the adults on the boat.
Liko Kauai is a great outfit and does a wonderful job. Thank you!

I had a good experience on this tour. It was beautiful. Captain Rob and Daryl (who is also a licensed captain) were easy going & chill to be with on the boat. They were both very informative with out being annoying. It really felt like you were hanging out with friends and not on a tour. They may be laid back but your safety is there top priority. We saw a ton of spinner dolphins, wales and snorkeled with turtles. We unfortunately couldn’t get into the open ceiling cave all of the way due to the weather but we got in to the cave closer then any other boat of that size would. There boat is so smooth sailing it was a pleasure to experience.
I was six months pregnant while on the tour and they made sure to let me know the safest spots for me to sit to ensure I would not get bumped around to much. I also go seasick (due to pregnancy-​its not normal for me to get sick on a boat ever!) and they took good care of me and made sure I was doing well. As long as you communicate with them they will do there best to accommodate you. Overall, I am happy I went on this tour and it was worth seeing the island from the outer rim.

Went during winter, January 2015, all about whale watching. Conditions matter a lot and we were blessed with phenomenal weather. Saw plenty of whales, bottle nose Dolphins (which was apparently very unusual) and spinner Dolphins. Crew is great. We didn’t snorkel, though it was advertised, but they asked the group their preference and no one expressed a critical interest in snorkeling. Lunch was just ok, but let’s be real, are you booking this for a free sandwich? this tour left further west than others so less time to get to north coast, which we read was important during winter. Also we made it as far north as the beach outreach if you do the first 2 mile hike along Né Pali coast, can’t remember name. The Né Pali coast views were breathtaking. This company often goes into the sea caves, but that isn’t doable in winter months. Because the boat is smaller, we got much closer to the caves and the coastline than other boats we saw on the water at the same time. Would absolutely recommend this tour from this company if you happen to travel during winter. The best part was that they really tailored it to the conditions existing at the time. In our case that meant watching for animals.
As far as booking we booked the afternoon before the tour. Called and mentioned 10% coupon, which they honored.
Adding this note, after doing another boat tour in Maui, I want to say how friendly and accommodating and knowledgeable this crew was. They were all about their guests and made the excursion very special.

We had booked a Na Pali coast boat trip with them for Wed. Dec. 31. The day before they called us and told us it was cancelled because of weather. Ok, no biggie, we rescheduled for the next day. The next day, we woke up before 7 am and drove over here from Poipu in time for the 8 am check-​in for the boat. We sat around with everyone else waiting until 8:40 when they announced that the weather was not good enough to go to Na Pali but that they would offer a boat trip to the south to see whales and dolphins (note that whales and dolphins are typically seen on the Na Pali trips so this wasn’t so much the «alternative trip» they billed it as, as a lesser trip for the same price). They did say that if you didn’t want to do that trip, you could see them about a refund, and when we asked for a refund it was given with no problem. While I really appreciate their honesty, and am glad I did not have to pay close to $ 150 per person for 4 people for a Na Pali boat cruise without Na Pali, it seems like this information could have been communicated in a much more timely fashion. A phone call or email first thing in the morning would have been ideal, but at a minimum they could have told us at 8 am when we first showed up, rather than making us wait around for 40 minutes. I suspect they waited so people would be more inclined to accept the lesser trip, having already wasted a big chunk of the day, and that seems shady to me. As we were leaving I also heard one of the boat guys make some comment like «yeah, we really just can’t get up to Na Pali in the winter.» If that’s the case, why do they even sell Na Pali trips in the winter and get people’s hopes up? Like I said, I appreciate their eventual honesty, but if you have your heart set on seeing Na Pali by boat (which I really, really did), I’d recommend going with one of the bigger boats that probably has a higher probability of getting up there in winter (although note that even the big boats are by no means guaranteed to go — we subsequently booked a trip with one of the big power cats which was also cancelled due to weather).

Very much enjoyed the snorkel tour. My 5 year old kid and I are not swimmers, however the guide put us to ease in the water. We saw quite a bunch of fish (in the Poipu area).
This was the first time I enjoyed snorkeling instead of worrying how far away I am from the boat. Highly recommend it for non-​swimmers and people who are afraid of water (like me!) Even my husband, who is a good swimmer enjoyed it a lot, apparently snorkeling in the Poipu area is considered one of the best!

