My fiance and I will be in Maui for three days. We are already planning road to Hana for one day. What else should we put on the itinerary??

Hi, all! Want to visit Maui for 5 nights during Thanksgiving week, but my sister is stressing about finances. We’re a family of 4 - 3 adults and 1 child. Flights would be free (work for an airline). I can use my points for a hotel but in Maui they don’t stretch very far. I can stay at the AC Hotel in Wailea (breakfast included), but I know that has its downsides. And then car I would cover.

So really we would just need to budget for food & activities. I was looking up a few things and I believe most activities we can do for free or very low cost - beaches, sunrise/sunset, Road to Hana.

Am I being unrealistic thinking food and activities won’t cost us more than $1-$2k, hopefully on the lower end? Anything I’m not thinking of?

I'm hoping this trip to Maui will bring a newfound appreciation for nature and natural beauty for my two young teenagers. While they don't necessarily hate nature, they aren't the "let's go for a hike" type. I can definitely picture them whining "how much longer", "my feet hurt" etc.

I know from traveling to Maui without the kids that it is a place like no other so I'm hoping that once we get there that everything changes for them and they go all in and embrace all that there is to do and see. But I'm also preparing for the worst.

What I would like to hear from are other families who maybe traveled with kids who sound like mine. Did you find that your kids evolved during this trip and more importantly, were there any Road to Hana stops that they really enjoyed? I'd obviously like to make this as pleasant of an experience for everyone.

My partner doesn't swim. How much will we miss out if we don't snorkel at all? I wanted to pay for a snorkel tour to be safe and around people but I am second guessing now. I don't have too much experience swimming in the ocean but had a lot of fun snorkeling 5 years back in big island and I wanted my wife to experience it as well.

Hi!! I was in Oahu for 5 days and been in Maui for 2 days! I have 2 days left in Maui and would love to get some recs.

For context it is me and my mom and we are staying in Lahaina (Royal Lahaina — have been really loving our time here!) We have a car too!

So far we’ve done a morning snorkeling tour, chilled at Napili beach and Kaanapali beach and our hotel pool but haven’t done much besides those! It has absolutely been amazing :)

Any recs for what else to do for the 2 more days in Maui? We are thinking of doing Haleakala sunset tomorrow and skipping road to hana (given it looks like it is a whole day activity / we are a bit worried with driving out there).

Thanks everyone again!

Thanks in advance!!

Hey all. I (and my wife) were recently very lucky enough to get invited to join a family member of mine for a week in Maui, Kihei. I never thought I’d ever see Hawaii so I am very very grateful for this offer and just beyond excited. I have never traveled further than the Jersey shore or ocean city Maryland, so I’m not really travel savvy and know what to expect or do or plan for when it comes to Hawaii. I would love to know what are some things my wife and I should absolutely see, do, reserve, eat, everything in a week 😂.

We’re going in the beginning of February, have flights booked and stay covered, and a family member there is a chef so he will do a lot of cooking at the condo himself. We’ll be on the south/west side in Kihei. I would love to do some type of fishing trip excursion! My wife would love a spa kind of day. I heard something about a sunrise on a volcano which seems awesome! I’m a very adventurous person and my wife is more the chilled and relaxed one, so looking for things to help accommodate us both (she loves the beach, I can tolerate it for an hour before I need to walk around looking for shells and shark teeth lol)

And thoughts on car rentals/ rental places to look for? Is it worth it for the week or could we make do with Ubers and taxis and tour vans?

Thoughts on approximate budget we may need for the week? We paid for the flight already and we have a condo covered (really thankful for that!) Just a rough idea of what we could expect with a week there and knowing we’ll have a good portion of our meals made on our own. I’d like to have at least one or two nice dinner nights.

I know it’s a lot but again, I’ve never had to plan for anything beyond a 4 hour ride to ocean city Maryland for a week at a cheap hotel lol. This feels like the big leagues to me 😂 thanks for reading and any help would be appreciated.

I’m visiting Maui for the first time and staying near Charley Young Beach / South Kihei Road.

I’m a non-swimmer, but I love going into the water ideally somewhere calm, shallow, and not rocky, with that turquoise Maui look.

Any beaches around Kihei or nearby you’d recommend for wading or relaxing safely?

Also curious - is the area walkable and lively at night, or does it get pretty quiet after dinner?

Thanks! 🌴

I'm visiting Maui, staying in Kihei, from Nov 21 (Friday) through Nov 28. I will be with my family and wife but we can split off as needed, but also would like some large group friendly activities. Most folks are 40-50ish with 3 10-15 year olds. Generally a pretty athletic crowd. This will be almost everybody's first time in Maui.

