Kauai Zipline Tours

Zip 'n' Dip at Princeville Ranch

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4.5 Hour tour: $145 per person

NEW LINE ADDED ... come experience KING KONG, the newest and longest zipline which has been added to the Princeville Ranch zipline course! Harness up and climb into Princeville Ranch's adventure mobile for a short ride to the trailhead. Clip in and soar like a bird over breathtaking valleys and streams as you embark on a series of 9 zipline crossings. Walk through the treetops and over a waterfall on a suspension bridge that gives new meaning to the term "suspension." After a series of zips and walks you arrive at a hidden treasure ... an idyllic waterfall and swimming hole where the water is deep enough for you to jump from the surrounding rocks. You can swim, jump, float on an inner tube, or relax in a hammock while the guides prepare your picnic lunch. And new on this course is the tandem King Kong zipline ... guests walk up to the top of a 26 foot tower and then zip for 1200 feet! This one-of-a-kind adventure gives you the chance to sail through the air while enjoying a bird's eye view of a Hawaiian jungle paradise. Tour times are 9am, 10:30am, 12:00pm and 1:15pm daily.

Observers cannot go along on the Zip 'n Dip ... access to the zipline course is via a 6 wheel drive Pinzgauer ride which has limited seating capacity. Also, the zipline course itself is not laid out to handle observers as there is no way to cross to the other side of the valley EXCEPT by zipline.

This tour operates 7 days a week during peak season (summer, holiday weeks, spring break). Closed on Sundays during the rest of the year.

Minimum age 12. Minimum weight 80 pounds. Maximum weight 280 pounds. No neck or back injuries or pregnant women.

When making a reservation using the form at right, indicate your lunch order. You have your choice of chicken or veggie sandwiches. If you do not place a lunch order, you'll get chicken sandwiches by default.

When you reserve the Princeville Ranch Zip and Dip on our website your reservation will be guaranteed on your credit card. For most parties a 20% deposit will be charged just a few days before you leave home for Hawaii. The balance is paid when you check in for your tour. FOR PARTIES OF 6 or MORE the 20% deposit and the 80% balance are charged when your reservation is made. NOTE: This tour operator only accepts VISA and MASTERCARD.

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Princeville Ranch also operates a combination tour involving jungle kayaking and two ziplines. For more information see our kayak / zip combo page.  

The only zipline tour in Hawaii that is treetops based, you'll be flying around from platforms that are mounted 60 - 80 feet in the air in a stand of 200 foot tall Norfolk Pines (also known as Cook Pines here in Hawaii). Just Live's course is centrally located four miles west of Lihue on Highway 50, and this is the closest zipline experience for cruise ship passengers. This is the only zipline tour where observers can watch from the ground free of charge.

Treetop Zipline Tour: This is the most popular tour and is offered multiple times each day (closed Sundays). An amazing zipline canopy experience that combines 7 zipline runs with 3 unique and exciting suspension bridges. Your tour begins by climbing to the top of a platform where the first zipline leads you into the canopy. Then explore the canopy on a series of 4 more ziplines and 3 suspension bridges that lead from tree to tree. You'll soar over pine, mango, eucalyptus, bamboo, and native plants and birds. The sixth zipline will lead you out of the trees to the final platform with its expansive mountain view, and the final zip takes you from the platform and returns you to the ground. The cool thing about this course is that once your feet leave the ground before the first zipline, you don't return to the ground until the conclusion of the tour! 3.5 hours long ... $120 per person

Eco-Adventure: This tour begins with three of the longer ziplines from the treetops tour, including several suspension bridges. After the zipping you'll go rapelling from either a 50' or 100' platform (depending on how high up the tree you'd like to climb). Then you'll move on to master the 60 foot climbing wall. The final event is a memorable 60' tall giant swing. This is too much fun packed into one 4 hour long tour. This tour is available daily at 9am (closed Sundays) but requires a group of 4 to confirm a tour time. Goups of less than 4 may be moved to the Treetop Zipline Tour at the tour operator's discretion if the minimum of 4 people is not met) $125 per person

Minimum age for Just Live tours is 9. Minimum weight 70 pounds. Maximum weight 265 pounds for the Zipline Tour and 250 pounds for the Eco-Adventure. No neck or back injuries or pregnant women.

When you reserve a Just Live tour on our website your reservation will be guaranteed on your credit card. A 20% deposit will be charged just a few days before you leave home for Hawaii. The balance is paid when you check in for your tour. NOTE: This tour operator only accepts VISA and MASTERCARD.

