Hawaii, USA

2 Day Road to Hana Itinerary – Best Road Trip on Maui

The Road to Hana is a 64 mile-long stretch of highway on the Hawaiian Island of Maui, well-known for being one of the most dangerous roads in the world. It’s certainly not for the faint-hearted – a winding mountain road, along cliffs overlooking the ocean. In many places the road is not wide enough to fit both sides of traffic, and there are many blind corners and narrow bridges. That being said, it is without a doubt one of the best attractions on Maui! The highway has countless stops to make along the way; whether that be for a waterfall hike, a quick dip in a rock pool, or a bite to eat from one of the many food trucks. I’ve put together my 2 day Road to Hana itinerary and travel guide, to help you plan your own exciting trip. This includes car hire, how long you need, where to stay, what to bring, my top tips, as well as all the best stops to make on the way to Hana!

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Hiring a Car on Maui

If self-driving the Road to Hana is not for you, there are plenty of tours you can book onto that will take you there and stop at the various checkpoints along the way. However, in my opinion the best way to experience this incredibly scenic island, and to check off all the sights on your Road to Hana itinerary, is to drive it yourself! Hiring a car to drive to Hana will give you a lot more freedom with where to stop and how long to spend at each checkpoint.

For car hire, I recommend using the app ‘Turo’. This app lets you hire vehicles from locals in the places you’re travelling to. We found that Turo had a large selection of cars to choose from on Maui, and many are available to book at very short-notice too. We found using Turo to be more flexible and a lot cheaper than traditional car rental. Particularly as we were all younger than 25. You’ll still have to pay the young driver surcharge, but it is a much lower fee than with big rental companies.

How Long Does Driving the Road to Hana Take?

To make the most of this stunning coastal road trip, you should set aside 2 days for your Road to Hana itinerary. This will allow you to take your time on the winding cliff-side road, and to explore each stop at a leisurely pace!

Many visitors spend only a day on the Road to Hana, but I don’t recommend this. Without spending a night in Hana, you must drive there and back all in the same day. This would take around 10-12 hours, and would put enormous time constraints on how long you can enjoy each checkpoint. There are also numerous hikes to do along the journey, and in only 1 day there simply would not be enough time for these! If you absolutely cannot spare more than 1 day, or if scenic coastal road trips aren’t your thing, then doing the journey in 1 day is better than nothing. However, a 2 day Road to Hana itinerary will mean you won’t have to rush. You’ll be able to properly enjoy one of Maui’s most incredible attractions!

Where to Stay for the Road Trip

A 2 day Road to Hana itinerary obviously means you’ll need to stay in two different places whilst on Maui. Your main accommodation, where you’ll stay for all but one night, and somewhere to stay for your 1 night in Hana. After a long day driving the Hana Highway you’ll be glad of somewhere to rest your head for the night!

For your main accommodation, I recommend staying in either Kahului or Lahaina. Lahaina is a vibrant town in the north-west of Maui. There is a lot to do there, and it’s a short distance away from many great beaches. Kahului, on the other hand, is a great central location on the island. We stayed in the Northshore Hostel in Kahului. This was a great base for us to access the rest of Maui’s attractions. In Hana we stayed in the Hana Inn, formerly Joe’s Place, which we found on Airbnb. After the road trip, return to your original accommodation.

What to Bring for the Road Trip

  • A full tank – make sure your car is filled up before you begin the journey. Paia is the last place you’ll be able to fill up.
  • An offline map – phone signal and internet connection are not something you can rely on when driving the Road to Hana. Download your directions/map before the journey so that you can always access them. I personally used Google Maps on my phone, and flagged everything I wanted to see as ‘Want to Go’.
  • Hiking shoes – Keep your shoes within easy reach in the car. This is so you can throw them on whenever you reach a stop with a good hike. Also, have a carrier bag to put them in afterwards. This will help prevent your rental car from getting covered in mud!
  • Swimming costume – I recommend putting your swimming costume under your clothes that day. Then you’ll be ready to go for a dip at just a moment’s notice!
  • Plenty of water and snacks – It’s going to be a long, hot, adventurous day. You’ll need lots of energy to keep you going.
  • Cash – It’s better to be prepared and have cash on you for the journey. This will cover you in case of an emergency or lack of a card machine somewhere you stop.
  • Camera – You’ll definitely want to capture memories of this incredible road trip!

Where to Stop on the Road to Hana

Road Trip Day 1

Day 1 of our Road to Hana itinerary was spent driving the bulk of the journey. We stopped at almost every single point of interest. We hiked, grabbed lunch at a food truck, and went for a swim to cool off. After arriving in Hana in the early afternoon, we checked into our accommodation for the night. Then, we set off to find the much-anticipated red sand beach.

Paia

Officially, the famous journey begins in the small town of Paia, and takes you all the way to Hana on Maui’s east coast. Unless you’re staying in Paia, this will be the first stop along the way! This will be your last chance to fill up your car and pick up some snacks for while.

Ho’okipa Lookout Point

This lookout point offers a stunning view of Ho’okipa Beach, with the north of the island as a mountainous background. We stopped for a little while to enjoy the view and watch some surfers (who had clearly had some practice!).

Twin Falls Waterfall Hike

The Twin Falls Waterfall Hike was the first noticeably popular stop we came to on our Road to Hana itinerary. That being said, don’t let the busy car park put you off! The crowds of people seemed to disperse once we were inside the gate. We made our way to one of the falls, with a fair bit of stream-crossing along the walk. Not to mention the humidity – make sure you bring plenty of water!

