So you’re planning a trip to Hawaii, that’s so exciting! Visiting Hawaii for the first time is kind of strange because you’ve seen thousands of pictures of it and heard about all your friends’ and family’s vacations to the islands, and until you’ve been there it all just seems kind of unreal. Once you’re there you will still probably question if it’s real or not because it is so beautiful, even better than the photos.
I had no idea what to expect for my first trip to Maui and I hope my blog post can provide some insight and inspiration for your trip! Maui is so far from “just a beach destination” – it’s an island full of adventure! In my blog post I will cover the seven best things to do on Maui, plus briefly cover how long to spend on the island and where to stay.
Table of Contents
1. Drive the Road To Hana
Driving the Road to Hana is the number one thing you have to do on a visit to Maui, Hawaii. It was definitely the highlight of my week on the island and if there’s anything I would come back to Maui for, it’s this.
We downloaded the Shaka Guide app and it was really helpful the whole day. You need to download the app before you get too far down the Road to Hana because you won’t have cell phone service for most of the day. The app uses your GPS location to tell you information about what you’re seeing and when to stop for certain attractions. You can download different versions of the tour depending on what route you want to drive. I don’t want to go too far in depth on the different routes to drive the road to Hana but you can google them if you wish, knowing some of them are dangerous and not recommended. We drove the “normal” route, or just out and back on the same road. Below are some of my favorite stops on the Road to Hana!
Waiʻānapanapa State Park (Black Sand Beach)
There is a timed entry reservation in place to visit this state park with a stunning black sand beach. You can make a reservation here up to 30 days in advance. You will need to pay $10 for parking plus $5 per person in the vehicle to enter. As of now (August 2022) time slots are as follows: 7am-10am, 10am-12:30pm, 12:30pm-3:00pm, and 3:00pm-6:00pm. You can enter anytime during your time slot, but you must be out by the end of the time slot. The state park is not very big and you can probably see everything in 60-90 minutes.
Pīpīwai Trail in Haleakala National Park
This 3.8 mile out and back trail really is the highlight of and absolute must do on the Road to Hana! The trail takes you past an amazing banyan tree (pictured below) through a bamboo forest, and finally out to the brilliant Waimoku Falls.
You have to pay a $30 fee to visit the National Park, but if you already paid to visit the other part of the park at sunrise, the pass is good for a week. Alternatively you should remember to pack your annual National Park Pass if you have one, which I forgot to do and was so mad at myself!
The trail officially ends at the end of the above board walk with a view of the falls. There is a sign that says you will be charged $100 if you walk past the sign. Well….. if you saw me back there, no you didn’t lol. There were a lot of people passing the sign so we did as well. Eventually a park ranger came and made us all leave. I don’t think they keep people out to prevent damage to the environment, it is to protect people from rock falls, so proceed with caution if you wish and don’t mind the risk of getting caught.
Explore a Lava Tube
There are several lava tubes on the Road to Hana you can explore. I’m not sure if the one we went to even has a name, but it was between Pua’a Ka’a Falls and Hanawi Falls. There wasn’t a sign for it, but the Shaka Guide app told us where it was and when to pull over. The entrance hole was small and easy to miss, but once you’re inside it really opens up and shouldn’t make people feel claustrophobic.
Take a Stroll Through Ke'anae Arboretum
We didn’t know about the arboretum beforehand but the Shaka guide recommended a stop here and we were glad we did! You can take a quick 15-20 minute stroll on a paved path past rainbow eucalyptus trees and other exotic tree species. It’s a great place to stretch your legs, it’s mostly shaded, was free to enter and not too crowded!
Swim at Waioka Pond (Venus Pool)
Have you seen a more gorgeous swimming hole?! I definitely haven’t! If you like swimming and cliff jumping, this is a must do on the Road to Hana. I had so much fun jumping off the rock in the middle of the pool. The best part about the swimming hole is that the water is not too salty. It’s filled by a mountain stream, but being in such close proximity to the ocean it is slightly salty.
The Waioka Pond is located past Hana, about halfway between Hana and Haleakala National Park. There is not an official parking lot, so find a spot on the side of the road that doesn’t say no parking. The hike down to the pool involves a little scrambling but is pretty short and nothing the average person can’t handle.
