Maui’s Road to Hana is one of the most famous (or infamous) drives in the world and in my opinion is the #1 don’t miss thing to do on Maui.

What makes this drive so special? The Road to Hana is over 50 miles along Maui’s rugged north shore and east side with 600+ tight turns and about 50 one-lane bridges. Sounds fun? It is! While it has the reputation among many as being a hair-raisingly dangerous adventure, driving the Road to Hana is certainly a once in a lifetime adventure but not nearly as treacherous as many make it out to be.

I’ve driven the Road to Hana at least a half dozen times. I’ve done it by myself, with a car full (including a baby in a car seat!), in a Jeep, in a sedan, and even in a full sized pickup. I’ve even done the backside of the Road to Hana (the road past Hana) many times!

Yes, it’s a great adventure…and it’s definitely not something you want to go into without a plan.

Road to Hana Itinerary

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What to Expect Driving the Road to Hana

I’ve already mentioned the 600+ sharp turns and 50+ single lane bridges so you probably already have a pretty harrowing image in your head right? Don’t worry, it’s really not so bad! The entire road from Paia to Hana (and even beyond) is entirely paved and has two lanes.

The bridges are not two lanes, however there’s an understood rule of letting 6-7 cars on either side pass at a time. In general, while the road is very winding, it’s relatively flat and there are plenty of guard rails and low walls to protect the road from the steep slopes.

What you can expect along the Road to Hana is plenty of beauty.

You’ll see colorful, lush vegetation, wide sweeping views and so many waterfalls. Perhaps the most important thing to understand about driving the Road to Hana is that it’s about the journey, not the destination.

While Hana is a charming and quiet little town, there isn’t much going on. So this drive is less about “hurry up and get to Hana” and more about enjoying the adventure.

My Favorite Road to Hana Itinerary

If you’ve read many blog posts or done much research about the Road to Hana, you’ll know that there are about 6709 must see stops out there. I swear blogs compete with each other to see who can suggest the most stops.

So….I’m kind of the opposite of that. I like to keep it simple. For me, driving the Road to Hana is about the actual drive–it’s seriously one of the greatest drives you’ll ever do without even getting out of the car–and I like to mostly enjoy the drive and only stop for the very best stops.

I don’t know about you but NOTHING wears me out quicker than being in and out and in and out and in and out and in and out of the car all day.

So this is a very streamlined list of stops along the Road to Hana. The best of the best if you will. Also, I’m perfectly fine just “driving by” a lot of stuff. The Road to Hana is not the Audubon. You’re not flying along at 100 miles per hour. You’re going slow enough to soak it all in. I realize this is not everyone’s travel philosophy, but bear with me.

But I will say, I do like pulling over at overlooks or anywhere it looks like there’s a good view. I just don’t feel the need to go down every little hiking trail or try to park and scamper down some rocks to get 10 feet closer to a waterfall.

All that being said, whenever I’m taking people on a Road to Hana day trip for the first time, I have two major priorities: 1) Waianapanapa State Park (the black sand beach) and 2) the Pipiwai Trail in the Kipahulu District of Haleakala National Park.

My Favorite Road to Hana Stops (in Order – Clockwise)

Grab coffee and a quick breakfast near wherever you’re staying, or stop in Paia at either Paia Bay Coffee or Belle Surf Cafe.

Here are the best places to spend your time on the Road to Hana (and sights to keep an eye out for):

Rainbow Eucalyptus Trees

Starting around mile marker 6 or 7, you’ll pass groves of rainbow eucalyptus trees fairly often (depending on where they are in their shed cycle sometimes they’re easier to spot than others. Parking is pretty tricky along this stretch so unless you’re passing through early sometimes it’s not so easy to pull over.

Further down the road at the Keanae Arboretum there’s a grove of them with some parking across the street.

Keanae Peninsula & Aunty Sandy’s

This peninsula (you’ll take a left to drive down to the water between mile marker 16 and 17) is home to a quaint little town (village really). It’s one of the more popular stops along the Road to Hana because it’s very accessible, but the view at the bottom is so lovely. It feels like old Hawaii. Stop at Aunty Sandy’s roadside stand for some fresh fruit or banana bread.

Halfway to Hana

If you didn’t stop at Aunty Sandy’s, you’ve got to stop at this roadside stand just past the Keanae Peninsula.

Upper Waikani Falls (Three Bears Falls)

These falls at mile marker 19.5 are some of my favorites. It’s a “drive by waterfall” meaning you can see it from the road but you can also park past it and walk back for a longer look (although you’re just walking down the road-it’s not protected). You can also climb down under the bridge and make your way to the pool at the bottom but I would probably just settle for a look and keep going.

Waianapanapa State Park (Black Sand Beach)

This dramatic black sand beach is STUNNING and it’s easily the #1 don’t miss stop along the Road to Hana. As you near Hana, this is the first “epic” stop you’ll make and besides the beach, you can easily spend an hour or so hiking around here.

Take the hike up around the other side of the beach to see another black sand beach and a good view of the blowhole.

And don’t miss the sea cave which is just to the right of the beach as you’re facing the ocean.

WARNING: Don’t forget to make reservations or you WILL be turned away at the gate. You can make reservations 30 in advance (and no later than the day before) here. Parking is $10/vehicle and there’s a $5/person entry fee that all has to be registered and paid for when you make your reservation. You’ll make your reservation for one of four time slots (they vary slightly throughout the year): 7AM-10AM, 10AM-12:30PM, 12:30PM-3PM, and 3PM-6PM.

They are strict with the entry times. The two time slots in the middle of the day are the ones that sell out first. I prefer the second time slot and always pace myself to show up right when it opens (10AM).

More about Waianapanapa State Park here.

