Tips For Enjoying The Road To Hana-Hawaii

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Reviews can make you nervous. Especially reviews about taking a road trip on Maui’s famous Road to Hana. At first, we were enthusiastic, but as we started the planning process, we saw review after review stating that road-tripping The Road to Hana is a miserable experience. Our decision, use the negative comments as a what-not-to-do and make an enjoying The Road to Hana plan.

Stay Overnight in Hana

Hawaii is a pricey destination, and staying in Hana is expensive. The list of accommodations is small, the cost is high. The number one thing that ruined a Road to Hana road trip was trying to tackle the trip in a single day. Without stopping, and with zero traffic, you can get from Kahului or Pa’ia to Hana in about three hours. The whole point of a Road to Hana road trip is stopping at the attractions. Adding in the stops, traffic, and taking your time on the one-lane bridges and hairpin turns, a Hana round-trip can take twelve hours or more.

One mistake is stopping at all of the early stops. After a few hairpin turns and one-lane bridges, road-trippers determine they do not want to drive the challenging road in the dark. They start skipping stops, and rush to cross the line into Hana Town. After either grabbing a quick bite to eat, or seeing one quick site in Hana Town, they slough back without stopping. Visitors return to their Kahului or Pa’ia hotel, exhausted and grumpy. Hence the negative reviews.

If you are interested in enjoying The Road to Hana, it’s nice to know that once you arrive in Hana Town, you don’t have to turn around and drive all the way back. National Park Passport Stampers, we wanted to spend
time experiencing everything at the Hana side of Haleakala National Park. This made staying in Hana mandatory.

We used hotel points for our two-night stay in Hana, but even if you have to do some Hawaii trip budget juggling, staying overnight is key to enjoying The Road to Hana.

Shaka Guide (or other Hana road-trip audio tour)

I took the advice of road-trippers and downloaded an audio tour before the drive. We used the Shaka Guide tour. There are sections of the road trip where you have zero Wifi/GPS, and depending on your activity wish list, you will have to follow the audio tour to know where to turn and park.

A big complaint I read is that the locals are mean. We did not encounter this at all. You will see a lot of waterfalls along the road. Tourists assume that every waterfall is a stop. To capture a perfect waterfall picture, road-trippers stop in the middle of a one-lane bridge or park the car in the road. This makes the locals angry. They are just trying to get to work or pick up their child from school, and you are blocking the road. The audio tour tells you which waterfalls are coming up. The tour lets you know if they are admire as you drive by, or if there is a designated parking area for taking photos.

Listen to the guide. Don’t be the tourist who annoys the locals and then complains online.

An audio tour will also provide history and cultural information and may suggest a stop or two you didn’t see on other lists.

Research and Make a List

Research is important to enjoying The Road to Hana. It is impossible to spend time at every stop. Even with two days, we did not see every stop. Look at a map, read websites and blog posts, and watch some YouTube videos. Do you want to swim in a waterfall? Are you here for the views? Do you want to try all of the roadside snacks, visit gardens, or walk on a black sand beach? Make a must-stop list. One of the biggest mistakes I observed is not having a plan. People begin their road trip, stopping at every attraction. Some of the attractions don’t fit their interests, and they regret missing out on places later on the road or in the town of Hana.

Our Hana Road Trip

But first, coffee. It’s important to start early in the morning. Fortunately, the Kraken Coffee truck, in Kuhului, was ready to provide early starters with some much-needed caffeine.

Ho’okipa Beach View Lookout

Since Ho’okipa Beach View Lookout is close to the towns of Kahului and Pa’ia, most people visit this beach the night before their road trip. This is a popular place to see turtles in Hawaii. We witnessed a large group of turtles relaxing on the beach.

Turtles are considered sacred and are a protected species in Hawaii. You must maintain a 10-foot distance.

Ho’okipa Beach was also a fun place to watch surfers.

