R2H: The Road To Hana

If you’re planning to take this journey on the road to Hana, make sure you block off a full day for this! We had rented a small Chevy Spark and weren’t sure if we wanted to drive it through R2H but so glad we decided to embark on this adventure. All the guides mention that this road is «all about the journey, and not the destination» and it could not be more true! The sights all along this road around this part of the island were amazing and breathtaking. The road is not easy to drive with many curves and one-​lane bridges and is probably not the best for people who easily get car sickness but if you have no problem with either of those, then definitely embark on this adventure because it’s well worth it!
TIP: If you’re not taking a guided tour, get the R2H audio self-​guide CD (
) or buy the downloaded version with a PDF map on the website. The guide is very helpful with options to do a 1-​day or 2-​day trip. Following the audio guide was easy and made our trip very efficient and enjoyable!
Memorable Stops:
1) Paia Town
This is the town at the beginning of the road to Hana. This is where you should get gas too before embarking on the long drive to Hana and beyond. It’s a charming little town with many coffee shops, restaurants, art galleries, and shops. There’s also a popular restaurant called Mama’s Fish House in this town.
2) Kahanu Garden (admission fee)
There is a bumpy somewhat paved road leading into this National Botanical Garden (past the Lava Tube). The garden houses the Pi’ilanihale Heiau, which is the largest Temple in Hawaii. In addition to the temple, the garden holds a variety of plants of the Pacific Islands. The garden is open from 9am to 2pm (Monday to Saturday).
3) Ke’anae Peninsula (free)
This stop was hidden and easily overlooked. Look for the sign that points to «Ke’anae». Drive all the way down to the shore and you’ll come face to face with one of the most beautiful views of the powerful waves of the blue ocean and black volcanic rocks. There’s also a small shop offering banana bread and chili dogs nearby.
4) Wai’anapanapa State Park (free)
The black sand/​pebbles at Pa’iloa Beach is a must see! You can venture down to the beach and caves. You can also camp here but you’ll need a permit to camp.
5) Hana Town (free)
The small town of Hana offers a general store with a homemade popsicle stand, a cultural center, an elegant hotel, a beach with a café, and an area with a group of food trucks. It’s a nice place to stop for lunch or to explore. If you think Hana is the end of your journey, you’re missing out! Keep driving!
6) Kipahulu, Haleakala National Park (admission fee)
Beyond Hana lies Kipahulu. This portion of Haleakala National Park holds ‘Ohe’o Gulch (Seven Sacred Pools), the Pipiwai Trail, the Bamboo Garden, and Waimoku Falls. There’s camping, a visitor center, bathrooms, waterfalls, and ancient Hawaiian ruins. Many people jump off rocks or swim in the pools. You can also hike 3 miles (roundtrip) along the trail to see the bamboo garden and Waimoku Falls. Allow for at least 2 hours here to see all the sights!
7) Back Side of Haleakala
Most rangers and guides will recommend you to turn around and drive back the way you came on the Road to Hana all the way back to Paia Town. However, we decided to explore further and drive the back road all the way around from Kipahulu into Kula. I do have to warn you that there will be a 10 miles stretch of road past Kipahulu which is partially unpaved, narrow, and sometimes steep. It’s quite bumpy but definitely passable (preferably before it gets dark). It was an adventurous 10 miles where I was hoping our small car would make it through, but I would do it all over again rather than sitting through 60 miles of traffic, and curvy and narrow roads back the way we came. The back road offers quite a different view than the green and lush Road to Hana. The back road is surrounded with dry regions of land but also with stunning views of deep valleys and panoramic views of the ocean. You will also drive pass a winery (Tedeschi Winery) and through Upcountry Maui.
Overall, this was well worth it! Even though most of your day here will be filled with driving, it is nonetheless overwhelming and tiring. Plan for a relaxing day on the beach after this journey to Hana. Most importantly, try not to rush to all the sights and just take a couple of photos. Try to choose just a few sights to stop at and spend some time just to enjoy the sights at each stop. Remember, it’s «not about the destination, it’s about the journey!»

The infamous Road to Hana is one of the most daring drives in the United States. The lush beauty of Maui presents itself over the course of 52.4 miles.
Its one of the must-do’s on one’s list when they come to Maui as well. The Road to Hana can be a scary drive, especially when each turn is quite a turn of the wheel and you’d have to drive slow while keeping your foot on the break most of the time. It’s long enough of a drive that will take you at least 3 hours of careful driving, weaving in and through a 2 lane road that will seem like forever in some spots, but it’s definitely one to do. I myself have driven the Road to Hana at least twice. Two times by myself since I had time to kill and once with friends who wanted to see Hana and what riches the drive has to offer. My advice is to do this drive during the daylight hours, especially if you are a visitor from the mainland US. You’re definitely will get breathtaking views from the roadside and lush dense vegetation. There are many photo opportunities along the way, so there are many places to pull off and get those Maui selfies!
Drive safely!
The overall experience was quite harrowing, especially the drive portion of the journey. It seemed like it was forever driving through the twisty road that leads from Kahului to the hotel in Hana, where a breathtaking beach will greet you at the end of the journey. Of course, there was more to go past the Hana Hotel. Best to hang out at the beach and just rest after that drive, before starting the drive past Hana or go back to civilization west to Kahului or wherever your hotel is. The best part of this harrowing stretch of road is that it’s FREE! No admission fee required, although be ready to throw your sanity out the window though! Best bet would be to load up on food, water, and comfortable footwear, in case you want to go hiking. I never went past the hotel in Hana, probably was too nervous as to what was past that mile mark.
Best believe that the Road to Hana can be the best time of your life! Very gorgeous views to really be the focal point of your Maui travels. That and a trip to Haleakala crater, which is a good 2 hours from Kahului. Whatever you decide to do in Maui, be sure to add the Road to Hana to your list and fill your gas tank up on the rental car before the drive. Last thing for you to be is stuck in between Hana without a way back due to no gas in the tank. The views are amazing and you wouldn’t be here on Maui if you did not experience the epic drive through Hana. You’d be glad you did. Please allow at least half a day, if you were driving through or the entire day if you are wanting to make side trips along the way. You can also make reservations at the Hana hotel, if you want to stay here and venture past the beach and eastward around Haleakala tip of the island.
Just drive safe and you’ll be fine. Happy driving!
Support local!
A+
*Cross posted review with R2H: Road to Hana

