Are you looking for unique things to do on Kauai with kids (or without)? Keep scrolling to read my honest review of the Kauai Pineapple Plantation Tour in Anahola.
This Kauai Pineapple Plantation Tour Review was written by Hawaii travel expert Marcie Cheung and contains affiliate links which means if you purchase something from one of my affiliate links, I may earn a small commission that goes back into maintaining this blog.
During August, I dragged my 6 and 8-year-old to a pineapple plantation in the middle of Kauai.
I’d heard about this rare white pineapple that’s supposedly the sweetest thing you’ll ever taste, and honestly, I was skeptical.
Spoiler: my kids got absolutely filthy in red dirt, planted their own pineapples, and we left with tiny pineapples that were legitimately the best fruit we’ve ever eaten.
But was the 2-hour tour worth $235 for our family of four? Keep reading for my completely honest take.
What Makes Kauai’s Sugarloaf Pineapple So Special?
If you’ve only ever had the yellow pineapple from Costco, you’re missing out on what pineapple is supposed to taste like.
Sugarloaf pineapple is a white-fleshed variety that’s low in acid and ridiculously sweet.
The core is soft enough to eat (no more cutting around it), and it doesn’t give you that weird burning feeling on your tongue.
The story goes that plantation workers on Lanai discovered these pineapples decades ago.
The plantation owners didn’t want them because they bruise too easily for canning. So workers took them home and started growing them in their gardens.
Now only a handful of small farms in Hawaii grow them.
Where Is the Kauai Pineapple Tour?
Hole in the Mountain Farm is tucked away in Moloaa, a tiny area between Anahola and Kilauea on Kauai’s east side. It’s about a 30-minute drive north from Lihue Airport.
You won’t see it from the highway. GPS struggles with the location too.
They’ll email you detailed turn-by-turn directions after you book, and you’ll absolutely need someone reading those directions out loud while you drive.
We passed the turn twice before finding it.
Plan for an extra 10 minutes of driving around if you’re directionally challenged like me.
Quick Background on Kauai and Pineapple
Most people associate pineapple with Dole Plantation on Oahu or the fields on Maui. But Kauai had commercial pineapple too.
The Hawaiian Canneries Co. started in Kapaa in 1913. Everything was going great until Hawaii became a state in 1959.
Suddenly businesses had to follow mainland labor laws and pay taxes, which made commercial pineapple farming unprofitable.
The Kapaa canneries closed in 1962.
These days you won’t find massive commercial operations on Kauai. But smaller farms like Hole in the Mountain keep the tradition alive, and honestly, the quality is so much better than anything that gets shipped to mainland grocery stores.
How to Book and What to Expect When You Arrive
You need to book in advance. These tours fill up fast and they only run on Thursdays at 10am.
Don’t just show up. We actually saw people drive up thinking they could buy pineapples. The farm isn’t open for walk-ins.
When you arrive, there’s plenty of parking to the left of a green canopy. The owners will point you exactly where to go.
Check-in happens under that green canopy. You can grab bottled water and big sun umbrellas (you’ll want both). There are bathrooms if anyone needs them before you head out.
They also have a little shop with t-shirts, dehydrated pineapple, and other products. I’d skip the shopping until after the tour because your hands will get dirty.
What the Tour Actually Involves
Paul and Jude Huber own the farm and lead the tours themselves. They’ve been growing pineapples here since 1995, and you can tell they genuinely love what they do.
You’ll walk through their 37-acre farm (15 acres are just pineapples). They have over 250,000 plants growing at different stages.
The tour covers everything: how they plant the crowns, the red heart stage where the plant starts forming fruit, the flowering stage, and finally the ripe pineapples ready for picking.
My kids’ favorite part? They got to plant their own pineapple crowns in the field.
Jude showed them how to prep the crown and stick it in the dirt. My 6-year-old was covered in red Kauai soil within five minutes.
Fair warning: that red dirt stains everything. I put my kids in clothes they were growing out of anyway.
The Hands-On Experiences Are What Make This Tour Worth It
Unlike most farm tours where you just look at things, you actually get to do stuff here.
Each person picks their own pineapple straight from the field. Jude walks you through exactly which ones are ripe and how to twist them off the plant.
We went in late August, which was the tail end of pineapple season, so ours were pretty small. But Jude grabbed extras to make sure everyone got enough fruit to take home.
Those mini pineapples were absolutely perfect. Individual serving size, and so sweet we ate them in our condo that same afternoon.
After picking, Jude sliced up fresh pineapples right there in the field so everyone could taste them. She also poured sugarloaf pineapple juice.
I’m not exaggerating when I say this was the best pineapple I’ve ever had. Smooth texture, incredibly sweet, zero burn.
My 8-year-old, who normally picks at fruit, ate three pieces and asked for more.
