Road to Hana: Maui’s Must-Do Drive in One Day
[Reading time: 15 mins]
Everything you need to know to drive the Road to Hana in 1 day.
If you’re vacationing in Maui, the Road to Hana is an ABSOLUTE MUST!! This was 100% my favorite excursion we did on our entire trip. Do NOT let the internet comments scare you about how scary the roads are. Honestly, I have a notion that they must have updated most of the roads since those comments, because I didn’t think they were bad at all. Are there hairpin turns and narrow roads? Yes, but it’s NOTHING compared to another highway we drove on the island [more about that in a different travel post!].
There are many guided tours that you can book for the Road to Hana, but we opted do it on our own, because with 4 young kids, we didn’t want to be tied down to the whole drive if we had to turn around. We were very nervous about doing it ourselves, but with lots of research, it ended up going wonderfully and I loved how much flexibility we had by being on our own! If you also have young kids, I would recommend doing the same, and I hope this guide can help you navigate your own journey on the Road to Hana!
In this blog post, you will read:
Tips & recommendations for your journey
What to pack for the road
Where to eat breakfast before starting on the drive
Must-see places to stop at
What to do when you get to Hana
Additional stops we did not experience for ourselves
Photo owned by Kristel at On the Go with 4 Kids in Tow
Tips for driving the Road to Hana on your own.
What to pack for your drive:
Cash
Snacks [and food for lunch or dinner if you want] & drinks for on-the-go
Sunscreen
Bug spray
Dry clothes and towels
Swimming gear
Toilet paper [we also brought a portable potty for my son, which we did end up using!]
Comfortable closed-toe and waterproof hiking shoes [this is an affiliate link]
There is no reception at all on this entire drive, so download any maps or music you may want to bring.
It is an absolute must to download the Gypsy Guide app or the Shaka Guide app. We used Shaka Guide.
I highly recommend buying Maui Revealed: The Ultimate Guidebook [this is an affiliate link]. It is a must-read for your vacation in Maui in general, but it also has some great information about all the different stops to take along the Road to Hana.
You will need to look up on a map where the start to the Road to Hana is, aka: Mile Marker Zero. No matter where you are coming from on Maui, it is best to start at that point no later than 730a. This will ensure that you will have plenty of time to make stops on the road and still be able to make the roundtrip back before it gets too dark.
Make sure you start the trip with a full tank of gas.
Always have all important items with you – don’t leave it in the car. Although the drive is overall safe in crime, there are reports of car break ins. I bought a waterproof fanny pack that I used to put my ID, phone and cash in: Waterproof Waist Pack [this is an affiliate link].
You will encounter some light rain throughout your drive, but try to not go on a constantly rainy day or after a day of heavy rain. You otherwise won’t be able to enjoy the scenic drive, nor the waterfalls.
Most businesses along the road are closed on Sundays and most only accept cash, so plan accordingly.
This was easily a 13+ hour day for us, so be prepared for this long drive and don’t forget to check out my 9 Must-Have Road Trip Travel Items for the journey!
In addition to this guide I’m providing you, please also do your own research, because there are so many other fun stops to make along the drive that we unfortunately couldn’t do, since we had to limit ourselves to young-kid-friendly stops. I do also provide stops that were recommended in the Maui Revealed: The Ultimate Guidebook [this is an affiliate link], and I will indicate which ones those are that we did not experience for ourselves.
When you make your own itinerary that deviates from my own, just make sure you’re checking the maps and driving times between each stop, so that you make it through everything you want to do!
First, stop for breakfast at Jaws Country Store.
About 1.5 miles before Mile Marker Zero, is Jaws Country Store. Open daily at 7a, it’s the perfect place to grab food before you start on your long journey ahead. Their cafe serves fresh food and vegan & gluten free options, in addition to delicious coffee. The store has products made from local artisans, so everything about Jaws Country Store is about supporting the local families and farmers of Maui.
Don’t forget to use the restroom before heading out onto the Road to Hana!
Photo owned by Kristel at On the Go with 4 Kids in Tow
Garden of Eden: Mile Marker 10.5
Please note: we did not make a stop here. I went back and forth a lot on whether or not we should visit the Garden of Eden. I ultimately decided not to, because I didn’t want to wait until it opened at 8a. But if you do have the time, I’ve heard it’s very beautiful. The arboretum and botanical garden is very well maintained and there are beautiful views down the coast, where you can have a picnic. There is also a restroom here, so it’s another great stop to plan for a potty break. Maybe you can plan to go on your way home later in the afternoon.
