Smith’s Fern Grotto Tour

La ballade sur la Wailua river et dans la forêt de fern grotto est vraiment sympa.
départs à 9h30, 11h00, 14h00 et 15h30
compter 1h30 aller-​retour
le prix est de 20 dollars par personne
un bateau pouvant accueillir environ 50 personnes vous amèné à Fern grotto un site sacré avec une grotte. la grotte né se visite plus depuis un dizaine d’année suite à un éboulement.
la végétation est luxuriante et vraiment belle avec de nombreuses fleurs
un mini spectacle de danses hawaïennes est inclus et au retour une animation identique est proposée.
vraiment un bon moment !

The Smith Family Fern Grotto riverboat tour is a relaxing way to get to the main event — the Fern Grotto. There are other ways: kayak in, hike in, but this tour is «easy mode.»
TIPS:
1. Sit on the RIGHT SIDE of the boat (if you are facing the Captain, be on his right side) for the trip to the grotto. As another Unilocaler pointed out, ALL of the landmarks pointed out are on that side. My wife and I were on the left side, and so we missed out on most of the sights along the river (the roof and sides of the boat obscure much).
2. Bring your AAA card, or military ID, or student ID, or be able to prove you are a senior… etc. There are many available discounts.
3. Be prepared to see the Fern Grotto from afar. This was most disappointing. Apparently there are safety issues with approaching the grotto, which was not always the case. I was pretty bummed that we only got to see the grotto from a deck. That said, it is still totally worth seeing.
4. Be comfortable with your neighbor. Our return trip featured some campy hula fun, but the tight quarters may make some folks feel… awkward. The very charismatic entertainers do a great job of mitigating any weirdness, though.
Last, don’t expect any sort of expedition. This tour clearly is designed to get you to the Fern Grotto, and get you back out again, with minimal fuss. Everything is paved and manicured (except for the Fern Grotto itself). The tour itself is probably only worth 2 stars, but the fun entertainers and the beautiful pictures you will get are worth another 2 stars by themselves.

One of the activities we did while on our trip in Kauai. We were able to catch the first tour in the morning and waited about 15min to get on the boat.
During the ride they give you information about the river and its surroundings. they also have entertainment (live music and hula dancers)
It’s a short walk to the fern grotto. It isn’t all that tbh (I enjoyed the boat ride more lol) but It was a good experience. Great for all ages. My grandparents came along and they enjoyed it!

Fun experience for the family. See the Wailua river and learn a little history en route to the fern grotto. Bring bug spray! The trail could be tough if you aren’t able to be mobile, but it isn’t steep and is paved. The entertainment at the grotto is great and continues on the boat ride back. Bring some cash to tip the crew as you disembark. Would definitely do again!

This is THE tour you want to take to see The Fern Grotto. Do not get it confused with Kamokila Hawaiian Village that ALSO does the Fern Grotto tour — but, via kayak. If you want to ride the motor boat, then you must come here. This is located BEFORE going up Kuamoo Road! The entertainment is great, the tour is fun, and the fern grotto is beautiful. $ 18 per adult ticket, if you are military! $ 20 regular price! Be sure to sight on the right side of the boat, this way you can catch the beautiful views of the mountain range.

We are still sitting at the dock waiting for four buses of cruise ship passengers who arrived after us to board two other boats and have now left. Waiting 25 minutes on the boat to leave without any comment or apology is unacceptable. Will update if this delay was even worth it. Ok updating my review after we got back from our trip. Our expectation of this trip was everything we anticipated except for the massive crowds from the cruise ship that arrived this morning. DO NOT take this trip if there is a ship in town. Way too many people and as you can see from my picture we had to stand in a line to wait to get to the grotto as all the tour boats were there at the same time. Otherwise is was a fun throwback experience. Nice Hawaiian music and stories. If you want to see the dancers on the way back you should sit in the middle of the boat. You can’t really see them from the outside aisles. This business has been here for 70 years so they must be doing something right and it’s priced accordingly.

We went on the river tour before our Luau. It was a great experience. We were very entertained with the commentary/​history that took place while going down the river. The were very accommodating to the elderly and a women who had broke her leg. The Fern Grotto really is something to see.

we loved the boat ride and loved the family atmosphere of the boat ride back with family singing, ukalele playing and hula dancing it was an intimate feeling experience. The Fern grotto was okay but not what I expected still enjoyed the experience

really great boat cruise. a lot of entertainment on the way over to the fern grotto. and it is beautiful — a must see while you’re on the island of Kauai. I took some really nice photos while up there. On the way back, they also do more of an informational guide rather than entertaining.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Fern Grotto Tour. It was leisurely and a great way to spend an hour and soak in a piece of Kauai. If you are looking for something exciting, probably not the best option.
We were on the 3.30 tour and traffic on Kuhio was painful and we barely made it. It is a very relaxing boat ride to get to the Grotto with the captain giving us some background on the area. The grotto itself is beautiful. We got to enjoy a nice Hawaiian song and dance while we were there which continued on the boat on the way back. Really nice.

smith’s fern grotto tour is your quintessential kauai tour. they have been running this tour for decades and it’s a must do on any trip to kauai.
check in at the marina and head down to the dock where you’ll be greeted by y our captain. onboard, take a seat (try to get one over the side so you can take good pictures while you cruise up and down the river). there is lovely hawaiian music and hula dancing on the way to the grotto. once there, walk up to the grotto, where you’ll have an opportunity to take in kauai’s natural beauty. the cast will serenade you with the hawaiian wedding song, and then it’s time to head back to the boat.
on the way back, the captain will share tales of legends and history of the wailua river and surrounding area.
it’s a good hour and a half tour, and they have many times available throughout the day. through the end of this year (2015) they are offering complimentary rides to all (kauai) kama’aina! make sure you bring your photo ID.

