The 19 Best Road To Hana Stops For The Perfect Road To Hana Itinerary

When I started researching what to do in Maui, I noticed that everyone recommended the Road To Hana. I love road trips, so I was so excited to explore all the Road To Hana stops. When I started researching the activities, I began to get even more excited! There are waterfalls, beaches, great food stands, rainforests, and so much more! After finally getting to experience it all, I have listed the best stops on the Road To Hana! I even list things to pack and have some helpful tips on having a perfect time.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click one of them, I may receive a small commission (for which I am very grateful for) at no extra cost to you. 

Tips For Driving On The Road To Hana

• Bring bug spray! There are many mosquitos.
• Bring cash if you want to buy fruit along the road.
• Get a full tank of gas before heading out.
• Always let the locals pass you. Do not block traffic.
• Do not leave valuables in the car. Break-ins are known to happen a lot.
• It rains every day on the road to Hana.
• Try not to do illegal activities. Some spots are known to go through private property. Respect the locals and the laws.
• You can read more tips here.

How Many Days Do You Need To Do The Road To Hana In Maui

Ok, so if you want to do the best parts of the Road to Hana, then I recommend two days. One day is not enough. The road is just so long and windy, and it takes forever to drive it even if you never stop. I highly recommend doing the western side of the road and staying at Hana for one night and then doing the Kīpahulu area on the second day (the most eastern side of Maui).

But I know it might not be possible to do two nights, so some of the best areas to stop in one day are:

Where To Stay In Hana

• Kailani Suite at hana Kai Resort : They have a nice deck, and it is very close to the beach. >>>Check Prices Here
• Hana-Maui Resort, a Destination by Hyatt Residence: This place is amazing! They have bungalows and an infinity pool. >>>Check Prices Here

How Long Is The Road To Hana

The Road To Hana is 64.4 miles long, and it connects the town of Kahului to Hana. It then continues to Kipahulu as Hawaii Route 31.

This road features waterfalls, beaches, cute towns, hikes, lovely greenery, and great food. It is one of the best things to do in Maui, and you can usually do it in a day or two.

Where To Start Road To Hana

The Road to Hana starts in Kipahulu and ends in Kaupo on Maui.

Should I Buy A Road To Hana App?

Yes! We ended up buying an app for $16, and I felt like it was worth it. The app gave us the history of the different areas and would tell us where and when to stop. It is possible to do it without it, though. You can always download the Google Map I have below, but make sure to print it, as service can be spotty. Here is the app we used.

Read More: The Perfect 5 Day Maui Itinerary

Road To Hana Map

What To Pack for The Road To Hana Stops

• Sunscreen: Super important, and it is part of the ten essentials!   >Buy Sunscreen
• Mosquito Spray: There were so many bugs! >Buy Some Here
• Chapstick: This one has SPF so your lips won’t get burned! >Check Out This Chapstick
• Hiking Sandals: These hiking sandals are amazing. >Buy Some Here
• Water: Stay nice and hydrated.
• Sunglasses: It can get pretty sunny! >Check Out These Sunglasses
• Snacks: The best snacks are jerky, nuts, and energy bars. >>>Check Out These Bars
• Camera: The Sony A6000 was one of the first cameras I started traveling with. The Sony A6000 is an excellent camera for people that want to start improving at travel photography.  >Buy Sony Camera Here
• First Aid Kit: This is one of the first things I bought when I first started going on adventures. It is super portable. >Buy This Awesome First Aid Kit Here
• Day Pack to carry all your things: To carry all your gear, water, and food, you need a good backpack. Osprey is known to have some of the best backpacks in the market. >Buy This Great Quality Backpack
• Breathable sweat-wicking shirts: Cotton shirts soak up your sweat when hiking, so make sure to wear something breathable. >Check out this awesome breathable shirt here.
• Sports Bra: For women. >Check This One Here
• Rain Jacket: There is a chance of showers! It did start raining when we were there.  >Check Out My Rain Jacket Here
• Tripod: This is an optional item, but it is excellent for getting the ideal sunset pictures. >Check out this tripod
• Bathing Suit: This is for sure needed! >Check This One Out
• Cover Up For Beach: >Check This One
• Dress: >Another Dress Here
• Sandals: >Cute Sandals Here
• Shorts: It can get pretty hot, so wearing shorts during hikes can help! >Check These Out

