Smith's Kauai Wailua River Cruise to Fern Grotto with Live Entertainment reviews, Kauai tours & activities, fun things to do in Kauai (With pictures only)

Very nice for mobility challenged.

Reviewed by: Rodriguez111, 2024/01/29

Fun interesting tour. Very beautiful river. The chicken were funny.

Cute show beautiful scenery

Rating:
Attended as:	Couples
Activity Date:	2024/01/04
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Outstanding!

Reviewed by: HG, 2023/12/23

We loved everything about this united family! They were hospitable, funny, and very entertaining. The hula dancing, singing , and history of the area was very interesting to us. We had fun from start to finish and that’s why we voted OUTSTANDING! We will definitely visit again. Mahalo!

Rating:
Attended as:	Families with Young Children
Activity Date:	2023/12/21
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Wailua River Cruise package

Reviewed by: MNielson, 2023/12/02

The Wailua River cruise to the fern grotto was perfect. It was a little wet the day we went, but the boat was covered and we were kept dry. The entertainment was amazing and we learned a lot about the fern grotto. The short hike was easy and we saw lots of ginger blossoms. This was a great family activity!

Rating:
Attended as:	Families
Activity Date:	2023/11/07
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Fern Grotto boat tour

Reviewed by: Debbie, 2023/09/05

Beautiful river excursion; would have loved more time and not so rushed at the Grotto. One song seemed lame. Wanted time to take pictures of foliage on way down. Definitely would not recommend for wheelchair guests. It was steep and pavement unfriendly to wheelchair wheels and very steep and slippery incline uphill.
Entertainment on way back was very fun and good.

Gorgeous plants

Rating:
Attended as:	Families
Activity Date:	2023/09/01
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Wonderful River Cruise

Reviewed by: Pat, 2023/09/02

We took this River Cruise on our 20th wedding anniversary. it was to remind us of the beauty of the Fern Grotto that we visit many years ago. The boat ride was fun. We loved the narration, the music and hula dancing. I highly recommend this cruise.

Rating:
Attended as:	Couples
Activity Date:	2023/08/11
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Family friendly fun!

Reviewed by: Jenna H, 2023/08/18

The whole family had a blast. The river boat ride in total took about 2hrs. I appreciate that this is family owned and ran. Good people and great stories. It is worth going to for the experience.

Rating:
Attended as:	Families with Young Children
Activity Date:	2023/08/16
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Amazing experience!

Reviewed by: Matt Olsen, 2023/07/13

This is our second time going to the Fern Grotto and it was just as beautiful and amazing as the first time we went 9 years ago. We booked online and it was very easy. We got to the check in site and they handed us a ticket with our name already on it and asked us to turn it in when we boarded. Right on time, they asked us to head down to the dock and board our river boat. Everyone that we encountered had a big smile and a kind word for us. They gave us a brief safety talk and we were off! Our guide going out there was very knowledgeable and talked to us about the history of the island. When we reached the Fern Grotto, they sang for us some beautiful songs and then we hiked a little way up to the grotto. We took lots of pictures and then made our way back! We were treated to some songs and beautiful hula dancing on the way back. The young lady on the microphone was so much fun! She was a jokester, and she had a beautiful singing voice. The ladies doing the hula dancing were just so beautiful to watch and you can tell they love what they do. Overall, it was a lot of fun and I highly recommend. I do recommend booking online as it will save you some time when you get there. Thank you for a wonderful experience!

Rating:
Attended as:	Families
Activity Date:	2023/07/11
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River cruise

Reviewed by: Linda, 2023/07/11

Highly recommended, we really enjoyed the river cruise the view was beautiful and loved the walk to the cave

Rating:
Attended as:	Families
Activity Date:	2023/07/06
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Great family activity

Reviewed by: cassandra15, 2023/07/01

Our family was a pretty big group with a mix of some older folks and young children so we chose to do this activity based on all the good reviews and it did not disappoint. We really enjoyed the hula dancing and singing along the ride. The time spent on the boat and walking to was not too long so it was perfect for our group.

Rating:
Attended as:	Families with Young Children
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Fun and Beautiful

Reviewed by: Pam Hurst, 2023/07/01

We really enjoyed the Fern Grotto your. The boat ride was entertaining then walking into the grotto was breathtaking. It rained before we got there so it was fresh and a little humid all at the same time. Would recommend this tour.

Rating:
Attended as:	Families
Activity Date:	2023/06/08
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Fern Grotto

Reviewed by: Karen, 2023/06/04

We all enjoyed the boat ride and the walk to the grotto. I missed being able to go inside like I did on my first visit years ago.

Karen De Jarnett and Bruce Lachiusa

Rating:
Attended as:	Couples
Activity Date:	2023/06/01
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Best part of our trip

Reviewed by: JAV, 2023/05/25

It was very well run and a calming quick boat ride. We walked to see the fern grotto which was beautiful and our tour guide also helped sing a wedding song to us. It was cute. We had a chance to take pictures. A bathroom was available. We were sung to on the way back as well.

Fern grotto
My toddler loved the sights

Rating:
Attended as:	Families with Young Children
Activity Date:	2023/05/22
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Birthday Time

Reviewed by: Patricia James, 2023/04/22

It was a great time. Really enjoyed it It was our birthday week and we had the best time. The boat ride, the songs, the hula dance was spot on.

