Everything You Need to Know About Visiting Road to Hana

Stop Along the Road to Hana picture in Maui

x of x

Key Info

Tours & Tickets

Price & Hours

Free
24/7 daily

Details

Sightseeing Type
Half Day to Full Day Time to Spend

4.7

Overall

Scorecard

Value

5.0
Atmosphere

5.0

Read about how we rank Things to Do.

To find excellent views of Maui's beautiful coastline, all you need to do is drive. The Road to Hana is a scenic highway (Highway 360) that twists through the lush rainforest and past the cascading waterfalls that line the island's eastern shore. Most people start their trip in Kahului (home to Maui's main airport) with the intention of motoring 55 miles to Hana. The trip isn't always easy: The route often surprises unfamiliar drivers with hairpin turns. But those who decide to step on the gas aren't sorry they did. Despite all the hype and mental preparation, travelers are regularly surprised by the drive's beauty.

The Road to Hana might seem short, but traveling it will most likely take all day given the number of scenic lookouts and other places to stop. Those who have driven the Road to Hana highly recommend taking your time and stopping as often as possible. Reviewers also recommend starting your drive early in the morning, as the road grows congested as the day progresses. If you'd rather let someone else do the driving, there are several tour companies that offer tours in luxury vans, including Valley Isle Excursions and Temptation Tours. Though pricier than driving yourself, taking a tour allows you to focus on the incredible scenery while someone else focuses on navigating the winding curves.

There are several notable photo opportunities along the way, including the Twin Falls around the 2-mile marker (driving from Kahului to Hana); and the Wailea Overlook or Waikani Falls around the 21-mile marker. Waianapanapa State Park and Hookipa Beach are also popular stops. Since the trip will take you awhile, pack snacks and a cooler with drinks. Also, some travelers note that the winding route can weak havoc on those prone to motion sickness – make sure to take it slow and allow for plenty of time outside the car. There is no cost to drive along the highway.

Hotels Nearby

Thing to Do
Hotel

Travaasa Hana, Maui ...

1.2 Miles Away
4.0-star Hotel Class

Hana Kai Maui ...

0.9 Miles Away
3.0-star Hotel Class

Hana Oceanfront Cottages ...

3.5 Miles Away
3.5-star Hotel Class

See all hotels in Maui »

More Best Things to Do in Maui

Find Tours & Tickets

Find Tours & Tickets

Sunbathing on Kaanapali Beach picture in Maui

Find Tours & Tickets

Find Tours & Tickets

View of Haleakala Crater picture in Maui

Find Tours & Tickets

Looking Down on Napili Beach picture in Maui

Relaxing on Wailea Beach picture in Maui

Find Tours & Tickets

Find Tours & Tickets

Windsurfing at Hookipa Beach picture in Maui

Find Tours & Tickets

Dancers at the Old Lahaina Luau picture in Maui

Banyan Tree Park in Lahaina picture in Maui

Find Tours & Tickets

x of x

#1 Road to Hana To find excellent views of Maui's beautiful coastline, all you need to do is drive. The Road to Hana is a scenic highway (Highway 360) that twists through the ... Read more » Royce Bair / Getty Images

#2 Helicopter Tours After you've experienced Maui through the eyes of a fish, consider getting a bird's perspective on a helicopter tour. Recent travelers describe this experience as a "splurge" (tours ... Read more » Benjamin Van Der Spek / EyeEm / Getty Images

#3 Kaanapali Beach One of Maui's most popular strips of coastline, Kaanapali Beach stretches across 3 miles of the island's northwest coast, offering plenty of space to surf and sunbathe. (Be ... Read more » EvaBrowning / Getty Images

#4 Snorkeling Tours It can be easy to become mesmerized by Maui's multicolored beaches, verdant hiking trails and breathtaking sunsets, but don't forget about the world that lives beneath the surrounding ... Read more » M.M. Sweet / Getty Images

#5 Haleakala National Park Every year, more than a million tourists visit Haleakala National Park, home to the world's largest dormant volcano. The entire park occupies 30,000 acres of land in Upcountry ... Read more » Pierre Leclerc Photography / Getty Images

#6 Napili Beach Though not nearly as expansive as Wailea or Kaanapali, crescent-shaped Napili Beach is particularly popular with families. Napili's waters are much calmer than those at other Maui beaches, so ... Read more » unclegene / Getty Images

#7 Wailea Beach You visit Hookipa to see Maui's daredevils hang 10, and you head to Kaihalulu or Waianapanapa for multicolored sands. So which beach do you go to just to swim ... Read more » YinYang / Getty Images

#8 Waianapanapa State Park In Hawaiian, "Waianapanapa" means "glistening waters." But it's not the ocean that draws travelers to Waianapanapa State Park – it's the jet-black sands. The shoreline here is composed of ... Read more » 7Michael / Getty Images

#9 Hookipa Beach The wintertime waves at Hookipa Beach are so white and frothy that hardcore surfers and windsurfers can't stay away. The water is definitely too rough for swimming, but if ... Read more » BambooPro / Getty Images

#10 Iao Valley State Park Like Haleakala National Park, Iao Valley State Park offers visitors the chance to admire something other than the beach. This 4,000-acre, 10-mile-long park in Central Maui boasts a verdant ... Read more » Wildroze / Getty Images

#11 Golf Travelers who prefer greens to beaches will find plenty of places to put their clubs to good use. Maui is home to 14 highly acclaimed golf courses, some of them ... Read more » iShootPhotosLLC / Getty Images

#12 Old Lahaina Luau The Old Lahaina Luau is one of the most popular things to do for first-time Maui visitors; those who have taken in the show highly recommend devoting an evening to ... Read more » Kaiscapes / Flickr

#13 Banyan Tree Park Sitting near the courthouse and the harbor in the town of Lahaina on Maui's northwest coast, this relatively tiny park is centered around something huge: One of the largest ... Read more » 7Michael / Getty Images

#14 Maui Ocean Center If you find yourself facing a rainy day on the island, consider spending some time at the Maui Ocean Center. This facility was created to cultivate visitors' interest in learning ... Read more » jdeleon5 / Flickr