The Road to Hana gets all the buzz as Maui’s most famous drive (heck, it’s one of the most famous drives in the world!), but I’ve got one that you definitely don’t want to miss…

The Kahekili Highway circles the West Maui Mountains connecting Kapalua and Wailuku and some of Maui’s most rugged and beautiful terrain.

But I’ll be honest…this drive is not for the faint of heart. And I actually can’t recommend driving the full loop. I’ve done it twice, but it’s…INTENSE.

Here’s everything you need to know about the trip:

Driving the Kahekili Highway around West Maui

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As I said, this drive isn’t for the faint of heart or nervous/inexperienced drivers. The road is narrow, with blind curves, steep drop-offs, and sections where only one car can pass at a time.

But it isn’t ALL that bad.

I feel pretty comfortable saying that the drive from Kapalua clockwise around West Maui up to Kahakuloa Village is a must do for everyone.

This stretch of the Kahekili Highway is just about 15 miles, but there is sooooo much to see, and you’ll get to do the best part of the epic drive without doing the risky part.

From Kapalua to Kahakuloa, the road is a paved two-laned state highway with plenty of guard rails and pullouts. (The state highway actually ends just before you get to Kahakuloa, but I feel like it’s still fine to drive the last bit to get to the overlook before turning around).

Past that, I feel like it’s very much “at your own risk.” If you’re used to extreme mountain driving, you’ll be more comfortable but I would definitely recommend watching some YouTube videos so you know what you’re getting yourself into.

Stops along the Kahekili Highway

Here are my favorite places to stop along the part of the Kahekili Highway that I recommend everyone drives (going clockwise from Kapalua to Kahakuloa):

Slaughterhouse Beach

There are plenty of great beaches in West Maui, but this one has a pretty dramatic entrance. Parking is limited, but if you’re early enough you can snag one of the parking spots alongside the road and take the staircase down to the beach.

It feels a bit like a hidden secret.

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Honolua Bay

This is one of Maui’s most popular snorkeling spots. A lot of West Maui snorkeling tours make a stop here, but you can also snorkel out from the shore. It’s rocky though so the entry is a little tricky. Also, the walk from the road down to the bay is BEAUTIFUL.

Nakalele Blowhole

The Nakalele Blowhole is a natural geyser that shoots seawater high into the air creating a pretty dazzling display (especially when it creates a rainbow!). The blowhole is strongest at high tide or in high surf and it’s worth timing your visit for the right conditions otherwise you might not be able to see it very well (like in this photo haha).

The hike down to the blowhole is deceptively short but it’s a fairly steep climb back up. You can actually see the blowhole pretty well from a distance but be REALLY careful if you hike down closer. People have lost their lives getting too close either getting sucked down into the hole or washed out into the ocean by a rogue wave.

And yes, this is the spot where you used to be able to find the famous heart shaped rock, but sadly it was destroyed during a big storm a few years ago.

Olivine Pools

A few miles past the blowhole, there’s a small parking area leading to the Olivine Pools. These natural volcanic tide pools are filled with seawater and when the tide and surf are LOW, people like to swim in the pools. But be super careful because conditions can change in a minute.

Kahakuloa Head (Pu’u Koa’e) Overlook

This is the point where I usually turn around (it’s just a mile or two past the sign where the state highway ends). It’s probably the most iconic view from this drive.

Kahakuloa Village

If you want, you can drive down into the small village and stop for banana bread, shave ice, or to check out an art gallery. You can also do some hiking around Kahakuloa Head.

More Tips

***If you ARE going to drive the entire Kahekili Highway, you 100% need to drive it clockwise from Kapalua so you’ll be on the inside lane. When you get an open sight line, pay attention to how many cars are coming towards you and pull over where there’s space and wait for them all to pass. Since you’re on the inside lane, you’ll need to yield right of way to cars coming on the outside lane and you don’t want to have to back up to a pullout (the road is very steep in stretches).

The road is carved into the cliffside, and you’ll encounter numerous blind curves and one-lane sections. Drive slowly and honk your horn before entering blind corners to alert oncoming traffic.

Side Note: If you’re looking for a rental car for your trip, I LOVE Discount Hawaii Car Rentals. They’re seriously the only company I ever use. They’ll give you the very best prices, you don’t have to reserve with a credit card or pay until you show up, you can cancel and re-book anytime if you find a better rate, and they usually have a special that adds additional drivers for no fee. It’s a no brainer. Click here to check rates for your trip.

You don’t need 4WD for the full loop, but a smaller (shorter) car is definitely preferable over something like a van or suburban.

Make sure you have a full tank of gas when you leave the Kapalua area because you won’t pass another gas station.