Best Stops On The Road To Hana Itinerary

Paia Town

Paia Town should be your first stop to get breakfast. Food can be a bit hard to find on the Road To Hana, so it is best to buy lunch here. We ended up getting breakfast from Hana Picnic Lunch company, and they even had boxed lunches. We got to the restaurant at 7 am. Baked on Maui is another restaurant that opens pretty early and has a good breakfast and lunch.

Ho’okipa Beach Park

This beach park is the first official stop on the Road To Hana and it is just beautiful. It is a world-renowned windsurfing destination and is a short/easy viewpoint.

Twin Falls

Twin Falls is one of the most iconic areas on the Road To Hana. The waterfalls here are so beautiful! You do have to pay for parking so bring cash. Also, there are two waterfalls. Most people only go to the first one that is very easy to access, but I recommend going to the other waterfall because it is stunning. The water is bright green, and you can also swim next to the waterfall. There are signs that the further waterfall is a challenging hike, but it felt more like a muddy but easy walk to me.

After exploring this area, stop at the smoothie stand and grab yourself a nice refreshing drink at the Twin Falls Farm Stand. It is located at the front of the park.

Huelo Lookout

What I liked about the stop was the food! So yummy! There is a food stand at the lookout, which is the main reason why people stop here. The coconut water was so yummy, and the coconut meat was good. You can get a smaller coconut with less meat and more water or a bigger coconut with more meat and less water.

The price for the coconut here is pretty reasonable compared to other areas of the island.

Garden Of Eden

This Arboretum showcases many of the best tropical vegetation of Maui. They have so much to see here! You don’t need to make reservations, and they are open from 8 am to 4 pm all week long. It does cost to go in, and the pricing is $20 (16 Years +), $10 (Ages 5 -16); Children 5 Years and Under are Free.

Ke’anae Arboretum

The Rainbow Eucalyptus tree is remarkable and unique! I was so excited to see a colorful tree trunk for the first time in my life. I was sad to see the trees were vandalized at the bottom with graffiti, so please reframe from doing that as it destroys the beauty of the trees.

I liked this stop because the trail was pretty short yet filled with many trees, flowers, and plants. Definitely stop here!

Ke’anae Peninsula

Before I came to Maui, I had heard so much about the famous Aunty Sandy’s banana bread. We stopped, bought one bread loaf per couple, and took it to the Keanae Lookout, where we had lunch. We snacked on the banana bread, and it was so good! We decided to buy more on the way back. It was the best banana bread I have ever had in my life. So yummy.

Ke’anae Peninsula is a great stop, not just because of the banana bread. The black rocks with the lush green mountains in the distance make this an excellent place for lunch, and there are even restrooms. There are no sandy beaches here, and it is pretty dangerous to swim here from what I can tell. But it is still a great place to relax and watch the waves crashing in.

Ke’anae has been a taro-producing Hawaiian village and was almost destroyed in 1946 when a tsunami created 35′ waves. There is so much history to this great peninsula.

Keanae Valley Overlook

After having lunch at Keanae Peninsula and heading east, make sure you stop and take a photo at the Keanae Valley Overlook. The views are breathtaking, and the images do not do it justice.

Upper Waikani Falls/ 3 Bears

One of the best waterfalls on the Road To Hana is the Waikani Falls. This waterfall is located right next to the road, and it can be a little challenging to find parking. But if you don’t want to deal with the parking, you can take a quick photo of the waterfall while driving, which is what we did.