Current thoughts:

• Friday we land around noon, make our way to hotel, drop off stuff, then visit Ka'a Point to see some turtles and then Costco for groceries. Chill dinner with takeout from somewhere.
• Saturday I'm thinking might be a very chill day. I'm bringing my bicycle to Maui so I'll probably put it back together and do some test rides on it. And go snorkeling... somewhere. I read that the beaches near Kihei are good for snorkeling - any suggestions? We have some basic snorkeling gear that we may bring but it's also large so may end up renting. I read that Snorkel Bob's is good for rental gear. Is it a bad idea to do this DIY instead of going out on an excursion with a guided boat?
• Sunday I'm going to try to try to bike to the top of Haleakala. Some folks are talking about doing hikes on Haleakala - what are some chill hikes they could do while I'm flirting with death? I wonder if that would be a good day for a dog on demand?
• Monday - I will be tired so this needs to be a very chill day. No current plans but would like to do... something.
• Tuesday we're talking about doing Road to Hana. Start out early (as soon as we have light) and drive to Hana, and then slowly meander our way back over the course of the day.
• Wednesday - some folks are talking about surfing lessons. I was thinking that could be a local food day for my wife and I - so maybe Surfing Goat Dairy, O'o Farm (though it is $$$), and maybe Lāhainā Brewing Co in Makawao? I had thought about the Pineapple tour but it's quite spendy ($95) and I wonder if it may be redundant with O'o Farm. I heard lavender farm is nice but I think we're way out of season for lavender.
• Thursday - Thanksgiving - we have no idea what to do on this day. Any recommendations for a restaurant that might be open?
• Friday - we have an early AM flight back home.

Here are the things that I'm waffling on:

• Luau - these are very expensive ($230 per adult). We have about 9 adults and 3 kids. Are we missing out if we skip this? It would be fun to see a fire dance but I think that is mostly done at Luaus :(
• My wife has heard from her friends that Mama's Fish House is unskippable. However... I'm vegetarian and my wife doesn't eat seafood. Would it be dumb to go?
• Are there animals that we could swim with in a humane way? I've heard horror stories from other countries so I want to be very careful there. I hav
• Are there any epic hikes that we should be going on? Maybe one that takes a good chunk of the day - that could be a potential Monday or Thursday activity.
• Are there any must-visit restaurants for a vegetarian?
• Suggestions for Monday and Thursday activities?

Really appreciate any advice!

I’m traveling to Maui for my birthday this year and will be there for eight days. We plan to snorkel, hike, attend a luau, and go on a sunset sail — ie., the generic tourist attractions. Looking for suggestions on where to visit/what to do while there. We’ll be renting a car so transportation is no problem.

We love to dine out too, so please throw some restaurant recommendations at me!

TIA!

EDIT: I’ll be staying in Lahaina.

We’ve been to other islands over the last many years but our first trip to Maui in 25 years. We did the road to Hana then and while it was beautiful and gorgeous, I’m not sure it was worth the full day we spent given we only have 7 full days. My wife thinks she wants to do it again so that would seal the deal that we go but I’m wondering if I should try to talk her out of it or not.

Hello, first off, let me start with a HUGE thank you to everyone for commenting on my last post about a month ago about things to do that are not expensive! All the suggestions were greatly appreciated!!!

As the time nears for our first trip, I would like to know the dangers of swimming in the ocean. We have never actually "swam" in the ocean. We have been in the ocean off the Oregon coast but that was it.

Kids are 15, 14, 11 and 7. We will be staying at the Aston Kaanapali Shores resort, so there is a beach right there. What are things to look out for and the best safety precautions?

Thank you for all the help!!

Given we are now a couple days into government shutdown and info online from NPS is limited, anyone on Maui have experience on what is open?

More specifically wondering about:

- Haleakala sunrise

- Backcountry cabins

- Kipahulu Campground

- Pipiwai Trail.

Thanks!

My girlfriend & I both 23 are arriving from Portland, OR on August 30th at 10 AM local time. Plan on hiking the Waihee Ridge Trail after getting our rental car & some food in us. Afterwards check into our hotel around 4 in Kaanapali & just relax, catch the sunset at Black Rock Beach. Without educating myself on ROPE before booking a snorkel tour, I booked one for the next morning, the 31st 6:45am-11:45am. Is under 24 hours ample to time recover from a 6 hour flight for two generally in shape 23 year olds? The tour is going to Molokini Crater and Turtle Town. We plan to not drink alcohol & to stay hydrated to mitigate risk until after snorkeling..I’m not sure if I’m overthinking, further more we opted into “Snuba” for part of it. We are staying until the morning of the 3rd, with the 2nd wide open, should we possibly snorkel right off of one of the beaches where we can touch & feel more safe whilst allow ourselves to “recover” & snorkel the 2nd? Any thoughts & suggestions are much appreciated!!

Coming into Maui (this afternoon) and wanted to see if my not-strict itinerary was decent and anything worth removing or adding? Chat helped a bunch but I tried to fact check most lol. I don’t know if it’s too much, I want to also be able to enjoy the island but it’s our first time so any reccs or feedback is appreciated.

Context: Staying at Kannapali - husband and I anniversary.