And don’t expect any cell service once you’re a few miles past Kapalua so make sure you have a good idea of the route (there’s only one road ; ) and where you want to turn around.

Want to read more posts about Maui? I’ve got plenty!

Things You Can ONLY Do on Maui // 9 Things to SKIP on Maui // 4 Day Maui Itinerary // My Favorite Road to Hana Itinerary // Things to Do Upcountry // Tips for Sunrise at Haleakala National Park // Snorkeling Molokini Crater // Whale Watching

My Favorite Hotels on Maui // Where to Find Condos on Maui // Wailea vs Kaanapali // Every Resort in Wailea Ranked // Four Seasons Maui Review // Andaz Maui Review // Fairmont Kea Lani Review // Wailea Beach Resort Review // Four Seasons vs Andaz Maui // Andaz Maui vs Wailea Beach Resort

Best Restaurants in Wailea // Best Breakfast in Wailea & Kihei // Mama’s Fish House // Best Luaus in Wailea

My Favorite Things to Do in South Maui // Best Beaches in Wailea & Kihei // Road to Hana Tips // Driving the Backside of the Road to Hana // Where to See Turtles on Maui

Maui vs Kauai // Everything You Need to Know BEFORE you go to Maui

Here’s one more really important thing you need to know before your Hawaii trip…

Reservations You Need to Make BEFORE Your Hawaii Trip

You’ve got your airfare, hotel, rental car and your big activities booked, so you should be good to go, right? Wrong!

Travel is BOOMING in Hawaii so a lot of state and national parks used the closure and reopening to institute reservation systems at some of the island’s most popular spots to make things a little more sustainable.

That means that there are now over half a dozen sites (beaches, trailheads, etc.) that require advance reservations. And some sell out well before you arrive on the island so you really need to have some sort of a plan.

I recently saw somebody in a Hawaii travel group post in a panic that they didn’t know they had to make reservations for things in advance…they thought they could just show up and “go with the flow.” I was tempted to say, well, “as long as the flow doesn’t take you somewhere that requires reservations, you can!” ; )

But I don’t want YOU to be that person, so I’ve pulled together a list of all the places you need to reserve entry in advance (plus all the details on booking windows, price, links, etc.) and a handful of popular tourist hotspots that book out really far in advance too.

Haleakala National Park (Maui)

To visit Haleakala National Park for sunrise at the summit, you must make reservations in advance here.

Reservations are required to enter the park gates between 3AM and 7AM (sunrise hours).

Online reservations are $1 per reservation/vehicle PLUS you’ll pay the park entrance fee of $30/vehicle when you arrive (National Park annual passes are also accepted at the gate).

The reservation booking window opens 60 days in advance at 7AM HST. There are also a limited number of tickets released two days before.

You can make one reservation every three days with the same account. So if you want to make reservations for back to back days (in case of weather/conditions), you’ll need to do so with separate accounts (email addresses).

If you can’t get reservations for sunrise, you can enter the park anytime after 7AM without reservations. The summit is spectacular during the day and you don’t need reservations for sunset.

I strongly recommend creating an account before and making sure you’re logged in at 7AM HST because it’s not uncommon for reservations to sell out quickly.

Waianapanapa State Park (Maui)

To visit Maui’s famous black sand beach at Waianapanapa State Park on the Road to Hana, you must make reservations in advance here.

Reservations are required to visit the beach and are distributed in windows from 7AM-10AM, 10AM-12:30PM, 12:30PM-3PM, and 3PM-6PM. And they are pretty strict about exiting by the end of your window time (you can arrive anytime within your window).

It’s $5/person to enter plus $10/vehicle to park and those fees are paid when you book your time slot.

Reservations open up 30 days in advance.

Iao Valley State Park (Maui)

To visit the lush, green mountains and hike at Iao Valley State Park, you must make reservations in advance here.

Reservations are offered for 90 minute time slots beginning at 7AM and ending at 6PM. They ask that you arrive within the first 30 minutes of your time slot.

Entry is $5/person plus $10/vehicle to park.

Reservations open up 30 days in advance.

Diamond Head (Oahu)

To hike to the top of Waikiki’s famous Diamond Head, you must make reservations in advance here.

Reservations are offered in two hour increments beginning at 6AM (6AM-8AM, 8AM-10AM, etc.) and ending at 6PM. If you’re parking onsite, they ask that you arrive within the first 30 minutes of your reservation window.

Entry is $5/person plus $10/vehicle to park.

Reservations open up 30 days in advance.

Tip: I recommend booking one of the first two time slots because there isn’t much shade on this hike and it gets pretty hot.

Hanauma Bay (Oahu)

To snorkel at Oahu’s pristine Hanauma Bay, you must make reservations in advance here.

