Page 2) Smith's Kauai Wailua River Cruise to Fern Grotto with Live Entertainment reviews, Kauai tours & activities, fun things to do in Kauai | HawaiiActivities.com

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Smith's Kauai Wailua River Cruise to Fern Grotto with Live Entertainment

Overall Rating

4.46 4.46 / 5

Reviews

327 reviews
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A wonderful, memorable trip

Reviewed by: wbeeman, 2022/12/31

We enjoyed the Wailua River Cruise immensely. Though it was less than two hours, the trip up the Wailua River was beautiful. The narration on the boat was informative and amusing. The Fern Grove at the end of the trip was stunning. Both at the Fern Grove and on the trip back we were entertained with music and hula dancing by charming performers who clearly love sharing these traditions with visitors. I should mention that I have mobility limitations, and the hosts on the boat were most kind and accommodating.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2022/12/29
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A river cruise you will always remember!

Reviewed by: Hawaii Ray, 2022/12/12

Reasonably priced river tour. There are some great views and the crew sings wonderful Hawaiian music. If your visiting for the first time bring your family and take the grotto tour.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2022/12/10
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Fun Day

Reviewed by: Kara, 2022/11/21

Beautiful natural scenery! Good little quick filler!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2022/11/14
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Smith’s Fern Grotto

Reviewed by: BarbW, 2022/11/05

This boat ride was amazing. The entertainment was very good with Hawaiian hula dancing and singing. When we got to the grotto it was a short easy walk and once again we were entertained at the grotto where Elvis sang in the movie Blue Hawaii. On the trip back down river one of our guides gave us lots of history of the area including places where movies had been filmed.
It was a very pleasant morning and would recommend Smith’s Fern Grotto tours to everyone.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2022/10/10
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Fern Grotto River Cruise

Reviewed by: John, 2022/11/05

Very Nice, Relaxing Cruise for anyone too take. Everyone should do it one time, while Visiting Kauai.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2022/10/10
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A relaxing time

Reviewed by: Greg & Susie , 2022/10/15

A relaxing time to check out the river and the grotto. The live entertainment in the boat was too and the history telling.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2022/09/23
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Highly Recommend

Reviewed by: Joanne, 2022/10/14

We had an fun time one the short river cruise. Learned some history, saw beautiful views, heard wonderful live Hawaiian music and watch hula dancing. Very fun.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2022/10/12
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Fun and educative few hours on the river - amazing scenery and we learnt the hula too

Reviewed by: Pete and Shelley , 2022/09/17

This was an amazing afternoon on a river cruise x the scenery was so beautiful. Smiths team were entertaining and amazing historians they taught us loads about the river and the area round it the Ukelele plying and traditional dance including Hula felt so special. This was worth every dollar spent .

  • Fern grotto

  • Hula dancing

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2022/08/26
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Beautiful area, but nothing spectacular.

Reviewed by: Matthew , 2022/09/09

Overall we enjoyed the Fern Grotto tour but nothing spectacular about it. Entertainment coming back was light and fun. Grotto itself was just OK.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2022/09/07
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Fern Gritto

Reviewed by: Debbie, 2022/08/14

We had a fun time! Good storytelling, singing, and hula dancing! Would recommend!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2022/08/12
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Best ever tour for the money

Reviewed by: Lorraine and Vikki , 2022/07/20

My wife and I enjoyed this tour more than all of the others. It was a beautiful, leisurely trip down the river to Fern Grotto. The scenery, and entertainment was wonderful! $30 per person is the best deal on the entire island. Don’t forget to tip.

  • The Grotto

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2022/07/18
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Fern Grotto was beautiful

Reviewed by: Jaszmine, 2022/07/19

The cruise was okay. Due to the roof on the boat, it was difficult to see much. You walk a paved path to pretty scenery. Lots of people.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2022/07/11
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Pleasantly Surprised

Reviewed by: Jamersham, 2022/06/27

I was pleasantly surprised by this tour. The entertainment was really great! The woman who sang the songs has a great voice and fun banter;) Overall, a very fun affordable experience. Probably my favorite part was when they taught us the hula :)

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2022/06/24
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Loved it!

Reviewed by: Becky, 2022/06/16

Very friendly staff. Relaxing boat ride with great entertainment. I would highly recommend it.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2022/06/14
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Nice Relaxing Adventure

Reviewed by: Tim, 2022/06/13

The Fern Grotto cruise was nice and relaxing, plus the description of sites along way was interesting. we had a couple in our group that was actually married in the Grotto back in the day. Kewl!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2022/05/20
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Not worth it if you have to get transportation there…

Reviewed by: Nicole & Thomas, 2022/06/12

The tour was nothing to write home about. The captain had corny jokes; from the boat, you couldn’t see anything but the hau trees that lined the river; once you get to the grotto, it’s a pretty view but you’re 50-100yards from the cave entrance. The family sang but with all the people there, you could barely hear.

