Location Guide to Movies Filmed on Kauai

Hollywood came here over 80 years ago and since that time there have been many blockbuster movies filmed on Kauai. Some of our Kauai vacation rentals are located near the very spots you have seen for years on the silver screen.

Carry this list of movie locations with you on your Kauai vacation and visit some of the Kauai beaches, waterfalls and Napali Coast areas you have enjoyed or viewed on the big screen. One example is the spectacular location above where the characters that Harrison Ford and Anne Heche played are marooned in Six Days, Seven Nights. It can easily be reached on Kauai boat tours like Holo-Holo Charters.

Things to Do on Kauai – Most Memorable Movies Filmed on Kauai and their Locations.

This list is only just a start. We have picked locations you can easily drive to on your Kauai vacation or see on a tour. If you have favorites not mentioned here, leave a comment and we may include them later.

Jungle Cruise – Filmed in 2018 and released in 2021, this movie is based on the classic Disney ride. Filming took place on Kauai helping and the 1916 Amazon Rainforest was brought to life. You will see the Wailua River and Wailua Falls, as well as the Opaeka’a Falls, Kapaia Reservoir and the Kauai Plantation Railway at Kilohana Plantation.

South Pacific – Filmed in 1957, there were 178 cast members on Kauai for nine weeks. Rain and a tidal wave that year made for a challenging production schedule. Haena Beach was used as the Bali Hai Village plus the Allerton Gardens. Lumahai Beach is where Mitzi Gaynor washed that man right out of her hair. Spectacular Hanalei Bay is seen in the opening sequence and Mt. Makana stood in as Bali Hai.

Jurassic Park – Hurricane Iniki hit when there was one day of filming left in the summer of 1992. Locations from the Academy Award winning movie included Manawaiopuna Falls featured at the beginning and reachable on a Kauai helicopter tour and the famous Moreton Bay Fig Trees at the Allerton Garden.

The Descendants – Tour Kipu Ranch and see the famous overlook featured of Kipukai Beach. Step into Tahiti Nui and relive some of the scenes there. At Hanalei Bay you can walk along the same shore that George Clooney did and maybe spot the Kauai vacation rental used in the filming of this famous 2011 movie.

Fantasy Island – While not in a movie, the easily reachable Wailua Falls was seen on TV every week from 1978 to 1984. It also marked the first visit to Kauai by star Ricardo Montalban.

Blue Hawaii – Elvis Presley’s biggest box office hit was filmed in 1961 around the Wailua River and the soon to be reopened Coco Coco Palms Resort. Prior to filming, Elvis held a special concert in Honolulu to raise money for the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor.

Kauai Beaches Seen in Movies Filmed on Kauai.

Anahola Beach: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Blue Hawaii
Anini Beach: Honeymoon in Vegas
Haena Beach: South Pacific
Hanalei Bay: The Descendants, South Pacific
Hanamaulu Bay: Donovan’s Reef
Kalapaki Beach: Honeymoon in Vegas, Miss Sadie Thompson
Kalihiwai Beach: Throw Mama from the Train
Kee Beach: Throw Mama from the Train, The Thorn Birds, Lord of the Flies
Kipukai Beach: Hook, The Descendants
Kukuiula Harbor: Islands in the Stream
Lumahai Beach: South Pacific
Mahaulepu Beach: Castaway Cowboy, Islands in the Stream
Makua Beach: South Pacific, Body Heat
Moloaa Bay: Gilligan’s Island
Menehune Fish Pond: Raiders of the Lost Ark
Poipu Beach: Lt. Robin Crusoe
Wailua Beach: Pagan Love Song

Location Sites to Visit | Movies Filmed on Kauai.

Coco Palms: Blue Hawaii, Fantasy Island.

What started as an inn run by Kauai’s last queen, Deborah Kapule, came to fame in the 1950’s under the direction of Grace Guslander. She hosted international royalty, Jacqueline Kennedy, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and many other legendary personalities. It was here that the cast of South Pacific stayed during filming of the movie. Destroyed during Hurricane Iniki, the resort is scheduled to reopen again after extensive renovations are made.

Hanapepe Town: The Thorn Birds, Flight of the Intruder, Islands in the Stream.

Visit here every Friday night for the traditional art night and enjoy food and crafts. During filming of The Thorn Birds for television, the main street was transformed into a tropical Queensland sugar town in Australia.

Kipu Ranch: The Descendants, Hook, Raiders of the Lost Ark.

This 3,000 acre property is home to many movie sites. While not open to the general public, you can take private tours in your very own off-road vehicle or kick back and enjoy the ride as a passenger. Pick from a large selection of tours offered by Kipu Ranch Adventures.

Napali Coast: Tropic Thunder, King Kong, Six Days Seven Nights, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.

The majestic Napali coast spans 16 miles of inaccessible shoreline and covers 6,175 dazzling acres of the Garden Island. During your Kauai vacation you can choose from a variety of ways to explore this unforgettable paradise. One of the most popular ways are Kauai boat tours that leave from Port Allen and Hanalei.

National Tropical Botanical Gardens: Jurassic Park, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.

Two gardens can be toured but it is the Allerton Garden and estate that was used for many movie locations. A special highlight is the Sunset Tour that takes you to both the estate and garden after hours with a light meal served. It also includes the chance to step on Allerton Beach.

Waimea Canyon: Donovan’s Reef, The Wackiest Ship in the Army.

According to legend, Mark Twain named this “the Grand Canyon of the Pacific.” The name fits as you will see when you visit. There are many opportunities to enjoy the view from the road or get up close to the canyon on several hiking trails.

Read more about movies filmed on Kauai in several books including, The Kauai Movie Book by Chris Cook, Made in Paradise by Luis Reyes and The Hawaii Movie and Television Book by Ed Rampell and Luis Reyes.