Zip Express vs. Zip N Dip

I am planning our upcoming trip to Kauai for my husband and I. We are contemplating the Princeville Ranch Zip Line activity for one of our afternoon in Kauai.

If someone has done the Zip Express, could they tell me how long the activity lasts? I am looking at a 2pm time and their website doesn%26#39;t give many details about the Express, only the Zip N Dip. The Zip N Dip is supposed to be 4 1/2 hours, but how much less time is the Express?

Also, can anyone who has done this activity tell me how much time I should plan for us to drive to Princeville Ranch? We will get into Kauai that morning, check into our hotel, the Grand Hyatt in Poipu, and then head to the Zip Line tour. Should I allow an hour from Poipu or less ... or more?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Zip Express vs. Zip N Dip

The Zip Express takes about 3 hours from the time you check in until you return to the office. The only real difference from the Zip N Dip is that you don%26#39;t stop for lunch and swim.

Zip Express vs. Zip N Dip

So, is it worth the extra $$$? Also, is it more likely to be foggy or rainy in the afternoon?

We%26#39;ve done the Zip N dip twice and we really enjoyed the swimming - it was very refreshing on a warm day. And the lunch was pretty good, too. For us, it was worth the extra cost. By the way, you can get a $12/person discount here:

www.hawaiiwebdesign.com/kauai_activities.htm

I did the zip express twice, both at 2pm. The first time was a larger group and we finished around 5:45. The second time we finished closer to 4:30. I personally prefer the zip express because I am not interested in the swimming part- I would rather spend a shorter time with zip express and spend the other half of my day at the beach.

It seems somewhat counterproductive to drive all the way to Poipu and then all the way back up to Princeville. Perhaps you could go with Backcountry (which is closer to the airport in Hanamaulu) or a different day? It would take about 30 mins to get to the Hyatt and over an hour to get to Princeville. It usually takes me closer to an hour and a half to get to Princeville from Poipu....

Thanks so much for the helpful responses. I think the 3 1/2 hour zip line is about the amount of time we are interested in spending on this activity. Regarding the timing of 1 1/2 hours from Poipu to Princeville ... gosh ... I didn%26#39;t realize it would take that long. I was considering the Princeville Ranch Zip Line because it appeared to be a better zip line tour than the Backcountry one. Additionally, my husband and I have previously visited Kauai and spent most of our time on the South Side of the island. This time, we are making every effort to explore the North Side. WE got a cheap rate at the Grand Hyatt (thus why we are staying on the South Side), but are agreeable to driving the extra hour to get up north and see an area that we haven%26#39;t seen previously. thanks, though, for the thought ... I will reconsider and look again at the Backcountry zip line and see if it is worth the drive. If the scenery is the same, I agree that the extra time in the car is counterproductive.

We did the Zip and Dip at 1:15pm in late August and loved the swim. We were staying in Kapaa, and spent time cruising up and down the island. For our zip day, we went up early, lunched poolside at the Princeville Resort for fun, and just enjoyed the area. On other days up north, we also loved snorkeling and driving up to Tunnels, the lighthouse along the way, lunch in Hanalei Bay...we thought the northern part of the island was stunning. We had spend a morning down in Poipu (didn%26#39;t head any further west though) snorkeling and found the north gorgeous in its own way, much greener than the Poipu area. Have fun!!

We enjoyed the zip express a great deal, but we were staying in Princeville, 5 min. away. Personally, if I were you, I%26#39;d do the zip closer to where you are staying. I imagine the zip scenery on the south side is just as nice. And then you%26#39;d have many extra hours to spend exploring the north shore without feeling constrained by time.

Thanks to the many wonderful posts. I think we are going to go with Kauai Backcountry Adventures for our ZipLine adventure. Mainly, because it is closer to our hotel and they offered a 100% refund if we had to cancel within 24 hours (Princeville is only 90%). Then, we will head to the North Shore to explore on a different day of our trip.

We are staying at Sealodge early October and are also having trouble deciding if the lunch and swim is worth the extra money, I%26#39;m leaning toward no. My question is do I have to pre-book this or can it be done when I get to Kauai. I e-mail them to ask and haven%26#39;t heard back.

THANKS

We felt like the lunch and swim was worth it, but it%26#39;s really a personal decision. The swim was refreshing on a warm day and the lunch was good - sandwiches and cookies.

I would book in advance if you want to go a certain day and time, especially if you have a large party that wants to go together. If you%26#39;re flexible on days and times you can probably wait until you get there.

You can book for a $12/person discount here:

www.hawaiiwebdesign.com/kauai_activities.htm