Is the Fern Grotto on Kauai worth seeing? I was looking at Smith Tours. Has anyone done a boat tour with them to Fern Grotto? Is it
a good tour? Thanks.

The Fern Grotto was a fun, relaxing, if somewhat'touristy' type of site. If you're the type of vacationer that hates the kitchy, organized type of attraction, then I would say to avoid it. But if you are the easy going, enjoy it-for-what-it-is type of person, then I would say go on the tour. The trip is basically like this:
You take a ride in boats along canals ( there's not much wind, so it can get a little stuffy, until you get into the grotto area. Then you walk through a forrest type setting until you get to the grotto. It's set up like a mini ampatheater, and there you sit, admire the fern grotto, and listen to some hawaaian music and see some performances.( If I don't discribe it exactly, it's because it's been about 4-5 yrs since I've done the trip)
I thought it was cute and kitchy; I can see how others would hate it.

We took Smith Tours but it looked like Waialale Boat Tours were more fun. Their employees were more enthusiastic and into doing their show on the trip up the river.

That said, we wouldn't do either tour again.

Depends what you like. My cousin (also a lifelong Hawaii resident) took the tour and gushed about how beautiful it was. So the next day I went, and basically felt I could have just sat in my parents' back yard for free!

Agree with Anthony.
You may wish to take the kyack trip up to the FG and then paddle over and do the hike to the waterfall and make a whole trip out of it vs. just doing the FG.
Prepare to hula if you go on the Smith Family tour!
Would have loved to have seen the area around 25 yrs before the 2 big hurricanes destroyed most of the vegetation that protected all the fragile ferns.
Aloha,
Kal
ps...Melissa, Must be a nice back yard!

Yes, Kal, it is a lush yard in Nu'uanu, and my dad raised orchids as a hobby. Hmmmmm.....maybe I should charge admission............

I agree, skip the tour and go on the kayak down the Wailua River and check out the waterfalls and the ferns. Just be careful if its windy, the way back may be going against the wind. GO ON THE SMITH LUAU, WE ALWAYS TAKE OUR TOURISTS THERE!......we are tourists too, we just go each year.
sh

We went three years ago and enjoyed the fern grotto. We went with the Smith tour and the family that drove the boat entertained as well. The were wonderful. One of the women noted my daugher watching her as she did a handicraft, and showed my daughter how to do it. It was a nice touch, and a nice start to the luau. If the kids had been older, we probably would have done the kayak trip, though, instead. Take mosquito repellent to the luau, by the way, so you don't have to buy it there.

Is the Smith Tour an all day Tour? Also, is there some shade on the boat? Thanks.

The Smith tour to the fern grotto was fairly short - maybe a few hours. I think we arrived in the afternoon, went on the tour and to the luau. There is shade on the boat. It's a sort of slowish river type boat.