Maui is a beach island built on two volcanoes, and most of what is worth doing happens on the water or high on Haleakala. This page gathers twelve experiences: the summit at sunrise, the Road to Hana with its black sand beach and bamboo forest, Molokini and Honolua Bay for snorkelling, whale season from Maalaea, the Iao Valley, a luau, the aquarium, the upcountry farms and Makena's Big Beach. Several need a reservation, so book Haleakala, Waianapanapa and Iao before you fly.
Lahaina, the old royal capital on the west coast, burned in August 2023 and is still being rebuilt. In 2026 its harbour runs daytime boat trips again, but the town's businesses and historic sites, Banyan Tree Park included, remain closed, and the county asks visitors to park in the marked lots and stay on the signed pedestrian route.
About 6 hours from Kahului, drive includedTimed entry
Maui's signature sight, rationed by the park: dawn over the 10,023-foot summit, often windy and below freezing.
What it is
Sunrise from the 10,023-foot summit of Haleakala is Maui's signature sight, and the park rations it: every car entering the summit district between 3 and 7 am needs a $1 sunrise reservation from Recreation.gov, on top of the $30 vehicle fee, card only. Tickets are released at 7 am Hawaii time 60 days ahead, with a second batch two days ahead, and one account can buy one every three days.
How to do it
The park allows 2.5 hours from Kahului and 3 from Wailea; the last gas is in Pukalani. From the entrance it is 30 minutes to the summit, and lots close when full. Without a ticket, join an authorized sunrise tour or come for sunset, which needs no booking.
Good to know
The Leleiwi and Kalahaku overlooks are quieter. Before dawn it is often windy and below freezing, so bring warm layers.
Some 620 curves and 59 bridges past turtles at Hookipa and taro fields at Keanae, a full day with stops.
What it is
The Hana Highway covers about 52 miles from Kahului to Hana, but the road is narrow, with some 620 curves and 59 bridges, 46 of them one lane wide, so it takes about 2.5 hours without stops and a full day with them. Mile markers restart at zero where Route 360 begins; at mile 16.8, Keanae Road drops to a lava peninsula of taro fields and an 1860 stone church.
How to do it
Fill the tank in Paia, the last gas before Hana, and pull into the upper lot at Hookipa, just past town, to watch windsurfers and, in the afternoon, green sea turtles resting on the sand. Yield at one-lane bridges and use the pullouts to let local drivers pass.
Good to know
Skip any waterfall or pool signed as private property. Turn back in time to drive the whole road in daylight.
See the black sand of Waianapanapa on a timed reservation
Waianapanapa State Park, near Hana
Timed entry
A small cove of black sand formed where lava met the sea and shattered, with sea caves and blowholes along the shore.
What it is
Waianapanapa State Park, at mile 32 of the Hana Highway just before Hana town, is built around Pailoa, a small cove of black sand formed where lava met the sea and shattered. A short path drops to the beach, and the coastal trail beyond follows the lava shore past sea caves, a lava arch and blowholes, through groves of native hala.
How to do it
Non-residents need an advance reservation on the state parks site, gostateparks.hawaii.gov: $5 per person plus $10 per car, for a timed slot, and there are no same-day bookings. The park opens from 7 am to 6 pm.
Good to know
Slots often sell out days ahead, so book as soon as your Hana date is fixed. Swimming is risky most days, with high surf, currents and a rocky shorebreak, so walk here and swim at Hana Bay instead.
Hike the Pipiwai Trail through bamboo to Waimoku Falls
Kipahulu District, Haleakala National Park
About 2.5 hours on the trailNo booking needed
The best walk on the Hana coast crosses a creaking bamboo forest to a waterfall about 400 feet high.
What it is
The Kipahulu District of Haleakala National Park lies 12 miles past Hana, about four hours from Kahului, and its Pipiwai Trail is the best walk on the Hana coast. It climbs 2 miles each way, 4 miles round trip with 800 feet of gain, past the Makahiku Falls overlook at half a mile and a giant banyan, then on boardwalks through a creaking bamboo forest to Waimoku Falls, about 400 feet high.
How to do it
Allow about 2.5 hours. The $30 vehicle pass, card only, is valid three days and also covers the summit. There is no food or gas in the park, so bring water and repellent, and wear shoes that can take mud.
Good to know
The base of the falls is roped off because of rockfall, and the Pools of Oheo, seen from the short Kuloa Point Trail, are closed to swimming.
Humpbacks come to Hawaii's warm, protected waters to mate, give birth and raise their calves from November through April.
What it is
Humpback whales come to Hawaii's warm, protected waters to mate, give birth and raise their calves, and NOAA's sanctuary counts them here from November through April. Most whale watches leave Maalaea Harbor, on the isthmus, where the nonprofit Pacific Whale Foundation sails with certified naturalists. Boats must stay at least 100 yards from the whales.
How to do it
Harbour parking at Maalaea is paid. Lahaina's harbour, burned in August 2023, reopened to a few permitted operators in December 2025, for daylight trips only, and PacWhale returned there in summer 2026. If you sail from Lahaina, park in the county lot at 116 Prison Street, where crews walk you to the boat.