The taxi ride from Poipu was $70 each way. Add that to the cost of 2 tickets($60), this tour was not worth $200. Had we been located closer to the harbor, we might have been able to justify the cost.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2022/06/10
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We were here 50 yrs ago on our honeymoon. Not the same but it was still beautiful. Thank you

Reviewed by: OBrien’s , 2022/04/28

Nice boat ride to the Fern Grotto. Driver & dancers were awesome. The singers were exceptional. They sang the Hawaiian wedding song just like they did for us 50yrs ago on our honeymoon. We weren’t able to go inside as before. But it was still magical all the same. Thank you. Carl & Terri OBrien

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2022/04/26
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Fern Grotto

Reviewed by: Louis , 2022/03/17

Wonderful and beautiful experience. We had a great time. Friendly and informative staff.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2022/03/15
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Entertaining and Informative

Reviewed by: Chris Matishak, 2022/03/01

We enjoyed the Wailua river boat cruise. It was very efficiently run. The entertainment was delightful; entertaining and informative. Enjoyed the walk to the fern grotto and the history there. Loved the scenery.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2022/02/25
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A lovely, peaceful boat trip along a beautiful river

Reviewed by: Ginger from Kansas, 2022/02/13

The Smith's Wailua River Cruise was very good. The open windows were fantastic for taking pictures. We cruised at a relaxing speed. It was fun to watch the people in Kayaks and on paddle boards along the way. There is a roof on the boat so it's very shady & the padded bench seats are comfortable. We were entertained with interesting history about the river and area.
It was easy to get in & out of the boat. The Fern Grotto was a very lush & beautiful area. There were no mosquitoes or flying insects when we were there between 11 A. M & 12:30 P. M.
At the Grotto & on the boat, we were entertained with singing and dancing. It was a very enjoyable time for all.

  • A view from the boat

  • Part of the Fern Grotto

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2022/02/11
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Good Trip!

Reviewed by: Debbie, 2022/02/06

This was a good trip. The boat was clean and well-kept-up, and everyone was very friendly. Fern Grotto is pretty, and the local entertainment makes the event fun. It's a relaxing, quiet trip and a good way to see some of the beauty of Kauai.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2022/02/04
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Rich in culture, beauty, and Aloha! Everyone should do this when visiting Kauai. Worth it!

Reviewed by: Colleen, 2021/12/30

The Smith’s Wailua River Cruise was a beautiful way to spend our morning. Start off by learning some island history and geography by a native guide from the Smith Family. Ours was Wade.

Once you arrive at the Fern Grotto, you’ll walk a beautiful path to get there and learn about its natural history and cultural significance as well as anything you’d like to know about it. We learned so many fascination facts and it was so beautiful and peaceful.

On our way back, we were treated with professional musicians and a top notch dancer. Everything about the small group of performers was beautiful from the sweet sounds of the musicians to the graceful display of cultural dance. You couldn’t get better quality and for the price!

It was an honor and gift to ride with the Smith Family. Looking forward to coming back with the kids.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2021/12/03
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Great family fun time.

Reviewed by: Umar, 2021/12/13

It's a nice way to spend an hour on the water with some fun Hawaiian music. It's relaxing and a calm way to just chill. The actual fern grotto was an incredible sight to see and enjoy. That was the best part. Just a couple of minutes of walk from the dock to the main area where you see and appreciate the phenomenon.

Fun!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2021/12/10
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Tired

Reviewed by: Sharon, 2021/12/11

The building where we pay and gather is very depressing. The boat ride was uneventful, the grotto was a beauty of nature. We music was okay, we could tell the performers were tired because it was the last trip of the day, but they were nice and accommodating.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2021/11/17
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River Excursion

Reviewed by: Arizona, 2021/11/28

Good way to spend a couple of hours meandering down a river.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2021/11/24
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Fun. Sort of hokey!

Reviewed by: CurlyQ, 2021/11/10

Nice boat ride and walk to the fern grotto. The customers on board got into the group songs and their hand movements. A good family outing.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2021/11/08
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So worth it!

Reviewed by: Catharina , 2021/09/27

Great short cruise for the money, even includes entertainment. We loved it! We would do it again.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2021/09/22
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Very enjoyable river cruise

Reviewed by: Lisa, 2021/09/21

Great opportunity to sit back, relax and enjoy and hour and 20 minutes on the Wailua River and “getting married” at the Fern Grotto. The music and hula dancing on the journey up the river added a wonderful ambiance and the history and information on movies filmed on and around the Wailua on the way back was very informative. All in all a wonderful addition to our trip to Hawaii.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2021/09/16
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Very interesting and beautiful

Reviewed by: Mamacreamz , 2020/03/28

This is a wonderful tour. The boat is comfortable and a mild ride for all ages. The waterfall and fern grotto are beautiful. You receive history of the area and enjoy Hawaiian song and dance. There is time to walk around and enjoy the beauty

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2020/03/08
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Fern Grotto

Reviewed by: June, 2020/01/18

We had a wonderful time. Very enjoyable smooth ride in the river. The foliage was very pretty. Easy walk to the grotto. It was fun before when you could go up in the grotto. Enjoyed the singers and hula dancer. Would definitely recommend it.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2020/01/15
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