Fish & Chips
There aren’t many places to stop for lunch on the Road to Hana, but there’s enough that you don’t need to worry about packing a lunch. We did pack lunch but saw this Fish & Chips stand and couldn’t pass it up. There was a local guy frying up some local caught fish in an old bus right along the road. There were a few other food stands next to “Island Chef” as well if fish & chips isn’t for you. The meal was great, but pretty pricy at $20 for one plate, although all food in Hawaii is pretty expensive.
Enjoy the Waterfalls
There are too many waterfalls on the Road to Hana to name them all, and you definitely don’t have time to enjoy them all in one day. Stop whenever you want to to get a closer look, but don’t plan on stopping at them all. Most are visible from and located right off road and others you need to pull off and park, like Twin Falls below.
There are many other stops on the Road to Hana, some that we skipped, others that we only stopped at for 5 minutes. You won’t have time to visit all the attractions and waterfalls along the Road to Hana unless you see half of them on one day, stay overnight in Hana, and see the remaining points of interest on the drive back on day two. This is an option, however there is extremely limited lodging in and around Hana.
Just do a bit of research beforehand to know what you definitely don’t want to miss, and fill in the extra time with shorter stops along the way.
2. Visit Iao Valley State Monument
Located on the north central part of the island, this area is under Hawaiian State Park management. Fees for visiting are $10 per vehicle and $5 per person. There is a short official hike to the a viewpoint and several unofficial trails through the area as well. We got part way up an unmarked trail before turning around due to the dangerous incline. After our hiking adventure we cooled off in a small natural swimming hole in the stream located in the park.
3. Attend a Luau
We attended the Old Lāhainā Lūʻau on the western side of Maui in Lahaina. There are many other luaus in other towns on the island to choose from but Old Lahaina is one of the highest rated luaus. The price is all inclusive of bottomless food and drinks and the entertainment; you just have to tip your server at the end of the evening.
When you make your reservation you can chose between sitting on the ground in the first row, or being seated at regular height tables behind them. We were in the first row of regular tables and had an excellent view.
We thought the show would start during dinner, but it doesn’t actually start until everyone is done eating and it gets darker.
4. Take Surfing Lessons
We took lessons from Surf Shack Maui in Kihei and we all had a great time! I have been surfing one other time in Sayulita, MX last year but no one else in our group had prior surf experience. We had one instructor for six people and we all had plenty of opportunities to catch some waves. The surf was calm the day we went and everyone was able to stand up multiple times! This company also provides a photographer that took many excellent photos that are available for purchase after the lesson.
5. Hike the Makamakaole Stream Trail and the Waihee Ridge Trail
These two trails are located near each other on the north western side of Maui, just north of Iao Valley. Waihee Ridge is more famous and popular, but we had more fun on the Makamakaole Trail. It is possible to hike both back to back in one day. Waihee Ridge has a big parking lot and Makamakaole has a small area to pull off on the side of the road. The road to both of the trails is narrow and windy, similar to the Road to Hana.
Makamakaole Stream Trail
The Makamakaole Stream Trail is also called the 13 Crossings trail, as you cross the Makamakaole stream 13 times to reach the waterfall at the end. The trail is pretty easy and 2 miles round trip. There aren’t bridges across the stream, but plenty of rocks to keep your feet dry. You also walk through a small but beautiful bamboo forest (pictured below.)
Waihee Ridge Trail
This trail is 4 miles out and back and has a decent amount of elevation gain, making it quite the workout. The trail is well maintained and busy. We ended up not hiking all the way to the end because it was very cloudy at the top of the mountain and we would not have had a view from the top. We went about half way up still under the fog line before turning back.
6. Snorkel the Molokini Crater
I didn’t actually get to do this, but my dad, his girlfriend and her daughter did before I got to Maui. They had so much fun and it’s a very popular activity to do from Maui. You can find many companies that do snorkeling excursions to Molokini Crater on Airbnb Experiences, Viator, TripAdvisor, or book on the island once you get there.
7. Watch the Sun Rise from Haleakala National Park
You have a few options on how to watch the sunrise from the Haleakala Volcano in Haleakala National Park. First, you can drive in yourself but you must have a reservation from the National Park Service website. Passes are released 60 days ahead of time at 7:00am HST and can sell out quickly. There are also a small number of tickets available online 2 days ahead of time as well. They only cost $1, and you will have to pay $30 to enter the park when you get there.
