Lihue, HI
Kauai Plantation Railway
At a Glance
Source checked 2026-08-23- TypeDaily diesel plantation railway with narrated farm tours, animal feeding, and an orchard lunch adventure
- LocationLihue, HI
- UpcomingMon, Aug 24
About Kauai Plantation Railway
Kauai Plantation Railway runs daily narrated train tours around the working 105-acre Kilohana Plantation in Līhuʻe. The 2.5-mile route passes sugarcane, taro, tropical orchards, gardens, hardwoods, flowers, and animal pastures before a stop where passengers can disembark and feed pigs, goats, and sheep. A longer weekday adventure adds an orchard walk and lunch.
Choose a Kilohana Plantation Train Tour
Choose the visit that fits your groupFamilies, first-time visitors, and shorter island itineraries
Signature Train Tour
Take a 40-minute narrated loop with five daily departures, tropical crops, and an animal-feeding stop.
Later arrivals and luau-day visitors
Tuesday and Friday evening rides
Use the additional 4:30 or 5:30 departure when a later plantation visit fits the day.
Food, farm, and deeper plantation visitors
Train & Lunch Orchard Adventure
Spend 3.5 hours on a weekday train, orchard walk, lunch, fruit tasting, forest, alpaca, and animal experience.
History, art, culture, and rainy-day visitors
Kauaʻi Museum
Add an independent island-history and culture museum about 1.8 road miles away.
Upcoming Events
Complete official date check
2026 special-event calendar
The official operator page publishes recurring daily and weekday schedules rather than date-by-date inventory. Every remaining 2026 recurrence after August 23 is materialized through December 31; peak-season Saturdays for the lunch tour are not inferred. Check the live official calendar ↗
Plan Your Visit
- ArriveArrive 15 minutes before the signature tour; lunch-tour check-in begins at 9:30
- ParkingUse the plantation's main parking area and continue toward the train depot beyond Kōloa Rum
- AccessibilityThe current official train page does not publish a detailed mobility or wheelchair boarding policy; call before booking when access is essential
- WeatherOutdoor farm conditions and animal interaction are part of both experiences; confirm live availability for the chosen date
- Signature Tour40-minute conductor-narrated ride with a farm-animal feeding stop
- DeparturesDaily at 10, 11, noon, 1, and 2; additional Tuesday and Friday departures at 4:30 and 5:30
- Signature FaresAdults $23.50; seniors 62+ $20; children 3-12 $16.50; under 3 free
- Resident FaresKamaʻāina adult $17 and child $12; Sunday Kamaʻāina adult $14 and child $10
- Lunch TourMonday-Friday at 10 a.m.; 3.5 hours with train, orchard walk, lunch, alpaca encounter, and animal feeding
- Lunch FaresAdults 13+ $95; children 3-12 $70; under 3 free
- TimezoneAll published times are local Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time
Find the Depot
The Trains
The railway uses vintage diesel locomotives and four passenger cars with floor-to-ceiling mahogany interiors. Published historical descriptions identify a 1939 Whitcomb switcher and a 1948 General Electric 25-ton switcher, with the GE commonly used as primary power. The cars were built on former flatcar frames associated with Pearl Harbor, the Oahu Railway, and later White Pass & Yukon use; exact daily assignments are not guaranteed.
History
The Wilcox family plantation mansion at Kilohana was completed.
The Whitcomb diesel locomotive later associated with the railway was built.
The General Electric 25-ton switcher later used as primary power was built.
Plans for the plantation heritage railway were announced and approved.
Track construction proceeded around the Kilohana estate.
Kauai Plantation Railway opened to the public in January.
See full history
Kilohana's plantation story centers on the 1935 Wilcox mansion and surrounding agricultural estate. The modern railway project was announced in 2004, built during 2006, and opened in January 2007 as Hawaii's first newly constructed railroad in roughly a century. It now interprets plantation agriculture through a living daily visitor experience rather than presenting the train as a historic common-carrier remnant.
Around the Depot
Kauaʻi Museum stands at 4428 Rice Street in central Līhuʻe, about 2.9 kilometers or 1.8 road miles from Kilohana. Its Monday-Saturday hours and three weekly 10 a.m. docent tours make it a practical cultural companion to a midday or afternoon plantation train.
Getting There & Staying Nearby
Optional trip extras from our travel partners.
Rent a Car
Compare the attraction location with your airport or lodging before deciding whether a rental car fits the trip.
Compare rentals on Discover Cars →Bookings made through this link support usatrainrides at no extra cost to you.
Tours & Activities near Lihue
Tours
Guided tours, day trips, and things to do around the area, bookable in advance through Viator.
Browse nearby tours →Bookings made through this link support usatrainrides at no extra cost to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the standard train ride?
Forty minutes, including a narrated plantation loop and stop to feed farm animals.
When does it run?
Every day at 10, 11, noon, 1, and 2, plus 4:30 and 5:30 on Tuesdays and Fridays.
What does the signature ride cost?
The current official page lists $23.50 adult, $20 senior, $16.50 child ages 3-12, and free under age 3.
What is the lunch adventure?
A 3.5-hour weekday experience combining the train, orchard and forest walking, lunch, fruit, alpacas, and farm animals.
When should I arrive?
Fifteen minutes before a standard departure; lunch-tour check-in starts at 9:30 a.m.
Is the train wheelchair accessible?
The official page does not publish a detailed boarding policy. Call 808-245-5608 before purchase when step-free or wheelchair access is essential.
Is this a historic plantation railroad?
It is a modern heritage railway opened in 2007 on a historic plantation estate, using vintage diesel equipment and railroad car components.
How far is Kauaʻi Museum?
The checked road route is about 2.9 kilometers or 1.8 miles and roughly five minutes in normal routing.
Sources & Verification
Source-checked August 23, 2026. This free profile has not yet been claimed or confirmed by the operator.
- Official plantation train page for daily schedule, fares, tour duration, farm route, animal stop, lunch adventure, phone, and address
- Official Kilohana home for plantation activities, dining, shops, and property context
- Official shops page for train-depot location, gift-shop hours, and parking orientation
- Official plantation-house page for estate history context, meal hours, and dining
- Official Luau Kalamaku page for Tuesday and Friday 5:30 train connection
- Official railway page retained as the current recurring calendar authority