At first glance, Queen’s Bath on the island of Kauai seems almost too good to be true. Carved out of a lava shelf on Kauai’s rugged northern shore, Queen’s Bath is an ocean-fed tidal pool that looks out across the vast swells of the mighty Pacific Ocean. The large pool fills up at high tide, creating a sheltered swimming area just like a natural infinity pool, where you’ll spot small fish and sea creatures that were trapped by the incoming tide.
Surrounded by dramatic rocky shores and emerald green tropical forests, you’ll feel like you’ve found your own slice of heaven when you discover Queen’s Bath for the first time. Located near the town of Princeville on the island of Kauai, its crystal clear waters and incredible views make Queen’s Bath one of Hawaii’s best kept secrets.
Kauai is one of Hawaii’s four major islands, and its northern shores are the wettest inhabited parts of the archipelago, with dense growths of ferns, towering palm trees, and scenery that feels more like a film set than reality. But unlike Hawaii’s more famous beaches and coastal stretches, a visit to Queen’s Bath is like uncovering a hidden diamond in the rough. And so it’s easy to see why it was once a prestigious bathing spot for the Hawaiian royal families.
Meanwhile, the nearby town of Princeville is a great base for exploring Kauai and visiting Queen’s Bath. With a nice selection of resorts, numerous world-class restaurants, golf courses, and local attractions, the town is famous for its stunning setting that overlooks the ocean. Visitors to Princeville can relax and enjoy leisurely strolls along the beach, or fill an action packed itinerary of outdoor activities of all kinds.
The perfect destination for photographers, couples looking for a tropical retreat, families with children, and outdoor enthusiasts, Queen’s Bath and the island of Kauai offer a side of Hawaii that’s off the beaten path while still catering for comfort and luxury.
How to Get to Princeville and Queen’s Bath, Kauai, Hawaii
For international visitors to Princeville and Queen’s Bath, you need to fly into Kauai’s Lihue Airport (LIH), which handles both international and domestic flights for the island. You can catch a flight to Lihue Airport from all over the world – although your journey will probably include one or two connections along the way.
Journey times from major international travel hubs to Lihue Airport range from about 18 to 22 hours from London, 12 to 15 hours from New York, 14 to 16 hours from Sydney, and around 23 to 27 hours from Dubai. It’s worth trying to get a window seat if you can because the ocean views as you come in to land on the island are truly breath-taking.
Once you arrive in Lihue Airport, on Kauai’s southeastern coast, you’ll need to travel onwards to Princeville, on the island’s North Shore. It’s highly advisable to rent a car for your time on Kauai, not only because it gives you more freedom but also because the public transport network is very limited.
Princeville is an ideal place to base yourself, with excellent hotels and amenities for visitors. The drive from Lihue Airport to Princeville is about 50 km and should take between 45 minutes and an hour, taking you along the scenic Kuhio Highway.
From Princeville, it’s just a short drive to Queen’s Bath that shouldn’t take more than 5 or 10 minutes. It’s worth noting that the car park for Queen’s Park is pretty small, so you should try to arrive early to ensure you get a parking spot. From the car park, it’s a short hike down to the pool along a well marked trail.
What’s the Best Time to Visit the Queen’s Bath and Princeville?
The island of Kauai has a lush tropical climate, with year-round daytime temperatures that range from about 24 to 32 Degrees Celsius, and cooler evenings with temperatures dipping to around 12 to 20 Degrees Celsius. The best time to visit is generally between April and October when the ocean conditions are calmer and there’s less rainfall.
This time of year is perfect for swimming in the sea, snorkeling, photography, and hiking, but it’s also the safest time of year to visit Queen’s Bath. In fact, during the winter, between November and March, it can be quite dangerous to visit Queen’s Bath because of the huge ocean waves that crash into the shores – making it practically impossible to swim in the pool without potentially getting swept away!
The peak tourist season on Kauai is between June and August, when temperatures are at their warmest and the daylight hours at their longest. However, if you want to avoid the crowds and the highest accommodation and flight prices, then you should aim to visit between April and May, or September and October. These shoulder season months have lovely weather, smaller crowds, and you’ll be able to make some decent savings on accommodation and flight prices.
Just remember, when you visit Queen’s Bath to try to get there pretty early in the day, because otherwise the car park can fill up quickly and you may have to wait for a parking spot. And while some people chose to park illegally in a nearby road, you may get a ticket from one of the parking attendants that do patrol the area! So it’s definitely best to arrive early and grab a parking spot in the official car park before it fills up.
Things to Do at Princeville and Queen’s Bath, Hawaii
Stay at the 1 Hotel Hanalie Bay, Kauai
Overlooking a private beach with panoramic views of the Hanalei Bay in Princeville, the 1 Hotel Hanalie Bay is one of Kauai’s premier resorts for couples, families, and small groups. The entire resort is designed with sustainability in mind, with nature-inspired interiors that incorporate local materials, arts and crafts, as well as beautifully maintained gardens in which native species of plants flourish throughout the year.
The hotel boasts superb amenities, including several themed restaurants that serve locally sourced farm-to-table cuisine, a range of oceanfront swimming pools, an upmarket wellness spa and fitness center, tennis and pickleball courts, a kids club, and access to the nearby Princeville Makai Golf Club. There’s also complimentary bicycles to help you get around town, as well as on-site electric car hire if you’d like to explore further afield.
There’s a good selection of rooms in the Hotel Hanalie Bay, each with air conditioning, free Wifi, filtered drinking water, flat screen TV, and an espresso machine. All rooms are thoughtfully furnished with luxury cotton bedding, while the spacious en-suite bathroom includes complimentary toiletries. What’s more, the rooms enjoy spectacular ocean views with private balconies and seating areas in the larger suites.
