Road to Hana Tour

• Continental breakfast (fresh local pastries & fruit)
• Cooked-to-order local BBQ lunch in Hana
• Fresh fruit, local snacks, and all-day drinks
• Pick-up/drop-off at your lodging (in most cases)
• Black sand beach (Waianapanapa) limited reservations and admission fees
• All other admission fees

• Everyone can relax and enjoy the views and commentary rather than focus on safely navigating the narrow and windy road
• Most people do not stay in Hana (limited lodging and remote), so there is a lot of ground to cover during daylight hours, and a tour is usually much more effective in maximizing the number and quality of stops
• Cars can get broken into (tour vans know how to properly minimize this)
• Tour guides who drive this route multiple times a week, often for years, know how to drive it safely and in a way that reduces motion sickness
• Local tour guides add a lot of interesting context regarding the culture and history of Hawaii, and their humor adds to the fun of the day
• Rental car companies (with the exception of those specializing in 4wd vehicles) prohibit driving on unpaved surfaces, which includes part of the backside/loop. Note: there is some grey area/debate in terms of legal/financial risk, but nevertheless needing assistance in this remote area could not only be very expensive but also a protracted headache, especially since cellphone reception is often non-existent and the nearest tow truck is at least a hour away.

This map shows a general representation of the Road to Hana route for this tour, with the tour going clockwise around the eastern half of Maui. This map does not show the free pick-ups/drop-offs from lodgings around the island (i.e. West Maui / South Maui), the Pride of America cruise ship port in Kahului, and the airport in Kahului.

The following are a mixture of stops ("S"), quick photo opportunities ("P"), and drive throughs ("D"), listed in chronological order. Stops in bold are typically longer (20-60 minutes), whereas others are 5-20 minutes. There may be other photo ops and brief stops not listed below at the discretion of the guide based on the pace of the tour, crowds, makeup of group, etc.

Sugar Mill Town of Paia (D)
Ho'okipa Windsurfing Lookout (S)
Rainbow Eucalyptus Trees (S)
Bamboo Forest (D) (used to be stop but now illegal to trespass)
Keanae Valley Peninsula (S) (with option to buy fresh banana bread at famous Aunty Sandy's)
Pua'a Ka'a State Park Waterfalls (S) (swimming opportunity)
Hanawi Falls (P)
Waianapanapa Black Sand Beach (S) (swimming opportunity, and small lava tube / sea cave you can walk in)
Quaint Hana Town (D)
Hana Bay Black Sand Beach (P)
Hamoa Beach (D)
Koki Red Sand Beach (S)
Aunty Vergies' Flower Farm (S) (bathroom & shopping opportunity)
Wailua Falls (S)
Ohe'o Gulch / Seven Sacred Pools (D) (more details in FAQ below)
Charles Lindbergh's Grave / Palapala Hoomau Church (built in 1857) (S)
Kipahulu scenic ocean views, waterfalls, and rainforest (P)
St. Joseph Church (built in 1862) (D)
Kaupo Ranchlands / Haleakala backside views / Sea Arch / Cliffs (P)
Maui's Last Lava Flows (D)
Maui's Upcountry / Kula (S) (views of Maui, and bathroom break)

Please note that this itinerary cannot be guaranteed depending on weather, unexpected closures, and timing. 

The schedule and stops have been set to deliver an optimal and accurate experience to all guests on this tour and to stay on track given some constraints (e.g., pre-arranged lunch, paid reservations at the black sand beach, not returning at dark, avoiding peak crowds). Private tours (8+ paid seats) are still expected to follow the general itinerary, and any flexibility is at the discretion of the guide/driver and need to also take into account where the tour vehicle can legally stop.

Lodgings

The tour picks up at virtually all hotels and condos, including in Lahaina, Ka'anapali, Kihei, Wailea, and elsewhere. The exact pick-up time will be provided to you with the email confirmation, based on the lodging you provide at checkout. A list of the most common lodgings with pickups can be found as part of the online booking process. It will likely be around 7-8 am, with a return around 5-7 pm. However, If you are staying in a residential area (e.g., private house or community), you will likely have to meet at a designated public location nearby due to government regulations (feel free to make a note at checkout whether you prefer a short walk or drive). 

If you are staying in Paia, Haiku, or Upcountry (Makawao, Pukalani, Kula), you will need to meet in Kahului at a shopping center (Maui Marketplace, with free parking), although exceptions may be possible, especially for larger groups.

If you are staying in Hana, unfortunately this tour is not a good fit.

Airport

For those flying in for the day from another island, this tour starts conveniently near the start of the Road to Hana in Kahului. Since it isn't allowed to pickup directly at the airport, pickup is at 7:45 am at the Maui Marketplace shopping center only a couple of miles from the airport via taxi/Uber/Lyft. It's a small airport, and your flight can arrive as late as 7:30 am for this tour (there is a grace period with the 7:45 am pickup). The tour can drop off directly at the airport after the tour around 5-5:30 pm, so departing flights should be after 6:45-7 pm. 

For those flying to outside Hawaii, we generally recommend if possible to do this full day tour not on your travel day. However, if you are flying out after 8:30 pm, you should be able to do the full tour. You would return to your hotel by 5-7 pm (depending on hotel). Possible traffic, as well as possible 1+ hour airport security lines, is why only such a late flight is advised. 

Please note the tour cannot store or handle any luggage; you can only bring a day bag that fits in your seat on the van. If you have a car rental, you could meet the tour for pick-up at Maui Marketplace in Kahului (near the airport), and you could keep your luggage in your car and afterwards you could drive to the airport after being dropped off at your car around 5-6 pm. For storage solutions in Kahului near the airport, you can check an app.

