Hana Highway - Road to Hana

Hana Highway - Road to Hana

Hana Highway - Road to Hana
4.5
About
This scenic road is an iconic drive that connects Kaluhui to Hana in east Maui. The 64-mile highway features narrow winding roads and over 50 bridges, taking you past gorgeous beaches, rugged coastlines, lush forests, waterfalls, pools, and hiking trails. It takes at least three hours to complete the Hana Highway, but you can make it a full-day trip, depending on how many stops you make. You can even spend the night at Waianapanapa State Park, where you can stay in a cabin or camp close to the shore. Don't miss all the best sights by joining a Road to Hana tour, which will have all transport sorted. – Tripadvisor
Duration: More than 3 hours
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  • Gates P
    Toronto, Canada142 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Must do while in Maui
    A must do, however you should know the following. Can't be done in one day if you want to see it all. Takes more than 3 hours to get to Hana with no traffic. That's 6 to 7 hours of road time. No stopping!! So, I would suggest breaking it down in two days, with an overnight stay in Hana. Further, rent a SMALL car as the road is something like you have never seen before. We were there at a time when there were very few tourist due to the fire and it was still challenging. I can't imagine what it would be like with lots of crazy tourists on the road. Bring food as there is very little open anymore till you get to Hana. Download The Gypsy App, road To Hana, it was great and very informative. Once you get to Hana there are some great beaches that you can enjoy if you stay there. Going up to the falls on the Pipiwai trail is more challenging than what they let you believe. Takes a couple of hours at least., and when you get there you are quite far from the falls. I found it a bit disappointing. Nonetheless, I'm glad we did it. Quite the experience.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 22 October 2023
  • Julia M
    7 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Hana is well worth it.
    We traveled the whole road, starting in Kula, and the road itself and other drivers were totally fine. We were only sad we didn't download the Shaka Guide. We just had to guess at all the beautiful things we were passing. The fruit! BUY THE FRUIT! The fresh-squeezed lemon on papaya was the best thing I tasted in all of Maui. We spent a night there, and that made it so we didn't have to have such a long day, and we were able to go the beaches in Hana first thing in the morning. We went skydiving in Hana and that was AMAZING! Many of the waterfalls had signs from locals asking tourists not to get in the water, so that seemed unnecessary and unfriendly. A gorgeous drive and incredible views.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 10 November 2023
  • smhr
    Pickering, Canada298 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Unique experience. Only in Hawaii. Definitely a must do
    If you are in Maui, you have to go on this. It is a very nice place. The road has many turns, so it is tiring because you have to keep your eyes on the road all the time. There are no signs on the road to tell you which trail/attraction is where. This is a big issue. To prep for it, we noted down the trails that we wanted to stop at. In all the guidebooks, the trails are based on the markers ie mile 1, mile 4, 7, etc. The problem is that even those markers are not always there. In other words, if you are looking to stop at a place at marker 8.7 Miles, you may not know when was the marker 8 because there may not be a sign for that. To address it, you may want to stop where most people are stopping ie follow the crowd, specially the tour vans There are rainbow trees, lava tube along the way. There is also a red sand beach in Hana. There is a very nice Fish and chips place at marker 28.8 that I will recommend One way drive to Hana took us 4 hours. Though we stopped at a few places. The road back from Hana took us 3 hours I will suggest getting to marker 1 at around 8:30 am (or even earlier if you can). Make sure you know where you want to stop. As you cant rely on signage and mile markers, I suggest that you use your vehicle's trip odometer by setting it to 0 at mile marker 1
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 18 November 2023
  • trackerem
    Texas426 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Worth driving one time!
    Gorgeous drive! We took our kids several years prior & it has changed! The overlooks are very much grown up so not as daring to see down the cliffs. Beware of the locals! They don’t adhere to speed limits and ultimately drive on the wrong side of the road around the curves! Worth doing once! Hana was a fun stop also! Beautiful bay!
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 19 November 2023
  • Miki H
    13 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Long drive -- great arboretum on the way, nice hikes and outstandiing turtle beach.
    Be prepared for a long winding drive on a two lane narrow road. Avoid taking larger vehicles (Suburban, etc.) due to width of the road. If you want to spend time at the black sand beach, make sure that you make an online reservation at least 24 hours before you make the trip. Garden of Eden Arboretum is a great stop to see the local flora and fauna. Hana is a small town with nice food truck area, gallery that is going out of business, churches and some hiking. Beaches are the key to the key experience in Hanna. Due to the drought, the waterfalls were not as prevalent, which may have changed when the Kona Low weather system came in last week. Be on the lookout for a beach that is close to Haiku access point, that has green turtles. That experience was by far the highlight of our drive.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 3 December 2023
  • William B
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great trip
    Eric our tour guide was amazing, much better to let the driving be done by a local that knows the road. Over all well with the money and time. Awesome memories made and sights seen
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled on business
    Written 2 January 2024
  • Patti G
    Zion, Illinois17 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A trip I will NEVER forget. Tattooed on my heart ❤️.
