Self-Guided Tour
Walk at your own pace | 1.5 hours
Limahuli Garden and Preserve
5-8291 Kuhio Highway, Hanalei, HI (See map)
(808) 826-1053
Built on the footprint of our Hawaiian ancestors, Limahuli Garden and Preserve is located on the north shore of the island of Kauaʻi in one of the most biodiverse valleys in the Hawaiian Islands. Home to dozens of endangered plants and birds found nowhere else on earth, Limahuli Garden and Preserve highlights native and culturally-significant species in an authentic Hawaiian landscape.
Limahuli Garden is a puʻuhonua (place of refuge) for an ecological system that honors the connection between nature and humanity, where indigenous traditions live in the 21st Century. At Limahuli NTBG adapts ancestral resource management practices to address contemporary conservation challenges and restore health, function, and resilience to the valley. This approach is known as biocultural conservation. By visiting or volunteering in the garden you become part of our team and part of the solution.
Limahuli Garden is open Tuesday through Saturday, 8:30 am – 4 pm. Last check-in is 2:15 pm when we close the entrance gate.
The loop trail is 3/4 miles (1.2 km) long and goes up 200 ft (60m) in elevation with many steps.
– For visitors driving to the Garden, online reservation is highly recommended due to the limited parking space. Parking is included with the purchase of tours.
– Visitors to Wainiha/Haena area are encouraged to use the shuttle service via GoHaena.com. No reservation for our self-guided tour is required for visitors arriving by shuttle. Please check in and pay at the Visitor Center when you arrive. Tour fees are not included in the shuttle pass.
– Please check the Hawaii Department of Transportation website for road closures prior to coming to the Garden. https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/roadwork/kauai/
– The Garden parking lot is reserved for visitors on Limahuli Garden tours only. It is a violation of our policy to leave your car and go to any other location besides our Garden. This policy is strictly enforced.
Please see General Information
1.5 hours (recommended minimum)
Please arrive 15 minutes before your reservation.
8:30 am
10 am
11 am
12 pm
1 pm
2 pm
Adults (13 and older) – $25
Kamaʻaina with valid Hawaiʻi ID at check-in – $10
Children (12 and under) – Free with an adult
– Water bottle (Fill-up station available at the Visitor Center)
– Comfortable walking shoes
– Face mask if you visit the Gift Shop
– Sun protection
– Rain protection
Ancient terraces, ancient wisdom, life and relationships with the land, the forest, and the water… the stories unfold as you open your guidebook and make your way through this special place. Envision what the valley might have looked like when the first Hawaiians arrived as you follow the path through the native forest walk. Discover the plants that traveled with them in their canoes and how their culture was inseparable from the plants that sustained them. Contemplate the impact of plant invaders and learn what is being done today to protect fragile ecosystems. Ascend to the Whale Trail and take in the dramatic panorama of the ocean. Feel the spirit of Limahuli.
– Insect repellent
– Online reservation is required for all visitors attending our guided tour. No walk-ins available for the guided tours. If you are driving to the Garden, please make sure to add a parking space to your reservation.
– Visitors to Wainiha/Haena area are encouraged to use the shuttle service via GoHaena.com.
– Please check the Hawaii Department of Transportation website for road closures prior to coming to the Garden. https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/roadwork/kauai/
– The Garden parking lot is reserved for visitors on Limahuli Garden tours only. It is a violation of our policy to leave your car and go to any other location besides our Garden. This policy is strictly enforced.
Please see General Information
2.5 hours (recommended minimum)
9 am on Tuesdays and Thursdays
Please arrive by 8:45 am to check-in.
Adults (13 and older) – $60
Kamaʻaina with valid Hawa ID at check-in – $40
Children (12 and under) – Free with an adult
– Water bottle (Fill-up station available at the Visitor Center)
– Comfortable walking shoes
– Face mask if you visit the Gift Shop
– Sun protection
– Rain protection
– Insect repellent
Explore this timeless place with a small group as the inextricably interwoven stories of Hawaiian history, culture, natural history, and plants unfold during your visit. As you enjoy legends that abound about this ancient valley, you’ll see the features that inspired them. A guided tour offers you a deeper understanding of the delicate balance of the ecosystem in both ancient and modern times, and how today’s stewardship of the land is modeled after the traditional practices of its earliest inhabitants. Our docents are knowledgeable, enjoy ‘talking story’, and are passionate about sharing this living Hawaiian landscape.
For at least 1,500 years the Limahuli Valley has been a Hawaiian place. Today, Limahuli is one of of the last easily-accessible valleys with intact archaeological complexes, native forest, pristine stream, and the presence of the descendants of the valley’s original inhabitants caring for it.
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