Last Updated on May 5, 2026 by Aram Vardanyan
Some travel experiences live up to the hype. The Road to Hana is one of them, but only if you go in with the right expectations.
I learned this the hard way on my first drive, arriving at the Hana town sign exhausted, mildly carsick, and somehow not having stopped at a single waterfall because I was too busy trying to keep up with traffic.
If you’re traveling to Maui last minute, you want to ensure you have lodging/tours ahead of time! Below are some of our top picks on the island!
🌴 Best tours and activities on Maui:
-
Molokini and Turtle Town snorkeling trip (#1 Maui bestseller!)
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Sunset cruise from Kaanapali (has an open bar!)
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Maui Nui Luau at the Sheraton in Kaanapali (top-rated luau!)
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Small group Road to Hana trip (much better than driving!)
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Haleakala sunrise tour (with breakfast!)
🛌 Places to stay in South Maui (Kihei/Wailea/Makena):
- Four Seasons Resort Wailea (ultimate luxury- White Lotus filming location!)
- Mana Kai Maui
- Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa (amazing pool area!)
🛌 Places to stay in West Maui (Lahaina/Kaanapali/Kapalua):
- The Westin Nanea Ocean Villas (in Ka’anapali)
- Napili Sunset Beach Front Resort
🚗 Traveling to Maui independently? Be sure to book your rental car ahead of time to ensure availability!
🏥 Looking for the best insurance for traveling to Hawaii? Click here to check Hawaii’s insurance rates with SafetyWing!
The second time, I did it right. This is everything I wish someone had told me. Explore my Road to Hana complete guide for top stops, tips, and hidden gems.
Contents
What Exactly Is the Road to Hana?
The Road to Hana follows the northeastern coastline of Maui, the second-largest Hawaiian island.
The Hana Highway is a 64.4-mile stretch of road that winds along Maui’s northeastern coastline from the town of Paia to the tiny, remote town of Hana.
What sounds like a simple point-to-point drive is actually one of the most dramatic pieces of road in the United States: 620 curves, 59 bridges, most of them single-lane and one-way, dense jungle canopy overhead, waterfalls appearing every few miles, and the Pacific Ocean crashing against black and red lava cliffs below you.
The highway is technically State Highway 360, but no one calls it that.
The drive to Hana itself takes between 2.5 and 4 hours without stopping. In practice, with stops at the places actually worth seeing, you should budget a full 8 to 10-hour day.
Most people drive it as a round trip from Kihei, Wailea, or Lahaina on the same day.
GOOD TO KNOW: If it’s your first time, I recommend returning the same way you came. The one-way back road — Piilani Highway (Highway 31) past Hana, is unpaved in sections, and most rental car companies specifically prohibit driving it in their contracts, so it’s best to play it safe.
Where to Start and When to Leave
Leave from your hotel by 7:00 AM at the absolute latest.
The road gets very busy by 9:00 AM, and some of the most popular pull-offs, Twin Falls, Wai’anapanapa State Park, and Ke’anae Peninsula, which is located on a lava peninsula jutting into the Pacific, 17 miles east of Paia, can become genuinely difficult to park at by late morning.
The earlier you go, the better the light is for photography anyway.
The highway begins at the edge of Paia, a small surf town about 7 miles, 20 minutes east of Kahului Airport (OGG). Stop here for coffee and something to eat before you start.
You will want fuel before the curves begin.
Several roadside stalls between Paia and Twin Falls sell the famous Maui banana bread, baked fresh in the morning. It is worth stopping for. This is not an exaggeration.
IMPORTANT TO KNOW: Road conditions on the back side (Piilani Highway) change frequently — check the latest updates on Hawaii-Guide before you go.
The Stops That Are Actually Worth It
- Twin Falls (Mile Marker 2) — The first major waterfall stop and a great introduction. Easy 10-minute walk on a flat path. There is a fruit stand at the entrance that sells fresh smoothies. Arrive early, and you will often have the lower falls almost to yourself.