Wailua Iki Falls

The Wailua Iki waterfalls are one of the lesser-known waterfalls On The Road To Hana. The trail is only 0.8 miles to get to the falls, and it is a great swimming hole. Bring good shoes as it can get pretty muddy.

Pua’a Ka’a State Wayside Park

This park is a great place to stop if you are looking for a swimming hole. There are several picnic tables and waterfalls.

Hanawi Falls

Hanawi Falls looked like a magical oasis. I regret not getting into the water because it did look refreshing. Parking is a pain here as well, but possible.

Hana Lava Tube

I LOVE exploring caves! So when we had a chance to explore one of the lava tubes on the island, we took it! This is an extremely short cave experience but well worth it, and it is located just after mile marker 23. You might miss this stop if you aren’t paying attention.

The parking is on the side of the road, and the cave looks like a hole in the wall. It is pretty easy to miss. We were a little sketched out going into the cave, mainly because we had to crouch into the cave. But we are so glad we did. The tube was pretty short, and at the end, it opened up to an area with vines. It was very cool!

Nahiku Viewpoint and Wayside

The Nahiku Waypoint. One of the most underrated portions on the Road To Hana is this right here. The water here is a bright blue color. Also, there were not many people in this area compared to the rest of the Road To Hana. You do have to do a bit of walking to get here. The road is closed towards the end and you have to park in front of a church and walk over to the area. Don’t worry, the walk is pretty short. It is similar to Ke’anae Peninsula, but I liked this area more due to fewer crowds, and the color of the water was breathtaking.

Wai’anapanapa State Park

The most popular area of the whole Road To Hana is this beach right here: Waianapanapa State Park, AKA the black sand beach. Because it is so popular, it can get pretty crowded, so they have started a permit system. You can reserve a time here. You have to pay for every person and car and state the time you will be there.

I picked the 3 pm time, which is fine if you are doing the Road To Hana in two days. If you are only doing the Road To Hana in one day, I suggest picking the 12 pm time slot to have more time for the Pipiwai Trail.

The state park is mainly known due to its black sand beach. The beach is pretty impressive with its black sand in contrast with the bright green trees and grass. It is magnificent. You can also see a blowhole, an arch, or you can just swim and relax on the beach. I can see why this place is so popular.

Read More: How to Plan a Trip to Hawaii

Hana Town

Hana Town is the best place to stop for food! We ate here for dinner and they also had many food trucks, and restaurants. One of the most popular places to eat is Thai Food By Pranee. You can also stay in town for the night so that your trip on the Road to Hana is more relaxed.

Hamoa Beach

Hamoa Beach is one of the best beaches to swim in. The Hotel Hana Maui maintains it. It is one of the few places on the Road To Hana where you can relax and watch surfers surf. Currents can be strong, so be careful if you go boogie boarding.

Wailua Falls

Okay, out of all the roadside stop waterfall views, this is probably the best waterfall. Wailua Falls is so impressive! It is one of the most beautiful waterfalls on the road to Hana. Even better is that the parking here is pretty easy compared to the rest of the Road To Hana. This is definitely a place you need to stop.

Pipiwai Trail

The Pipiwai Trail is the best trail on the Road to Hana. There are bamboo trees and waterfalls! Even if you are not a hiker or plan on hiking you should definitely stop in this area. The Pools of ‘Ohe’o (aka Seven Sacred Pools) are at the trailhead and you don’t need to do any hiking to see.

If you are open to hiking definitely hike to Waimoku Falls! This is probably the most impressive waterfall on the road to Hana. But the trail is a little long (3.8 miles round trip and 908 elevation gain). Here is more information on the trail.

Final Thoughts On Best Stops On Road To Hana

Thank you for reading all about the best road to Hana itinerary. I had so much fun on the Hawaiian islands! Make sure to check out some of my other blog posts in the United States:

• 5–7 Day Kauai Itinerary
• The Perfect 5 Day Maui Itinerary
• How to Plan a Trip to Hawaii

Pin For Later: Road To Hana Best Stops