    My trip to Maui and taking the Hana road trip was one of the most beautiful, exciting, breathe taking, and adventurest trips I've ever traveled. The air was fresh. The greenery is lush and full. The people are beautiful and kind, and best part was I traveled it with my son Alex. I live in Illinois and to visit my son (lives on Maui and is a Sous Chef at Merrimans...amazing food!) and spend the time with him showing me the most beautiful places on Maui is/was a gift to me. Go to Maui see all you can see. It will be the BEST gift you give yourself and whomever goes with you.
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 22 January 2024
  • Harley W
    16 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Spectacular, but challenging scenic drive
    Spectacular views of waterfalls, the ocean, tropical forest and more. Worthwhile to go beyond Hana to zones Gulch. It is a long drive, enjoy the journey and allow an entire day. Start early in the morning. However, twisting and winding mountain roads with single lane bridges not for the faint of heart. If you are not a confident and careful driver, go with a tour company. If you plan to drive yourself, check the condition of your rental vehicle’s tires. We had a blowout on worn tires and were stranded in the middle of nowhere with no cell reception. Make sure your cell phone has satellite SOS capability.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 10 February 2024
  • Marieann D
    4 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Halfway to Hana with Coastline Limousine driver Sean though Viator
    We took this tour as a last-minute replacement after being cancelled when our ship did not arrive in Maui on the previous day due to weather. Excellent tour with our guide Sean. Even though it was a shorter trip, I did not feel shortchanged in the least. We saw it all, waterfalls, black sand beach, beautiful views and a beach where there were over 100 turtles (according to the person there who counted). Word of caution: the original tour we booked does not want to issue full refund even though cancellation was due to weather and out of our control.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 28 February 2024
  • Courtnei C
    Baton Rouge, Louisiana17 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Spectacular during the day, formidable after sunset
    We chose to drive ourselves instead of going with a tour group, etc. The drive wasn't bad, having experience with single lane bridges and driving up mountains. The one downside was wanting to stop, as the driver, to actually see all of the incredible views but my passenger took many videos that I was able to view later. Otherwise, there were plenty of areas to pull over and stop as often as we wanted to take in all of the beauty along the highway, which we did when time permitted. As far as must see stops, we purchased a self driving tour, that we were able to download for offline use, that instructed us as to where all of the "must see" spots along the highway were. Definitely look into these before you go because I know the Wai'anapanapa State Park requires you to purchase a time slotted reservation ticket and they do not have any cell service in the area to purchase the ticket near at or near the park. Also, screenshot the ticket when you do purchase! TIP: We started the drive late and ran into a road closure not long after we reached the end of the road to Hana and had to turn around and do the drive all over again to get back to our condo. I mention this because we were not aware of the road closure and I want to advise future travelers to start the drive early and end it by 4pm so that if you do have to turn around like us, you're not caught in complete darkness as we were. As beautiful as the waterfalls and everything was during the day, single lane bridges and roads become quite scary when your only light source are your high beams. Also, if you plan on visiting Haleakala National Park at sunrise during your Maui visit, do the Road to Hana the day before and just car camp somewhere near the Park since it is a stop at the end of the Road to Hana. Hope this helps.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 19 March 2024
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Bk2019june
Fresno, CA61 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2020 • Family
Hands down, the best adventure I have done with my family in my life. Can’t wait to do it again as we missed many spots.
Leave early, it’s the key, you will be the first few at most places and can cover a lot. Saw many many cars drive towards the sacred pools when we were heading back, don’t be the one of those guys. You will miss the best.
Please get the gypsy guide app, it’s 6.99 and it’s worth $100. It works in no cell phone covers area too.
Great explanation every mile and you will understand the culture and history. My teenager and 20 yr old kid loved it. Must see places- garden of eden, black sand beach, red sand beach, sacred pools and Pipiwai Trail & Waimoku Falls.
Carry water and be ready for rain any time.
Many Food places on the way, don’t need to carry food.(this was on dec 22nd, 2020, covid days) , traffic was light due to that fact and many food places closed but there were still plenty.
Last 20 miles is almost single road and wet, so smaller car the better. Leave the (sacred pools) 'Ohe'o Gulch and Haleakala National Park at 3 pm, you don’t want to be driving in the dark.