Good to know
In Lahaina keep to the signed route: the town's sites and businesses remain closed.
Snorkel inside the Molokini crater on a morning boat
Molokini, off South Maui
Book ahead
A reef in under 30 feet of water inside a sunken crater holds some of the most varied fish life in Hawaii.
What it is
Molokini is the crescent rim of a sunken volcanic crater about 3 miles off Maui's southwest coast, a Marine Life Conservation District and state seabird sanctuary that you can reach only by boat, and nobody may set foot on it. Inside the shallow cove, the old crater floor, a reef in under 30 feet of water holds some of the most varied fish life in Hawaii; the back wall drops past 200 feet and suits divers and drift-snorkel trips.
How to do it
Charter boats leave from Maalaea Harbor and Kihei, and some from Lahaina. Book a morning departure: currents outside the cove are always a factor and grow inside it in the afternoon, when the wind picks up. Many trips add a second stop along the coast to look for green sea turtles.
Good to know
Fishing, feeding fish and taking coral or sand are banned.
Some of West Maui's best reef, free to reach, with dense coral along both edges of the bay.
What it is
Honolua Bay, about 10 miles north of Lahaina on Highway 30, is a Marine Life Conservation District with some of West Maui's best reef, and getting in costs nothing. Dense coral grows along both edges in 10 to 40 feet of water, richest along the northeast shore, with small caves near the point on the left. On calm days you can snorkel round to Mokuleia Bay next door.
How to do it
Park along the highway, the only parking there is, and walk down the trail through the trees to the rocky shore. Skip the murky water by the old boat ramp, where the stream brings silt, and swim out to either side. PacWhale also runs small-group sails here from Lahaina.
Good to know
Come in summer: high surf is common in winter, when the bay belongs to surfers. Fishing and taking coral or sand are banned.
Where Kamehameha I defeated the army of Maui in 1790, a ridge of rock and forest rises 1,200 feet from the valley floor.
What it is
Iao Valley State Monument sits at the head of the valley west of Wailuku, in the West Maui Mountains, and it carries more history than its short walk suggests: here, at the battle of Kepaniwai in 1790, the forces of Kamehameha I defeated the army of Maui. Its landmark is Kukaemoku, the Iao Needle, a ridge of rock and forest rising 1,200 feet from the valley floor.
How to do it
Non-residents must reserve ahead on gostateparks.hawaii.gov: $5 per person for entry plus $10 per car for parking; Hawaii residents enter free. The park opens daily from 7 am to 6 pm and has reopened after its recent closure. A paved 0.6-mile walk leads to the Needle lookout.
Good to know
Take the short loop through an ethnobotanical garden, which shows the plants the first Hawaiian settlers brought to the valley.
Hawaii's story told in hula, from the first voyagers to modern times, over kalua pig from the imu.
What it is
Old Lahaina Luau runs seven nights a week on oceanfront grounds at 1251 Front Street, near Mala Wharf at the Kaanapali end of Lahaina, and it is the luau most worth booking on Maui: its partners founded it to show traditional Hawaiian music, dance and food rather than a hotel revue. The show tells Hawaii's story in hula, from the first voyagers through the missionaries and King Kalakaua to modern times. Dinner comes to the table in courses: kalua pig from the imu, laulau, ahi poke, lomi lomi salmon and poi made on site.
How to do it
It seats about 370 and sells near capacity all year, so book well ahead; full dates have a waitlist. Choose chairs at tables or cushions at low tables by the stage.
Good to know
Arrive 15 to 30 minutes early to park on site or at the Lahaina Cannery Mall.
Sharks and Hawaiian stingrays surround a walk-through tunnel, the best plan on the island for a windy or rainy afternoon.
What it is
Maui Ocean Center, at Maalaea Harbor on the isthmus, is an aquarium devoted to Hawaii's own sea life, and the best plan on the island for a windy or rainy afternoon. Its Open Ocean exhibit holds sandbar, gray reef and blacktip reef sharks, Hawaiian stingrays and more than 50 fish species, seen all round from a walk-through tunnel. Turtle Lagoon has green sea turtles, the Living Reef shows the coral you see while snorkelling, and further galleries cover Hawaiians and the sea and the island of Kahoolawe.
How to do it
A 3D show in the Humpbacks of Hawaii sphere runs every half hour from 10 am to 4:30 pm. The aquarium opens every day from 9 am to 5 pm, last entry at 4 pm. Non-residents pay for parking by QR code at the lot.
Good to know
Mornings are busiest, so book an afternoon ticket online.
Taste wine at Ulupalakua and visit Kula's goat dairy
Kula and Ulupalakua Ranch, Upcountry Maui
No booking needed
The cooler band of farms on Haleakala's western slope fills the afternoon after a summit sunrise.
