It is IMPOSSIBLE to do everything and see all the sights in 1 day (trust us, we've tried.) The best way is to pick a few sights to see each day and stay overnight. Hana is about slowing down and enjoying nature.
People Also Ask
It is a beautiful adventure if you're up for the drive. It's possible to do the Road to Hana in one day but it takes an early wakeup and some prep work to maximize your day of driving.
The road has over 600 turns and many stops. If you were to drive straight from Ka'anapali to Hana without any stops, you could make the journey in two hours and 40 minutes. With stops, expect that you'll spend six hours getting to Hana. You likely won't stop on your way back, so the return trip should take three hours.
The half-day Road to Hana Tour is an amazing journey. See jungles, waterfalls, beaches, rivers, rainforests, mountains, ocean cliffs… and that's just part of it! We can make this tour whatever you want it to be!
The views and black sand beach were worth it along the way. I probably wouldn't do it again, though. It was a one-and-done thing. All in all, the trip took us about 3hrs there and half the time on the way back with no stops (and driving probably a bit too fast).
That's right – driving the Road to Hana in reverse instead of forward! This way, you'll get to see all of the sights from a different perspective while still enjoying the beauty that this historic road has to offer. And, the best part is that you avoid the crowds!
The best road trips are those where you can cruise around on the open road at your leisure, playing road trip songs or just enjoying the sounds of nature, stress-free. The Road to Hana is the opposite. It's crowded, fairly dangerous, and definitely stressful.
Bring cashWhether you stop at food trucks or roadside produce stands, it's a good idea to bring cash with you on your Road to Hana drive. While some vendors — such as the famous Aunty Sandy's banana bread stop — accept credit and debit cards, many businesses on the east side of Maui accept payment in cash only.
Most of the stops on the Road to Hana are free (e.g., hikes and views) or low-cost (e.g., banana bread stops and black sand beach reservations). Overall, the Road to Hana is a good value for all you get to see and do in one day compared to loading a day of things to do on Maui with kids.
We highy recommend doing a tour with large windows, an experienced local guide, and only going to safe, legal, epic spots! In order to truly experience Hana, it helps to know more about the history and legends of the area.
Sundays and Thursdays are heavy travel days (arriving and leaving the island) so the road to Hana may be less crowded. Start early to get the most out of your day. This is one of the best things to do in Maui on a budget.
Tip 2: Take nausea medicine.I have a friend who took medicine before going on the Road to Hana and her group still had to turn back because she got so sick. Getting motion sickness is pretty common along this fairly wind-y road so if you can prepare in advance, that will help immensely.
All visitors now must have a reservation voucher in order to enter the extremely popular Wai?anapana State Park (Black Sand Beach), along the famous Road to Hana on Maui. There is a small fee per vehicle (includes all passengers) for a parking reservation (includes entry) for a 3 hour selected allotment.
The road is unpaved but well-graded dirt for five miles, and at some points it is only one lane wide and has precipitous drop-offs, but at no point is 4WD essential. The only time you would need 4WD is during a torrential rainstorm—and in that situation, you should stay off the road altogether.
Yes – as long as your rental car agreement allows it. After exploring Hana, you'll continue to the Oheo Gulch, also known as the Seven Sacred Pools, and take the intermittently unpaved southern route via Highway 31 to follow the coastline and enjoy a beautiful sunset.
It's a beautiful scenic drive with a huge amount to see. Unfortunately, most visitors only plan to spend one day on this adventure and end up being rushed and missing many of the sights. If you are lucky enough to have a bit of spare time in your Maui itinerary, I highly recommend making this a two-day excursion!
Conclusion. If you have the time, I'd suggest driving both sections around Hana (clockwise approach and counterclockwise). You could either do it as a loop or make two trips to Hana and back along both directions. It's all about timing.
As mentioned earlier, you'll need to retrace your steps for your return trip. The Road to Hana is technically a loop, however it's not recommended to check out “Maui's backside.” First, it won't save you that much time. Secondly, most car rental companies specifically discourage this.