We love you guys! Our situation was we have our 11 month LO and this was the only cruise who said they can take children less than 2 years as long as they have baby vest with us (which was not necessary :-) fortunately).
After booking morning tour for Na Pali coast, drove on Hwy 50W and took the exit left to 24 mile marker to Kikiola boat harbor.
We got there right on time (30 minutes prior to start time). Our trip count was around 19 people including 3 crew members.
Seats were comfortable with padding, shade and unobstructed views in front. Weather was perfect. We had so much fun and my LO slept well with the rocking waves. Boat took us very close to caves, waterfalls and stopped at places where dolphins swam across, spotted flying fishes (amazing view).
We enjoyed the ride so much that I wanted to go again with the same cruise team. Make sure to grab those Kauai coupon booklet. They have advertised for 10% discount (wish we had seen it earlier).

And to think we ALMOST went out on a raft to see the Napali Coast! Boy, oh boy, was I happy when I seen this customized boat with nice pillars and shaded areas. These guys were so knowledgeable and just an overall great time. They made sure that every single on our cruise was comfortable and got the best experience possible. We got to see all the sea caves and waterfalls! We were a lucky bunch because we got to see turtles, dolphins, and even a monk seal! Great sandwiches and homemade cookies. I would recommend these guys to everyone. They’re very affordable compared to the rest of the cruises and it’s worth every penny!

Amazing! Captain Rob and Darrel were great guides! They really tailored the day to our small group and conditions which was great since we saw far more of the coast than we expected!
We took the am ride and got hit with some pretty good rain showers and some rocking waves. Riding the bow was incredible. Just be prepared to get soaked!
We passed several large boats that were packed with people or small boats that turned around before us and or that the riders looked miserable… we were so grateful for the twin haul and space on the boat… we had an incredible ride.
The views of the coast are second to none! Capt. Rob did a great job zigzagging in and out. We saw tons of turtles and even a military helicopter retrieving shells… The waterfall baptism was by far the highlight of the trip!

We’re from Kauai and have been out on the Na Pali on both commercial boats as well as our family’s zodiac. Liko Kauai is a nice small locally owned operation that uses a good catamaran. Besides the good boat and service Liko Kauai is the only boat that runs out of the Kikialoa harbor on the West Side of Kauai which means you’ll get to see more of the Na Pali coast than the other boats such as Captain Andys. This makes Liko Kauai the best tour to chose.

Excellent tour. Rob and Daryl are great guys.
Rob’s got excellent command of the ship through rough waters.
Booked afternoon tour but was moved to morning b/​c water’s too rough. all good.
lunch was legit tasty sandwich, chips, lots of cold drinks.
The seats were covered/​comfortable. (uncovered available too if u like the sun that much) :)
We had an infant and they were accommodating to that as well. only company that takes young infant/​toddlers i think.
saw a few whales to start, turtles at snorkelling site, and of course the Na Pali coast is awesome.
Note that was useful to us:
Call them direct to get 10% off the website rate.

Every review (so far) has a 5-​star rating — I’ve been to every visitable island (on a domestic flight) and Liko’s experience was the best one yet. Here’s a few reasons why… (we went on the 8:30am one, touring the Na Pali Coast)
1. Excellent Planning — our original scheduled date was on a Monday and we called a few days before to ask about the chance of rain… rainy days aren’t great for boat rides. On Saturday, we randomly received a call from Liko asking if we’d like to switch to Sunday because it was supposed to have better weather. And of course, on rainy and days where waves are insanely big, they’ll cancel.
2. Flexibility — The tour was supposed to be from 8:30am — 12:30pm. We got back around 2:30pm for a good reason! We wanted to see whales and dolphins. And the crew accommodated our requests. We saw two groups of dolphins and some crazy fish chasing action. Huge plus for my photography!
3. Smooth/​Fast — The boat is a catamaran, meaning there’s a gap underneath the boat and allows it glide across the water smoothly. On a good day like ours, the waves weren’t too high, so most passengers were okay with walking around the boat. And the boat is small enough so it’s not crowded.
Not your typical fancy cruise where they sugar-​coat everything. This is the real deal and an awesome Hawaiian family-​friendly experience. Great for photographers too!
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