Enjoy the ride and be safe
Written 24 December 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

thegees1
Reading, UK194 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Couples
We drove the ‘half’ Hana to the Ke’anea Peninsula. We didn’t start at the crack of dawn ( as all the guidebooks propose) but started about 2.30pm. We finished at 5.30pm. The traffic was sparse although on the return journey the locals drive home & one was seriously abusive & most drive considerably faster than the recommended 15mph that no one seems to adhere to. Most drive at 25mph but the locals come roaring round the corners so watch out. You have been warned.
We had read extensively about this trip ( & about how many blind corners there are / single land bridges etc) & although the scenery was dramatic in places the hype of the road didn’t deliver for us but we did only drive half way. Do buy the GYPsy app which will informatively talk throughout the journey although I wouldn’t recommend relying on this app exclusively for directions.
I would recommend a whale watch trip or a trip to Pa’ai ( to watch the turtles ) or a trip to see Lahaina or Wailea rather than drive this road. It seems a marketing exercise to promote the other side of the island. The driving is incredibly difficult & the roads so windy that some people do need anti sickness pills. If you’re thinking of driving around the whole island ( the road at the ‘back side’ of Maui ) check with your rental car first. That road is billed as even worse & some car rental companies won’t let you drive that way.
Good luck if you decide to do this drive.
Written 19 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tim K
Lake Zurich, IL153 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Couples
While I am glad we did it is a long day. Would really recommend staying in Hana on night minimum so you can make more stops. However our time was short and had only one day. Sights are great and almost too many good places to stop. One place not worth it is lava tubes. Price per person was very high. And did look like it would be worth time or money.
Written 9 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

peter lindeblad
Gold Coast, Australia5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
The day was overcast and threatening with downpours when we were picked up on time at 7.00 a.m. by our local guide Jaime from MahaloTours. She was cheerful, full of information had us on the way with a minimum of fuss. There was 7 of us on our trip, we stopped for breakfast, got to know each other and under Jaimes watchful eye we started our journey. The rains came which made all the waterfalls overflow with breathtaking surging power.I'm glad we had an experienced local driver in Jaime as she handled the minibus with aplomb as we made our way around the 600+ bends and the one-way bridges that were built over 100 years ago by the Japanese workers. It is a testimonial to their ingenuity and workmanship that the bridges are still standing. We stopped for a scrumptious lunch, fish or pork ribs or vegetarian, they cater for all. It was an incredible time great fun was had by all well worth taking the trip, don't drive yourself as you won't enjoy it as much, take Mahalo Tours and ask for Jaime she will make your day and look after your safety as well.
Written 13 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ACharles70
San Jose, CA57 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2021 • Family
We used the Maui Gypsy Guide Road to Hana tour, which was super informative and easy to use! Download the app before you go and listen to it in the car during the entire drive (bring a car charger!). The app knows where you are through GPS and will point out places to stop. You will not have much cell phone coverage during the drive. Overall, this is a FULL day to drive to Hana and back. There are more than 50 one way bridges and so many turns, that you can’t go very fast. It rained for the first half of the drive for us, so be sure to bring a rain coat or umbrella. Also, bring snacks in the car, as there aren’t many places to stop along the way. If you want to go to the black sands beach at Waianapanapa State Park, make sure to make reservations before hand. Unless you are staying in Hana, I would recommend you make reservations after 11am, as it would be difficult to get there before that if you are starting in Paia. If you want to drive past Hana to Haleakala National Park at Kipahula, bring hiking shoes. The “7 Sacred Pools” there are usually closed, so don’t rely on going swimming. You can enjoy a nice picnic lunch down by Hana Bay, since there are many picnic tables there, as well as public restrooms. The road past Kipahula is not very reliable, and most car rental companies won’t allow you to drive that way around, so it is best to turn around and go back the way you came. It is a beautiful drive and many waterfalls right off the side of the road to see.
Written 9 April 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kim D
Chicago, IL28 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2019
You must take the drive to Hana at least one time in Maui. This was our 3rd time and it's still as magical as the first time. Go early, stop often, and get back to Paia by dark. Drive slowly and take it all in. Locals will drive faster so just pull over and let them go by. Chill! Wear your bathing suit and be sure to play in the water stops. The Fish Market is a great casual restaurant to stop on the way back for a super casual bite to eat EXCELLENT, well priced fresh fish!