Entry times are staggered in 10 minute increments from 7AM to 1:20PM with roughly 1000 slots being assigned in advance every day.

Reservations can be made two days in advance and they open at 7AM HST. They’re usually gone in minutes (if not seconds).

If you’re unable to get an advanced reservation, you can try for a day of, walk in ticket. They open at 6:45AM and they only have a limited number available. Everyone in your group needs to be present when you purchase your tickets in person.

There are no reservations for parking and it’s first come, first serve. $3/vehicle.

It’s $25/person to snorkel at Hanauma Bay (12 and under, active military, and locals with HI ID are free).

The Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve is open Wednesday through Sunday (CLOSED MONDAY AND TUESDAY) from 6:45AM-4PM. Last entry is at 1:30PM, the beach is cleared at 3:15PM and you have to leave the facility by 4PM.

Jellyfish patterns can also affect whether or not the bay is open so double check the day before/day of.

USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor (Oahu)

If you want to take the boat tour at Pearl Harbor out to the USS Arizona, it’s recommended to make advance reservations here.

Online reservations are guaranteed a specific boarding time to go out to the USS Arizona. If you’re unable to get an advance reservation, you can wait standby when you arrive. The line could be short (15 minutes or so) or long (hours) and it just depends on the day (if they’re having problems with the loading dock sometimes they don’t take many from the standby line) and the time of day.

Reservations are supposed to open up 60 days in advance, but keep an eye on your exact dates, because lately they’ve actually been opening up about 57ish days in advance???

They also release a small batch of tickets the day before.

The boat ride out to the USS Arizona is free, but it’s $1 to make the reservations online.

They recently started charging $7/vehicle for parking at Pearl Harbor.

Haena State Park / Kalalau Trail (Kauai)

If you want to hike Kauai’s famous Kalalau Trail, you must make advance reservations here.
You’ve got three options here:

1) Parking & Entry: This is the most flexible option and also the most limited. THESE RESERVATIONS SELL OUT IN LESS THAN A MINUTE. There are three time slots available: 6:30AM-12:30PM, 12:30PM-5:30PM and 4:30PM to sunset. You can purchase multiple time slots if you want to stay longer. It’s $10/timeslot (parking) plus $5/person and you have to reserve every person when you initially book. Everybody has to arrive in the same car and your ID needs to match the reservation.

2) Shuttle & Entry: If you can’t get parking at the trailhead, there’s also a shuttle option. Shuttle reservations are $35/person (16+), $25/person (ages 4-15), 3 and under can ride free. The shuttle runs every 20 minutes 6:20AM to 6:40PM.

3) Entry Only: If you’re a Hawaiian resident (with HI ID) or someone WITH a Hawaiian resident, you can purchase entry only for $5/person with no advance reservations. Also, if you’re walking or biking to the trailhead you can do this option. But there is NOWHERE to park in the area to walk in. So this really only works for those with bikes or who are staying close enough to walk. They will tow your car if you park outside the designated areas.

The reservation window opens 30 days in advance at 12AM HST. The parking & entry option usually sells out in a minute, but the shuttle availability will last longer.

There are a TON of FAQs here including the possibility of snagging a canceled reservation.

Other Things to Book in Advance

Hawaii is a busy place these days! Besides the state and national parks above, here’s a handful of miscellaneous things you should make reservations for in advance (if they’re on your radar):

Mama’s Fish House (Maui): The iconic spot is the most popular restaurant in Hawaii and dinner reservations usually start filling up about 6 months in advance (they open up bookings 18 months in advance). Make reservations through their website and if the dates you want are already booked, you can join a waitlist. Most people have pretty good success getting in on the waitlist (even if it’s for lunch).

Old Lahaina Luau (Maui): Honestly, any luau you’re planning to attend you should book early, but most people are usually shocked how far out the Old Lahaina Luau books out. Book it as soon as you know your dates (I think they open at the six month window). They also have a waitlist.

Kualoa Ranch UTV Tour (Oahu): Everybody loves Jurassic Park so getting to ride UTVs where they filmed the movies is very popular. The ranch offers a lot of different tours but the UTV tours usually book out a couple of months in advance.

Spa Reservations: If you’re staying at a resort with a spa (or planning on visiting one), don’t wait until you arrive to make your reservations. I’d make them at least a month in advance.

Tee Times: Same for golf, reserve your tee times well in advance.

Dining Reservations: Any “fancy” or resort restaurant is likely to be booked up these days so if you like having a nice dinner every night, make your plans in advance.

P.S. Thanks for sticking around and reading this whole post! If you have ANY questions about planning your trip to Hawaii, you can join my free Facebook group here. I’m there answering questions every day and there are 7500+ other friends who have a ton of Hawaii information to share!

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