The Ultimate Maui Travel Guide
Maui is a top destination on most peoples bucket lists…and for good reason! We did not know what to expect with our first trip to Hawaii, but what we can say is -it is not over-hyped! We were simply blown away with our two weeks spent in Maui and have shared all of our experiences below.
Start off by checking out at least the beginning of our first video below for travel information in 2021.
2021 Hawaii Travel Restrictions + West Maui Road Trip
Top Things to do in Maui
For any trip, it’s important to prioritize your time. Without getting mixed into the longer list below we wanted to make sure you don’t leave Maui without doing the following-these are absolute MUST DO ESSENTIALS. If you need more convincing, come along with us in the below video to see for yourself.
Top 5 things to do in Maui
Sunrise at Haleakala National Park (below video)
Hiking at Iao Valley (below video)
Whale watching (during season) (below video)
Watching (or jumping!) Black Rock on Kaanapali Beach (above video)
Stop at the sights along the Road to Hana (below video)
Does maui live up to the hype (top things to do)
The Road to Hana
If you’ve done any research at all for your trip, you’ve probably heard of the road to Hana. If you’re wondering what this is, it’s more about all of the things there are do see along this route. In short- the journey is the destination. The Road to Hana is filled with so many of the “top things to do in Maui” it deserves it’s own section here - as well as it’s own video!
All the sights along the road to Hana are too much to do/see in one day. We tackled this experience by renting a rooftop camper jeep off Airbnb and found a place to camp near Hana (also found on Airbnb. There aren’t very many. Book as early as possible. Link not available). That allowed for us to be the first in the morning to arrive at the black sand beach and essentially have it for ourselves!
There are many zoning rules in Hana against airbnb properties.
It has been restricted during the pandemic, but hopefully camping at the state park is available and you are able to book a reservation to stay the night at Waianapanapa State Park.
If you don’t have much time or aren’t able to find accommodation near Hana, you might consider visiting some of the first stops along the way like Twin Falls and the Garden of Eden on a different day (since there are near the beginning of the route) then on your long drive day you can blow right past them.
THE Road to hana
Unforgettable Experiences in Maui
Thanks to all of you, we have a wonderful curated list of so many amazing things to do in Maui. On our first day on the island we asked you on an Instagram poll all of the things you recommend we do - and we got over 100 incredible responses! Now, even luckier if you’ve found this article, we’ve consolidated them down here so you can get the most out of your upcoming trip.
We’re so lucky to have such an awesome community to help us travel plan! Join us over on Instagram if you’re not yet part of the party.
Top Maui Experiences - According to You!
Best places to eat in maui
*Grab these table reservations now! We missed out on a few because we didn’t have dinner reservations weeks in advance!
Mama’s Fish House (seen in video 5)
Koiso Sushi, Kehei
Grand Wailea Luau
Jawz Fish Taco Truck
Monkey Pod for a Mai Tai (seen in video 1)
Maui Winery
Maui Brewing Co - Happy hour
Breakfast at The Gazebo
Poke from Foodland grocery store
Joey’s Kitchen
Star Noodle (we did not like the food here -bleh!)
Try an Acai bowl
Try Hawaii Shave Ice
Joey’s Kitchen
Pa’ia Fish Market (Eat a Mahi sandwich here as often as you can)
Best things to do in Maui
Helicopter ride (seen in video 5)
Ziplining
Snorkel Molokini Crater
Tour Maui Gold Pineapple Plantation
Rum Distillery
Waihee Ridge Trail
Kayak with whales
Take the ferry to Lana’i
Napoil Beach
Bike down from Haleakala
Trilogy cruise to Lana’i
Take surf lessons (Maui Surfer Girls)
Big Beach (one of our favorites!)
Little Beach
Lavender Farm
Kaanapali Beach & Black Rock
Paia Town (wasn’t our favorite)
Shopping in Lahaina (seen in video 1)
..and of course all of the other must-see sights along the Road to Hana - below
Top sights along the road to hana (in sequential order)
We used GyPSy Guides (app) that navigated us along the route, narrated things to see along the way and gave us a great history lesson about Maui! We would 100% recommend, this added so much to our road trip.
Watch surfers from Ho’okipa Lookout
Twin Falls
Bamboo Forest (if you are hiking Pipiwai trail you can skip this)
Rainbow Trees
Garden of Eden Arboretum
Hana Lava Tube
Wai’anapanapa State Park - Black Sand Beach
Food Trucks in Hana
Kaihalulu Beach
Hamoa Beach
Wailua Falls
The Pools at Ohe’o
Pipiwai Trail (along this hike is one of the most incredible bamboo forests that goes on for a mile!)
Tallest Sea Cliffs in the World (Moloka’i)
If you get the opportunity, this was the best thing we did in Maui. Riding on a doors-off helicopter tour is one of my new favorite travel memories! In the episode below you can also come along with us to dinner to Mama’s Fish House.
What to Pack for Maui
Waking up to 10,000ft with ice on the ground, kayaking with whales, hiking through the rainforest and sipping mai tais on the beach? How in the world can all of this fit into one suitcase?!
It is true, we did need to pack for about 4 different climates for our trip to Maui-with a puffy jacket for the 30 degrees sunrise at Haleakala, bathing suits, hiking boots and rain gear! Although if you know us, you know our passion is packing for trips to have the most appropriate gear. That way, time at the destination can be all about the experience and less stress about being uncomfortable.
Maui Packing List
Packable Puffy Jacket - wear your Haleakala Sunrise Outfit on the plane to save space and stay warm!
Rain Jacket
Hiking shoes built for mud/water (a durable water shoe will work as long as it’s comfortable for a longer hike)
Sandals
Breathable clothing - avoid cotton and stick with moisture wicking materials
An athletic bathing suit
A resort-wear bathing suit
A nice dinner outfit
A day-out outfit - think walking the shops in 75 degrees
A hiking outfit - think it might rain + stepping over branches. I’d recommend pants for leg protection against plants.
A casual day bag - think walking the shops or going to dinner
A hiking daypack - try our Tripped Daypack in the two new colors we launched in Hawaii - Island Blue and Orchid Purple
How can you fit all of this in one bag? Compression cubes of course!