What it is
Upcountry is the cooler band of farms and ranch land on Haleakala's western slope, and it fills the afternoon after a summit sunrise. MauiWine, at Ulupalakua Ranch since 1974, grows grapes on 23 acres at 1,700 to 1,850 feet and also makes pineapple wine, poured at tables in the King's Cottage Tasting Room. Back in Kula, Surfing Goat Dairy runs farm tours with cheese tasting and evening milking chores.
How to do it
From central Maui take Route 37 up through Pukalani and Kula to Keokea, then follow the narrow road 6 miles to Ulupalakua Ranch; ignore map shortcuts, which no longer exist. The tasting room is open Tuesday to Sunday, 11 am to 5 pm in 2026. Walk-ins are welcome, and table reservations open 90 days ahead.
Good to know
From Ulupalakua the road continues along the south side toward Hana, with unpaved stretches.
A long, wide stretch of golden sand below a 360-foot cinder cone, just south of Wailea.
What it is
Makena State Park, just south of Wailea, holds Oneloa, Big Beach: a long, wide stretch of golden sand below the 360-foot cinder cone of Puu Olai. Locals divide the beach by its three entrances, Firsts, Seconds and Thirds. A five-minute scramble over the lava point at the north end leads to Little Beach, and Oneuli's black sand lies at the park's northern edge.
How to do it
Non-residents pay $5 per person and $10 per car, at the kiosks or online by QR code; Hawaii residents enter free, and no reservation is needed.
Good to know
The state's own warning matters more than the fee: the shore break here can be very dangerous, so watch a few sets before going in and swim only on calm days. There is no drinking water in the park, so bring your own and some shade.
Most visitors fly into Kahului Airport (OGG), on the isthmus between Maui's two volcanoes, either from the US mainland or on a short inter-island flight from Honolulu. Kahului is also the reference point for the long drives: the National Park Service counts 2.5 hours from there to Haleakala's summit and about 4 hours to Kipahulu, past Hana. The only passenger ferry is Expeditions, between Maalaea Harbor and Manele Bay on Lanai, about 1 hour 10 minutes each way.
Getting around
Rent a car. No public transport reaches either district of Haleakala National Park, and the Road to Hana, upcountry and the West Maui bays all need one; the Maui Bus links the main towns. Fill up before the long drives: the last gas before the summit is in Pukalani and before Hana in Paia, and the park has no chargers for electric cars. Several parks charge non-residents for parking as well as entry, usually by card or by QR code at the lot.
How many days
In must30's view, six days make a good first visit: one for the Haleakala sunrise and upcountry, one for the Road to Hana and Kipahulu, better with a night in Hana, one for a morning Molokini trip and the Maui Ocean Center, one for Honolua Bay and a luau on the west side, one for Iao Valley and Makena's Big Beach, and a spare day for the weather. In winter, add a whale watch. With four days, drop the Hana night but keep the sunrise.
When to go
Maui is warm all year, so choose the season by the sea. Humpback whales are in Hawaii's waters from November to April, which makes winter the high season. Winter also brings big surf to the north-facing coasts, closing Honolua Bay to snorkellers but filling Hookipa with windsurfers; in summer the north shores calm down. Lahaina's coast is dry, with about 13 inches of rain a year, mostly from December to February, while the green Hana coast is wet and its trails often muddy. Late summer can bring storms: in 2026 Lala, Lowell and Nolo passed between mid-August and late September.
Where to base yourself
South Maui, meaning Kihei and Wailea, is the sunny, practical base, close to Makena and the Molokini boats, although the summit is 3 hours from Wailea. Kaanapali and Kapalua in West Maui suit Honolua Bay and the luau, about 3.5 hours from the summit. Lahaina town is still a rebuilding site, not a place to stay. For the Hana coast, book a night or two in Hana, where lodging is very limited, and for sunrise, upcountry Kula shortens the early drive.
Questions travellers ask
Do you need a reservation for sunrise at Haleakala?
Yes. Every vehicle entering the summit district between 3 and 7 am needs a $1 sunrise reservation from Recreation.gov, released at 7 am Hawaii time 60 days ahead, with a further batch two days ahead. You still pay the $30 vehicle entrance fee, by card only. Sunset needs no reservation.
Can you visit Lahaina in 2026?
You can drive through and join boat trips from the harbour, which reopened for daytime operations in December 2025, but the town's businesses and historic sites, including Banyan Tree Park, stay closed while it is rebuilt. The county asks visitors to use the free three-hour lots at 500 Front Street and 116 Prison Street and to keep to the signed pedestrian route. Old Lahaina Luau, at the Kaanapali end of town, runs every night.
How long does the Road to Hana take?
About 2.5 hours each way without stops for the 52 miles from Kahului to Hana, so most people spend a full day. Kipahulu and the Pipiwai Trail are about 12 miles beyond Hana. Leave early, book Waianapanapa ahead and start back with daylight to spare; a night in Hana is the relaxed option.
When is whale season in Maui?
NOAA's humpback whale sanctuary says the whales are in Hawaii from November through April, and you can see them from shore as well as from boats. Pacific Whale Foundation runs its sunset whale watches from November to March. By law, boats stay at least 100 yards from the whales.
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