1 Day Itinerary for Maui’s Road to Hana

The stunning Road to Hana with more than 600 turns and over a dozen waterfalls is one of the most popular things to do on Maui. With countless sights dotted all along the coast, deciding how long to spend on the journey can be tricky. Some opt for 2 days with an overnight in Hana, but lodging is limited and pricey. Others continue around the backside, however most rental cars aren’t covered on this dirt road.

Short on time and accommodations, we decided to tackle the iconic drive in a single, unforgettable day. Having the Shaka Guide app with it’s self guided audio tour was absolutely crucial, breaking down each point of interest with tips on whether to stop or save time. Without this invaluable guide, we would have missed so many hidden spots and wasted time at others.

In this guide, we detail our jam-packed one day Road to Hana journey, from must-see attractions to where to snap iconic photos. With careful planning using the Shaka app, we succeeded in experiencing the beauty and magic of this legendary drive in a manageable day trip. Join us for an in-depth look at how to optimise your limited time on the Road to Hana while soaking up all it’s wonders.

What is the Road to Hana?

The iconic Road to Hana is a 68-mile stretch on Highway 360 spanning Maui’s east coast from Kahului to the remote town of Hana. With over 600 curves and 59 bridges, this winding drive showcases breathtaking sights like waterfalls, beaches, seaside cliffs, and lush rainforests. Due to the incredible scenery, the Road to Hana is one of Hawaii’s most popular attractions for visitors.

Can You Do the Road to Hana in 1 Day?

Many advise spending at least 2 days exploring the Road to Hana with an overnight stay in Hana town. However, we managed to complete this epic drive in a very full but satisfying 1 day trip. While you need to keep moving and can’t do every possible stop, you can still see the major highlights in a single day.

Read on for our recommended top stops and tips for maximising your time on a condensed 1 day Road to Hana itinerary. With proper planning, the magic of this drive can be experienced even if you only have 24 hours.

Where Should You Stop on the Road to Hana?

The beauty of the Road to Hana is the freedom to stop and explore wherever you please along the route. Whilst there are hundreds of potential places to pull over, some of our favourite stops included the Pua’a Ka’a Falls, Aunty Sandy’s famous banana bread stand, the lava tube near mile marker 31, and the stunning Pipiwai Trail.

Stock Up in Paia Town

We were coming from Ka’anapali, about 45 minutes west of Paia which is a great spot to kick off the iconic drive. Knowing we had a full day ahead and wanting to avoid heavy traffic, we got on the road early and arrived in Paia around sunrise. This allowed us to get on the road while it was quiet and complete the bulk of the journey before the crowds arrived later in the day.

Paia makes for a perfect kickoff spot to fuel up before the adventure. We recommend grabbing breakfast or picking up some road trip snacks in town. If you need something for lunch, check out Hana Picnic Lunch Company so you can picnic in style at one of the gorgeous stops along the way. Stocking up in Paia will set you up well for the long day ahead and getting there early let’s you maximise your time on the road.

Twin Falls

After being on the road for about 20 mins, we decided to make our first stop on the Road to Hana at Twin Falls. If you’re early enough then you’ll be able drive down a short dirt track and park inside but if that’s full you may need to park on the road. At the time of our visit (November 2022) parking was $10 and could be paid with cash or card.

Once parked, you’re free to explore area which has some hiking trails and stunning waterfalls, including the namesake Twin Falls, Rope Swing and Caves. There are better opportunities for hiking further up the road and wanting to be as efficient as possible, we took a quick look around before getting back on the road. It was also early in the day so too cold for any swimming which we saved for later too.

Ke’anae Arboretum

We hit the road for another 45 minutes, making sure to admire the coastal views and dense jungle along the way. Our next step was at the Ke’anae Arboretum, a free botanical garden located just a short walk off the road. We parked up in the bays on the side of the road and took the opportunity to stretch our legs.

