Things to do in Maui
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Maui
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Winter whale peak, surf peak and price peak, South Maui is the calm water refuge.
Spring shoulder sweet spot, whales thin out, rain eases and prices drop after Easter.
Summer driest leeward weather and calmest ocean, with family peak crowds and prices.
Fall shoulder sweet spot with warmest ocean, fewer crowds and lower lodging prices.
What's on
- The Sentry early January
PGA Tour event at Kapalua Plantation Course.
- Whale Tales mid-February
Whale event in Kapalua during peak humpback season.
- Celebration of the Arts Easter weekend
Cultural festival hosted at the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua.
- Kapalua Wine & Food Festival early June
Long running wine and food festival in Kapalua.
- Kamehameha Day parade around June 11
Parade marking Kamehameha Day.
- Maui Film Festival summer
Film festival in Wailea, dates vary by year.
- Festivals of Aloha September-October
Island wide festivals including events in Hana.
- Maui County Fair early October
The island biggest locals weekend, held in Wailuku.
- Made in Maui County Festival early November
Festival showcasing Maui County made products.
- Maui Invitational late November
College basketball tournament at Lahaina Civic Center.
Best things to do in Maui
Haleakala National Park
Volcano summit above the clouds with cinder cones and island views at sunrise or sunset.
Road to Hana
Winding coastal drive with waterfalls, one lane bridges and black sand stops as the attraction itself.
Wai'anapanapa State Park
Black pebble beach, sea caves and blowholes on a dramatic Hana coast.
Pipiwai Trail
Bamboo forest trail to Waimoku Falls past a giant banyan and Makahiku Falls.
Pools of 'Ohe'o
Coastal pools in the Kipahulu District, viewpoint only when conditions close them.
Old Lahaina Luau
Traditional Hawaiian luau with imu pig, feast and hula telling island history at sunset.
Maui Ocean Center
Aquarium focused on Hawaii reefs with sharks, rays, turtles and humpback education.
'Iao Valley State Monument
Lush valley with the Iao Needle, stream and a short paved historic walk.
Where to stay in Maui
Wailea
luxury base, calm water resort coast
Five crescent beaches, coastal walk, top golf and dining, and the driest weather on the island.
Ka'anapali
first trip resort base
Three mile beach and boardwalk linking resorts, dining and sunset sails in front of you.
Kapalua / Napili
quiet, couples, snorkel base
Small protected bays, coastal trail and top shore snorkel, cooler and greener than the south.
Kihei
value base
Condo rows with kitchens opposite the Kamaole beaches at a fraction of Wailea rates.
Pa'ia / Ha'iku
surf town, Hana head start
Boutique one street town with strong cheap to mid eating and Hookipa next door.
Hana
overnight on the Hana road
Lush remote coast that turns the Hana drive into a highlight over one or two nights.
Think twice about
- Kahului / Wailuku as a vacation base
Working airport zone with a long drive to every swim. Use it only for a late arrival or early flight night.
- Historic Lahaina town as a base in 2026-27
The town is still rebuilding after the 2023 fire and there is effectively no resort base there. Stay just north instead.
- Ma'alaea as a first base
Very windy most afternoons with a mediocre swim beach, despite being marketed as central to everything.
- Inland listings with no beach named
Ten minutes to the beach often means 25 in Maui traffic, and unpermitted rentals can be shut down.
Best restaurants in Maui
Mama's Fish House
Beachfront splurge serving fish caught that day, named by fisherman and boat.
Merriman's Kapalua
Farm to table sunset dinner on a point above Kapalua Bay.
Lineage
Hawaii home cooking reworked as shareable fine dining in Wailea.
Hali'imaile General Store
Plantation store restaurant serving crab pizza and sashimi Napoleon since 1988.
Star Noodle
Handmade noodles, garlic noodles and pork buns in reopened Lahaina.
Monkeypod Kitchen by Merriman
Casual Merriman spot for wood fired pizza, fish tacos and a famous mai tai.
Mala Ocean Tavern
Oceanfront Lahaina dinner with ahi bruschetta, whole fish and sunset views.
Honu Seafood & Pizza
Oceanfront seafood and pizza next to Mala on Front Street in Lahaina.
Outdoor things to do in Maui
Kapalua Golf - Plantation Course
Championship course with ocean views, huge downhill holes and trade winds throughout.
Wailea Golf Club - Gold Course
Championship Wailea test lined with lava rock and views to Molokini.
Wailea Golf Club - Emerald Course
More forgiving Wailea round with dramatic scenery, a smart one round pick.
King Kamehameha Golf Club
Foothills course under a Frank Lloyd Wright designed clubhouse with isthmus views.
Maui Nui Golf Club
Forgiving resort quality round with ocean and Haleakala views at value prices.
Waiehu Municipal Golf Course
County muni on the north coast with oceanfront holes and almost no tourists.
Pukalani Country Club
Local value golf on the Haleakala slopes in Upcountry Pukalani.
Honolua Bay
Marine conservation bay with the island best shore snorkel in calm summer conditions.
Best hotels in Maui
Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea
Wailea benchmark on Wailea Beach with an adults serenity pool and top service.
Hotel Wailea
Adults only suites on a hill above Wailea, quiet and romantic with beach shuttle.
Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort
Forty acre family mega resort with water park pools on the Wailea coast.
Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort
Modern resort with tiered infinity pools on Mokapu Beach.
Wailea Beach Resort - Marriott, Maui
Beachfront Wailea mid tier between the Four Seasons and Grand Wailea.
Residence Inn by Marriott Maui Wailea
Suites with kitchens uphill from the beach, breakfast included for families.
Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa
Best position on the Kaanapali strip at Black Rock with wide beach frontage.
Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa
Southern Kaanapali resort with gardens, big pools and an on site luau.
Is Maui expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | $148 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | $343 a person |
| Splurge | $682 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Haleakala National Park: months ahead
- Wai'anapanapa State Park: weeks ahead
- Old Lahaina Luau: months ahead
- 'Iao Valley State Monument: weeks ahead
- Trilogy Excursions: weeks ahead
- Kapalua Golf - Plantation Course: weeks ahead
- Wailea Golf Club - Gold Course: weeks ahead
- Wailea Golf Club - Emerald Course: weeks ahead
- Book flights, rental car and lodging together first, especially December to April and June to August.
- Haleakala sunrise needs a Recreation.gov reservation released 60 days ahead.
- Waianapanapa and Iao Valley need state park reservations up to 30 days ahead.
- Mamas Fish House, Old Lahaina Luau and Kapalua Plantation book weeks to months ahead in peak season.
Is Maui safe?
- Ocean is the main risk, snorkel in the morning in calm protected bays with a buddy.
- Never turn your back on the ocean at blowholes, lava shelves and tidepools.
- Use only mineral reef compliant sunscreen and stay 10 feet from turtles.
- Rental car break ins at beach parks and trailheads are the main visitor crime, leave nothing visible.
- Check your government's current travel advice before you go.
Maui travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- The Hana back road return is rough, often closed and prohibited by most rental contracts.
- Molokini on a big afternoon boat means wind, chop and crowds in a roped area.
- Timeshare presentations in Kaanapali and Lahaina cost half a day of hard sell.
- Big Beach bodysurfing is famous for spinal injuries from its shorebreak.
Getting around Maui: public transport and more
- Rent a car, Maui sights are strung along highways with no walkable centre.
- Drive times lie, allow far longer for Haleakala, Hana and West Maui than maps suggest.
- ParkMaui paid parking runs at many beach parks, residents free or discounted, visitors pay by app.
Who Maui suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Good |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Good |
Make Maui your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
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