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3.5 Hour tour: $130 per person

Kauai Backcountry's course has 7 lines is centrally located on the island, with check-in at Kauai Backcountry Adventures in Hanamaulu near the Lihue Airport. Travel on a 4 wheel drive Pinzgauer across the old Lihue sugar cane plantation to a zip line course built on land never before accessible to the general public. Their 7 lines descend a mountainside, and at the end of the course you can enjoy a refreshing swim while your guides serve a picnic lunch.

Backcountry Ziplines are priced per "participant" ... there are no children's rates. Advanced reservations are required. In addition to our normal 48 hour cancellation notice policy, they require a  72 hour notice of cancellation for groups of 6 or more.  Observers cannot go along on this tour ... access to the zipline course is via a 6 wheel drive Pinzgauer ride which has limited seating capacity.

Minimum age 12, minimum weight 100 pounds, maximum weight 250 pounds. No neck or back injuries. Anyone under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult on the tour. Pregnant women may participate if they are in their first trimester and have a note from their physician OK'ing them for this tour.

When making a reservation using the form at right, indicate your lunch order. You have your choice of turkey or veggie sandwiches. If you do not place a lunch order, you'll get turkey sandwiches by default.

When you reserve the Backcountry Zipline on our website your reservation will be guaranteed on your credit card. A 20% deposit will be charged just a few days before you leave home for Hawaii. The balance is paid when you check in for your tour.

NOTE: This tour operator only accepts VISA and MASTERCARD. They do not accept any third party billing or gift certificates; the balance due at checkin must be paid by a member of the party doing the tour, or someone who is not doing the tour but will be present at checkin.

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Kipu Zipline Trek by Outfitters Kauai

The Kipu Ranch zipline was the first one on the island of Kauai. Over the years they have added more lines and their course has grown. They recently added three new lines: a short but fun "water zip" where you let go and land in a swimming hole, an 800' zipline, and a tandem 1800' foot line which is the longest on the island! All told their course has 6 different lines (two of these lines are tandem) of various lengths. Check in for these tours is at the Outfitters Kauai shop in Poipu. Two different zipline tours are offered.

5 hour tour: Adults $148; Children 7-14 $128

The 5 hour "Nui Loa" tour offers 8+ zips per participant. The setting for this zipline experience is truly magnificent. You'll find yourself surrounded by waterfalls, streams, and banyan trees in a jungle-like setting. The first zipline is done two times, followed by a second line that is vertical and offers a unique cross between ziplining and rapelling. Then you come to the third line, which offers a fast zip experience as you drop from a "Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse" toward the stream below. This is a tandem line, and you do this line two times. Then move on to the brand new 800' line and the 1800' tandem line (each of which are done one time). The tour concludes at the "Blue Pool" swimming hole where you will find a short but fun "water zip" experience where you let go of the zip line and fall into the water. This final line can be done multiple times. Lunch is served on this tour. On this longer tour non-zipping observers are not permitted.

3 hour tour: Adults $108; Children 7-14 $98

The 3 hour "Iki Mua" tour is a shorter tour that offers 5 zips per participant. It is identical to the first half of the 5 hour tour; each participant does the first zipline twice. The second zipline which is a cross between ziplining and rapelling is done once. When you reach the "Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse" and the tandem line you will zip twice more. This final tandem line has a significant vertical drop and almost has a "bungee" effect before you feel the line catching your weight .A light snack is served on this tour. This shorter tour does allow non-zipping observers to come along and watch, but they must pay the same rate as those who are zipping. Please note that this shorter tour does not include swimming.

Minimum age to zip is 7. Maximum weight 275 pounds. No neck or back injuries or pregnant women. Observers who do not plan to zip may go along but the price is the same for everyone who attends the tour ... whether or not they do the ziplines. Younger children who meet the minimum age of 7 must also fit in the harness. They do have harnesses designed for the size of an average 7 year old, but there is a possibility that a child who is very small for their age may not be able to zip. The ultimate decision on small children will be made by the guide on the tour.

When making a reservation using the form at right, indicate your lunch order if you are doing the 5 hour tour. You have your choice of turkey or veggie sandwiches. If you do not place a lunch order, you'll get turkey sandwiches by default..

When you reserve the Outfitters Kauai Zipline Trek on our website your reservation will be guaranteed on your credit card. The tour operator will charge you at the time of check in.

