The Top 10 Things to Do in Maui, Hawaii

Maui is my favorite place in the world, an island I keep visiting year after year. This island has so much to offer from one of the most scenic drives in the world to the most pristine calm water beaches, all while never feeling crowded and having such a slowness to the island that it stops you in your tracks. This article will highlight some of the best things you can do while vacationing in Maui, but one thing to keep in mind is that I highly recommend keeping your schedule more loose while visiting. This is an island where simply being walking around and enjoying the beaches is such a vacation so make sure you have time to enjoy this slowness in day to day life here.

General Information

Fly Hawaiian Air

I highly recommend flying Hawaiian Air as the hospitality on this airline is 10/10. They provide a complementary Hawaiian cocktail, warm meal, and dessert on this flight which I have never experienced on an airline flying from San Francisco to Maui. They also have complementary free WiFi via Starlink which supports all streaming, social media scrolling, messaging, and more. The only limitation is no calling or facetiming to respect the people around you. I also find this to often be the cheapest nonstop flight.

Book your rental car in advance

Upon arriving at Kahului Airport, you’ll be able to take a quick tram right outside the baggage claim to the rental car center which has all the main companies – Hertz, Avis, Thrifty, etc. to pick up your car. This process is very straight forward and makes it really easy to get your rental car at the airport locations within 30 minutes end-to-end.

I highly recommend getting a car with an open top to fully experience the island. We opted for a Jeep with a hard top that could easily come up and convert the car into an SUV convertible. This was honestly such a highlight of the trip and really allowed us to soak in all the tropical air while we drove everywhere. It is more of a splurge however at nearly 2x the price of the more traditional sedans so only do this if your budget allows.

booking accomodations

I recommend staying either in Wailea or Ka’anapali. These are both more resort areas which have a lot to offer in terms of restaurants, shops, pristine beaches, accommodations, and more. My favorite time of day in Hawaii is taking a walk in the early morning along the water – these areas have beautiful walking trails as I’ll dive into below. I personally prefer Ka’anapali but Wailea is more central which helps cuts driving time around the island. You can’t go wrong with either, truly!

Of note, if you can, I would also aim to book a place that has a kitchen. The food options are not abundant on the island and are on the pricier side so it’s nice to have breakfasts at home and/or packed lunches with you. A lot of the Air BnBs that you might find in these areas are actually more like hotels – with these condo properties having a reception, events, beautifully managed shared pool and cabana property, sometimes bellman, and more so don’t count this option out! I included pictures above to highlight some of the amenities and ocean front views we were able to get for a fraction of the cost via Air BnB.

Keep a loose itinerary

One of the best parts about Maui is the slow life here; the energy is very go with the flow with everyone just enjoying each moment as it comes. It doesn’t have the more lively feeling of Honolulu and it’s really all about taking it slow. Despite there being a lot on this list of things to do, aim to not book too many things in advance so you have time to just relax at the beach, enjoy beautiful walks along the water, and more! It’s an island where simply being there and enjoying the coastlines is the adventure with these activities as a bonus on top.

Top 10 Things to Do in Maui

1. Road to Hana

Road to Hana is a 65 mile drive on the east side of Maui. This is one of the most iconic Hawaiian drives, offering waterfalls to swim in, rainbow eucalyptus trees, black sand beaches, and so much more. Even with the countless breathtaking stops along this drive, the journey is truly the experience as the roads are stunning covered in rainforest, plants, and waterfalls along the road. You really can’t miss this if you are going to Maui!

Visit my article on all of the best mike markers to stop at on the Road to Hana, including my tips for how to best embark on this long day trip.

2. Sunrise at Haleakala Summit

Despite the early wake up call, this is one of the best things you can do when in Maui. This summit sits above 10,000 feet, letting you watch the sunrise come up above all the clouds. It’s one of the most beautiful ways to start the day and has such electric energy here each morning.

Visit my article on an in-depth guide on watching the sunrise at Haleakala, including what to expect and how to plan your trip here.

3. Go Snorkeling

Maui is one of the best places to go snorkeling as it’s home to 5 different species of sea turtles with often 10-20 on a beachfront being normal. Snorkeling options in Maui can range from more expensive day trips out to the famous Molokini Crater to just visiting some of the top local beaches. I personally recommend just doing ones by shore to save your travel budget for some of the other paid excursions later in this article. Below are some of the best snorkel spots on the island from my own experience of consistently seeing an abundant of marine life here:

  • Black Rock Beach | Ka’anapali, Maui
  • Kapalua Bay | Kapalua, Maui
  • Turtle Town | Wailea, Maui
  • Molokini Crater (available only via boat)

You’ll find a lot of snorkel rentals around the island if you don’t have your own. They typically range from $5 to $20 per day to rent. One key note – if you wear glasses, lots of snorkel rentals in Maui will have prescription lens snorkel masks you can rent for just a few dollars extra. This is especially key since you shouldn’t wear contact lenses in the ocean as it can trap bacteria against your eye.

