Things to do · Maui · United States
16 best things to do in Maui
16 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: 293.xx.xxx.xx, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Maui are Haleakalā summit sunrise, Road to Hāna and Waiʻānapanapa State Park. Of the 16 picks below, 7 are free, 1 work on a rainy day and 6 suit children. Allow about 7 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Haleakalā summit sunrise
- Free sights
- 7
- Good on a rainy day
- Maui Ocean Center
- Time to see the highlights
- 7 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haleakalā summit sunrise | Haleakalā National Park | Half a day including the drive | Low cost |
| Road to Hāna | East Maui | Full day | Free |
| Waiʻānapanapa State Park | Hāna | 1–2 hours | Low cost |
| Molokini Crater snorkelling | South Maui | Half a day | Expensive |
| Humpback whale watching | Māʻalaea and South Maui | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Keoneheʻeheʻe (Sliding Sands) Trail | Haleakalā National Park | 3–5 hours | Low cost |
| Pīpīwai Trail and Waimoku Falls | Kīpahulu | 2–3 hours | Low cost |
| Kāʻanapali Beach and Black Rock | Kāʻanapali | Half a day | Free |
| Honolua Bay | Kapalua and Nāpili | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Hoʻokipa Beach Park | Pāʻia and the North Shore | 1 hour | Free |
| Wailea Beach Path | Wailea | 1 hour | Free |
| Mākena Big Beach (Oneloa) | Wailea | 2–3 hours | Low cost |
| Maui Ocean Center | Māʻalaea | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Upcountry farms and ʻUlupalakua | Upcountry (Makawao and Kula) | Half a day | Low cost |
| Pāʻia town | Pāʻia and the North Shore | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Keālia Pond National Wildlife Refuge | Kīhei | 45 minutes–1 hour | Free |
The 16 best things to do
Viewpoint · Haleakalā National Park
1.Haleakalā summit sunrise
From the summit of Haleakalā at about 3,055 metres, sunrise lights up a sea of clouds and the reddish cinder cones of the vast summit depression. The drive up from Kīhei or Kula takes about 1.5–2 hours in the dark. Temperatures at the top are often near freezing before dawn.
Bring warm layers, a hat and gloves; if you miss sunrise, sunset and stargazing at the summit are equally striking and need no reservation.
- Time needed
- Half a day including the drive
- Cost
- Low cost
- Book ahead
- Sunrise visits require an advance vehicle reservation from the National Park Service on top of the park entrance fee; book as soon as your dates are set.
- Iconic
- Views
- Nature
- Photo spot
- Couples
Experience · East Maui
2.Road to Hāna
The Hāna Highway winds about 85 km from Kahului to Hāna through rainforest with more than 600 bends and dozens of one-lane bridges. Stops include the Keʻanae Peninsula's lava coast, roadside banana-bread stands, the Garden of Eden arboretum and waterfalls such as Wailua Falls.
Leave by 7am, fill the tank in Pāʻia, pull over to let locals pass, and never park in or walk along the narrow road.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Nature
- Photo spot
- Outdoors
Beach · Hāna
3.Waiʻānapanapa State Park
Just north of Hāna, this park has Pāʻiloa, a black-sand beach framed by green vegetation, along with lava sea arches, blowholes, freshwater caves and a coastal trail across old lava. Swimming is often unsafe because of strong currents.
Walk the coastal trail south from the beach for sea arches and fewer people.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Book ahead
- Non-resident visitors need an advance entry and parking reservation for a specific time slot.
- Iconic
- Nature
- Photo spot
- Outdoors
Island · South Maui
4.Molokini Crater snorkelling
A crescent-shaped, partly sunken volcanic crater about 5 km off the south coast, protected as a marine life conservation district. Clear water and coral inside the crescent attract reef fish, and snorkel boats leave Māʻalaea Harbor and Kīhei early each morning.
Book the earliest departure, when the sea is calmest; many trips add a second stop at a turtle site.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Book ahead
- Reserve a day or more ahead in winter and on holidays; trips may be cancelled for wind.
- Iconic
- Kids
- Nature
- Active
Experience · Māʻalaea and South Maui
5.Humpback whale watching
From about December to April, thousands of North Pacific humpback whales come to Hawaiian waters to breed and calve, and the shallow channel off Maui's west and south coasts is one of the best places to see them. Cruises leave Māʻalaea and Kāʻanapali, and whales are often visible from shore.
Look for spouts from McGregor Point lookout on the road between Māʻalaea and the west side; the peak is January to March.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Kids
- Nature
- Couples
Nature · Haleakalā National Park
6.Keoneheʻeheʻe (Sliding Sands) Trail
This trail drops from the summit visitor centre into the cinder desert of Haleakalā's crater, past rust, ochre and black cinder cones and rare silversword plants. A few kilometres in and back makes a strenuous half-day; the climb out at high altitude takes about twice as long as the descent.
Start in the morning, carry plenty of water and sun protection, and turn back while you still have energy for the climb.
- Time needed
- 3–5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Active
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Views
Nature · Kīpahulu
7.Pīpīwai Trail and Waimoku Falls
In the Kīpahulu district of Haleakalā National Park, south of Hāna, this roughly 6 km round-trip trail climbs past a giant banyan and through a dense bamboo forest on boardwalks to Waimoku Falls, which drops about 120 metres down a sheer rock wall. The same park pass covers the summit.