Kaumahina State Wayside: Past Mile Marker 12
For us, our 1st potty break was at Kaumahina State Wayside. There’s not much to see or do here and it seems like a silly place to be your 1st top, but we were 30 minutes into the drive by this point, and I just wanted to make sure the kids went to the bathroom again before our next stop!
Ke'anae Arboretum: Mile Marker 16
Here was our 1st real stop along the Road to Hana, and what a beautiful stop it was! The paved path makes it a very kid-friendly walk through the arboretum. It was a great place to stop and let the kids out and stretch their legs. The entire stroll takes about 25-30 mins and you’ll be wow’d by all the stunning rainbow eucalyptus trees.
Halfway to Hana: Mile Marker 17
Photo owned by Kristel at On the Go with 4 Kids in Tow
Ok, I know what you’re thinking…. we’ve made 2 stops so far, the 1st one being a potty break; how are we halfway to Hana already?? I promise you, the 2nd half of the trip is much more eventful and you’ll be making plenty more stops!
But Halfway to Hana is a great stop to let those kiddos stretch their legs again. There are food stands with fruit, sandwiches, beverages and of course banana bread. I would not recommend stopping here to eat lunch, because there are more dining options ahead, which I will get to in a bit. However, we did buy shave ice for the kids here. Yes, it was 10 in the morning, but whatever keeps them happy, right?!
Beware: Once you have shave ice in Hawaii, you will wonder what kind of crap is being sold as snow cones back on the mainland!
Pua’a Ka’a Falls: Mile Marker 22.5
This waterfall was recommended to us because it’s kid-friendly, so we knew we had to make a pit stop here! I think if you have kids older than 4 or 5, definitely do it. If you have kids younger than 4 or 5, it is a little bit more difficult, but we did it was 22 month old twins, so it is doable! However, please proceed with caution.
When you arrive at the falls, there are easy stairs to take down to the rocks. However, from there, there is a bit of climbing to get into the water. It is also very slippery, so carrying a baby while trying not to fall, was a bit scary. There were many good samaritans who helped to hold our hands as we made it through though, and i was very grateful that our 7 and 4yo were able to [very carefully] make their way to the water on their own.
Dipping into the waterfalls is a must on the Road to Hana, so I have no regrets at all making this pit stop and I would love to go back to do it again and check out more along the way.
Nahiku Marketplace: Mile Marker 29
Time for lunch!
If your kids can wait until you reach here, this is a great spot to stop for lunch. There’s a cafe, bbq food, seafood, tacos, thai food and really good coffee! There are also little shops you can browse and support the local vendors.
East Maui Chocolate
Photo owned by Kristel at On the Go with 4 Kids in Tow
Just 1.5 miles from Nahiku Marketplace, East Maui Chocolate wasn’t a planned stop for us; but we drove past and saw the sign and thought it’d be great to support another local vendor and try some delicious chocolate and fresh fruit!
Wai’anapanapa Black Sand Beach: Mile Marker 32
Photo owned by Kristel at On the Go with 4 Kids in Tow
If there’s just one place you can visit on the Road to Hana— THIS IS IT. Wai’anapanapa Black Sand Beach is unbelievably breathtaking and a black sand beach that you HAVE to experience. First, reservations are required to come here, so be sure to plan ahead and plan the rest of your trip around the time slot that you will be visiting the beach.
I don’t even know how to describe this place- I really should just let the photos speak for themselves. You should know though, that the black sand may look rough, but it’s as soft as white sand is. However, black sand does hold in heat more, so it can be very hot to walk on. It is best to stay near the water so that it cools the sand down where you’re standing / sitting.
While you’re there, be sure to also check out the small cave, and if you have time, take some hikes along the many park trails- one of them even leads to a blowhole.
Kahanu Garden & Pi’ilanihale Heiau: Mile Marker 31
Please note: we did not make a stop here. Another beautiful botanical gardens, I’ve heard many recommend going to Kahanu Garden, especially if you aren’t able to make it to Garden of Eden. We unfortunately couldn’t stop at either, mainly for timing reasons. But the main attraction at Kahanu Garden is the Pi’ilanihale Heiau - or simply put: “House of Pi'ilani” ancient temple. This temple was actually built in different phases, over the span of 300 years!! With the start of it occurring at the end of the 13th century!