Kaumahina State Wayside

Quite simply a lookout point on the side of the road. It has a good view, but there are plenty of better views to be had along the Road to Hana!

Honomanu Beach

Honomanu Beach is a small, rural beach of black pebbles tucked away at the bottom of a valley. You can park at the side of the road and walk down to the beach. Alternatively, you can attempt to drive the rugged narrow road leading to it if you have a 4×4 vehicle.

Keanae Lookout

Another quick lookout point to add to your Road to Hana itinerary!

Ching’s Pond

Ching’s Pond is a beautiful blue pool – the perfect spot for swimming if you need to cool off. Parking spots along the side of the road can be difficult to come across as it’s so popular!

Halfway to Hana Sign

At the Halfway to Hana sign you’ll also find a rest stop with a cafe if you fancy a snack.

Wailua Valley State Wayside

Shock, another scenic viewpoint! 😉

Upper Waikani Falls

This stop is another popular place to go for a dip, in a swimming hole surrounded by three large waterfalls.

Pua’a Ka’a State Wayside

Pua’a Ka’a is another waterfall and swimming hole stop – with the added luxury of toilets and picnic benches!

Hanawi Falls

Hanawi Falls was the next stop on our Road to Hana itinerary. However, by this point we weren’t stopping for every single waterfall. As you’ve probably gathered, waterfalls are in abundance along this highway. You might prefer to save your energy for other, more scenic stops. It can be equally as nice to just enjoy the drive for a while.

Wai’anapanapa State Park

Wai’anapanapa State Park is home to the gorgeous Honokalani black sand beach. This beach is very popular and gets crowded as it’s so beautiful, but I wouldn’t advise this spot for swimming. The beach has a steep drop-off into the ocean and its’ currents are known for being strong. There’s also a sea arch here, for those wishing to see some interesting lava rock formations.

Kaihalulu Red Sand Beach

Kaihalulu Beach is pretty special as its the only red sand beach on Maui, and one of only seven in the whole world! The beach can be accessed by a short hike from Uakea Road, which takes around 10 minutes. The hike is relatively easy, so long as the trail is dry and weather conditions are good. That being said, the trail has steep drop offs into the ocean and is very narrow in most places. Take your time on the path, and wear proper shoes rather than flip flops or sandals to avoid tripping.

It goes without saying that Kaihalulu Beach is a must-do for your Road to Hana itinerary! The beach is conveniently located in Hana, making this a great way to finish off an adventure-packed day 1. We checked into our accommodation before setting off to find the beach. This meant we had no time pressure and could spend a couple of hours taking in this unique location.

Road Trip Day 2

After an amazing end to day 1 of our Road to Hana itinerary, we had an early night. Many people assume that Hana is the last note-worthy stop on the Hana Highway. However, there are in fact a number of great spots to explore if you continue on the road after Hana. I recommend setting aside a few hours to complete a hike. We followed the Pipiwai Trail to Waimoku Falls, before setting off on the drive back to our base on Maui.

Ae’s Thai Kitchen Food Truck

As you can probably guess from the name, here they serve up delicious freshly cooked Thai food. The truck is located in Hana on East Maui, and has a big selection of dishes on the menu. They’re also very affordable, vegan-friendly, and you can choose your spice level. The dish pictured below is their Tofu Drunken Noodles. Yum!

Wailua Falls

Though you may well have had enough of waterfall stops by now, this one is thankfully a little different. The impressive Wailua Falls cascades approximately 80 feet down a rock face into the pool below. It’s surrounded by beautiful greenery and is a beautiful place to cool off with a swim.

Pools at ‘Ohe’o

The Pools at ‘Ohe’o are a collection of pools and waterfalls on East Maui. They’re also known as the Seven Sacred Pools (though there are more than seven). This is certainly one of the most popular spots along the Road to Hana. Unsurprisingly it gets very crowded with tourists wanting to swim and cliffjump into the pools. Visit the pools earlier in the day to enjoy them before the swarms of people arrive.

Pipiwai Trail Hike

The Pipiwai Trail is a hike leading to the impressive Waimoku Falls. It is a 4 mile round trip in total. The trail has around 800 feet of elevation gain, and even passes through a bamboo forest along the way. It does starts off pretty steep, but it gets easier as you go along. However, make sure you bring plenty of water – you will sweat! This was probably the most humidity we experienced on a hike in our whole month backpacking Hawaii. In total the entire hike took around 2 hours, and was relatively quiet considering how amazing it was. The Pipiwai Trail hike was the perfect stop to end this road trip on a high before heading back west. This is absolutely something to add to any Road to Hana itinerary!

Final Tips for the Road to Hana

  • Take your time – Drive safely, and pay attention to where to stop to give way to oncoming traffic. The highway is narrow, but not to be feared!
  • Continue on past Hana – After the Pipiwai Trail hike is when most turn around to drive the highway back to Paia. However, we decided to continue down along the south coast of Maui. This road is much rougher and narrower, and takes a lot longer because of this. Quite honestly, I’m not sure what you should do if you come across a car coming towards you on this section of road. But luckily, we didn’t have to face this scenario. Though a little scary, this road is so worth it if you want to see the entirety of Maui. The landscape on this route gradually becomes very different from the gorgeous and green Hana Highway.

I hope you’ve found my 2 day Road to Hana itinerary helpful with planning your own Maui adventure! If you’re interested, check out my other Hawaii blog posts below:

Thanks for reading!

Abbey x