Rating:
Attended as:	Couples
Activity Date:	2023/03/30
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Relaxing ride

Reviewed by: Bill, 2023/04/12

What a beautiful experience! Comfortable, clean ride up calm river to breathtaking rainforest. Knowledgeable staff was informative and entertaining. Finally a great value!
Would recommend to anyone coming to Kauai. Will do again.

Calm ride on river.

Rating:
Attended as:	Couples
Activity Date:	2023/04/10
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Great way to see Fern Grotto

Reviewed by: Krisio, 2023/04/03

This was a quick fun little trip. The staff was fun and informative.

Rating:
Attended as:	Couples
Activity Date:	2023/03/31
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So beautiful and the history is a plus

Reviewed by: Sue A S, 2023/03/12

Such a great experience!! Skipper Whitney the grandson of the original Smith was a delight! I will go over and over again just for the beauty and history!

Me & my bestie
Me & Skipper Whitney

Rating:
Attended as:	Friends
Activity Date:	2023/02/16
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Short but fun

Reviewed by: Hollie O, 2023/02/04

People are great, fun, a good afternoon on the water

Rating:
Attended as:	Couples
Activity Date:	2023/01/12
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Great little adventure!

Reviewed by: Leslie Cody, 2023/01/22

It was a great little activity. We had done this 26 years ago for our anniversary so doing it again on our anniversary trip was great.

The staff were funny and very enjoyable. It was disappointing we couldn't go in the cave the last time you could. However we understand why.

I would definitely recommend this activity. Hearing about the history was awesome.

Rating:
Attended as:	Couples
Activity Date:	2023/01/20
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Family-run business, run smoothly, good value; hosts and hostesses professional with keen sense of humor.

Reviewed by: Cary, 2023/01/11

My wife and I went on the Fern Grotto tour on our honeymoon in 1990. We didn't think they'd still be around, after Iniki ravaged Kauai and COVID shut down hundreds of businesses. The hotel where we stayed was gone so we feared there would be nothing left from our initial trip. But when we returned, there were the Smiths, still in business! We loved the informative cruise and especially the lovely traditional Hawaiian music - not the usual pandering with "Aloha Oe" and "Tiny Bubbles," but the real stuff. My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed this revisit to a highlight of our honeymoon.

Rating:
Attended as:	Couples
Activity Date:	2023/01/09
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Great activity for toddlers

Reviewed by: Whitney family , 2023/01/01

Easy and fun activity to do with littles. The boat cruise is lovely and the fern grotto is beautiful. Stroller accessible throughout. Guided commentary on the way to the grotto and live entertainment on the way back. The staff is very kind.

Rating:
Attended as:	Families with Young Children
Activity Date:	2022/12/30
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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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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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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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Great Fun!

Reviewed by: Vmp, 2022/09/11

My second river cruise and enjoyed the commentary and musical entertainment. The last time I was here, the barriers hadn't been put up around the Groto, though.

Rating:
Attended as:	Friends
Activity Date:	2022/09/05
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Fern Grotto River cruise

Reviewed by: North Idahoans, 2022/09/11

Very relaxing cruise up the river. Beautiful scenery. Very friendly and helpful staff. Also enjoyed the witty sense of humor on the commentaries. The trail is not the best for the elderly and spots on the trail were difficult to maneuver a walker so highly suggest a wheelchair instead, but the scenery was well-worth the trip.

Rating:
Attended as:	Families
Activity Date:	2022/09/08
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Lovely tour

Reviewed by: Spiker Family, 2022/08/31

Informative cruise given by The Smith family. Bring sturdier shoes than flip flops because the jungle mixed with sporadic rain showers make a slippery path. My daughter loved the live interactive entertainment. Overall good time.

Rating:
Attended as:	Families with Young Children
Activity Date:	2022/08/29
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40 Years Later

Reviewed by: MEB, 2022/07/30

While on this trip, we celebrated our 40th anniversary. We took the Wilua river cruise to the Fern Grotto 40 years ago on our honeymoon, and I'm happy to say that the best parts of this experience have not changed.
We were happy with the new decking in the Grotto, I only wish that they had wheel chairs available at the Grotto. My wife was unable to make it all the way to the main platform, so she missed out on the best part. Our main goal was four our three daughters and our grandson to see it, and they did!
Thank you for another great experience!

Rating:
Attended as:	Families with Young Children
Activity Date:	2022/07/04
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Fern Grotto Fun

Reviewed by: Diane G, 2022/07/28

We've been to the Fern Grotto many times and love it every time.

Rating:
Attended as:	Families
Activity Date:	2022/07/18
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Smith’s Wailua River cruise to fern grotto with live entertainment/River cruise package

Reviewed by: Carolyn, 2022/07/23

Great trip for any one that has problems walking or doing large hikes. Nice boat ride as you see nature along with kayakers . The more adventurous people would probably prefer that method of seeing the area. On the boat they taught a hula dance. Gave some interesting info on the walk. It is an easy trip.

Rating:
Attended as:	Families
Activity Date:	2022/06/27
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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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Overall Rating	Attended as	Language
★★★★★ ★★★★ ★★★ ★★ ★	Couples Families with Young Children Families Friends Solo Travelers	All (353) English (329) Japanese (24) Simplified Chinese (0) Traditional Chinese (0)

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