Hana Lava Tube & Red Ti Botanical Garden Maze: Mile Marker 31
Please note: we did not make a stop here. Another stop off of Mile Marker 31, if you’re able to make time for this stop, I think this would be a cool place to visit. I’m pretty bummed that we weren’t able to! The Hana Lava Tube is a kid-friendly cave where you can do self-guided tours that take approximately 40 minutes. After exploring the cave, you can check out the rest of the grounds and go through the Red Ti Botanical Garden Maze.
Hana! You made it!
Ok, I hate to admit it…. we made it to Hana…. but didn’t get out of the car. At this point, it was already 330p; our kids were holding up just fine, but we knew that we only had another 2hrs or so to get back for dinner near our airbnb. So we drove around for about 15 mins or so, and honestly, didn’t see much! But from what I researched ahead of time, the Hana Cultural Center is worth visiting and also Hana Bay, which is another black sand beach. There are also a few restaurants and food stands to choose from to eat for dinner, including Hana Ranch Restaurant and I Lava Tacos.
To continue or not to continue- that is the question.
You’ve arrived in Hana… so, now what? You basically have 3 options:
Turn around and go back
Continue going past Hana and visit more sights that will take you back into a loop
Stay overnight in Hana and head back on the road the next day
01. Turn around and go back.
With 4 young kids in tow, this made the most sense for us. So we turned around and headed back the same way we came from. We did stop at a couple more places though!
Coconut Glen’s: Mile Marker 27.5
Cute roadside stand that sells VEGAN ice cream! Delicious flavors include coconut, pineapple, chocolate, vanilla and more.
Ke’anae Peninsula: Mile Marker 16
Photo owned by Kristel at On the Go with 4 Kids in Tow
Ke’anae Peninsula comes in a VERY close 2nd place of must-see stops, behind Wai’anapanapa Black Sand Beach. The Ke’anae Peninsula wasn’t even on our list originally, but man, am I glad we went! This place is another stunningly beautiful backdrop, in which I will let my photos speak for themselves again.
02. Continue going past Hana and visit more sights that will take you back into a loop.
We debated for months if this should be the route we go. If you look at a map, you can see how it looks easier to just continue the loop, rather than to turn around. I also love seeing as many sights as we can, so it killed me when we ultimately decided to not continue on.
But the reason we decided to turn around instead, is because there are many blogs and articles warning people to not go any further. In my understanding, the roads get significantly more difficult to drive and can be pretty dangerous. In fact, there are some that say that some car rental agencies won’t allow you to take their vehicles past Hana.
On the other side of the argument though, there are of course others that feel it is completely safe and worth driving on the road past Hana. We decided that we didn’t want to risk it with 4 young kids in the car, also knowing that by the time we got to Hana, it will have already been quite a long day, so the best thing for our family was to just turn around and head back.
If you aren’t sure what to do, please do your own due diligence and research, to decide what is best for your family.
Here are some recommended stops I came across when I had looked into it:
Hamoa Beach
Wailua Falls
Waioka Pond / Venus Pool
Alelele Falls
Huialoha church
Maui Wine
03. Stay overnight in Hana and head back on the road the next day.
If we had more days in Maui in general, I think I would have planned to do this instead. To be clear, I did not feel rushed at all during our entire trip on the Road to Hana, but there are so many more sights I wish we had had time to see. It would have been nice to spend some time exploring Hana and then making more stops on the way back home the next day.
My last thoughts.
The Road to Hana was hands down my absolute favorite experience we did while vacationing in Maui. There were so many people who recommended we not go, especially with young kids and especially driving on our own, but I am so glad we didn’t listen! I have no regrets at all about going and only wish we had had more time to go to more places AND that my kids were a little older so we could have enjoyed more stops.
I tell my husband all the time that I want to go back to Hawaii and that WHEN we do, we have to make a pit stop on Maui, just to explore the Road to Hana again.
For more vacation itineraries or travel tips, be sure to check out my travel page.
All photos in this post are owned by Kristel at On the Go with 4 Kids in Tow, unless otherwise noted.
*All opinions in this blog post are my own and I’ve received no incentives*
We’ve been on a lot of different vacations and to many different countries, but Maui is definitely in our top 3 of best family destinations. There are just SO many amazing adventures and once-in-a-lifetime experiences.