The Grand Finale: Pineapple Phrostie
At the end of the tour, everyone gets a cup of Paulie’s Pineapple Phrostie.
It’s literally just frozen sugarloaf pineapple that’s been run through a juicer. No sugar added, no dairy, nothing but pure frozen pineapple.
It tastes like soft-serve ice cream. Creamy, sweet, and you’d never guess it’s just fruit.
Paul came up with the idea while doing tractor work in the hot sun. He was inspired by similar treats at Banana Joe’s in Kilauea and thought, why not try it with sugarloaf?
Honestly, this alone was worth dealing with the heat.
What Parents Need to Know Before Booking
The tour is open to all ages, but keep your expectations realistic for young kids.
We saw families with toddlers in strollers. We also saw kids getting restless after an hour and a half of standing in the sun listening to farming facts.
My 6-year-old was fine because he could mess around in the dirt while the adults talked. My 8-year-old got bored during some of the longer explanations about cultivation techniques.
If your kids aren’t into agriculture or have short attention spans, this might be a tough sell. The tour runs about 2 hours (ours went 2.5), and a good chunk of that is standing around learning things.
What to Wear
Wear closed-toe shoes. The fields are uneven and sometimes muddy.
Sun protection is essential. Bring a hat, and slather on the reef-safe sunscreen. The tour is mostly in full sun unless you get lucky with clouds.
Pick clothes you don’t care about ruining. That red dirt is no joke.
What to Bring
Water bottles are provided, but you can bring your own drinks too.
I’d recommend bringing snacks for kids, especially if you have picky eaters. Two hours is a long time between breakfast and lunch for little ones.
Small fidget toys or something to keep kids occupied during the educational parts helped us. My 6-year-old played with a little rubber dinosaur in his pocket whenever we were standing still.
How Much Does It Cost?
Current pricing (as of 2025):
- Adults (13+): $85
- Children (5-12): $65
- Kids 4 and under: Free
For our family of four, it was $235 total.
Yes, that’s expensive. But you’re getting a full 2-hour experience on a working farm, picking your own pineapples to take home, tasting multiple pineapple products, and supporting a small local business.
I’ve spent more money on worse tourist traps in Hawaii.
Where to Eat Before or After
There’s no food at the farm except pineapple (obviously).
We grabbed lunch at Anahola Cafe right after our tour. They’ve got easy stuff like burgers, hot dogs, and the best taro burger I’ve ever eaten. Perfect spot if you’re hungry and don’t want to drive far.
How This Compares to the Maui Pineapple Tour
I’m a professional tourist who’s done both the Maui Pineapple Tour and this Kauai one, so here’s the honest comparison.
The Maui tour is more polished. You ride in a mini bus, the guide is funnier, and you stay relatively clean. It’s shorter and more entertaining for kids who just want to learn some fun facts and eat pineapple samples.
The Kauai tour is way more hands-on. You’re actually in the fields, planting and picking. You get dirty. It’s longer. It feels more authentic because the farm owners are leading it themselves.
If you want to stay clean and entertained, do Maui. If you want a real farm experience where your kids actually participate, do Kauai.
My Honest Verdict: Is It Worth It?
For the right family, yes. For everyone else, maybe not.
If your family is interested in agriculture, loves trying unique foods, or wants to understand where their food comes from, this is an amazing experience.
If your kids need constant entertainment and hate standing in the sun, skip it. There are plenty of other Kauai activities that might be a better fit.
My kids thought parts were boring, but they also still talk about planting their pineapples and picking fruit from the field. And that sugarloaf pineapple we took home? Best pineapple any of us have ever tasted.
Would I do it again? Probably not, only because we’ve already done it. But I’m glad we went once.
Other Kauai Farm Tours Worth Checking Out
If you’re interested in more agricultural experiences on Kauai, I’ve also done tours at:
Each one offers something different, and I’ve written honest reviews of all of them.
If you’re planning your Kauai itinerary and getting overwhelmed trying to figure out which farm tours or activities make sense for your family, I offer one-on-one Hawaii travel consultations where we can talk through exactly what will work best for your crew.
After 40+ trips to Hawaii and countless Kauai farm tours, I can help you skip the duds and focus on the experiences your family will actually remember.
I also break down Kauai’s best agricultural experiences in my Hawaii Travel Made Easy podcast. Check out the episode on Best Farm Tours and Agricultural Experiences if you want to hear more details before you book.
For a complete rundown of everything worth doing on Kauai with kids, grab my Kauai Travel Guide for Families.
It includes daily itineraries, honest activity reviews, and all the insider tips I’ve learned as a Hawaii travel expert over decades of visiting the islands.
The sugarloaf pineapple is real, it’s spectacular, and this tour gives you access to something most tourists never experience.
Just make sure your family is up for standing in the sun, getting dirty, and learning about agriculture before you book.
