How to experience Maui's most iconic drive
The Road to Hana is 64 miles of waterfalls, rainforest, and coastline. Should you drive yourself or take a guided tour? We break down both options.
Driving the Road to Hana yourself gives you complete control over your stops, timing, and pace. Start early (by 7:00 AM) to beat traffic, fill up at Pa'ia, and download an offline guide app. The entire drive is about 2.5 hours without stops, but plan for a full 10-12 hour day to enjoy it properly.
The upside of self-driving is the ability to linger at spots that captivate you and skip ones that don't. The downside is navigating 620 curves and 59 one-lane bridges while trying to enjoy the scenery. The driver will miss much of the view, so consider rotating drivers or accepting that one person is making a sacrifice for the team.
Guided Hana tours let everyone in your group enjoy the scenery while a knowledgeable driver-guide handles the road. Guides share stories, history, and legends at each stop that you would never discover on your own. Most tours include lunch, snacks, and entrance fees.
Small group tours in vans (8-12 passengers) offer the best experience, with intimate narration and the flexibility to make unscheduled stops. Larger bus tours are more affordable but feel more rushed and cannot access some of the narrower stops along the route.
Twin Falls (mile marker 2): An easy hike to a swimming waterfall. Garden of Eden Arboretum (mile marker 10): Curated gardens with sweeping views. Ke'anae Peninsula (mile marker 16): Dramatic lava rock coastline. Wai'anapanapa State Park: Black sand beach and sea caves (reservations required). Pools of 'Ohe'o (Pipiwai Trail): Bamboo forest and 400-foot Waimoku Falls.
The stretch beyond Hana town heading south toward Kipahulu is where some of the most dramatic scenery lives. Many self-drivers turn around at Hana, but the Pipiwai Trail to Waimoku Falls is arguably the single best hike on Maui.