- Garden of Eden Arboretum (Mile Marker 10) — A privately operated botanical garden with sweeping views over the coastline. It costs $15 per person, but the viewpoints over the water are genuinely spectacular.
- Ke’anae Peninsula (Mile Marker 17) — Pull over and walk down to the edge of the peninsula. You will see a centuries-old Hawaiian village with taro fields and a stone church, surrounded by raw lava coast—one of the most historically grounded stops on the entire drive.
- Wai’anapanapa State Park (just before Hana) — Black sand beach with jet-black volcanic sand against vivid turquoise water. Book a reservation in advance at hawaiistateparks.reserveamerica.com — $5 per person plus $10 parking. Do not skip this. GPS coordinates.
- Hana Town — Spend at least 45 minutes here. Eat at Braddah Hutts BBQ (cash only), walk down to Kaihalulu Red Sand Beach if the tide allows. This is the kind of Hawaiian town that barely exists anymore.
- Oheo Gulch / Seven Sacred Pools (11 miles past Hana) — Covered by your $35 Haleakala National Park pass. Pools cascade from the mountains to the sea. The Pipiwai Trail (Waimoku Falls) above the gulch leads through a bamboo forest to a 400-foot waterfall. Allow two hours for the full trail.
Road to Hana on The Map
What No One Tells You
The road back from Hana is the same road you just drove. There is no faster return route unless you take the back road, which, again, check your rental contract.
Leave Hana by 3:00 PM if you want to be back before dark.
Driving the Hana Highway at night is possible but genuinely unpleasant: narrow, unlit, and completely unfamiliar.
Fuel up in Paia before you leave. There is one gas station in Hana, and it is expensive.
Cell service disappears and reappears throughout the drive. Download offline Google Maps before you go. Bring motion sickness medication if anyone in your group is prone to it.
The curves are relentless.
Finally: do not race. The whole point of the Road to Hana is the road itself. Every pulloff, every fruit stand, every moment you stop and hear nothing but wind and water, that is the experience.
The best things on this drive are not the destination at the end. They are the small, unhurried moments in between.
Road to Hana Weather
The Road to Hana winds along Maui’s windward coast, where heavy rainfall is common year-round — keeping the landscape lush, green, and dramatically alive.
Temperatures are warm and steady, typically ranging from 65–80°F (18–27°C), though it can feel cooler in the rainforest sections.
Expect frequent showers, especially as you pass through waterfall-heavy stretches.
Mornings tend to offer the clearest skies, so an early start is always a good idea. Light rain gear or a compact umbrella is a must, no matter the season.
Road to Hana Quick Facts
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Paia, Maui — 20 min east of Kahului Airport (OGG) |
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Hana town — 64.4 miles from Paia |
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2.5–4 hrs one way without stops; 8–10 hrs with stops |
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May–September (drier on windward side) |
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Wai’anapanapa State Park — hawaiistateparks.reserveamerica.com |
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$35/vehicle — Haleakala NP pass (America the Beautiful valid) |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Road to Hana worth it?
Yes — but only if you leave early, stop often, and do not rush. Travelers who treat it as a race to Hana and back often leave underwhelmed. Treat it as a full immersive day, and it is one of the best things you can do in Hawaii.
How long does the Road to Hana take?
The drive is 2.5–4 hours one way. A full day, including Twin Falls, Ke’anae, Wai’anapanapa, Hana town, and Oheo Gulch, takes 8–10 hours.
Can you do the Road to Hana in one day?
Yes. Leave by 7:00 AM from Kihei or Wailea, return by the same road, and be back by 6:00–7:00 PM. Long but very manageable.
Do you need a 4WD for the Road to Hana?
No. The main Hana Highway is fully paved and accessible in any standard vehicle. The back road past Hana has unpaved sections and is prohibited by most rental car companies.
Where should I stay near Hana?
Hana-Maui Resort is the main accommodation in Hana. Staying overnight and exploring in the morning — before day-trip traffic arrives — is a far more peaceful experience.
