Nā Pali Sunset Dinner Sail: Mai Tais and the Cliffs at Golden Hour From Port Allen

Everyone on Kauai watches the sunset. The best place to do it is three miles off the Nā Pali Coast, on a sailing catamaran with a mai tai, as the cliffs go gold and then purple behind you. That is this trip.

This page covers what the sail is like, what it costs, who it suits, and how it differs from the morning Nā Pali tours.

Why this made our list

The light. The morning Nā Pali boats see the cliffs with the sun behind them. The sunset sail sees them the way photographers wait for: low western sun straight onto the walls, every fluted ridge throwing a shadow, the hanging valleys glowing green. Then the sun sets over open ocean and Niʻihau on the ride home.

The boat. Holo Holo sails Leila, a 50-foot sailing catamaran built for trade-wind sailing, and they sail it, often at 15 knots or better. It is a different feeling from a power catamaran or a raft: quieter, steadier, with room to stand at the bow.

The reputation. Holo Holo has run Nā Pali trips out of Port Allen for decades and holds a 4.9-star rating across more than 6,000 reviews, the most of any boat company on the island.

Why this operator

Several companies run evening cruises on Kauai. A few leave from Līhuʻe and Nawiliwili and stay along the east side; they are pleasant and short, but they do not reach Nā Pali. The other Port Allen sunset boats are good and some are cheaper; they are motor catamarans with larger crowds. We chose this one for the combination of a real sailing catamaran, the full run to the cliffs, an included dinner and drinks, and a review record nobody else on the island matches. For the morning version of the coast, see our Kekaha catamaran and Port Allen raft picks.

What the Nā Pali sunset sail is like

Plan on about 4.5 hours dock to dock.

1. Check in at Port Allen in the early afternoon; the time moves with sunset. Holo Holo’s office is at the marina center.
2. Sail west. The catamaran heads out past Hanapēpē and the Kekaha coast with the trades behind it. Appetizers and drinks start once you clear the harbor.
3. Dolphins and whales. Spinner dolphins off Polihale much of the year; humpbacks from December through April.
4. Nā Pali at golden hour. The boat works along the cliffs as the light drops, with the crew telling the stories of the valleys.
5. Dinner. A stir-fry dinner with a Hawaiian influence, served as the boat turns for home.
6. Sunset. The sun goes down over the open ocean and Niʻihau. Champagne for the toast.
7. Home in the dark. A cool, starry ride back to Port Allen. Bring the layer.

Prices and what you get

From $210 per adult and $190 per child, plus tax and booking fees. That covers 4.5 hours, appetizers, dinner, mai tais, beer, wine, soft drinks and the champagne toast. Gratuity is extra. The 3.5-hour dinner cruise is the same price; choose it only if the timing suits you better.

Who it’s for (and who should skip it)

Couples, honeymooners, families with kids from 5, anyone who wants the Nā Pali Coast without an early alarm. It is also the right trip for people who did a morning boat and want to see the cliffs again in a different light.

Skip it if you are pregnant or traveling with children under 5. Skip it if snorkeling is the point; there is no swim stop. If you are badly prone to seasickness, the Nā Pali run is open ocean, so take the medicine or choose the helicopter.

Where to check in and how to get there

Port Allen Marina Center is just off the Kaumualiʻi Highway in ʻEleʻele on the south-west coast. From Poʻipū it is 25 minutes, from Līhuʻe 35, from Kapaʻa about 50, and from Princeville about 90. Parking is free. You get back after dark, so plan the drive home; if you are staying on the north shore, it is a long night.

Current check-in times, which follow the sunset, and the live calendar are on the booking page.

Best time to go

Time of year. December through April for whales at sunset and dramatic winter skies. May through September for the calmest sail and the warmest evening. Every month has a sunset.

Time of trip. Book it early in your stay, both so weather has room to postpone and so the coast you see from the water frames the rest of your week.

Local tips before you book

• Book two to three weeks ahead. It fills.
• Bring a real layer. Kauai evenings on the water are cool, especially in winter.
• Pace the mai tais. The ocean moves, and they are generous.
• Sit on the side facing the cliffs on the way out, then move to the stern for the sunset.
• Pair it with Waimea Canyon. Do the canyon lookouts in the morning, have lunch in Hanapēpē, and check in at Port Allen. See our Waimea Canyon guide and the 5-day itinerary.

The verdict

For a sunset on Kauai, this is the trip we book: a sailing catamaran, the Nā Pali Coast at golden hour, dinner and a champagne toast, and the best review record of any boat on the island. Bring a layer, book early in your stay, and stand at the bow for the cliffs.