This boat ride was one of the highlights of our vacation. We loved it. It’s very relaxing and the staff is great. They do a hula show /​music on the boat ride to the grotto and the captain does his highlights on the way back. Very nice. It’s also only $ 18 per person and I think we got a discount on that. I would definitely come back!

Fun, educational, traditional, mix in a little bit of Elvis and a good narration and you have a pretty nice boat ride in the interior of Kauai.
Priced at 18/​head, not at all expensive and worth the relaxing journey. Unfortunately the grotto itself is not open to visitors but the tour is beautiful and the hike to and opening/​entry itself is lovely. Live Hawaiian music and a history lesson at the site make this a fun stop.

The thing you have to remember is that island life is pretty laid-​back. Most of the views along the river are pretty. There is one part in particular that is about half way to the grotto that opens up on the left (south) side to a wonderful view of the mountain. The Grotto area is very pretty but the only reason I did not give it 5 start is because with such a large group, there was only one guide at the front so we could not hear anything she said and we were only in the middle of the group.
The performances I the boat are wonderful and the one at the Grotto is great! On the way back there are no performances but the captain gives a little history and information on the areas you pass by. There is also kayaking rental and tours there that are worth doing on your own or with a guide. Beautiful… Absolutely beautiful!

This was a nice ride about 3 miles up the Wailua River. It lasted a little more than an hour including disembarking for a short (additional) history lesson, singing of the Hawaiian wedding song, and a little hula. It was nice to just be on the water. Good for singles, groups, & kids alike. Also a good price.

We took our 2 year old on the cruise and he loved every second of it. It’s extremely kid friendly and enjoyable to adults as well. The live music and hula dancing is great; my toddler enjoyed getting involved with the hula! The walk to the grotto is quick and easy, and paved the whole way. As a pregnant lady, I was overjoyed that they had bathrooms located on both sides of the trip. Lol! The cruise is relaxing and beautiful.

Quick easy family boat ride, loved all the movie history on this river, 1 or so from start to finish the walk to see fern grottos was beautiful. I guess you can get married up the river too!

The boat ride and entertainment was very good however, the Fern Grotto was a disappointment. It’s been 40 years since our first visit and we didn’t get to spend much time there exploring, nor is the public allowed to get close to the Fern Grotto.

A lot has changed in 10 years.
My wife and I first went on the Smith’s Fern Grotto Tour 10 years ago. Recently, we took my parents (celebrating their 50^th wedding anniversary) and our twin 4 year old daughters here.
We were surprised to see the paved pathway, restrooms and viewing platform. All are very nice and very convenient, but provides a completely different experience compared to walking up the stone/​dirt path through the Hawaiian foliage. Sadly, you are also not allowed to access the grotto anymore. While completely understandable, given the safety issues, it also changes the experience.
Nevertheless, the slow and relaxing river boat ride, short history of the area, and entertainment were still great. And the staff were also as friendly and hospitable as we remembered. Everyone had an enjoyable time.
Don’t forget to bring your camera.
Discounts for locals, military, seniors and children.

I thought this tour was worth the $ 20 fee. I’d have paid that just for the relaxing boat ride with Hawaiian music, Hula dancers, and mini-​hula lesson!
I took the 9:30 tour and we had plenty of room on the boat and at the grotto. The boat ride lasted about 25 minutes and was very pleasant. Our singers, lead by «Bob», were great! They seemed to enjoy working together and got tickled at one another several times which I found refreshing.
The grotto was beautiful, though I understand it is slowly recovering from a storm. It is gorgeous now, so I cannot imagine what it will be like when it’s returned to its former glory. Unfortunately, the storm damage resulted in the decision to restrict access into the grotto. The platform originally constructed to allow wheelchair access was expanded and is now where everyone views the grotto.
I would go again!

My family went on the Grotto tour as a part of another tour we took. We had already been to the Smith’s Family Luau, so we were familiar with the Smith Family. The boat ride up the river featured live music. the boats themselves were huge and they pile as many people that will fit. The ride to the grotto seriously took forever. Once at the grotto, everyone disembarked and walked a little ways to the platform to see the waterfall and cave. They sung a wedding song, and then we were herded back to the boats for the return trip.
Overall, this is an underwhelming experience. Maybe if you had kids, it might be cool, but it wasn’t for us. There were way too many people, so it was kinda crowded. I’m glad I didn’t pay. If you don’t have kids, and you aren’t old, I would skip this.