Booking choice: The Princeville garden and chocolate tour, from $126 per person. Check dates Compare the options below
The same tour is sold in two places: on Viator, as the "3 Hour Walking and Chocolate Tasting Tour", and on the gardens' own website. The headline prices differ, but they do not include the same things.
Below are both prices as of September 2026, what each includes, and a worked example of what two adults actually pay.
The quick answer
Viator charges from $126 per adult (14 and over), with the guide's gratuity included and free cancellation up to 24 hours before; children 2 to 13 pay a child rate. The gardens charge $105 per adult and $55 for children 3 to 13, plus tax and gratuity, and cancellations within 48 hours are charged in full. With tax and a normal tip, direct costs about the same.
How much is the chocolate tour in 2026?
From $126 per adult on Viator, or $105 per adult booked direct with the gardens before tax and tip.
| Viator | Direct with the gardens | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | $126 (14 and over) | $105 (14 and over) |
| Child | Child rate, ages 2 to 13 | $55, ages 3 to 13 |
| Under 2 / 2 and under | Infants on laps | Free, 2 and under |
| Tax | Included in the checkout price | Added on top |
| Guide's gratuity | Included | Not included |
| Free cancellation | Up to 24 hours before | No: charged in full within 48 hours |
Want the tip and tax settled up front? The Viator price includes the gratuity and cancels free up to 24 hours before.
Check dates for the Princeville garden and chocolate tourWhat does the Viator price include?
The guided three-hour walk, the gourmet chocolate tasting, fruit samples, the guide's gratuity, walking sticks, umbrellas and organic DEET-free bug spray.
It does not include transport or hotel pickup: you drive to Princeville and park inside the garden gates. The garden's own chocolate is for tasting only, so anything you buy in the gift shop is extra.
What does booking direct really cost?
About $110 per adult once tax is added, and roughly $126 to $131 once you tip the guide 15 to 20 percent.
Hawaii has a general excise tax rather than a sales tax, and businesses on Kauai may pass it on at up to 4.712 percent. On $105 that is about $4.95. A tip of 15 to 20 percent on $105 is $15.75 to $21. Put together, a direct adult ticket lands between about $125.70 and $130.95, which is where the Viator price already sits.
What do two adults pay? A worked example
Two adults pay $252 on Viator, against about $251 to $262 booked direct with tax and a 15 to 20 percent tip.
| Two adults | Viator | Direct, 15% tip | Direct, 20% tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tour price | $252 | $210 | $210 |
| Tax (up to 4.712%) | Included | $9.90 | $9.90 |
| Gratuity | Included | $31.50 | $42 |
| Total | $252 | $251.40 | $261.90 |
Which cancellation policy is better?
Viator's: a full refund up to 24 hours before, against a full charge for cancellations within 48 hours when you book direct without trip protection.
The North Shore gets rain all year and the tour runs rain or shine, so the extra day of flexibility matters. The gardens' partner booking page on hawaiifun.org has its own rule again: a full refund 72 hours or more ahead and a $30 fee inside 72 hours. Read the terms of whichever page you book on.
Watching the forecast? Check dates on a booking that cancels free up to 24 hours before.
Check dates for the Princeville garden and chocolate tourWhy do some guests say it is cheaper direct?
Because the direct price is shown before tax and tip, so $105 next to $126 looks like a $21 saving.
One recent reviewer's only disappointment was "finding out it would've been cheaper to book directly". That is true if you tip little or nothing, or if you have a toddler (children 2 and under are free direct). For most adults who tip normally, the difference is a few dollars either way.
Is the tour good value?
For garden lovers, yes; for chocolate lovers, less so, because you are paying for three guided hours in a private garden rather than a big tasting.
A few guests call it overpriced: one found the tasting "good but minimal" and felt half the price would be reasonable. If chocolate is the point, Lydgate Farms costs $145 plus a tip but is a working cacao farm with a far longer tasting. On the Big Island, Honoli'i Orchards runs a farm tour and 10-plus bar tasting from $65.
More chocolate for the money? Lydgate Farms in Kapaa goes from cacao tree to bar and ends with a long tasting.
Explore the Lydgate Farms chocolate tourHow can you keep the cost down?
Book direct if your date is fixed and you have a child 2 or under; book on Viator if you want the tip included and a later free-cancellation cutoff.
- Fixed plans, small kids: direct, since 2-and-unders are free.
- Unsure about weather: Viator, which cancels free up to 24 hours before.
- Only here for chocolate: compare the options in Kauai chocolate tours compared.
- No car: factor in a rental or taxi, since there is no transport.
Settled on flexibility? The Viator booking includes the tip and cancels free up to 24 hours before.
Check dates for the Princeville garden and chocolate tourFrequently asked questions
Is the gratuity included in the Viator price?
Yes. Gratuities are listed as included on the Viator listing. Booked direct, tax and gratuity are added on top.
How much is the tour for children?
On Viator, children 2 to 13 pay a child rate and 14-year-olds pay the adult price. Direct, children 3 to 13 are $55 and children 2 and under are free.
Is transport included in the price?
No. Neither booking includes transport; you drive to Princeville and park inside the garden gates.
Does the price change by season?
The Viator price is a from-price in USD and can move; the price at checkout is the one that counts.
Ready to book
Choose your tasting
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Princeville Botanical Gardens & Chocolate Tasting
- Guided walk through the 9-acre gardens, 9:30 AM start (check in from 9:00)
- Gourmet chocolate tasting: single-origin bars from around the world plus a taste of the garden's own
- Seasonal fruit samples and the garden's honey
Lydgate Farms Chocolate Farm Tour & Tasting
- Three-hour guided tour of the Lydgate Farms cacao estate
- In-depth chocolate tasting, plus honey, vanilla and tropical fruit
- Beans named among the world's best at the Cacao of Excellence awards (2017, 2021, 2023)
Craft Chocolate Tasting & Farm Tour
The biggest tasting: 10 or more Hawaii-grown bars