The other option is to go with a tour company. They will bus you up the mountain ( a 30 minute drive from the park entrance) and they have their own reserved entry passes so you don’t have to worry about it. The tour companies often provide blankets or jackets as a nice bonus because it is freezing at the top of the mountain. When I say freezing, I mean literally freezing.
A lot of people on the internet seem to act like this is the number one best thing to do on Maui and so beautiful and amazing etc. etc. Call me a crab, but if you miss it, I don’t think it’s a big deal. Sure it’s beautiful, but so is the rest of the island. You have to be up around 2am to see the sunrise and it’s very cold and very crowded at the top of the mountain. I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy it, I just don’t get the crazy hype around it. I find a sunset over the ocean to be just as pretty and a lot easier to see 🙂
7.5. Ride a Bike Down a Volcano
Watching the sunrise over a volcano is something everyone can enjoy. Biking down the volcano afterwards…. not for the faint of heart! I would say I’m slightly more adventurous than the average person, but I’ll admit this was downright scary at times! We used the company Bike Maui to bus us to the top of Haleakala Crater to watch the sunrise, then rode bikes down the volcano afterwards. They provided the jackets, helmets, bikes, and a backpack if you want it.
The ride was amazing, but kind of scary, especially at the beginning. You are basically riding your brakes down the volcano for 22 straight miles praying that the brakes don’t give out or you pop a tire! The views were amazing and the ride was exhilarating. Once you get out of the park you have to ride another few miles back to the Bike Maui shop to return your gear. This really made waking up at sunset worth it for me!
How Much Time Should I Spend on Maui?
Depending on how much time you have in Hawaii overall, I would say you can see most of the highlights on Maui in four to seven days. If you have less than five days you might have to cut some of the activities, or just have a really busy schedule. Of course you could entertain yourself longer than a week on Maui, but I would recommend splitting your time between Maui and another island if you have over a week in Hawaii. I was in Maui for one week and did all the above activities aside from snorkeling Molokini Crater. The vacation was somewhat relaxed but we never had full days of just lounging on the beach either. Then again, if all you want to do is lounge on the beach, you can do that from Florida for a lot cheaper! Hawaii is definitely about the adventure, at least for me!
Where Should I Stay on Maui?
For this itinerary, and most itineraries you will find for Maui, you will need to rent a car. This makes choosing a place to stay slightly less important because you can drive almost everywhere on the island in half an hour to 90 minutes or so (except for Hana of course.) We stayed in two different condos when I visited, one in Wailea and one in Kihei which are both in the center of the island and make it easy to get anywhere. Lahaina is another popular town of the western side of Maui with a lot of restaurants, so I would recommend one of those three towns.
Let me know in the comments if you have any questions or suggestions for more exciting things to do on Maui!
Don’t forget to pin this post for later!
6 Comments
Maui looks so cool and totally different from the Hawaiian islands I’ve been to! I love the black sand beaches and that swimming hole with a view of the ocean. All-inclusive food and drinks at the luau sounds amazing too! I really should take a detour to Hawaii on my next trip to Asia!
My parents won a trip to Maui when I was younger, so I didn’t get to go. But one of my favorite stories is of my mom riding a bike down Haleakala! Apparently, it was quite the adventure for her hahahaha. I would love to visit Maui myself one day, it looks so beautiful!!
This post showed up at a perfect time for us. We leave for Hawaii in a few weeks and have a full week on Maui. After reading your post, I am not sure one week will be enough for all we want to see and do. It will be a toss up between enjoying the great beaches and heading out to the beautiful outdoors. We are definitely doing the Road to Hana.
That’s so exciting! We hardly got any time at the beach, so that is one thing I do need to come back to experience! I am looking forward to reading your write up of the trip!
Hi Kailyn. Great job covering Maui. I didn’t know you have to pay for some of those hikes I did for free only 15 years ago. Maybe I was just uninformed? LOL!
Thank you! Yeah, sometimes the fees were confusing, especially at Iao Valley, there was just a self pay kiosk, but I think you’d get a ticket if you didn’t put the receipt in your car.