Planning a vacation to Maui, Hawaii? Known as The Valley Isle, Maui has it all–upscale resorts, lush rainforests, the incredible Road to Hana, and the most spectacular sunrise atop Haleakala Volcano. This ultimate Maui, Hawaii travel itinerary ensures you will see all of the top spots on the island as well as hidden gems. Grab your swimsuits and beach bags because we are getting down to all things Maui!
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Best Time to Visit Maui
For those coming to Maui with the hopes of seeing whales, the best time to visit will be during whale season, which is mid-January through the end of March.
Where to Stay In Maui
West Maui
South Maui
East Maui
East Maui is known for its lush rainforests, scenic waterfalls, rugged coastline, and the famous Road to Hana. It is a more rural region, with a limited amount of hotels and restaurants compared to the other parts of the island. The quaint town of Hana has a few hotels and restaurants and is a great place to stay to break up your Road to Hana drive. East Maui is home to some of Maui’s most famous destinations: the Road to Hana, the Seven Sacred Pools (O’heo Gulch), Pipiwa Trail, Wailua Falls and Waianapanapa State Park with its black sand beach.
Central Maui
The town of Wailuku is dotted with historic buildings along Market Street which showcase historic Hawaiian charm. Central Maui is also home to the beautiful Iao Valley which is known for its lush rainforest, the iconic ‘Iao Needle (a volcanic rock pinnacle), and hiking trails offering scenic views of the valley and ‘Iao Stream.
Upcountry Maui
Upcountry Maui refers to the higher elevation areas of the island, primarily located on the slopes of the Haleakalā volcano. This region offers a stark contrast to the coastal areas of Maui, with cooler temperatures, verdant landscapes, rural communities, and breathtaking views. There are not many options for hotels in this part of Maui, although you will be able to find some vacation rental homes.
Driving Times
Where to Stay in Maui
West Maui
Ka’anapali
Outrigger Ka’anapali Beach Resort
Hyatt Regency Resort and Spa Maui
Hyatt Vacation Club at Ka’anapali Beach
Aston at the Whaler Ka’anapali Beach
Hilton Vacation Club Ka’anapali
Kapalua
South Maui
Wailea
Residence Inn by Marriott Wailea
Wailea Beach Resort by Marriott
Kihei
East Maui
Hana
Central Maui
Paia
Kahului (airport)
Courtyard by Marriott Kahului Airport
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Flight into Maui
Maui Rental Cars
Important Maui Travel Tips
Guide Along App
Maui Essentials
There are 4 essentials for Maui that I highly recommend bringing with you.
1. Collapsible Fold-Flat Travel Cooler
A collapsible fold flat travel cooler is a Maui essential. You will use it to pack lunches and drinks for the beach and long drive days like the Road to Hana and Haleakala. It folds completely flat so it can fit easily in a suitcase. Trust me, you will be so glad you brought it!
2. Water Shoes
Water shoes are another Maui essential. You will use them for swimming in waterfalls along the Road to Hana, at the rocky black sand beach at Waianapanapa State Park, and for cliff jumping at Ka’anapali Beach.
3. Snorkeling Gear
If you plan to do any snorkeling off of the beach in Maui, I highly recommend bringing your own snorkel gear. Many of the beaches in Maui have protected areas for snorkeling. These full face snorkel masks are all the rage and perfect for beginners-nothing goes in your mouth and you can breathe completely normal.
4. Lightweight Turkish Towel
Beach towels are bulky and heavy when they are wet. Lightweight Turkish towels like Bay Laurel or Sand Cloud are essentials for Maui. They are incredibly lightweight, both wet and dry. They also dry quickly and can be used as a towel or a picnic blanket. Turkish towels pack easily and are especially great for the Road to Hana.
Day 1: Arrival & Check In
Day 2: Upcountry Maui: Sunrise at Haleakala Crater
Sunrise at Haleakala Volcano in Haleakala National Park
Mandatory Vehicle Reservations
Due to the popularity of sunrise at Haleakala, and in order to control crowds, the National Park Service has required mandatory vehicle reservations to enter Haleakala National Park between the hours of 3:00am to 7:00 am. You will not be permitted to enter the park until after 7:00 am if you do not have a vehicle reservation. Since the sun rises between 5:30am and 6:30 am, you will miss the sunrise if you can’t enter until 7:00am.