There’s a huge variety of exotic plants here including giant bamboo, African tulips, banana trees and taro plants. Perhaps the most famous plant and the main reason people make a stop here is to see the rainbow eucalyptus trees. This is the best spot on the Road to Hana to view them as you can get up close and personal. Being from the UK, we’d never seen anything like the technicolour stripes painted up and down their trunks and made sure to snap plenty of photos.

Aunty Sandy’s Banana Bread

By this point it was mid morning and we were starting to get a little bit peckish. Luckily, just half a mile up the road is the famous Aunt Sandy’s Banana Bread. This is a popular spot with limited parking so you may need to wait a little to find a spot. They do occasionally sell out as well which is another great reason to get on the roads early and beat the crowds.

If you’re lucky enough to snag a loaf then you’re in for a treat. Mike is generally not a fan of banana bread but this was an entirely different experience. Fresh out the oven so still warm, this bread is light, fluffy and perfectly sweet without being overpowering or sickly, definitely worth a stop. We drove a little further down the road to Ke’anae Lookout so we could admire the view at the same time.

Pua’a Ka’a Falls

Bellies full, we got back on the road heading east towards to Hana, enjoying some spectacular jungle, bridges and waterfalls along the way. After about 20 minutes, we came across Pua’a Ka’a State Wayside park and decided to make a quick stop. There are quite a few bays on the side of the road here so parking shouldn’t be an issue and there also bathrooms here should you need them.

Just across the road and up some stairs you’ll find Pua’a Ka’a falls. Seeing as it had warmed up a bit by now, we got prepared for our first wild swim of the day. The banks and rocks are a little precarious here so water shoes can be helpful and don’t forget to bring a towel either. The water here is beautifully clean and clear but was also pretty chilly. We took a quick dip for a few minutes to cool off but the temperature of the water had us back on dry land soon enough and ready to hit the road.

Lava Tube

Less than a minute up the road from Pua’a Ka’a Falls, the Shaka Maui app came into it’s own and let us know about a small lava tube by the roadside. We parked up and were convinced we were in the wrong place as we couldn’t see any sign of entrance anywhere. After a little bit of searching, sure enough we found a small entrance tucked away that we never would have seen from the road. It was small finds like this that made the Shaka Maui app worth every penny as we would have missed a ton without it.

After carefully climbing down into the entrance you’ll find yourself in the otherworldly landscape of a lava tube, carved out by volcanic flows hundreds or maybe even thousands of years ago. It gets dark down here pretty quickly as you move through the cave so bring a light with you and watch your step as well as your head on the roof of the cave. After climbing through a smaller space at the rear of the cave it will open out into a large chamber with views through the jungle.

This only took us about 10 minutes but was one of our favourite stops on the drive. It was a stark contrast in scenery from the lush jungle and cascading waterfalls that stayed with us as a really unique experience.

Hana Town

By now we were only about 25 minutes from the eponymous Hana so we carried on east until we hit the sleepy town. Being such a small town, there wasn’t ton of stuff for us to do there. We took a quick stroll around the bay and dropped into Hasegawa General Store which is over 100 years old. This is also the only petrol station in Hana so make sure to fill up if you need to.

We passed Waianapanapa State Park on our way in to Hana which is a popular stop off for those making the drive due to the black sand beach. Since a reservation was required to gain access and the surf here can be pretty rough, we decided to carry on driving. If you want to check out Waianapanapa then it’s worth checking ahead of time if you need a reservation and to plan your journey accordingly.

Huli Huli Chicken

If you’ve read any of our other guides, you’ll know that we like to plan our itineraries around food and we could not have been more excited for this stop on our drive. About 5 minutes outside of Hana town in Koki Beach Park you’ll find a small, unassuming stand dishing out Huli Huli chicken. This chicken is grilled over mesquite wood, slathered in Huli Huli sauce and served with greens, rice and mac salad.

This bbq style chicken has been given the Gordon Ramsay seal of approval and for good reason. Perfectly juicy meat and crisp, smoky skin are rounded off with the chef’s secret recipe sweet Huli Huli Sauce. This dish may well have been the culinary highlight of our 10 days across O’ahu and Maui so don’t miss out.