This tour regularly services cruise ships docking in Kahului, which is actually quite close to where the tour naturally begins, and it has a permit to pickup/dropoff in the main cruise ship pickup area. For most cruise ships, the tour is generally dedicated to the cruise ship, with pickup and dropoff synced with the cruise ship schedule.

Unlike the larger bus tours typically provided through the cruise ships that often include only a box lunch and turn around in Hana to go back the same windy way, our tour is small group (8 max, unless private), includes a made-to-order hearty hot lunch at a local favorite near Hana, and does a loop around the entire eastern side of the island of Maui (no turning around).

Please note that cruise ship days often book up weeks or months in advance, with pricing at $299/person for excursions usually dedicated for the cruise ships. If you don't see availability, please submit our waitlist form, including for dates in 2026 or later which are not yet bookable. If it's at least a few weeks away, there is a solid chance we could open up another van, or even if last minute, cancellations from others do happen.

NCL Pride of America (Sundays)

The tour picks up passengers from this ship every Sunday! Pick-up is synced with the ship's arrival around 8 am. Please ensure you choose the first day you're on Maui (Sunday), since the tour concludes in the evening (around 4:30-6 pm) and therefore Monday is too tight (although larger groups can contact us to inquire about a custom tour on Mondays). 

TIP: Pride of America guests should also check out our:
Monday (Maui): Small group volcanoes tour or snorkel & whale watching cruise
Wednesday (Big Island): Dolphin & snorkel cruise in Kona
Before or after cruise (Oahu): Honolulu tours & activities, including Native Hawaiian / small-group tours like our Road to Hana tour

Other Large Cruise Ships

For most other cruise ships, the ship schedule doesn't fit the standard tour and therefore the tour will operate as a stand-alone custom excursion from February 2025 onwards (for any dates before then, please inquire). Examples, but not exhaustive, of other cruise ships that will work and should be bookable in our calendar include the Carnival Radiance, Disney Wonder, Grand Princess, Holland Koningsdam, Norwegian Sun, Norwegian Spirit, and Ruby Princess. Please select "Cruise Ships: Other" in the booking form, and as long as your cruise ship docking date in Kahului is shown as available, you can proceed to book (note: there is only 1 cruise ship in Kahului per day). For 2026 dates, please contact us. Pricing is $299/person. Note: in many cases, the times shown at checkout are just approximate; the detailed confirmation email may have more accurate times to sync with your cruise ship schedule.

Other Cruise Ships

If you're coming in to port in Kahului on another cruise ship whose date doesn't show when the "Cruise Ships: Other" option is selected, if it arrives 7 am or earlier and departs 7 pm or later, as listed in the official port schedule, then the standard tour would work and you can proceed with booking the Standard option. For other ships that arrive after 7 am or depart before 7 pm, you would need to contact us to inquire.


For some cruise ships (but not the Pride of America), depending on the pick-up time, the required return time (i.e. if ship departs before 7 pm), the time of year, and the pace of the tour, it may have to return shortly after Hana (like most other tours) rather than do the full loop; most stops would still be made with the exception of Lindbergh's grave. The full loop has actually been closed frequently on-and-off anyways for much of the past few years due to the back road's vulnerability to storm damage, and during this time this popular tour has still received consistently 5-star rave reviews.

For cruise ships departing Kahului the same day as the tour, please note that although a concerted effort will be made to return you to the port with plenty of time to spare for your cruise departure, in the event of an unexpected delay for any reason (e.g., road closure, weather disaster, van breakdown, guest medical emergency), the tour cannot be held liable for any costs incurred with missing your cruise ship, and a waiver will need to be signed confirming this. Missing a cruise ship departure has never happened before, though.

$239/person for the small group standard tour, or $299/person for the cruise ship excursions.

To book as a private tour, if you are less than 8 people, you will need to book 8 seats (and make a note at checkout the actual number of people); if you are 8 people (up to 12), please book the number of seats matching the number of people in your party and it will be private. The tour usually sells out all year round, so a private tour without booking 8 seats is otherwise unlikely; the remaining seats would likely be filled by others, even if just 1 remaining seat. For parties more than 12, please see FAQ below for more details.

Due to the small size of the tour (8 people or less, unless private) and that a car seat is legally required for ages 5 & under (therefore taking up at least one seat), children are the same price as adults.

• Within 48 hours of the tour date? Our booking calendar above is generally kept up-to-date and will show any availability until ~5 pm the day before. If showing, please proceed with booking online at your earliest. Or if you prefer, feel free to text us to doublecheck since last-minute availability can change quickly.
• If you can only do a Sunday and are not coming in on the Pride of America cruise ship, please go ahead and book the Pride of America cruise ship option and just make a note at checkout of your lodging. The tour is otherwise the same and you can be picked up at your lodging.
• All else being equal, it is suggested to book this tour in the middle of your trip. If the first day, you risk a flight delay/cancellation impacting your arrival and missing the tour (trip insurance would be advised for these situations). If at the end of your trip, if it is cancelled due to a storm (on occasion in the winter but not common) or other unforeseen rare circumstances, it's less likely you could be rescheduled.

• Owned and operated by Native Hawaiian family, so you are more directly supporting the local community. This small business prides itself on sharing the culture and history of the islands in an intimate and authentic way.
  
• Guides are all born on Maui and many are from Hana area
• Voluntarily caps number of vans, despite higher demand, to keep in check the environmental and community impacts