Touring Na ‘Āina Kai

Whatever the season, expect to be entranced as you tour our gardens, by foot or on board one of our covered, motorized carriages. Na ‘Āina Kai offers only guided tours which are conducted by knowledgeable volunteer docents. Depending upon the tour you choose, you will travel to one or more of the diverse destinations. Soon you will understand why we say that each garden, indeed every spot along the way, has its own personality and mood, and seems worlds away from wherever your journey to Na ‘Āina Kai began.

• Tours are offered each Tuesday through Friday throughout the year. Tours range in length from 1½ hours to 5 hours.

• All tours are guided and suitable for children 13 and older. Children younger than 13 will enjoy one of our “Under the Rainbow” Children’s Garden Family Tours. Family tours must be pre-arranged.

• Reservations are highly recommended; however, we are happy to accommodate drop-in guests on a space-available basis.

 

Na ‘Āina Kai’s Orchid House Visitor Center and Gift Shop is open each Monday from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m.; Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.; and Fridays 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. Na ‘Āina Kai is closed to the public on weekends and holidays.

Please contact us by phone or email for detailed information and to make reservations for the walking or riding tour that suits you best.

NEW!  Seasonal and Specialized Tours

NEW! - Seasonal Bird Tour
After a successful premier season, the Bird Tour will be back in December.  We are now taking reservations.

The Bird Tour is a new, seasonal tour of the Bird Gardens, special areas of habitat that some of Kauai's native birds call home. The timing of this special tour is planned so visitors can observe the extraordinary nesting season of Laysan Albatrosses; their unique mating/courtship dances, nest building, egg laying, and watching the chicks grow. Na ‘Āina Kai is one of the few places in the Hawaiian Islands where you can see albatrosses nest. Other birds you may see are red-tailed tropicbirds, white-tailed tropicbirds, great frigatebirds, red-footed and brown boobies, and pacific golden-plovers. The gardens with permanent ponds are home to two critically endangered species, the Hawaiian goose (nene) and the Hawaiian moorhen, both of which nest here. This special tour visits areas of Na ‘Āina Kai that other tours don't include. A spotting scope will be available for close views so we don't disturb the nesting birds. This tour is limited to 8 guests per guide and includes a stainless steel water bottle for the participant to keep.

NEW! - Keiki Day

Come enjoy the Children’s Garden, a happy and educational oasis for both children and adults. Play in Jack’s fountain, explore the tropical jungle and enjoy the many kid-friendly areas of this wonderful Garden. Reservations are required.

Tour Descriptions

Tours are conducted Tuesday thru Friday Only. Guests must be on a guided tour in order to see the Gardens.

Stroll - Formal Gardens

The Formal Gardens are graced by a full-size Hedge Maze, Shower Tree Park, the Ka’ula Lagoon with its plunging waterfall and tropical island, a Japanese teahouse, the International Desert Garden, Romantic Palm Garden and the Orchid House and Gallery at the Visitor Center. This tour is limited to 8 guests per guide. *All Tours include the Formal Garden Tour.

Ride - Formal & Wild Forest Garden

Enjoy a guided riding tour of both the Formal Gardens and the Wild Forest Garden on a covered open-air cart. Discover some of Na ‘A-ina Kai's numerous water features, including a natural pond fringed with bamboo, palms and exotic tropical foliage. This tour gives a wonderful overview of the scope and variety of the Gardens, and is especially suitable for guests with limited walking ability. This tour is limited to 9 guests per guide.

 
Stroll & Ride - Formal & Wild Forest Garden

3 hours
Tuesday, Wednesday
& Thursday
Friday

 $50.00
 9:00 & 1:00

 9:00

Enjoy a leisurely stroll and ride through both Formal and Wild Forest Gardens. Visit our miniature Hawaiian ahupua’a and explore along winding paths and arched foot bridges bordering the hardwood plantation. Discover the abundance of exotic tropical flowers and foliage and be charmed by the extensive bronze sculpture collection. This tour is limited to 8 guests per guide.



Ka Waimakai Walk
This pleasant walk takes you through the Orchid House and down a flight of steps to our Wild Forest path. As you descend into the cool, woodsy Kuliha’ili Canyon, enjoy the towering trees, fragrant flowers and interesting foliage along a meandering stream. At the bottom of the Canyon savor time to stroll at Kaluakai Beach before boarding the Garden’s bus for a ride to the Formal Gardens. Here you will delight in a variety of life-size bronze sculptures, our Hedge Maze and the 3/4 acre Ka’ula Lagoon featuring fountains and a plunging waterfall. This tour is limited to 9 guests per guide.



Walk on the Wildside Trek

5 hours

Tuesday, Wednesday
& Thursday by appointment

 $85.00 

 9:00

Trekkers explore all of the gardens, silent canyons, and ocean features of Na 'Aina Kai. Enjoy the many moods of the Wild Forest Garden, Formal Gardens, Koli Ridge Bird Walk, Kuliha’ili Canyon and the white sands of Kaluakai Beach at the Makai Meadow and Marsh. The Trek requires advance reservations and includes lunch and a stainlees steel Na 'Aina Kai water bottle for the participant to keep. This tour is limited to 9 guests.



“Under the Rainbow” Children’s Garden Family Tours

2 hours


Tuesday, Wednesday
& Thursday

Friday

 $20.00  child
 $35.00 adult


 9:30 & 1:30

 9:30

Families will enjoy time in the Formal Gardens, where children will feed the Koi in Ka’ula Lagoon, and walk through our full-sized hedge maze, along with discovering the many varieties of plants and sculpture. From there it is on to the Children’s Garden, where their senses will be awakened as they explore Jack’s pond, a gecko maze, the rubbertree treehouse, a tropical jungle with bridges, tunnels and slides, a kid-sized railroad train, log cabins and a covered wagon made from our own teak wood – all among kid-friendly plantings. The Children's Garden is a happy and educational environment for both child and adult!

Call (808) 828-0525 or e-mail Reservations@NaAinaKai.org for additional information and to reserve a tour.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Tours of Na 'Aina Kai are in high demand through-out the year. Once a reservation has been made, cancellation must occur at least 24 hours prior, or your credit card will be charged the full amount.

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