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Outfitters Kauai also operates a combination tour involving jungle kayaking and a zipline. For more information see our kayak / zip combo page.  

CRUISE SHIP PASSENGERS

Zipline Tours are available for cruise ship passengers. The closest tour to the ship is the Treetops Zipline; it is a short cab ride of less than 10 minutes and is available in the morning or afternoon of day one in port or the morning of day 2.  You might also arrange a rental car for more freedom to drive around and see the island after your tour. The Kauai Backcountry Zipline is also close to the ship but often sells out long in advance on cruise ship dates.

We find that Princeville Ranch Zip and Dip works best for our cruise clients as long as they plan to rent a car and do some exploring on their own and is available for the afternoon of day one in port. It is on the north shore of Kauai and you definitely need a rental car (the drive is about an hour). It is a beautiful drive and the tour is well worth the effort. 

Kipu Ranch 3 hour Zipline Trek can also be done in the afternoon on day 1 and requires a drive of about 30 minutes to the check-in location.

ACTIVITY TIPS

A few years ago no one ever heard of zipping ... now it is the hottest activity on Kauai! All of these lines have been engineered and constructed to the highest standards meeting requirements set by ACCT (the Association for Challenge Course Technology). This is actually one of the SAFER things you will do on vacation. You are more likely to get hurt loading luggage into your rental car or hanging out at your resort's swimming pool!

There are four zip line courses to choose from on Kauai ... let's see if we can help you sort them out! 

The first two are more alike than they are different. The lines have varying lengths, some of which are SOOOOO long I just can't figure out how they were able to string them up in the first place! (did they use a helicopter?) Both Princeville Ranch and Kauai Backcountry have courses that have multiple lines and you do each line once. Every line is a little different, but are tightly strung from pole to pole, and each requires a little instruction about what to expect ... the guides say things like "the wind is in your face on this one so you need to get a running start" or "this landing has a steep incline ... as soon as your feet hit the ground keep running hard." These lines move along at a pretty fast pace, but not so fast that you can't enjoy the scenery around you. There is a little hiking in between lines.

Princeville Ranch has 9 lines that cross back and forth over gullies (actually one line is so long that it feels like you are crossing an entire VALLEY). Their brand new King Kong line is 1200 feet long and it is a TWIN line, which means two people zip side by side at the same time. They also have one gnarly (ie. fun) suspension bridge that you need to clip onto for safety when you cross. Kauai Backcountry has 7 lines and instead of crossing valleys you start up high on a mountain and work your way down to the bottom. Both tours involve swimming, but Princeville Ranch gets the edge here as their swimming hole has a waterfall and is really pretty. If you are debating between these two zip lines, we recommend doing the one that is closer to your resort. If you are staying on the north shore definitely do Princeville Ranch. If you are central or south shore do Kauai Backcountry. HOWEVER, if you are going to do the tubing adventure  then I'd recommend going up to the north shore and doing Princeville Ranch zipline for a change of scenery.

The third course is the Treetops Zipline, which has similar lines to the first two although this course is just a tad shorter in length. But on this tour instead of starting and ending on the ground you find yourself high in the trees during the entire experience. For those who are a little afraid of heights and the concept of zipping is a bit of a challenge to start with, you'd be better off with Princeville Ranch or Kauai Backcountry. If heights don't bother you, it's actually quite cool to be up in the air during the whole tour. You can actually feel the trees swaying a bit in the wind! On this course you are clipped in for safety the entire time, not just when you are zipping. And there is no walking from line to line as the next zip starts at the same tree where the previous one ended.

The zipline experience at Kipu Falls is the most different from the other three courses ... they now have six lines. The first line is more like the ones at Princeville Ranch Adventures and Kauai Backcountry Adventures and each person zips on this line twice on their zipline treks. The second line is almost a vertical rappel ... and then the third and fourth lines are identical and side-by-side. These lines are strung with quite a bit of slack and there is a significant vertical drop. The first few seconds almost feel like a bungee jump and then the line kicks in and grabs your weight. Speeds attained on this line are faster, and they encourage you to turn yourself upside down if you like  ... once you've gained control of yourself about halfway through the zip. My wife hit her butt on the platform when she took off the first time ... they stress that you really need to take a huge step off the platform when you start out. To my amazement the second time my wife took off she started off backwards and intentionally turned herself upside down (she's the upside down person in the photo above). Their 3 hour tour ends at this point, but for even more zipping action the 5 hour tour adds an 800' line, a monstrous 1800' line, and then a swimming hole with a short but fun "water zip" which you can do several times.

