A few months ago, we took a Kauai family vacation where we enjoyed various hiking adventures, beautiful waterfalls and simply lounging around on the beach. But one experience we did that stood out was the Kauai Backcountry Adventures where we got to go mountain tubing in Kauai.
The Kauai tubing experience consists of tubing through open canals of an old sugar plantation. While on this Kauai mountain tubing adventure, you pass through seven dark tunnels and down one very small cute. The current is calm enough for kids 5 and up to get to partake in the fun.
The Kauai Backcountry Adventures tour starts off with checking in and getting hard hats, gloves and a head lamp for each person. Then you get into a 4-wheel-drive vehicle that takes you through the old Lihue Plantation lands and offers spectacular views of Mt. Wai’ale’ale. The drive was very pretty and we got to stop and get some family pictures with a beautiful backdrop.
After we snapped some pictures, we drove just a bit further to the spot where we would hop onto a tube. While we were driving, the tour guides let us know that the water would be a bit chilly but that we were not allowed to say brrr or cold, or else we would get splashed. We had to say things like “oooh this water is refreshing.” But let me tell you, it was pretty darn chilly! Luckily it didn’t take long to get used to it.
When we did the mountain tubing Kauai excursion, we had a 10-year old, 9-year old and 6-year old with us. We were a little nervous that the 6-year old would get spooked in the dark tunnels, but he was just fine. The tour guides do a great job of talking to the kids and staying near them if they get separated from a parent (you’re in one large group the whole time, but there’s no guarantee you’ll be right next to your kid the entire time as some areas are more narrow than others).
The water is about waist deep and the current moves fast enough that you don’t need to paddle yourself, but not too fast. It’s just like a lazy river at a waterpark.
In one of the last tunnels, the guides tell everyone to turn off their headlamps and see just how dark it is in the tunnels. One kids (not ours) kept his on, but we still got a general idea of what total darkness looks like. It was such a fun experience.
The Kauai Backcountry Adventures tour guides do have people to snap pictures along the way, but they cost extra and I remember it being quite a bit more to add that on. I was able to bring my phone with me and snap some pics along the way.
After the mountain tubing portion of this excursion, we took a short drive over to a nice grassy area with tables where they served us a picnic lunch before making the drive back to our vehicles. All in all, it was a great experience and the kids really enjoyed tubing in Kauai.
I searched the internet for hours looking for Kauai mountain tubing adventure discount codes or coupons before I gave in and booked this excursion. For a family of 5, it was a bit of an indulgence for us. I searched through multiple websites and the price did vary from website to website, even though it is all the same tour. So my advice is to price shop a bit and choose the one that offers the lowest price for the day you’re looking for.
Hawaii tubing is a unique experience, and I’m glad we did it. I don’t think we need to do it every time we visit the island, but it was fun to try something that we hadn’t done before. So even without a Kauai mountain tubing adventure discount code, it was worth it.
This is the only Hawaii tubing experience you’ll find, so it does fill up in advance. Book your Kauai Backcountry Adventures in advance to ensure you don’t miss out on mountain tubing in Kauai.
For more ideas of what to do on your Kauai family vacation, check out my blog posts about the top beaches in Kauai for kids and 6 kid-friendly hikes on Kauai.