Wailua Falls

Our next stop was a 20 minute drive from Hana, heading south on the coast road. Wailua falls is said to be the most photographed waterfall on the Road to Hana and it’s easy to see why. Drive past the falls and park on the left before heading back up the road and down the trail to access the falls.

You’ll be rewarded with a beautiful secluded pool and a majestic waterfall crashing over the cliff face. If you’re looking to beat the heat this is another great spot to take a dip but seeing as we were on a tight schedule we only stayed a few minutes before heading to our turnaround point.

Pipiwai Trail

Our last stop before turning and heading back was the Kipahulu Visitor Center inside Haleakalā National Park. Note you will need a national parks pass or to pay the entrance on arrival to gain entry. You can view The Pools of ʻOheʻo here which used to be a popular spot for swimming but have been closed for many years now due to safety concerns.

The reason we were here was to hike the famous Pipiwai Trail. This winding this 3.5 mile out and back trail (5.5km) winds through dense jungle and past crashing waterfalls on the way to Waimoku falls at it’s end. We were feeling the heat by this point and as we’ve seen our fair share of waterfalls already, we decided to cut our hike short and not go all the way to Waimoku falls.

We did make sure to check out the sprawling Bayan Tree on our way as well as the enchanting bamboo forest. This dense jungle looks like something straight out of a samurai movie and is definitely worth the hike to take some amazing photos.

Waioka Pond (Venus Pool)

It was about 4pm by now and we knew we didn’t have too many hours of daylight left so we decided to get back on the road heading back towards to Paia. After getting pretty hot and sweaty on the Pipiwai Trail, we decided to cool off one last time before making the long drive back. Waioka Pond, or Venus Pool as it’s also known, is roughly a 20 minute drive from the Kipahulu Visitor Center heading back towards Hana. Parking is very limited on the road side here and you may need to search around to find a spot.

Once you’re parked up, grab your towel and water shoes and look for a trail which starts next to the bridge. Take a short walk through the field heading east and you’ll come to some woodland and eventually the scenic Waioka Pond. If you’re feeling brave then you can dive right off the cliff into the deep water here but if not you can head left and climb down the rocks to the beach instead. Watch your footing as the ground can be loose and parts of the cliff are pretty steep.

This beautiful wild swimming hole was a perfect way to round off an amazing day of exploring and to refresh before the final drive back. Just a word of warning, this location is prone to flash flooding and can be incredibly dangerous so make sure you know the risks before entering. Even it’s not been raining locally, rain elsewhere on the island can run through to this area and conditions can take a turn for the worse without warning.

Return to Paia

After a long day of exploring we were ready to head home and began the return journey towards Paia. Having made our stops for the day, the Shaka Maui app again showed it’s worth here, with it’s narration providing the perfect soundtrack for our return. The app packed in so much history and local folklore that the drive flew by and we were in Paia before we knew it.

Another word of warning, it got dark pretty soon after we set off and there aren’t many streetlights on the Hana highway. As you’ll know from the day’s driving there are hundreds of turns and dozens of single lane bridges to navigate so make sure to take your time and be careful, especially if it’s been raining.

We made another pit stop in Paia to grab some dinner before we finished the day by heading back to our hotel in Ka’anapali.

Wrapping Up

Our jam-packed one day Road to Hana itinerary only highlights a handful of the hundreds of attractions along the way. While not comprehensive, we hope it demonstrated how this iconic drive can be completed in a manageable day trip while still experiencing it’s beauty and magic. Use our guide as well as the Shaka Maui app as inspiration to plot your own Hana highlights based on your interests and time constraints.

At the time of writing, wildfires have devastated parts of Maui with areas closed to visitors. Please check current conditions and closures before traveling. If able, consider supporting relief efforts by donating to organisations like Maui Wildfire Relief or the People’s Fund of Maui. We wish Maui a speedy and complete recovery and hope your future visit shows you the resilience and splendour of this special island.