A wonderful base for your time in Princeville, the friendly staff at the front desk are always on hand to help you arrange day trips, book taxis, rent a car, or borrow a bicycle for the day.
You can find out more about the 1 Hotel Hanalie Bay, and book your rooms for your stay, at the official hotel website, here.
Visit the Queen’s Bath for a Short Hike and a Swim
As one of the island’s top attractions, Queen’s Bath is an ocean-fed tidal pool that overlooks the Pacific Ocean on the North Shore of Kauai. It’s a fun option for a self-led half day trip, that includes a short hike down through the lava shelf – after which you can cool down and have a swim in the refreshing ocean waters.
Located just a few minutes drive from Princeville, you’ll need to park in the carpark at Punahele Road on the outskirts of Princeville. Once you’ve parked, you just need to follow the trail down towards the ocean. The hike down to the waters takes about 20 minutes each way, and although the walk is short it’s worth wearing some sturdy shoes because the lava shelf is quite rough and rocky.
When you reach Queen’s Bath, you’ll be able to cool down in the water and take in the monumental views across the ocean. But the chances are that you won’t be alone in Queen’s Bath, because each time the tide comes in a new batch of small fish and marine life find themselves stranded in the pool until the next high tide!
It’s a good idea to bring some bottled water with you to keep yourself hydrated while you’re out in the sun. And if you’d like to make a picnic of it, then why bring some fresh fruit and few snacks to eat while you relax beside Queen’s Bath before hiking back up the trail to the car park.
You can find out more about how to reach Queen’s Bath at your hotel front desk, where the staff will be more than happy to explain the route in more detail or arrange for a taxi to drop you off and pick you up again later.
Join a Guided Tour of the Princeville Botanical Gardens
With its rich volcanic soils, tropical climate, and plentiful rainfall, Kauai has an astoundingly diverse array of native plants and flowers. The Princeville Botanical Gardens is a treasure trove of tropical plants, exotic flowers, medicinal plants, and collections of rare species. And on this 3 hour guided tour through the gardens, your guide will tell you all about the plants you see, as well as explain the traditional cultural significance that many of the plants have for Hawaii’s native people.
The tour starts in the upper terraces of the gardens, overlooking the Waimea Valley, before winding down to the valley floor to explore the Anini Creek Valley and its exotic selection of rare plants and flowers. The botanical gardens also have their own bee hives which pollinate the many flowers in the gardens, as well as a highly productive cacao farm that makes its own delicious organic chocolate.
And don’t worry, you’ll have a chance to try this mouth-watering home-made chocolate! The tour finishes up with a chocolate tasting session that is complimented by local fruits and organic honey. A magical way to end a dream tour through the Edenic paradise of the Princeville Botanical Gardens.
The tour meets at the front of the Botanical Gardens, at 3840 Ahonui Place, so you’ll need to drive yourself or arrange a taxi from the front desk of your hotel. You can find out more about the Princeville Botanical Gardens on the official website, here.
Take to Skies for a Private Helicopter Tour of Kauai Island
To really get a feeling for Kauai, there’s no better way to survey the incredible scenery than by taking a helicopter tour of the island. Departing from Princeville Airport, this private helicopter tour will take you out over some of the island’s most iconic beauty spots, including Hanapepe Valley with close up views of the spectacular Manawaiopuna Falls – as featured in the blockbuster movie Jurassic Park. You’ll also fly over the Waimea Canyon, known as the ‘Grand Canyon of the Pacific’, as well Mount Wai’ale’ale with its tremendous cascading waterfalls and dense tropical vegetation.
You’ll be given noise-cancelling headsets with two-way communication to the pilot for the flight, so you’ll get a running commentary of the sites as you soar overhead. As you can imagine, there’s endless opportunities to snap some seriously Instagram worthy photos, or you can simply sit back and enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
The tour starts and finishes at Princeville Airport. You’ll need to arrive about 1 hour before the flight departs so the pilot can give you a quick safety briefing, explain how the noise-cancelling headsets works, and generally ensure that you feel safe and confident about the upcoming flight. To get to the airport you can either drive and park in the carpark, or else you can order a private transfer from the front desk of your hotel.
You can find out more about the helicopter tour of Kauai, and reserve your places on the tour, here.
Na Pali Coast Zodiac Raft and Snorkelling Expedition
Get ready to experience Kauai’s world famous Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park on this small group Zodiac raft expedition. Led by an experienced local guide, you’ll set out on the Zodiac raft to cruise along the spectacular coastline, passing huge cliffs, cascading waterfalls, caves, and dramatic stretches of coastline that are only accessible by sea.
Along the way your guide will regale you with stories about the local history, geology, and offer unique cultural insights about the landmarks you pass, many of which are steeped in native folklore. The tour includes stopping at selected offshore spots for snorkeling, where you’ll explore the kaleidoscopic tropical reefs that teem with brightly coloured schools of fish. During the day you’ll also see playful spinner dolphins, green sea turtles, and sometimes you’ll even see the giant humpback whales in the open water!
You’ll be provided with all the equipment you need for the tour, including a life jacket, snorkelling equipment, seasonal fruits for snacking on and a dry bag for your personal items, such as your phone and wallet.
The tour departs from Na Pali Riders in Waimea on Kauai’s west side, at 9600 Kaumuali’i Highway, and you’ll need to arrive about 45 minutes before departure to run through a basic safety briefing. It’s easy to reach the departure point if you’ve rented a car, but otherwise you’ll need to arrange a taxi or private transfer with the staff at your hotel’s front desk.
You can find out more about the Na Pali Coast Zodiac Raft and Snorkelling Adventure, and book your places on the expedition, here.
