Hawaii Travel: 11 Best Places to Visit in Maui
If you’ve been considering a vacation to Maui, I hope this is the nudge you need to commit and book your trip to paradise. After two visits to this wonderful island, I have only amazing things to say about the people, culture, experiences, and views.
Inside, we’ll highlight some of the best places to visit in Maui so you leave with a checked-off bucket list. I also discuss estimated costs for your trip, where to stay, and when you should go.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you have an incredible trip to Hawaii.
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Best Places to Visit in Maui on Your Next Trip
1. Summit of Haleakala National Park
Many of ya’ll will come for the beaches, but I’m a mountain person, and my gosh, is this place incredible! We were short on time, so we didn’t get to hike, but the views of craters and dazzling colors were phenomenal.
There’s almost no other place like this, where you can go from being on the beach to needing a down jacket and being cold in two hours. It’s hands down one of the best places to visit in Maui.
You need a reservation if you want to watch the sunrise up here. But everyone is welcome for sunset.
2. Snorkel at Molokini Crater and Turtle Town
This was my first snorkeling experience, and all future trips are ruined, ha!
It’s super touristy, and you don’t exactly get solitude in the water as everyone gets in at the same time. Still, I recommend it to everyone as one of the best places to visit in Maui. The fish here were beautiful at Molokini, and we saw a few sea turtles near the shore.
Crossing off a couple of major bucket list things made my trip
3. Nakelele Blow Hole
Just a short walk down from the parking area (slightly steep though), you’ll reach the blowhole area mere feet from the ocean. Please, do not get close to the blowhole. People have died here, and it’s not worth the risk.
It’s a cool natural formation, but it’ll get old after you see it happen a few times. I wouldn’t budget more than an hour to visit this.
4. Iao Valley State Monument
This was one of the things we checked off in 2024, and it’s otherworldly compared to most of Maui. Iao Valley State Monument is incredibly lush and vibrant. While a lot of Maui is dry, this feels like a rainforest.
While it is a cool place to see, there’s not much to do there. There’s an unofficial and frowned upon trail leading you higher up above the final viewpoint that people still do. (I didn’t feel ethically comfortable doing so.)
There’s also a mile-long trail leading further into the valley next to the river, but it quickly dead-ends. This is a great place for a half-day adventure or to bring the family and not have too strenuous of an outing.
**Reminder: You need an entry permit to visit.**
5. Road to Hana
Not exactly a singular place, but an experience. This stretch of road is a must-drive and is easily one of the best places to visit in Maui. There are countless waterfalls and stunning views along the way.
I will caution, though, that the road is incredibly winding. Because of that, it’s a slow drive, and it’ll take you 2+ hours from the airport.
I’m sure it’s changed since 2021, but people didn’t seem to obey parking rules too much, so stay alert, as cars will be parked along the road, making the narrow road even more narrow.
6. Waiʻānapanapa State Park, aka Maui’s Black Sand Beach
We had an AMAZING time at Waiʻānapanapa State Park. It’s near the end of the Road to Hana. It is easily one of the best state parks in the county, and the clashing colors of black volcanic rock, greenery, and blue water were striking.
We landed the last time slot of the day, which meant the crowds were thinned, and we got better photography lighting. (I highly recommend this strategy.)
There’s a trail that leads you along the coast, past a couple of small beaches, and into the volcanic area. I would have loved to spend more time there but they kicked us out as the sun began to fade.
**Reminder: You need an entry pass to visit. Make sure to screen shot it, as there’s not great cell service in this section of the island. **
7. Makena Beach State Park
About as far as you can drive east on the southern side, this is definitely one of the best places to visit in Maui. My fiancee, brother, and I arrived around sunrise, and we had the entire beach to ourselves.
It’s a magical place; while not a hidden gem by any means, it’s far less visited than other beaches due to its location in the southeastern region.
8. Secret Cove Beach
This is a perfect place to spend the sunset with your significant other or friends. It’s a smaller beach in a cove, but the views are fantastic. This isn’t a place to have a bit party or play loud music. It’s for those looking for an idyllic evening watching the sunset.
9. Dragon’s Teeth
This is an unusual place to visit. For whatever reason, the rocks have formed a jagged line, looking something like Dragon’s Teeth. It’s a pretty easy walk from the parking lot out to the ocean. My photos didn’t come out as great as I had hoped, and I also got splashed by a wave – drenching my camera.
All in all, it’s a nice place to visit. It just won’t blow you away.
10. Honolua Bay Lookout
I never got to snorkel there, but we drove by it on our way to Nakelele Blowhole.
It looked beautiful.
