MAUI HANA STOPS ON THE BEST ROAD TO HANA

When visiting Maui, the world-famous Hana road is a must-see experience. It can be daunting when you only have a few hours to plan this famous road trip. We’ve collected all of the stops on Maui’s spectacular coastal drive that led to Hana. We can help you pick the best holidays, so you don’t have to see them all (unless you have enough time).

The Road to Hana (or The Hana Highway) takes you from Paia, the surf town, to Hana. You can easily find the best stops along the Road to Hana by simply following the mile markers. This guide includes the mile markers for each Hana Highway stop.

Driving the Road to Hana

Many people take a day trip along the road to Hana. They start in Paia at dawn and spend the rest of their day traveling to Hana Town. Instead, we drove to Hana before sunrise to see Hana Town and its nearby attractions. Then, we made our way back slowly in the afternoon. We were so happy with our decision.

We avoided traffic and could take over many top stops along the Hana Highway.

It is one of Maui’s most popular day trips, so it can be hectic. It is best to leave early and drive directly to O’he’o Gulch, approximately 30 minutes from Hana. You can enjoy a peaceful hike on the Pipiwai Trail from Waimoku Falls to Paia, and then you can return to Paia slowly.

Best Road To Hana Stops

Traffic on the Hana Road from Paia to Hana will be plugged in and stopped later each day. You can enjoy waterfalls and viewpoints at your own pace by seeing them in reverse order. We found that the views from the return trip were better than those on the way out, as we were on a right-hand side road with unobstructed views.

Make sure to stock up before you leave Paia.

To explore Maui’s top attractions, take your Maui self-guided tour and compare rental car rates with CarRentals.com. See our suggestions for Maui hotels at The Best Hotels.

Grab some delicious picnic lunches before you leave for the Road to Hana. The Hana Picnic Lunch Company provides lunch and breakfast for your road trip. You can order the day before 2 pm to ensure you get up early the next morning. You can enjoy breathtaking ocean views from picnic tables located along the route. You can also grab banana bread and a cup of coffee before you leave and save lunch for when you get to Hana.

Notice: Coffee shops and restaurants are closed until 7 am. See our post Where to stay in Maui – Top Hotels.

Paia Town

Paia is more than a stop along the Hana Highway. It is an entire destination in itself. Paia is located on the North Shore of Maui. There are many things to do in Paia. Spend a few nights in this surfers’ town. Baldwin Beach, a long sandy beach with beautiful surfers and windsurfers, is a great spot to see world-class surfers.

We made Paia our base and stayed at the trendy boutique hotel. The Paia Inn was our home until we got up early to go to Hana. We were soon on our way after we had a cup of coffee at Paia Bay Coffee bar and ordered a boxed lunch from CJ’s diner.

Haleakala National Park

As we already mentioned, we drove straight to the Road to Hana’s end to start our road trip. Our first stop was in the opposite direction to the traffic.

Although maps and guides will show Oheo Gulch (Seven Sacred Pools) as the last stop on the road toward Hana, we prefer to be different, so this is our first stop.

This beautiful branch of Haleakala National Park can be found 30 minutes from Hana at Mile Marker 32. You’ll be able to walk the Pipiwai Trail, which takes you to the most beautiful attractions on Maui. This section of the national park is home to a bamboo forest, Waimoku Falls (400 feet high), the Seven Sacred Pools ( Oheo Gulch), and the Haleakala Volcano. This was the highlight of our road trip, and we spent most of the morning there.

Entry to Haleakala National Park costs $30 per vehicle. You have access to the national parks for three days, which includes the Haleakala Summit. You could also spend the day here and catch the sunrise at Haleakala Summit the next day.

Pipiwai Trail

Pipiwai Trail offers scenic views and is easy to follow. It takes you through massive Banyan trees, a bamboo forest, and the stunning Waimoku Falls.

Bamboo Forest

The highlight of the trail was the bamboo forest. This bamboo forest was unlike any other in Asia. Workers on pineapple farms brought bamboo to Maui from Asia as scaffolding. The boardwalk runs through the woods, and walking trails take you to the heart of the stunning scenery. It’s beautiful and rare to see.

Waimoku Falls

You will reach the Waimoku Falls at the trail’s end, which is 400 feet high. This waterfall is perfect for photos. As you will cross streams, we recommend wearing water shoes or Tevas. We could share the views of the waterfall with one other person by arriving early. It was breathtaking.