Allow 2–3 hours, wear shoes that can get muddy, and check flash-flood warnings; streams rise quickly in heavy rain.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Active
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Beach · Kāʻanapali
8.Kāʻanapali Beach and Black Rock
Kāʻanapali's long golden beach is backed by a paved walkway past the resorts. At its northern end, the lava headland of Puʻu Kekaʻa (Black Rock) has easy snorkelling with turtles and reef fish, and a torch-lighting and cliff-dive ceremony is held there at sunset.
Snorkel Black Rock in the morning when the water is calmer, then come back for the sunset ceremony.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Couples
- After dark
Nature · Kapalua and Nāpili
1.Honolua Bay
A rocky bay in a marine life conservation district north of Kapalua, reached by a short trail through a shady forest. In calm summer conditions it has some of West Maui's best snorkelling over coral and boulders; in winter, big swells make it a renowned surf break best watched from the cliffs.
Enter from the rocky shore carefully, and only snorkel when the water is flat; skip it after heavy rain, when visibility drops.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Active
- Outdoors
Beach · Pāʻia and the North Shore
2.Hoʻokipa Beach Park
Just east of Pāʻia, Hoʻokipa is a world-famous windsurfing and kitesurfing spot, with surfers in the mornings and windsurfers in the afternoon trade winds. Hawaiian green sea turtles haul out on the sand in the late afternoon, and the lookout above the park is ideal for photos.
Watch from the lookout or the beach rather than swimming; keep a respectful distance from resting turtles.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Photo spot
- Kids
Waterfront · Wailea
3.Wailea Beach Path
A paved coastal path of about 2.5 km linking Wailea's resort beaches — Ulua, Wailea and Polo among them — through native plant gardens, with lava headlands and views of Kahoʻolawe and Molokini. In winter, whales breach offshore.
Walk it at sunrise before the heat, or at sunset with a drink at one of the resort bars at the end.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Couples
- Views
- Outdoors
Beach · Wailea
4.Mākena Big Beach (Oneloa)
In Mākena State Park, Big Beach is about 1 km of undeveloped golden sand backed by kiawe trees, with a cinder cone at its northern end. It is one of the most beautiful beaches on the island, but the shorebreak is powerful and causes many injuries.
Body-surf only if you are experienced; on rough days, enjoy it from the sand and swim at the calmer Wailea beaches.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Photo spot
- Couples
- Outdoors
Aquarium · Māʻalaea
5.Maui Ocean Center
An aquarium at Māʻalaea Harbor dedicated to Hawaiian marine life, with live coral reef exhibits, a turtle lagoon and an open-ocean tank crossed by a walk-through acrylic tunnel where sharks and rays pass overhead.
Visit on a windy afternoon or a rainy day; it pairs well with a morning boat trip from the same harbour.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
Experience · Upcountry (Makawao and Kula)
6.Upcountry farms and ʻUlupalakua
A loop through Upcountry passes lavender fields and protea farms in Kula, farm stands selling Kula onions and strawberries, and ʻUlupalakua Ranch, where MauiWine pours wines in a historic tasting room. The paniolo town of Makawao has galleries and a long-running bakery.
Combine it with a Haleakalā sunset rather than sunrise, so you drive the farm roads in daylight.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- Views
- Couples
- Off the beaten path
Neighbourhood · Pāʻia and the North Shore
7.Pāʻia town
Pāʻia's main street of wooden plantation-era shopfronts is filled with surf shops, boutiques, cafés and fish restaurants, and it is the last full-service stop before the Road to Hāna. Baldwin Beach Park is just west of town.
Stop for breakfast and fuel here at dawn on your way to Hāna, or come back in the evening for dinner.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Food
- Shopping
Nature · Kīhei
8.Keālia Pond National Wildlife Refuge
A coastal wetland at the northern end of Kīhei where a boardwalk over the dunes looks across ponds used by endangered Hawaiian stilts and coots. A visitor centre explains the refuge, and the shore beside it is a nesting area for hawksbill turtles.
Visit early in the morning for birds and cooler air; the boardwalk is on North Kīhei Road.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes–1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Kids
- Off the beaten path
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Views | Haleakalā summit sunrise, Keoneheʻeheʻe (Sliding Sands) Trail, Wailea Beach Path and Upcountry farms and ʻUlupalakua |
| Outdoors and nature | Haleakalā summit sunrise, Road to Hāna, Waiʻānapanapa State Park and Molokini Crater snorkelling |
| Food and markets | Upcountry farms and ʻUlupalakua and Pāʻia town |
| After dark | Kāʻanapali Beach and Black Rock |
| With children | Molokini Crater snorkelling, Humpback whale watching, Kāʻanapali Beach and Black Rock and Hoʻokipa Beach Park |
| On a rainy day | Maui Ocean Center |
What to book ahead
- Haleakalā summit sunrise: Sunrise visits require an advance vehicle reservation from the National Park Service on top of the park entrance fee; book as soon as your dates are set.
- Waiʻānapanapa State Park: Non-resident visitors need an advance entry and parking reservation for a specific time slot.
- Molokini Crater snorkelling: Reserve a day or more ahead in winter and on holidays; trips may be cancelled for wind.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Maui?
Haleakalā summit sunrise. From the summit of Haleakalā at about 3,055 metres, sunrise lights up a sea of clouds and the reddish cinder cones of the vast summit depression.
+What can you do for free in Maui?
Road to Hāna, Kāʻanapali Beach and Black Rock, Honolua Bay, Hoʻokipa Beach Park and Wailea Beach Path. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Maui when it rains?
Head indoors to Maui Ocean Center.
+What is there to do in Maui at night?
Kāʻanapali Beach and Black Rock are best after dark.