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With over 600 tight turns and 50 one-lane bridges, The Road to Hana is an adventure that is not for the faint hearted.
While visiting Maui, The Road to Hana is one of the most popular destinations for tourists. It is a road that runs through the Eastern side of the island, through forests and waterfalls, beaches and tiny towns. There is so much to see, but not everything is well marked. Some stops are packed with people, and at some you may have a waterfall to yourself. It helps to know what you’re getting yourself into. Based on my experience, here is my Road to Hana Guide, that I hope will help you plan out your magical time in Maui.
NOTE: You can read all the blog posts in the world, but nothing is as great a resource as a live guide. You can download these in the form of apps, that cost anywhere from $0.99 to about $9.99. We used Shaka Guide, which offered different tour options. We chose the “Loop” Road to Hana Driving Tour, as we were very ambitious about how far we could get that day! Other than the witty commentary and the really helpful tips, my favorite part was the music. We got to listen to songs from Lilo & Stitch, as well as some more classic Hawaiian artists.
Looking for a live guide sitting right in front of you? Scared of driving on the aforementioned turns? You’re in luck, because there are Road to Hana Tours that will take you to the best spots, without the anxiety and hassle of driving yourself!
Table of Contents
Visit the first attraction the evening before
The first stop is the busiest. Before visiting I had read that you may as well skip Twin Falls, as it is always busy. Not wanting to forgo a waterfall just because of its popularity, we decided to go the evening before.

Twin Falls right before sunset
We arrived just before sunset to an almost empty parking lot. This is a huge deal on a small island like Maui. It was approximately five minutes to walk to the falls. We had them to ourselves. Although it had rained earlier in the day and we were unable to swim, we got to enjoy the falls and take our time.

Not a person around!
Twin Falls is located about 25 minutes East of Paia, around Mile Marker 2 on the Hana Highway. The next morning as we set out for the day we passed a full parking lot, and drove past at least a mile of cars parked on both sides of the road. There would definitely be no opportunity to get a clear shot of the falls now. If you have a chance to visit beforehand, during the evening, Twin Falls will be much more worth your time.
We visited Twin Falls with our 3 month old a year after this trip! Check out tips on Visiting Maui With A Baby!
Prepare to get wet
After bypassing busy Twin Falls in order to get our day started, we were anxious for our guide to announce the next waterfall.

Rainbow eucalyptus trees!
Na’ili’ili-Haele (Mile Marker 6.7) was the first waterfall after Twin Falls. Although there is no designated parking lot, it is possible to park along the road. Walking to the trail head we came across a small patch of Rainbow Eucalyptus Trees. The towering trees have peeling bark in different colors, due to shedding layers at different times.

It started to pour as soon as we got here!
The trail was harder than expected: it was muddy and required a wide river crossing that included slippery rocks and fast moving water. And then it started to pour. Unprepared for the rain, we got soaked. Our rain jackets were in the car and we were wearing shoes that soon got soggy. Rookie mistake. We made it to the first and second (of four) waterfalls before becoming waterlogged and turning back.

It’s raining so hard here you can actually see the rain coming down!
Although it is not super common to have early morning torrential rain on the Road to Hana, it does occur. The rain continued to follow us as we wound around each sharp curve.
The coast (usually) has better weather
After drying off for awhile we decided to detour off the main road to the Garden of Eden Arboretum (Mile Marker 10.5) This is a privately owned botanical garden that offers views that include the coast line in the distance.

Keopuka Rock in the background!
It offered some covered areas for us to dart under during heavy periods of rain, and a view of Keopuka Rock, the rock that a helicopter flies past in the opening scene of “Jurassic Park”. It was clear gazing out at the rock that the coast was much clearer than inland.

The arboretum had so many interesting plants!
This proved to be true. As we approached the lava ridden Ka’aene Peninsula (Mile Marker 16.8) the rain magically ceased. The area is covered in fairly new (geologically!) black lava rock, and is the perfect place to sit and view powerful waves crash along the coast line.

Ka’anae Peninsula
If the weather is wet and dreary inland, head to the coast! The Ka’anae Peninsula is a short detour off the main road, and it is worth the respite from the incessant falling rainforest drops.
The beaches are incredibly unreal
Due to the rainy weather the many beautiful waterfalls were muddy and fast moving. Upper Waikini Falls (Mile Marker 19) was beautiful, but only worth a few minutes in the rain. Ching’s Pond (Mile Marker 16.9) was unsafe and flooded.

One of the many overflowing waterfalls on the road!