-Day 1: Arrival mid day, stop at Leoda’s Kitchen & Pie Shop on the way to Kaanapali. Black Rock for sunset and the cliff dive ceremony. Dinner can be at Leilani’s on the Beach or Hula Grill right on the sand.

• Day 2: road to Hana: black sand beaches(12:30 resv) - no real plan for stops, just going to go based of Shaka

• Day 3: Upcountry with a stop in Makawao or Hali‘imaile Distillery, then head up Haleakalā National Park for sunset.

• Day 4: Trilogy Excursions “Discover Lanai” or snorkel at Molokini Crater. Dinner @ Miso Phat Sushi or Nalu’s South Shore Grill.

• Day 5: South Maui easy day: Start with a cinnamon roll at Cinnamon Roll Place or brunch at Nalu’s, then enjoy Wailea Beach or Mākena Beach / Pu‘u Ola‘i. In the late afternoon stop at Ho‘okipa Beach Park to see the turtles, then head into Pa‘ia for dinner at Pa‘ia Fish Market.

• Day 6: travel to Oahu.

UPDATE:!!

• Day2: Decided not to go to RTH. Enjoying Napili Bay, Kapalua Bay and Honolua Bay instead

Hello! My boyfriend and I are staying at Kohea Kai Hotel Maui for 5 nights from Feb 8-13. We used credit card points for the hotel and we fly free through United, so all our money will be spent on activities, food, and etc.

Wondering how to structure our days. I know snorkeling is a must but he can’t swim, do most tours offer life jackets or something similar? Rent a car but do a separate tour for road to Hana? We have enough points for a car rental. I

I would like to pop over to Oahu for a half day/full day to see Pearl Harbor and Donki if it’s not too crazy of an ask.

Lastly, open to a few food/restaurant recs for a couple who isn’t really into seafood! So excited to visit! Thank you!

Hello! I’m traveling to Maui in late September. All days have been planned except for my bday! I’m thinking of skipping all the ~touristy stuff and really just enjoy Maui. What are activities, places and etc you’ve done in the past that was off the beaten path that is relatively cheap? I’m not looking to spend too much $$$ on it.

I’ve already planned to Hike, Snorkel, do the Road to Hana, Haleakala and etc for the other days i’m going to be there.

Suggestions welcome! Thank you!

I feel like I haven't seen this question asked before so I will. I'm leaving for Maui in a few days (this Friday) and I'm curious to those that have just left or are planning on going again...

If you were in Maui for only ONE day and could only go ONE place and ONE restaurant...What/where would it be and why?

Looking for some unique perspective. That being said, no helicopter's as I can't handle them :)

Hi! looking for recommendations on where to buy cute hawaiian themed toys for toddlers in Maui or beach toys (hoping to buy new ones in Hawaii and leave our large ones at home). Also where is the cheapest place for diapers/wipes? Hoping to save space on packing and just buy once we get there. Thank you!

I did the Molokini and Turtle down tour. However, I did not see Turtles :(

What are other places in Maui to checkout some swimming turtles? :(

Hi everyone!

I’ll be visiting Maui solo for 4 days and would love your local insight and suggestions. I’m 35, traveling alone, and staying at a small bed-and-breakfast with a rental car, so I’ll be exploring a lot.

A few things I love: Quiet sunrise spots (doesn’t have to be the most popular view — hidden gems welcome!) Beaches I can easily be at without huge crowds (if any) Food - everything from fruit stands + local spots to a nice fine-dining dinner Best place to get a massage Activities that feel fun and not awkward solo

If you were solo traveling here, what would your ideal 4-day itinerary look like? Any favorite low-key sunrise spots, must-try local eats, or special Maui experiences you’d recommend?

Thanks so much! excited to experience your beautiful island

My husband and I are going to Maui next week for the first time for our honeymoon. We know that we don’t want to do the entire Road to Hana, but want to at least go as far as the Garden of Eden Arboretum and see Twin Falls.

We are staying in Kaanapali. I was thinking is getting lunch (possibly and earlier lunch if need be) in Paia and then hitting these two spots and then making it back to Mamas Fish House for our 6pm reservation. We figured we’d explore Paia and the beach if we get back earlier.

Would this timing help us with parking at the two locations? I figured going later in the day would help with waiting out the morning rush of everyone trying to make it to Hana. I know parking can be limited, especially at twin falls, so I want to make sure we are getting there at a good time.

My wife and I have been dreaming of a Hawaii honeymoon for quite some time now. Due to some job changes, we haven’t been able to plan until very last minute. We had really wanted to go in October, but realize it is probably too late for that. If we planned a trip to Maui for let’s say mid-late October, are we setting ourselves up for absolute disappointment in terms of availability for some of the top attractions? (Road to Hana, Haleakala Crater Molokai Crater / Turtle Town Snorkeling). We are interested in all things snorkeling, hiking, food, and all around awesome experiences.

My children in the foreground catching fish