Maui's Best Scenic Drive: A Road to Hana Itinerary
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Road to Hana
A One Day Self-Guided Road Trip
They say life is about the journey, not the destination. This, too, is the most accurate way I could describe Maui’s most iconic drive. With its twists, turns and multitude of amazing stops, it's an epic road trip that is more about the drive than the destination itself. So which stops should you include to get the most out of your self-guided tour? This post will provide you with a Road to Hana itinerary that you are sure to love.
I've seen others describe the drive as everything from awe-inspiring to a semi-spiritual experience. You are off the grid for much of it and therefore forced to spend some time living in the moment. And I think we could all use some incentive to do that every once in a while.
Quick Tips for Driving the Road to Hana
Start early to beat the crowds!
Fill up with gas in Paia (Your next gas station is in Hana!)
Plan ahead and prioritize 7-9 stops maximum
Pack snacks and lots of water
Wear your swimsuit and clothes you don’t love
Bring your camera (and extra batteries)
Where to find the Road to Hana
The Hana highway stretches across the north side of the island of Maui, beginning at Paia town (just east of the airport) and ending, of course, in Hana, at the northeast edge of the island.
Hana town itself is cute, quaint, but not all that remarkable. However, all along the highway, sometimes marked, sometimes unmarked, are secret waterfalls, cliffs, seascapes with rocky coasts and jungles where vines hang low overtop of your vehicle and water drips down thick green foliage coating the cliffside.
How long does it take to drive?
Driving the Road to Hana takes as long as you make it, but can be completed in a mere two hours each way. It's not a particularly long distance, it's just... hmm, how do I best describe it... challenging.
There are 600+ curves (often hairpin turns around blind corners) and 59 bridges (many of which are one lane). Please, take your time and yield to other vehicles crossing the one lane bridges. We took a full 10 hour day to complete the itinerary shared here.
Should I join a Road to Hana tour?
While there are hired tours of the Road to Hana, they are pricey and will not give you the freedom to stop at all of the hidden gems along the way. I highly recommend getting a rental car and driving it yourself. I recommend this for a Maui vacation in general. There is so much to see and do at all ends of the island that you truly need your own transportation. We couldn't think of a better way to go on a jungle safari than in a Jeep, and this is by far the most popular choice for Maui rentals. They are everywhere!
Here's a small piece of rental advice. Don't pay to upgrade. We were asked at the service counter of our car rental company to upgrade to a four-door jeep for $20 more per day. We politely declined, walked outside to the pickup area and were promptly told, "the two-door jeeps are parked over there, but if you'd prefer a four-door just take one." Now, I cannot guarantee this will happen to you, but just be aware that it does happen before paying for an upgrade!
Best places to stop on the Road to Hana
Before starting on this adventure, we did our research. I would dare to say it is impossible to see every stop on the Road to Hana in one day and actually enjoy each of them. We chose 7-9 stops that we were most interested in seeing and marked down their locations on a list. I will share with you the stops we chose, but be aware there are many more. The stops we chose include some of the most popular, but also some lesser known areas that I'm glad we didn't miss.
Stop 1: Paia
We got up early and headed out from the beautiful Fairmont Kea Lani at 7am in hopes we would be ahead of the crowds. The road was already busy at this time, so if this is important to you, I would recommend starting even earlier. We made our first stop in Paia town, which is popular with surfers. There are several walls made of old, out of commission surfboards. I thought these were beautiful and such a clever idea.
We fuelled up in Paia. Hana does not have a gas station, so make sure your tank is full! We also grabbed some snacks at the local gas station, just in case. After we left Paia town, we followed the signs to Hana and watched the mile markers closely. After a five minute drive along the Hana highway they reset and we began searching for our next stop.
Stop 2: Twin Falls (Mile Marker #2)
As the first possible stop on the Road to Hana, Twin Falls is popular. It has a proper parking area, a well-marked trail, bathrooms (you'll want to know where these all are), and a snack stand selling coffee, homemade goodies and whole coconuts. After a short walk we were met with our first set of waterfalls.