One of our tips for enjoying The Road to Hana is getting ahead of the crowds. We drove past the first popular stop, the Twin Falls Hike and waterfall swim, and the Twin Falls Farm Stand.

If you didn’t grab coffee or breakfast before hitting the road, there are several cafes along the roadside, like the Huelo Lookout.

The worst reviewed attraction on The Road to Hana is The Garden of Eden Botanical Garden. This is due to people not researching for their trip and/or not downloading an audio tour. Vehicle passengers see The Garden of Eden sign, make the turn, wait in a long line of cars, and once on the grounds, find that The Garden of Eden Botanical Garden has an entrance fee. They hand over their money, spend a few hours at the garden to ensure they get their money’s worth, then find that there are plenty of free, less time-consuming activities on the road.
The gardens are supposed to be absolutely beautiful, so if you are a garden enthusiast, you may want to prioritize The Garden of Eden. We love gardens and know ourselves. If we stopped, we could easily spend an entire day admiring every tree and flower. We skipped it.

Kaumahina Wayside State Park

If you want to snap the perfect picture of the Road to Hana road, this lookout is the spot. Kaumahina was free and had parking. We took in the view for a few minutes, then set out again.

If your morning coffee is kicking in, Kaumahina makes a good Road to Hana bathroom break.

Ke’anae Arboretum

Ke’anae Arboretum is a pass for many but a priority for us. You will drive by several Rainbow Eucalyptus trees along the side of the road. The trees on the side of the road are on private property. Don’t pull your car over and wander into someone’s yard to see a tree.
Ke’anae Arboretum has parking spaces. It is an easy, pleasant forest trail, with numerous Rainbow Eucalyptus trees. You can see the trees up close. There are plenty of opportunities for tree photos.

Other types of trees and local flowers line the forest trail.

Rainbow Eucalyptus trees were on my must-see list, so Ke’anae Arboretum was a favorite stop. The arboretum is small, but if you want to get your garden fix for free, it’s worth the time.

Aunt Sandy’s Banana Bread and the Ke’anae Peninsula

The Shaka Guide audio tour tells us exactly where to turn to get to Aunt Sandy’s Banana Bread and the Ke’anae Peninsula.

Banana Bread is one of the most sought-after treats in Hawaii. Some proclaim that Aunt Sandy’s is the “touristy” banana bread. If you want real banana bread, you need to stop at this stand or that stand on The Road to Hana. I am Obligatory Traveler. I wanted to stop at the obligatory banana bread stand.

Our plan for enjoying The Road to Hana worked. We are well ahead of the crowds. Due to its popularity, Aunt Sandy’s is known for having a line and for selling out of banana bread. We walked right up to the window and ordered a freshly baked, warm loaf.

Aunt Sandy’s picnic tables provide an ideal place to munch. Breakfast is far behind us, and we don’t plan to stop for lunch, so we consume the entire loaf. It was flavorful, moist, and unpretentious.

The blue water splashing against the black lava rock at the Ke’anae Peninsula is spectacular. Bright green plants squeeze up between the rocks.

Driftwood dots the shoreline. We are the only people here, and we spend a significant amount of time admiring the peace and beauty. There is a historic church to visit on the peninsula, but it was under renovation during our visit. I could easily spend hours at Ke’anae Peninsula.

Even if you decide to get your banana bread at a different stand, turn off of Hana Highway and view the landscape along Ke’anae Road.

Half-Way to Hana

If Aunt Sandy’s runs out of bread, you can pick up a loaf at Half-Way to Hana. This roadside eatery has quick-service lunch options and a variety of Hawaiian snacks. We stopped on our way back from Hana. I got the Banana Mac Crunch ice cream, and Shannon ordered a shave ice.

They were good, but not the best things we ate during our Hawaii trip.

After experiencing multiple scenic views and not wanting to navigate a tiny parking lot, we skipped the Wailua Valley State Wayside.