It’s a calm bay with clear water, allowing you to see everything. Many snorkel companies will bring you here, but if you park nearby, you can walk out to it on your own and go snorkeling without a boat.
11. Waterfalls of Halealakal National Park
We never made it ot the southeastern side of the national park, but I’d love to visit the pretty waterfalls and hiking trails someday! One in particular is the Pipiwai Trail, which will wow you! While it’s a bit of a drive to reach, I think it’s one of the best places to visit in Maui.
Traveling Info for Maui
How many days should you plan?
Even on the West Coast, getting to and from Maui will eat up two days. And because of that, you don’t really want to rush a trip. So, I recommend four full days in Maui with the two travel days. So, basically six days in all. Ideally (and if you can afford it), take five days off so that you get the two weekends as well, and then island-hop.
This would give you a nine-day trip while only using five vacation days.
Where should you stay in Maui?
The three most popular places to stay are Kihei, Kaanapali, and Wailea. They increase in price as you read them, left to right.
Kihei is centrally located and is a 25-minute drive from the airport. It gives you great access to beaches, whales, and different parts of the southern shore of the island. You’re about a 2-hour drive to the Haleakala summit and the Road to Hana.
Kaanapali is further west and is very touristy. Here you’ll have the Westin and other nice hotels. The beaches are lovely, but it’s definitely resort central. There are nice snorkeling opportunities and hiking around here, too.
Lastly, Wailea is a luxury area. Green golf courses, expensive, fancy hotels, great dining, and less crowded beaches. If you’ve got the money and are looking for a quiet, exclusive area, you’ll want to aim for here.
When should you make a trip to Maui?
Maui is perfect year-round. Compared to most other places, it is literally paradise, and you can’t go wrong.
However, the rainy season is during winter, so if you want to maximize your sunshine, the summer is when you’ll want to go. But if you want to see the whales, plan your trip from December through March.
How much money can I estimate I will spend while in Maui?
Flights
Outside of the flight to Maui, which depending on where you’re coming from and at what time can range from $400 to $800 round trip, your lodging stay will be the most costly.
Lodging
For my March 2024 trip, the cheapest hotel room we could find was $300 a night. Instead of going that route, we went with an Airbnb that had similar prices and gave us a full kitchen and more space. In all, we spent about $1,600 for lodging for five nights.
You can definitely blow this number out of the water if you stay at one of the nice spots like the Grand Wailea or the Westin Kaanapali.
Groceries
Groceries are not cheap, but it’s still cheaper than going out to eat. We made two dinners to keep costs low. But even with groceries and alcohol, I think the shopping trip was a smidge over $300.
Eating out
We did our best to keep our meals budget-friendly, including poke bowls, food trucks, and local restaurants. The poke bowls were $17-20, while our restaurant meals cost us $85. There are ways to avoid spending lots of money, but you will surely sacrifice fanciness and location.
Excursions
This is where the spending can add up quickly. In 2021, we did a snorkeling trip out to Molokini Crater and Turtle Town. This trip cost around $180 per person, but it was so beautiful, and it was my first time snorkeling.
Whale watching during the winter months is also one of the best things to experience in Maui. From December through March, thousands of humpback whales descend on the region. These trips, usually two hours long, cost between $80 and $90.
Book a Maui whale watching trip (Big Boat)
Book a Maui whale watching trip (raft from Kihei)
Book a Maui whale watching trip (raft from Lahaina)
Rental Car
If you don’t plan to drive the Road to Hana, you could theoretically skip a rental car and use Uber/Lyft. But we wanted to have freedom. Our cost was $260 for five days, which isn’t bad at all.
Total Estimated Costs to Visit Maui
When you factor everything in, I would anticipate a couple to spend between $3,000 and $5,000 to travel to and explore the best places to visit in Maui. This is obviously a rough estimate. There are ways to decrease your costs.
My total costs were 1,637.84 (excluding the $1,600 lodging that we nixed with points and excluding flights, which were paid by points as well).
- Use points to cover flights. Our flights to Maui were free thanks to points, and I used the Southwest companion pass I got by opening up credit cards.
- Use points to cover lodging. If you have a Chase card, you can transfer it to Hyatt and then use those points for free lodging. If you have a Capital One card, you can do the same with Wyndam.
Final Thoughts on the best places to visit in Maui
As you can see, Maui si full of amazing places, charm, and stunning views. From the top of a 10,000-foot volcano to the depths of the ocean floor, there is so much to see in and around Maui with just a single trip.
It holds a special place in my heart as it was the first place I visited in the Hawaiian islands, and I cannot recommend it enough. I hope you can take these best places to visit in Maui article and turn them into incredible memories for yourself.
Until next time, adventurers, stay safe.
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