Kipu Zipline is the best choice for families with younger kids. They have a minimum age of 7 to zip, and they are the only zipline tour to offer a reduced rate for kids. Children must also fit safely in the harness. Occasionally a child who is small for their age may be old enough to zip, but the guide determines that they aren't large enough. The decision on whether a child is big enough is a safety issue and is up to the guide's discretion.

The Treetops Zipline is also kid friendly with a minimum age of 9 and a minimum weight of 65 pounds. Kauai Backcountry and Princeville Ranch have minimum ages of 12. The minimum weight at Princeville Ranch is 80 pounds. The minimum weight is 100 pounds with Kauai Backcountry, which makes them a bit difficult for younger teens and even some really skinny adults!

Princeville Ranch allows you to take off backwards, although some lines they won't let you do it because you can't get a running start. They will also let you spin and the guide will "wind you up" a few times before you start out if that sounds like fun! Treetops Zipline also allows you to take off backwards on some lines. They don't allow you to invert yourself on their lines. Kauai Backcountry is the strictest of the three ... they don't let you turn upside down and discourage you turning backwards while you zip. This is due to the length of their lines.

A word about observers. It is not possible for observers to go along with Princeville Ranch and Kauai Backcountry ... they start from remote locations and once you begin the tour you have to zip to the end to be able to end the tour. An observer can go along on the Kipu Zipline Trek, but they pay the same rate as guests who do all the ziplines. Tour participants at Kipu can do all the ziplines, some of them, none of them ... it's up to you. There's also the waterfall swim with rope swing and cliff jumping to enjoy on that tour. The only zipline that allows people to watch and does not charge them is the Treetops Tour. Because the course is located right there where you park your car, it is easy for observers to look up and watch.

A word about the length of these tours ... while there are published times regarding how long each tour takes to complete, these lengths are based upon average duration on a full tour. If your tour has active people who hike fast and don't hesitate when they zip, the tour can be a little shorter in duration, especially if your tour time isn't full. If your tour time is full and there arre a few people who walk slower on the tour, it could take a few minutes longer than the published length.

Zipping is FUN ... and it is addictive! If you have time and your budget allows, you might even decide to do two zipline tours during your vacation. Really ... it's that much fun! I talked with a client recently who did THREE zipline tours during one vacation. We have clients who have told us that they are making their vacation destination plans based upon the availability of zipline tours ... if there are no zipline tours to do they'll go someplace that has them! If you decide to take up their advice and do more than one zipline tour, we would suggest either Princeville Ranch or Kauai Backcountry for one tour, and either Treetops or Kipu Zipline for the other.

If you are having problems deciding, call our office toll-free at 1.877.678.7333 and we'll help you sort things out and make a decision.

Kauai Zip-line Reservations

Upon submitting your activity reservation for processing, we will make reservations for you and send an e-mail confirming all of the details. These confirmations are often sent a few minutes after your reservation, but some activities take longer to confirm than others. You will receive an e-mail confirmation by the end of the next business day at the latest. There are no tickets that you need to pick up prior to your event. Your e-mail confirmation will have all the details you need to check in and enjoy your selected activity. This saves you precious time when you arrive in Hawaii. 

Please be sure that you have typed your email address perfectly; an incorrect address will prevent you from getting your confirmation details, and we will have no way of knowing that you never received your confirmation. We cannot be responsible for errors that clients make which causes them to miss their tour. If you do not see your email confirmation within 24 hours please call us right away to check on the status of your order.

A credit card is required to guarantee payment for your reservations, but the activities on this page ARE NOT CHARGED when your order is placed. These activities are operated by vendors who charge you at the time of check-in for your activity. Adventureinhawaii.com will provide this vendor with your billing information so that your space is reserved. Even though your credit card is not charged in advance, it is import to realize that you are making a confirmed reservation. No-shows will be charged in full by the activity provider on the credit card used to secure the reservation .

After making reservations, you may reschedule or cancel your activity up until 48 hours prior to its start (a few activities have 72 hour cancellation policies ... see your confirmation e-mail for details). Within 48 hours of the start of your activity all reservations are final and non-refundable (unless the event is cancelled by the vendor due to weather or other factors ... in which case you are refunded in full). Due to our incredible climate here, weather cancellations are rare.  No-shows and cancellations without adequate notice are charged in full on the credit card used to secure the reservation and are non-refundable.