A brief moment of no rain!
The real treat was when we again reached the coast and made it to Wai’anapanapa State Park (Mile Marker 32). Apart from the hilariously quick weasels, the park has much more to offer. There is a black sand beach, which you see as soon as your descend the stairs from the campground area (yes, you can camp in this beautiful spot!). A lot of people only stop here, but a bit of climbing and a short walk leads you to caves to explore, and a pretty impressive blow hole.Ending at this amazing beach would have been an awesome end to the day on the Road to Hana, but we managed to squeeze one more, even prettier beach in.
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The blowhole at Wai’anapanapa State Park
The washed out waterfalls and rainy weather was made up for with beautiful beaches. Not your average swimming beaches of Hawaii, but pieces of coastline that seemed too beautiful to be real.

Overlooking Black Sand Beach

Black Sand Beach from the rocks
Stop for some local food
The Road to Hana is a long drive even though in terms of distance it is fairly short. We spent around 8 hours adventuring along the road, and even with our road trip snacks we were two hungry and slightly irritated people as we began our drive back the way we came.

Coconut Glen’s
Good thing for all the food stops! We visited on a Sunday, which meant all of the famous banana bread stands were not open. We lucked out with Coconut Glen’s. I am excited about ice cream rain or shine, summer or winter, and was extra excited to try vegan coconut ice cream. I think I am a coconut ice cream convert. The ice cream was delicious, and we got to eat it out of the rain, with a local cat lounging nearby. All day I had been searching for fresh coconut water, and we finally found that as well as some pasta salad at Hana Farms.

The cute coconuts inside Hana Farms
Even though we had fewer options than there usually would have been, the food on the Road to Hana was so delicious and fresh.
Don’t try to see it all
The Road to Hana does not end in Hana town, it follows the coast all the way back towards Haleakala. We aimed to accomplish the whole thing that day, as there are many amazing sights past Hana.

A waterfall that is only seen from Garden of Eden
But there is not time for it all! Reading a Road To Hana guide (like this one!) beforehand can help to narrow down “must sees” on the road. If you make it past Hana with plenty of sunlight to spare you can visit the Seven Sacred Pools, Hamoa Beach or Wailua Falls.
NOTE: According to Maui Guidebook the road is closed here on weekdays between 7:30 AM- 4 PM until August 2018.
There is definitely not a lack of things to do on the Road to Hana- there are waterfalls, beaches, road side stops and botanical gardens. You cannot do it all, so plan ahead!

