Is Road to Hana a full day?

It will be a long day and you might not get to see and experience everything (for example, you probably won't have time for long hikes). Plan for the Road to Hana to take the entire day and don't schedule anything that you have to rush back for in the evening.



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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.

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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.

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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!

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Make sure to leave Hana area at least a few hours before sunset. If the roads are open, and your rental car agreement allows, consider driving the backside of Haleakala. You'll watch sunset either from the back of the island or Upcountry near Kula and Makawao, which is pretty amazing.

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The biggest reason the Road to Hana is not worth driving is that it is one of the most dangerous roads in the country. While the road is better paved and well marked compared to the road fifty years ago, the 46 one-lane bridges, cliff-edges, lack of a shoulder, and 620 curves make the road a tough drive.

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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.

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It takes about 9 hours to drive around Maui, not including stops. Not many visitors drive around Maui in one day, though.

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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.

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You can turn around at Kaumahina State Wayside park and head back to where you came from. Better yet, your tour from Action Tour Guide will still work even if you only choose to do a portion of the trip as it senses your location via GPS. Essential Travel Guide: What time should you leave for the Road to Hana?

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The Hana Highway is full of twists and turns, many of them blindly winding around steep cliffs. There are also a lot of narrow bridges, which can only accommodate 1 car at a time. Lastly, since the Hana Highway is only 2 lanes wide, there are no medians to separate you from oncoming traffic.

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Driving in the dark or without lights Make sure you have great headlights if you are planning on driving the Road to Hana at night. Not only are they vital to see, but they also allow oncoming traffic to see you, too. We recommend planning your trip to avoid nighttime driving altogether.

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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.

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Bring cash Whether 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.

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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.

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Cozy footwear is a must. Flip-flops are the best for the beach but don't forget to bring sneakers and socks for Hana hiking. Further, we suggest wearing a swimming suit under your clothes. Maui's hiking tracks usually lead to hidden lakes and stunning waterfalls – mainly along the Road to Hana.

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Yes, you certainly can do it all in one day. I too suggest you drive straight to Oheo Gulch to start the trail. After hiking you can take whatever time you want or need to see the sites going back. You may even want to go a bit further than Oheo Gulch to see Charles Lindbergh's grave.

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