4. Activities – Parasailing, Ziplining, & Surf Lessons

There are so many fun activities to do while on Maui – some but not limited to parasailing, ziplining, and surf lessons. A lot of these can be found on main sites like Viator and GetYourGuide which have flexible cancellation policies typically up until 24 hours before. I would recommend booking one of these, or two if you are staying more than a week.

5. Walk the Stunning Paths of Wailea, Ka’anapali, and Kapalua Bay

Maui does an exceptional job at keeping beach paths extremely well maintained throughout the island. Specifically in Wailea, Ka’anapali, and Kapalua Bay there are some beautiful walking paths spanning nearly a mile that have beautiful views of the water, stunning landscaping, and good energy with some coffee stands set up around. I highly recommend going for a walk in the early morning before the sun comes down strong in the afternoon.

6. I’ao Valley State Monument and Park

IÊ»ao Valley State Monument, located in central Maui near Wailuku, is known for the towering IÊ»ao Needle, a 1,200-foot rock formation that rises dramatically from the lush valley floor. This verdant valley was the site of the Battle of Kepaniwai in 1790, where King Kamehameha I defeated Maui’s forces in his quest to unite the Hawaiian Islands.

The hike itself to the I’ao Needle is actually very quick and will likely only take you a maximum of 20-30 minutes roundtrip. The park itself has so much to offer on top of this so I recommend taking this back trail that has a paved path alongside the creek and through the mountains. It isn’t very clearly marked but you’ll find it if you go left towards the bottom steps of the I’ao Needle Hike to walk towards the creek. We walked about an hour in and then back out as it doesn’t seem like it loops around.

You will need a reservation to enter the park which you can make on their official site here.

7. Horseback Riding

Maui has a few really beautiful ranches on the island that have public horseback riding that you can book for typically $150-$300 per person either in the early morning or early afternoon. It’s a really unique way to either explore coastal trails or Maui’s more lush mountainous landscapes depending on which ranch you pick, often while learning about the island’s paniolo (Hawaiian cowboy) culture.

We booked ours through Circle M Ranch Maui which charged $200 per person for a 90 minute ride. The trail was absolutely stunning and it was very cool to see the oceanfront while on the back of a horse. This one, but some other ones we considered booking are below:

8. Beach & Pool Days

A list of what to do in Maui would not be complete without calling out having day(s) at the beach and some of the top resorts pools. Some of the best beaches on the island to enjoy are:

  • Ka’anapali Beach
  • Wailea Beach
  • Kapalua Beach
  • Makena Beach State Park
  • Wai’anapanapa State Park
  • Honolua Bay

If you aren’t staying in one of the more popular resorts that has a grand pool, I highly recommend Exploring Resort Pass to see if there is availability for a Cabana to book at one of these hotels. This comes with access to their pools for the day as well which is such a great way to enjoy the beautiful resort pool setups without having to pay the upwards of $1000/night these hotels charge for the day you want to relax.

We booked a Resort Pass for the Westin Resort & Spa Ka’anapali

This is the specific place we booked this, which cost $250 total for the 2 people for the day. It also included a $50 minimum food or drink requirement from their pool deck restaurant and bar.

9. Book a Sunset Cruise or Swim at Sunset

The sunsets in Maui are some of the best in the world and cannot be missed! While you will likely watch the sunset each night, one of the best ways to view this is from the water itself with a sunset cruise. These range from more casual to sometimes a full dinner service aboard the boat. Below are some good options”

  • Dinner Luau Sunset Cruise with Pride of Maui (Link)
  • Dinner South Maui Sunset Cruise on a Catamaran (Link)
  • Open Bar Ka’anapali Sunset Cruise (Link)
10. Go to a Classic Hawaiian Luau

A Hawaiian luau is a traditional event that celebrates the rich culture of the island. There is usually live music, hula dancing, fire dancing, and a wide spread of food and drinks. Many of them will do an all-you-can eat buffet and open bar with a lot of the local dishes served like kalua pig, poi, and poke. It’s always held outdoors and is such a great way to learn more about the history and connect with other travelers.

I personally recommend booking the Old Lahaina Luau, which can be reserved on their site here. They have been running since 1986 every day of the week for 340 guests a night!

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