Pua’a Ka’a State Wayside

Our next stop is the Pua’a Ka’a State Wayside. Though this is a popular stop filled with visitors, we had no issues finding a parking space. If you are looking for a bathroom on the Road to Hana, this State Wayside is a convenient location.

There is also a picnic pavilion.

At this State Wayside, you can view small, pretty waterfalls and pools.

The surrounding vegetation is tropical and lush.

When enjoying The Road to Hana, this quick stop is a great place to stretch your legs and explore some Hawaiian scenery.

The Small Lava Tube

Since I couldn’t find a definite name for this stop, I’ll just refer to it as the small lava tube. This was not on our list. I never came across it in my research. The Shaka Guide mentioned that coming up on the right side, we would see a hole in the side of the road.

Since we weren’t held to a schedule, we pulled the car into the empty parking area. Using caution, we squeezed through the hole, scrambled down the rocks, and looked around the cave. We examine the lava rock walls and ceiling.

Though not as impressive as other Hawaii lava tubes, this stop was fun. Climbing in and out of the lava tube provided enough physical challenge and dirt to make it feel like an adventure.

Click Here to read about our visit to the Nahuku Lava Tube in Volcanoes National Park

Coconut Glen’s

The number one place on my Road to Hana list and my must-try ice cream list was Coconut Glen’s.

Coconuts are plentiful in Hawaii. Glen had a great idea: harvest this natural resource and use coconut milk to create scrumptious ice cream. A snoozing cat, colorful truck, and artistic seating contribute to the fun, quirky atmosphere.

I ordered the Original Coconut and the Pineapple Banana flavors.

The vegan ice cream was delicious. It was creamy, and the flavors were bright and fresh. Not in a hurry, we take time to savor our Coconut Glen’s ice cream.

Sadly, Glen of Coconut Glen’s passed away in 2025. His family now runs the ice cream shop and plans to continue his ice cream legacy.

Waiʻanapanapa State Park

Wai’anapanapa State Park is the goal for people enjoying The Road to Hana. It is an opportunity to visit a black sand beach and is one of the biggest attractions in Maui.

We did not visit Wai’anapanapa State Park.

To decrease overcrowding, the park implements timed reservations. To visit the park, you must reserve a visitor time slot on the park website. Time slots fill up quickly. One of the reasons people didn’t enjoy The Road to Hana was the stress of having to be at a specific place at a specific time. Depending on their reservation time, they have to rush through most of the road and miss out on the majority of stops. With one-way bridges and hairpin turns, the going can be slow. Anxiety about missing the reservation is strong.

If you dream of seeing a black sand beach, prioritize your schedule around a reservation at Wai’anapanapa State Park. Our Hawaii trip included time on the Big Island, where we walked along Kehena Black Sand Beach. We felt we could skip Maui’s Black Sand Beach in favor of other stops.

Click here to read about our visit to Kehena Black Sand Beach

Hana Town

In addition to the Hana Highway, there are wonderful things to do in Hana Town. You can hike to Kaihalulu Red Sand Beach, explore Haleakala National Park, and eat at the famous Huli Huli Chicken stand.

Conclusion

Though many people feel that The Road to Hana is overrated, stressful, and not worth the time, planning ahead can make the drive a delightful journey.

– Spend a night or two in the town of Hana. It will give you plenty of time to make stops and admire the sights without feeling rushed.

-Download an audio tour. Listening to stories about history, culture, and the science of nature enhances the ride. The audio tour also provides directions, stop suggestions, parking instructions, and information on finding the path to see a waterfall up close.

-Respect the locals.

-Make a list. Research. Prioritize the attractions you want to see. Leave some flexibility. Maybe Halfway to Hana isn’t on your list, but suddenly you have a hankering for a shave ice. Perhaps Kaumahina Wayside State Park was a skip, but the car occupants need a bathroom break, or the audio tour tells you about a small lava tube you just have to see. The goal is to make the road trip as relaxed as possible.

Following these tips for enjoying The Road to Hana on Maui, Hawaii, will help make your road trip an unforgettable adventure.