Maui had received a lot of rain just previous to our trip so the falls were very full. You can swim here but I found the current a bit too strong and opted to wait for another spot to swim later on in the day. On our way out we purchased a coconut for the road and headed off for our next stop.
Stop 3: Haipuaena Falls (Mile Marker #11)
Our next stop was completely spontaneous. I have to describe to you the scenery you are surrounded by as you leave Twin Falls. As you are driving along, the road winds outward around steep cliffs and back inward around deep gorges... repetitively. Almost every time the road winds inward there is a man-made bridge and a waterfall or stream. As we wound down the highway, we saw one waterfall that looked interesting and pulled over for a short hike. The trail was muddy and certainly not cleared and at the end was one of the most peaceful, serene scenes I have ever seen. Sometimes going off schedule pays off!
Stop 4: Ke'anae Peninsula (Mile Marker #16)
We took a left turn around mile marker #16 to head toward the coast. The Ke'anae Peninsula is a jagged rocky coastline with some gorgeous views looking back up at the winding Road to Hana. It's easy to miss the turnoff, but I recommend it, so be on the lookout. We stopped on our way back out at Aunty Sandy's, a small takeout who boasts the best banana bread on the Road to Hana (and there are a lot of people selling banana bread on this road). It was given to us still blazing hot from the oven and it tasted delicious.
Stop 5: Wailua Valley State Wayside (Mile Marker #19)
This is one of the most unassuming stops with one of the biggest wow factors. We pulled over into a small parking area and climbed a short set of stairs directly behind us. In one direction is a beautiful view of the ocean, in the other direction is what can only be described as a scene from a movie set. The waterfalls were gushing in the background and as we were staring, a helicopter flew up out of the middle of the jungle. This was one of my favourite views on the entire island. It's a must see and it's so easy to miss.
Stop 6: Three Bears Falls (Mile Marker #19)
Just a short drive past the lookout, still at Mile Marker #19, is another of my personal favourite stops, Three Bears Falls. It is visible from the road and many people view it from the bridge above, but I highly recommend climbing down into the falls. This is a true climb, not an established trail. The drop down from the bridge is steep and the path below is rocky and rooted. You have to push your way through. But when you get through, you'll love the view from the pool below. This is where we went swimming and spent quite a bit of time. To the right of the falls is a taller trickling waterfall that you can swim under comfortably.
Stop 7: Nahiku Marketplace (Mile Marker #29)
This stop is not for sightseeing. It's a roadside marketplace. There are various food stands and people selling candies, honey, and other homemade treats. We stopped here to get something for lunch and by this time we were starving! We ate at a BBQ pit and while this was far from the best meal we had in Maui, it was just what we needed after exploring all morning. The area where we waited for our food had a map with many pins showing people who had visited from all over the world. We made sure to add our pin as our corner of the world was not being represented. There aren't many places to get a meal along the Road to Hana, so I recommend checking this place out.
Stop 8: Black Sand Beach (Mile Marker #32)
With our bellies full, we headed off to find Black Sand Beach. This beach is located within Wai'anapanapa State Park. We pulled in at the sign for the park campground. There is a large parking area which is a short walk from the beach. This is a very popular stop and therefore the beach is crowded. It wasn't my favourite stop for this reason but, you can hike along the shore and eventually find much more remote sections. The sand is formed from black lava rock. The rocks are completely covered with an intense, green leafy plant. It looks so wild and beautiful.
Welcome to Hana!
There are more sights to see just past Hana town, but I had other plans of catching the surfers back in Paia at sunset. So we headed back along the Road to Hana to check them out, our coconut from the morning rolling back and forth the floor of the jeep at every hairpin turn.
That's it! I absolutely loved this island, and hope to return as there are a few more hikes I'd like to take and sights I'd like to see.
I hope you have enjoyed this Road to Hana itinerary and that you will consider adding it to your trip to Maui. It is an experience you won't get anywhere else. And don’t miss my other Maui recommendations!
Mahalo for reading,
Hill XO
Below is a map of the Road to Hana, highlighting the route from Paia to Hana.
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