Eucalyptus forest
I heard it a million times before I embarked on the Road to Hana, but it really is a silly name. Hana is nothing special in terms of the town, and it is more about the journey than the destination. Have you driven the Road to Hana? You could drive it over and over and have a unique experience every single time with all the different options. Rain, sunshine, flowing waterfalls or dried up waterfalls, you will have a good time. Just remember: the most important thing on the Road to Hana is to bring some dramamine for the many turns!!!
Looking for more adventure? Check out my detailed Maui Guide for First-Timers post!
Enjoy the adventure,
Samantha,
A Truthful Traveler
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I loved Road to Hana! I also weren’t able seen everything but everything I saw was so amazing ! One of the best road trip in my life! What a shame you werent able to try banana bread! I’ve got like two haha .
Your photos are so unbelievably beautiful !
I was so sad about not being able to have the banana bread, but I was so happy I finally got my coconut! Thanks so much!
The beaches are incredible! I have read about the rainbow trees and would someday love to see them. I enjoyed your writing style and loved the photographs. You’re quite the waterfall chaser <3
They are so incredible! Thanks for commenting about my writing style, that means a lot! I am definitely a waterfall chaser, a beach chaser…I guess overall a beautiful view chaser!!!
This is gorgeous! I can’t even imagine driving those roads.
Thanks! It was kind of scary but as long as I looked ahead I did not feel too motion sick!
Goodness the contrast between the black sand and the blue water is goooorgeous! I don’t think I have ever seen somewhere like that!
And woooow for all those waterfalls. I have (embarrassingly) never heard of the road to Hana, but now I’ve seen these waterfalls I would looove to explore this area!!
I hadn’t seen any sand like that either! The waterfalls we saw were only a few of the many- if we had been able to explore more of the are we would have seen some even nicer ones! I hadn’t heard much about the drive until a few months before our trip either!
The Road to Hana has been on my list for years. I love that you didn’t skip the twin falls. I wouldn’t have either-I mean, you’re there, so you have to take it all in! Thanks for the great tips!
That was our thinking exactly! It was definitely worth not missing!
I LOVE the road to Hana. There are so many hidden gems along the way, and always an incredible view!
We were so excited by all the hidden gems! You hear about some of the more popular places but the less crowded places are such a nice surprise when you find them!
this looks so beautiful! Maui has been on my dream-destination list for ages, but it seems expensive and difficult without a car (I don’t drive). I’d love to see that red sand beach in person though. too bad you didn’t have better weather.
Unfortunately Maui is quite difficult without a car, if you want to move from place to place on the island. However, there are bus tours that take people on day tours of Road to Hana, so that may be an option for you!! The weather could have been nicer, but it was still an amazing day!
This is my dream destination, I love nothing more than waterfall chasing and road tripping – and I love those unique rainbow trees! Looks as though you really made the most of your time despite the weather, and with so many options it must have been tough narrowing it down? I love the adventures here, that trek to the Red Sand beach looks well worth it!
It was really hard to narrow it down, but it got significantly easier when it was pouring rain and I had no ambition to be outside of the car haha. The Red Sand Beach was definitely the highlight of the day!
How beautiful! Definitely going to make sure I do this if I ever get the chance to visit.
I hope you do get a chance to visit because it is an absolutely beautiful drive!!!
Thanks for this informative article! Super helpful, and WOW, the turquoise waters at Kaihalulu Beach are so stunning! I had never heard of that beach before reading your article. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for reading! The water was so insane contrasting against the sand!
Wow all of your photos are stunning! I absolutely love the all of the tropical plants! The waterfalls are gorgeous and from your pictures seem pretty secluded. Looks like I’ll need to add this to my Hawaii bucket list!
I loved the plants too!! So unique because Hawaii is such an isolated island! You definitely need to add this to your Hawaii bucket list!
Lol I came across this post twice in two weeks, but I’m so glad I did!! I’m planning on doing the road to Hana next month, so this was super helpful!
That’s awesome!! I am glad to help, I hope you enjoy every moment of your Road to Hana experience!
Beautiful pictures! Love the idea of the GPS guide – what a good idea!
-Jennifer
https://maunelegacy.com
It was the best idea we had! Not all attractions are marked, so without a guide you can completely pass some by without realizing!
Such gorgeous scenes of the beach. I am longing to get there soon.
The black sand beaches are wonderful… want to feel them in hand.
It is really cool to be actually there, pictures are nice but do not give you the full experience! Hope you get to visit soon!
Maui!!! I’ve been wanting to go there!! What other road side food did you eat?
That was all for that day! I have to say that Maui has AMAZING food, there was not one bad meal we had there. Everything tastes so fresh!
The landscape is gorgeous! The rainbow tree, the waterfalls, clear blue water and the floral species…just amazing!
Thanks! There was such a variety of things we saw that day which made it so amazing!
All these pictures are perfect for Instagram! I prefer nature trips over city tours. Your post makes me wanna book a flight!
Thanks! I definitely prefer nature over city- mainly because there are fewer people in bigger spaces!
Gorgeous photos! I want to go to Hana so badly!
Thanks! You should, it is definitely a must-see!
Incredible views! Hawaii is on my list when I’m back in the States. I will definitely venture on the Road go Hana.
I hope you get to visit soon because it is such a beautiful drive!
Wow! What stunning views! Sounds like such a fun trip! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks! It was a really fun day, the only problem was that we did not have enough time to see everything!!!
Wow this looks amazing!!! Especially those rainbow eucalyptus trees!!
Aren’t they so cool? I had seen pictures but was still blown away by what they looked like in real life!
Seeing the beautiful Twin Falls with its rushing white water, beholding the beautiful beaches, sampling local cuisine food, and trekking over slippery rocks I am sure made your adventure to Mauri exciting and therefore worth it . Just immersing yourself in nature as was characteristic of this trip was a realigning and stress relieving experience
Your words are beautiful and sum up my experience so well! It was definitely a day in which there was minimal stress, and it was so nice to see the beautiful & natural things that Maui has to offer!
Wow! What an amazing view you have there. Loved the nature it’s very beautiful. I love to go there someday.
I don’t think the Road to Hana had a single bad view along the way! It is extremely beautiful!!!
Very beautiful pictures. Thanks for the helpful tips.
Thank you! I am happy that my tips are helpful!
I have heard of this place but never seen photos! It looks incredible and I just love all of the waterfalls! And it’s so lush and tropical! I really need to get to Hawaii!! Great photos, thanks for sharing this!
Hawaii is now one of my favorite places in the world! There are so many things to do on the different islands, I don’t think it is possible to be bored!
Thanks for the great guide! I hope I can visit here some day!
You’re welcome! You will not regret going there!
AH OMG I’M PLANNING TO DO THIS NEXT MONTH! Thanks for such a helpful guide :). Definitely plan on using it!
I am so happy that you found this helpful! I would recommend getting a GPS guide, it will make your trip so much easier & make the time in the car driving from one destination to another so much faster!
How AMAZING is the road to Hana. Great guide
SO amazing! Thanks so much for your compliment!
Beautiful pictures! I would love to see the black sand beaches.. The sand in combination with the blue of the water is so beautiful!
It is super beautiful! The beaches, although unswimmable, were the most gorgeous beaches I have ever seen!
I did the Road to Hana when I visited Hawaii with my family back in high school, but I’m just realized how much we didn’t see!! It looks like so much fun and so beautiful, I need to plan a trip to Hawaii again soon!
I think you could do it 5 times and still have more to see, because there is so much!! You should go back and see some new sights!