Tip: Create your account a few days prior to the release. You have to create an account prior to adding the tickets to your cart. That will cost precious time the morning of the release and will likely cause you to lose the tickets in the registration process.
Other Options to View the Sunrise at Haleakala
Bike sunrise tours are extremely popular. A van takes you up to the summit to watch the sunrise, then after the sunrise, they give you bikes to ride back down the mountain. The bike ride is all downhill, requiring you to only pedal a half mile.
Important Tips For Haleakala
6. The $1 fee only covers your vehicle reservation. All guests entering Haleakala National Park will also have to pay a $30 entrance fee per vehicle. This entrance fee can be paid at the entrance gate upon arrival as they check your vehicle reservation. The entrance pass is also good for the Seven Sacred Pools and O’heo Gulch but it must be used within 3 days. So, you will want to plan your Road to Hana trip within 3 days of Haleakala.
@postcardsfromcarrie Bucket list, once in a lifetime experience in Maui, Hawaii ☀️Sunrise on Haleakala Crater, 10,00 feet above sea level ☀️Drive 37 miles up the volcano from sea level to 10,000 feet to watch this epic sunrise ☀️The tenperature at the summit is 40 degrees colder than at the entrance to the park. Dress warm! It was in the 30s at the top! ☀️ Mandatory vehicle reservations are required. Check out my blog for more information on this breathtaking sunrise. #maui #mauihawaii #hawaii #hawaiitiktok #hawaiilife #sunrise #sunriseview #haleakala #volcano #nature #vacation #bucketlist #bucketlisttravel ♬ Here Comes the Sun - Relaxing Instrumental Music
Beach Afternoon
Day 3: Molokini Crater & South Maui
Molokini Crater Snorkeling
We will start Day 3 with a snorkeling tour to Molokini Crater. Molokini Crater is a crescent-shaped, partially submerged volcanic crater located about 2.5 miles off the southwest coast of Maui. It is considered one of the top snorkeling and diving destinations in the Hawaiian Islands and is a designated Marine Life Conservation District.
There are several boat tours that will take you out to snorkel at the Molokini Crater, ranging from large catamarans to Zodiac rafts. You can choose from large group boat tours to private tours with just you and your family. All of the Molokini Crater tours listed below leave out of South Maui, most out of the Ma’alea Harbor.
All of the tours provide you with snorkeling gear, but you can also bring your own. These full face snorkeling masks are great for beginners as you can breathe completely normally with them, and nothing goes inside your mouth. Be sure to bring a GoPro with a floating handle for underwater pictures and videos.
South Maui Beach Afternoon
Day 4 : East Maui: Road to Hana
Day 4 you will drive the famous Road to Hana. Hana Highway, also called Road to Hana, is a scenic highway that stretches approximately 52 miles along the northeastern coast of Maui. It is famous for its breathtaking natural beauty, including lush rainforests, cascading waterfalls, dramatic coastline, and panoramic ocean views. The road has 600 curves, 52 bridges, and more than 18 waterfalls. Road to Hana, along with the Haleakala Sunrise, are the top 2 must-do activities in Maui.
Road to Hana begins in the town of Paia, located on Maui’s northeast shore, and winds its way through breathtaking landscapes, eventually reaching the remote town of Hana. About 15 minutes past the town of Hana is O’heo Gulch’s Seven Sacred Pools and the Pipiwa Trail. Both of these are technically part of Haleakala National Park, and require the same entrance fee as you paid to get into Haleakala on Day 2. The entrance fee is good for 3 days, so make sure you bring it with you to use on the Road to Hana.
I highly recommend using the Guide Along app (formerly GyPSy Guide) or the Shaka Guide app for their audio driving tours of the Road to Hana.
How Long Is the Road To Hana Drive?
Even though it is only 52 miles, it takes about 3 hours to drive the Road to Hana from Paia to O’heo Gulch, which is just past the town of Hana. This is due to not only the many curves and bridges, but also the stops you will make along the road. Once you reach O’heo Gulch and the Seven Sacred Pools, most people turn around and drive back the same way they came, making it over a 6 hour drive out and back to Paia.
