Smith Wailua River/Fern Grotto Boat Ride

Smith’s Fern Grotto Tour, Kuhio Highway, Kapaa, HI, United States. Wailua River is 19.2 miles long and one of the only navigable rivers on Kauai. A family tradition that dates back to the 1940’s.  The Smith’s Wailua Boat cruise is the only river boat cruise on the island of Kauai. Keeping a family tradition alive, the Smith family shares its love for Kauai and cultural heritage with all. The boat ride showcases Live hawaiian entertainment including music and hula being performed on the boat. Powered by a rear engine system designed and invented by Walter Smith Sr. the one hour and and a half tour will take you up to the famous fern grotto. The spacious open aired boat provides impressive views of the Wailua River and surrounding landscape from all sides

The boat will dock at the base of the trail that leads to the Fern Grotto. Take a walk through a rain forest and see beautiful native Hawaiian and exotic tropical plants while walking to the Grotto Observation deck. A geological wonder of Kauai.  The Fern Grotto was formed millions of years ago where you can now see ferns that grow upside down from the roof of the grotto. Seeping water from the top of the cave provide water to the lush vegetation that grows beneath it, creating a picturesque natural masterpiece. 

Once upon a time, the grotto was off-limits to anyone but Hawaiian Royalty. However, the area was opened for sightseeing and then popularized by Elvis Presley in the movie Blue Hawaii in 1961. For many years, the Fern Grotto have been visited by millions of visitors and thousands have tied the knot here.

The Fern Grotto can only be viewed from the Observation deck since April 2006 due to heavy flooding of the area.  However the views from the deck are amazing and the beautiful music that is accompanied with the tour add an extra special touch to the experience. The amphitheatre that the fern grotto provides is a popular destination for weddings and special events because of the natural acoustics.


Learn about the history and legends of the sacred Wailua River and sacred capital of Kauai on the tour. Furthermore, learn about Wailua, which is the birthplace of many chiefs (ali’i) and the central meeting place of ancient Hawaiians.  Learn how to dance hula by one of the hula dancers as you ride up the river to the Fern Grotto

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Boat tours depart daily from the Wailua Marina State Park at 9:30 am, 11:00 am, 2:00 pm and 3:30 pm. Make sure to check in 15 minutes prior to departure times.I am text block. 


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