Hana Farms

This has become my go to lunch spot when I’m driving the Road to Hana. They do brick oven pizzas and they’re SO GOOD. Plus they have huge salads that are great for splitting.

But it’s also a bit of a roadside attraction. Their stand is a top tier gift shop with so many made on Maui products.

Plus it couldn’t be any more picturesque.

You’ll come to this before you get to the black sand beach, but I would go to the black sand beach first then backtrack here for lunch.

Hana Farmacy

This is my favorite roadside stand on the Road to Hana. I can never remember if it’s before or after you come to Hana Farms, but it’s right in that area.

Their lemonade bags are $5 and they have a Venmo and WIFI.

Hana Town

You’ve made it! There’s not much in Hana (you might find a gift shop or two-if they’re open), but be sure to stop in Hasegawa’s General Store for a cold drink. There are also two food truck courts (one before you reach Waianapanapa and one in Hana town) that are great for lunch.

Thai Food by Pranee is a must do if you like Thai food. It’s close to the red sand beach.

Kaihalulu Beach (Red Sand Beach)

I almost love the stop at the red sand beach even more than the black sand beach, and it’s mostly because of how you have to get there.

Disclaimer: This is NOT for everyone. Keep reading so you know exactly what you’re getting into before you show up.

As you’re coming into Hana town, take a left on Hauoli road (you’ll pass a church and some tennis courts) then turn left and park along Uakea road. The trail starts back on the other side of the Hana Community Center towards the water (you’ll see the trail across the lawn).

The trail is well trodden and easy to follow, but it’s covered in pine needles and parts of it have a slope (and a bit of a ledge). Once you round the corner and make the descent down into the beach, the trail is pretty narrow and there’s a big drop off.

A bit about the technicalities: Hiking to the red sand beach in Hana is kind of controversial. A lot of locals don’t want hoards of tourists visiting it (they consider it a special place and rightly so).

The beach IS on private property but the owners have made it accessible to the public under a law that releases them from liability. So, go at your own risk (like anywhere). Whether or not the trail is too dangerous is also a contentious topic (again, you’re going AT YOUR OWN RISK). First of all, you absolutely should only do this trail if you’re wearing shoes that are strapped onto your feet. Do NOT do this in flip flops.

The only way into the cove is down a trail that’s probably three feet wide with the mountain on one side and a pretty steep drop off on the other. When wearing appropriate shoes, going slowly, and being very aware of my surroundings (namely other people), I’ve never felt uncomfortable doing this trail. But that’s not to say that that’s the case for everyone.

This isn’t a well maintained trail, and while it’s well frequented, you definitely go at your own risk.

Wailua Falls

As you leave Hana and head towards the National Park (the Seven Sacred Pools and Pipiwai Trail), you’ll pass Maui’s most photographed waterfall. You can’t miss it as it’s right by the side of the road. And there’s plenty of parking here. Watch out for crowds as it’s a popular stop with the tour buses.

Kipahulu District at Haleakala National Park

This is it. For me doing the “Road to Hana” is about the drive, the black sand beach and this spot. This is a separate entrance from the summit of Haleakala National Park (where people go for sunrise and sunset), but if you pay the entrance fee ($30/vehicle), your receipt is good at BOTH locations for three days. Kipahulu is home to two of the most popular stops on the Road to Hana: Oheo Gulch (the Seven Sacred Pools) and the Pipiwai Trail.

Kipahulu is about 10 miles past Hana town (about a 30 minute drive) and the road gets interesting but it’s all paved (the tour buses come back here y’all so it can’t be that bad!).

Once you make it to the National Park, here’s what you’re dealing with…

Oheo Gulch

The Oheo Gulch is a cascading set of (way more than seven) pools that go all the way to the ocean. In the past, they’ve been a popular place to swim, but they haven’t actually allowed swimming in the pools for years for various reasons.

They’re still really cool to see even though you can’t swim and the trail from the parking lot is about half a mile round trip, but I think the best view is from the bridge above them.

You’ll drive over it on your way to the park, but there’s nowhere to pull over along the road for a better look.

It’s actually not far of a walk from the parking lot back to the bridge, but you have to walk along the road and there is a blind curve so go at your own risk.

Pipiwai Trail

THIS is why I blow through a lot of the stops more towards the beginning of the Road to Hana…so I have time to hike the Pipiwai Trail. It’s a four mile round trip hike that takes you through Hana’s famed bamboo forest and ends at the spectacular 400 foot Waimoku Falls.

It’s not a particularly difficult trail (it’s super well maintained), but it’s usually pretty humid so it can feel challenging.

The hike itself probably takes about 2 hours if you’re not stopping too much, (but plan at least 3 hours in the park in general and maybe more if you’re going to hike down to the Oheo pools).

Once you’ve come to the falls, you’ll reach a point on the trail where there’s a sign posted not to go any closer. In the past, a lot of people used to go past it right down to the bottom of the falls, but this last time I hiked it (December 2025) the trail was completely overgrown.

And these falls break over rocks so there’s not a pool to see or swim in anyways.

This trail is a truly stunning experience and if you are at all able bodied, I 100% recommend that you put forth the effort to do this hike.

But remember, it takes good time management throughout the day to make sure that you’ll make it all the way to the National Park and have time for the hike.

Bold statement here…if you’re not going to hike the Pipiwai Trail, I’m not sure I’d spend the time driving out (10 miles/35 minutes past Hana) just to see the pools. If you’ve got plenty of time, give it a go, but remember it costs $30/car and if you’re going to reverse course and drive back through Hana anyways, it adds quite a bit of time to the day.

More about hiking the Pipiwai Trail here.

This is the point where most people turn back towards Hana and retrace their route to Paia, but if you continue clockwise around the island, you’ll officially be on the “backside” of the Road to Hana. More about that in this post.

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