With kids · Maui · United States
Maui with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Boydsk2000, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Maui works well for families: calm summer beaches, turtles on the reefs, an aquarium, whale cruises in winter and condos with kitchens. Long drives can be tiring for young children, so pick one or two big excursions and keep the rest of the trip near the beach. Top picks: Maui Ocean Center, Kāʻanapali Beach and Black Rock and Humpback whale watching. Families usually base themselves in Kāʻanapali.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 6
- Best area for families
- Kāʻanapali
- Rainy-day options
- 1
- Busiest months
- July and December–February
Best things to do with kids
Aquarium · Māʻalaea
1.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
Beach · Kāʻanapali
2.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
Experience · Māʻalaea and South Maui
3.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
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
Beach · Pāʻia and the North Shore
5.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
Nature · Kīhei
6.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
Rainy-day ideas
- Maui Ocean Center — Visit on a windy afternoon or a rainy day; it pairs well with a morning boat trip from the same harbour.
Where families should stay
$$$$ · Best for first-timers, families, beach and luxury
Kāʻanapali
Kāʻanapali has large resort hotels and condos along about 5 km of sand, joined by a paved beach walk, with Whalers Village shopping centre and Black Rock's snorkelling at the northern end. Sunsets face Lānaʻi and Molokaʻi. It is about 45–60 minutes' drive from Kahului airport.
- Good
- Walkable resort strip with restaurants; Calm summer swimming and good snorkelling; Sunset views across the channel
- Watch out
- Long drive to Haleakalā and Hāna; Resort and parking fees add up
- Nearby
- Black Rock, Kāʻanapali Beach, Honolua Bay, Kapalua
Family travel tips
- Kamaʻole Beach Parks in Kīhei have lifeguards and calmer water for children.
- The Haleakalā summit is cold and at high altitude; consider sunset rather than a 3am wake-up with young kids.
- Bring reef-safe sunscreen and rash guards; Hawaiʻi bans some chemical sunscreens.
- Pack motion-sickness remedies for the Road to Hāna and boat trips.
- Choose a condo with a pool and kitchen in Kīhei or Kāʻanapali for space and lower costs.
When to go with children
The best months overall are April–May and September–October. July and December–February are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Maui good for kids?
Maui works well for families: calm summer beaches, turtles on the reefs, an aquarium, whale cruises in winter and condos with kitchens. Long drives can be tiring for young children, so pick one or two big excursions and keep the rest of the trip near the beach.
+What can kids do in Maui?
Maui Ocean Center, Kāʻanapali Beach and Black Rock, Humpback whale watching, Molokini Crater snorkelling and Hoʻokipa Beach Park.
+Where should families stay in Maui?
Kāʻanapali: Planned resort strip on West Maui's main beach with a shoreline walkway.