Written 27 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ajknight
chittenango75 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
We got the shaka app and downloaded it at home before the trip. It was seriously a monsoon for that day and 2 days before. We were told not to go but we were headed west so we wanted to do it while we were in the area. The sun set at 6:00 pm and we didn't leave until 10:00am because we were not sure what to do with the weather. We were laughing because the guide kept saying do not stop here, there are better things coming. WE should have listened. We knew we would have to drive back in the dark for about 1 hour. It had rained so hard the falls were mud falls and the 7 sacred pool was one big blob of brown. We however thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We ran into a couple who was 21 years old and they asked if they could follow us because we had the app. It stopped raining almost every time we got out of the car. My favorite spot was the cave. if you go in walk until you see heaven. It literally opens up into a green garden. the bamboo forest was a long walk and it was the end of our journey and we had on water shoes so we didn't walk more than 1 mile. It was also gonna get dark. I am from Upstate NY where we have a lot of curvy roads. I did not think the roads were a big deal in the daylight. It was raining faster than my wipers could keep up on the way back, it was dark, trees fell in the road and there was so much water on the bridge i wasn't sure it was 1 piece. I was happy to be on the road with our new young friends. ( I am 56) and i am sure we gave them comfort. Although the weather was crazy and i would have loved to see it in the blue skies i found the app amazing, we even listened to his story on the way back. unless you are from a flat state I think the drive is do able but get the shaka app
Written 28 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

LarsieB
Denver, Colorado, USA2,086 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022
The Road to Hana is definitely worth doing once during a trip to Maui. As most people say you need to allow a whole day for this activity, and leaving early in the day, for this trip, is definitely worthwhile even though it's hard to get up early during a vacation. I'd also highly recommend purchasing and downloading one of the apps available for about $10-$20. It's a worthwhile investment and really makes it much easier knowing where to stop along the way - the self guided tour app. that we had for the Road to Hana was great and we learned a lot of history about this road too. Be sure to fuel up your car before starting and if anyone in your group/family gets car sick have a motion sickness tablet first for all the bends in the road. Be sure to pack drinks, snacks, swimsuits and towels and to stop at Aunty Sandy's when you come across it to purchase a loaf of banana bread. And for anyone wondering our hire car was a four door sedan and it coped perfectly fine with the paved roads along the Road to Hana. My biggest advice is pay attention to all the one lane bridges, these can be tricky at times to know what traffic is coming so slow down and take your time!
Written 18 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Picketfences101
Texas17 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2021 • Couples
We wanted to experience this drive but did not want to take 8-12 hours of our day so we decided to do 1/2 drive on our own. We very much enjoyed our day, here’s what I recommend:
1) research where you want to stop before going - do not try and wing it. You can’t turn around and you won’t know what you’re doing.
2) a must, a huge must is to download Gypsys road to Hana tour app. It costs 9.99 and is a great investment. It narrates everything, tells you where to turn off, etc. excellent. It starts in paia. Cannot recommend strongly enough. This thing knows where you are even when you have no cell service.
3) get gas before Paia town- no gas after!
4) know the road etiquette (1 car passes bridge, then alternate) honk your horn going around a hair pin turn.
5) if you’re doing a waterfall tour later in your week, skip twin falls
6) you must take cash. If you want to park or have banana bread, you need cash!
7) we rented a convertible for our trip and wish we had had a jeep.
8) you need a car charger
9) we really really enjoyed garden of eden, it’s gorgeous stunning views snd plants. You have to pay $20 pp to enter.
10) aunt Sandy’s banana bread is totally worth it
11) do this tour on your first day. You can’t sleep, your up early. We were planning to do this later in the week but we woke up bright eyed by 5:30 (and we love sleep) so we said let’s hit the road. We were driving through paia at 7:30 and we had no traffic and no issues.
12) for reference: we left Kaanapali at 6:45, made it to paia at 7:30, made 4 good stops. Turned around at aunt Sandy’s and made it back to Kaanapali at 12:15 (we had 1:30 massages booked)
13) you need good shoes for this. When you get out, you’re walking around it’s wet, Sandy, gravel… wear good shoes.
14) bonus: we had been trying to book mama’s fish house for months, we popped in on our way back and scored a last minute reservation for the next day.
Last, this tour is completely doable on your own. However. If your are a nervous driver or do not know us road laws, then do a tour. Also, some mentioned motion sickness. I am prone to motion sickness and 0 problems on this drive. If I had been in the back of a van, I probably would have been miserable.
Written 26 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

messier27
Fountain, CO244 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Solo
I started well before sunrise and got back well after it got dark. There are many stops to take in. Lots of fruit stands and some great food. I would recommend not going with less than a full tank because gas stops are only in Hana (that I saw) and it was well over $5 there. Lots of turns, so drivers be aware of your passengers that get motion sickness
Written 1 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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HANA HIGHWAY - ROAD TO HANA (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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