Page 4) Smith's Kauai Wailua River Cruise to Fern Grotto with Live Entertainment reviews, Kauai tours & activities, fun things to do in Kauai | HawaiiActivities.com

This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Find out more here

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

Overall Rating

4.46 4.46 / 5

Reviews

327 reviews
Post a review

Great Experience

Reviewed by: Grandpa, 2022/07/22

My family went on this excursion to the Grotto because it looked so good in the brochures. The boat ride up and back was the best part in my opinion. The workers on the boat were very entertaining and told the history of the river and the Grotto.
On the way back they let us place our flowers in the river and tell a little about our mother who had passed away just a few days prior to this part of our trip.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2022/06/22
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

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
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

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
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Very scenic

Reviewed by: Mr. Pat, 2022/07/12

Gorgeous xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2022/07/08
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Wailua River Cruise

Reviewed by: Lina Aquino, 2022/07/02

The river cruise was fantastic! Last time we did this was 2007. This June 2022, took my children and grandchildren and they had a good time. A little suggestion, maybe next time, take the cruise a little further down where at least we can get a glimpse of the water fall, that will be awesome!!!!

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
Activity Date:2022/06/08
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Very glad we did this!

Reviewed by: Niveen , 2022/07/02

Fun cruise exploring the river and history as told by the cruise captain. The walk through the “jungle” leading to the fern grotto was very enjoyable. The cruise back was fun - included song and dance. Recommend!

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2022/06/14
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Just book it!

Reviewed by: Kristin Wolf, 2022/07/01

This was such an enjoyable boat tour! The captain and crew were friendly, funny and talented. The fern grotto was beautiful and the music and hula were so fun! Our kids enjoyed it too!

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2022/06/29
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

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
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Boat ride was so relaxing!

Reviewed by: Mary, 2022/06/19

The tour was so nice and relaxing! Skipper and the rest of the staff was amazing. The waterfall at the end was breathtaking!The walk in to the fall was 10-15mins and along the path are different plants natives to Hawaii. Would definitely do again! Mahalo.

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
Activity Date:2022/06/17
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

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
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

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
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

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
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

River Cruise to Fern Grotto

Reviewed by: Cindy , 2022/06/05

The experience was okay, and easy for most. The river cruise was relaxing and walk to the Grotto was not strenuous. However, the Fern Grotto was disappointing. It did not look like a "grotto" at all. The musical entertainment was okay but nothing to rave about. Something to do for seniors and children; otherwise, the tour is nothing to be excited about.

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2022/05/09
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Great experience

Reviewed by: Grace, 2022/05/05

Absolutely beautiful cruise, nice easy walk to grotto. The crew was fantastic, great music and history told throughout the cruise. My elderly mother really enjoyed the cruise.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2022/05/03
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Beautiful grotto with fun entertainment while on the river

Reviewed by: OneHauteMom, 2022/05/03

This was a fun shorter excursion with a relaxing boat ride to the grotto and live entertainment onboard. A cute experience.

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
Activity Date:2022/03/30
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Great family activity

Reviewed by: Hannah, 2022/04/29

Perfect length to keep young kids entertained, fun captain stories and singing.

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
Activity Date:2022/04/25
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

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
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Rush to get an edge seat!

Reviewed by: Familywithkids, 2022/04/16

The grotto was beautiful, the dancing and singing was great. The overhead boat speakers were really hard to hear- we couldn't make out the stories they were telling well. If you get stuck in the middle, you can't see anything. Overall, it's not something I'd do more than once.

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
Activity Date:2022/04/14
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Smith’s river cruise

Reviewed by: Beverly Kramer , 2022/03/22

Once again the Smith family didn’t disappoint us with this river cruise. Telling us a little bit about the Smith family and the 5 generations who have worked there. Told us about the plant life on the island. We were treated to a Hawaiian song at the end of our short hike. My 81 year old father had no problems walking this short walk. On the way back to the dock we were given hula lessons and told what each hand gesture meant. Then we all did the luau while the song was being sung. It was awesome!

When we arrived to the island I thought I booked the cruise on the Wednesday but it was on Tuesday. I was called because we weren’t there and told it was no problem and that they would be rescheduled for the Wednesday.

Wonderful experience! I HIGHLY recommend is cruise!

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2022/03/15
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

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
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Awesome beyond words!

Reviewed by: Tiffany , 2022/03/16

We could not have imagined how beautiful the scenery would be. The singing and dancing was an added bonus. The Smith family really did an amazing job providing a fun filled adventure.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2022/03/14
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

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
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Friendly staff.

Reviewed by: Annalisa, 2022/02/23

The staff was very friendly and they try really hard to be sure you have fun even if the cruise itself can be a little bit boring.
I didn’t appreciate that they don’t say anything to people who don’t wear a mask even if it’s still mandatory. That part was really annoying.

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
Activity Date:2022/02/21
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

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
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

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
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Always my favorite!

Reviewed by: Sonja Newton, 2022/01/31

Every time I come to Kauai, I do this River Cruise and it never gets old. It is entertaining, educational, beautiful and just plain fun for all ages. I especially appreciate that the staff and crew always seen to be enjoying themselves as well!

  • Fun for everyone, including my daughter and her husband who recently moved to the island and hadn't had a chance to experience it this way!

  • Fun for everyone including my 90 year old father. Thank you for making him feel special!

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2022/01/06
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

beautiful peaceful and entertaining

Reviewed by: sebastian, 2022/01/09

i whole experience was amazing. The employees greeted guests with enthusiasm and personality, very happy and entertaining. the boat ride took us giding down the river providing beautiful sites and emotions. the fern grotto and short walk were great as well. all around a+ adventure.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2022/01/06
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

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
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Awesome experience.

Reviewed by: Justin T, 2021/12/24

Wish it didn’t rain the whole time but they can’t control that obviously. I recommend it.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2021/12/22
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

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
Was this comment helpful? [Yes]

Kauai Categories