The Road to Hana Backside
It is possible to continue driving on the backside of the Road to Hana back to Central Maui, but the road is very remote and not paved in some parts. Most car rental companies discourage or ban you altogether from driving the backside.
Some car rental companies allow you to drive the backside of Hana Highway but with the caveat that if you get a flat tire or have car issues that the damage is at your expense and they will not come tow you. Most people drive the Road to Hana to O’heo (just past Hana) and then turn around and drive back out the same way they came in instead of driving past O’heo where “the backside” of the road begins.
If you are not up for a 6 hour drive, this combined van/helicopter tour takes you along the Road to Hana drive in a luxurious van, stopping at all of the best spots. When you get to Hana, instead of having to turn around and drive back on the same road 3 hours, you will hop onto a helicopter and take a scenic 30 minute helicopter flight over Haleakala crater and landing back at the pickup point. Be sure to book this tour well in advance as it will definitely sell out.
Mandatory Vehicle Reservations
Road to Hana Tours
One Day in Hana or Two?
For the Road to Hana, not only will you be driving 6 hours in one day, but if you are staying in West Maui or South Maui, you will have a few more hours to drive after that to get back to your resort. This makes for a very long day of driving, but trust me, it is absolutely worth it! You cannot come to Maui and not drive the Road to Hana!
There are so many different things to do and see along the Road to Hana, it is impossible to do them all in one day. The road to Hana is not ideal to drive after dark, so you will want to time your trip so that you make it back to Paia by dark. This means you will have to pick and choose what stops you will make.
When we drove the Road to Hana with our 3 teens, we really wished that we had booked a hotel and stayed overnight in Hana. This would have allowed us to spend more time at each of the stops. We could’ve truly explored Wainanapa State Park, the Seven Sacred Pools of O’heo Gulch and spent time swimming at the beaches along the way. We felt like we really rushed through so many of the spectacular sights along the Road to Hana due to time constraints.
To be clear, most people do the Road to Hana in one long day. It is doable, but in order to truly take your time and enjoy the experience, breaking it into 2 days is ideal.
Day 5: West Maui
Nakalele Blowhole
Spend day 5 exploring sunny West Maui. We will start the day exploring the Nakalele Blowhole. This natural phenomenon shoots water up to 100 feet into the air! The descent down to the blowhole is rocky, so be sure to wear sneakers or sturdy hiking sandals–no flip flops! Nakalele Blowhole is a quick stop, you will be in and out in an hour.
West Maui Beach Day
After visiting the blowhole, visit one or more of these famous West Maui beaches:
Black Rock Beach-known for cliff jumping
Napili Beach-great for snorkeling
Kapalua Beach-great for snorkeling
Other options for West Maui
Hike the Kapalua Coastal Trail
Maui Ku’ia Chocolate Factory
Take a tour and get involved in the process of making chocolate at the Maui Ku’ia Chocolate Factory.
Zipline Adventure
Day 6: Central Kauai
Helicopter Tour
Air Maui: Maui & Molokai Helicopter Tour
Air Maui: Doors Off Maui & Molokai Helicopter Tour
Maverick Helicopter: Maui & Molokai Helicopter Tour
Maui Gold Pineapple Farm Tour
Tour a working pineapple farm in Central Maui and taste some of Maui’s famous Maui Gold pineapple!
Iao Valley State Monument
Other Central Maui Experiences
Ocean Vodka Distillery
Waihe’e Ridge Hiking Trail
Day 7: Check Out and departure
Attend a Luau in Maui
A Hawaiian vacation would not be complete without attending a traditional luau. Hawaiian luaus usually include a lei greeting, a Hawaiian dinner feast and live entertainment like hula and fire dancers. I highly recommend experiencing a luau one of the days on your itinerary. Don’t plan the luau on the same day you do the Road to Hana, that is too long of a day. However, a luau would easily fit into any other evening on this itinerary.
There are several luaus on the island to choose from. Below are the most popular luaus by region.
West Maui Luaus
Maui Nui Luau at Sheraton Resort in Ka’anapali
Myths of Maui at Royal Lahaina Resort
South Maui Luaus
Te Au Moana Luau at Wailea Beach Marriott Resort
Gilligan’s Island Luau in Kihei
Sunset Dinner Cruise & Luau-Pride of Maui
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Drop a Comment Below!
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