We decided to rent a car and do this drive, so we could stop where we wanted. I read all the guides and reviews and was so excited to see all the beautiful waterfalls everyone talked about. It is a very twisty road with many one lane bridges that certainly added to the adrenaline. However, I was disappointed that we couldn’t find several of the waterfalls the guides talked about. Come to find out, the water had been diverted for irrigation purposes. It was still a pretty drive, but probably would have chosen a different activity if we would have known. We went in the beginning of December. If you love waterfalls, go to Kauai and do the helicopter tour!!!

What a ride! I am writing this review of the drive to Hana as someone who learned to drive in a big city, am used to big lane-​d highways, fast moving pace, straight roads and big city life. I was terrified of the drive while I was planning and reading up on in. I thought it was going to be such an issue because of everyone’s warnings. Guess what, IT WAS NOT BAD AT ALL! Seriously. Why are people making such a big deal. With adequate planning and anticipation this will make a for a great time.
First things to note:
–START EARLY! If coming from South or West Maui, you should aim to be in Kahalui to start the road around 7am-​ish. You will beat alot of the traffic then. This will also allow you time to make scheduled stops.
–This road is about the journey, NOT the destination. Trust me, there is very little to do in Hana. The drive there was way better.
–Gas up in Pa’ia. There are two gas stations along the road to Hana. Be sure to gas up. Yes, it is only about 42 miles but you will end up using a lot more gas because you will drive at a low speed, accelerate and decelerate a lot and have the AC cranking!
–PLAN PLAN PLAN. Read up on the road to Hana. Print out a map and highlight your stops. ALmost NOTHING except the shops and food trucks along the way are marked. You need to plan for this beforehand. If you try to do the excursion spontaneously you will miss out on a lot. I was stupendously anal and printed out a google maps of the road and marked out all my stops and still missed out on 25% of what I marked off because nothing is labeled on the road.
–You do NOT need 4WD. Everything is well paved on the northern side of the road to Hana. I even went off road to Kahulu gardens and was still able to do most of it with my 2WD economy class car. Now, I didn’t end up driving past Hana because the Oheo Gulch was closed but I heard from another couple that they drive was absolutely fine and they’ve seen worse in people’s driveways.
–Bring cash for the smaller food trucks/​stands. The larger ones (esp Nahiku Marketplace) will take credit. Read up on which ones are worth it and which ones are not. There will be plenty of shady looking places. Some of them are worthy of tasting, some of them… not.
–If you are unsure of a souvenir item a long the way, COME BACK TO it. I went to Hasegawa’s general store in Hana and found cheaper versions of the same item there.
–It’s hard to get lost getting there. There is literally only one main road. And when you go off that Road to Hana, those roads are also literally one road.
— Avoid driving back at night. I aimed to leave Hana around 5pm with the knowledge that sunset was around 6:30pm and it takes about 1 and a half hours to reach Pa’ia where the road is much safer. If you need motivation, make a reservation at Mama’s Fish house or the Hali’imaile’s General store around 7 to get you motivated to leave.
–Food in Hana will suck. People don’t go for the food.
–Gas is super expensive in Hana.
–It is an exhausting drive if you are planning to do it all in one day. Plan to tuck in early that night.
–Car theft: I did NOT have any problems with car theft during my drive but I made sure to take the following precautions: I didn’t leave any valuable items in the car. When I left the car I made sure to show that I took everything with me (in case any would be thieves were watching). I had nothing visible in the seats (everything was locked up and hidden in the trunk). I avoided rummaging through my trunk if I could help it to avoid alert would-​be thieves that I had stuff in the trunk. I never lingered at any remote sites. If I did linger, I was always parked in a lot where there was a lot of traffic so there wouldn’t be any time for thieves to break in. Perhaps the car theft issue isn’t as bad as people make it out to be but with all the warnings, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
The road to Hana is totally do-​able for anyone. Yes, the roads are wind-​y but you will be FORCED to drive slowly because of how wind-​y it is so it’s not so bad. Yes there are single lane-​d bridges but there are numerous signs telling you how to proceed and where to stop. Everyone practices aloha driving on that road. Just assume the person in front of you may make sudden stops. And guess what, when you have waterfalls coming out of nowhere, you may also do the same yourself!

Amazing time! We rented a car, bought a CD (we almost went with the app, but there’s no cell phone service). It definitely is all about the journey. We saw some amazing sights, scary turns, and had an unforgettable time. Definitely pay to go through the Garden of Eden, stop for pork tacos, and do the hike at the state park at the end. It’s totally worth the 400 ft waterfall. Bring water and snacks and a bathing suit, especially for Black Sand Beach. This was the highlight of our trip!

This review is strictly based on the road to Hana itself. We opted to do our own trip versus getting on a tour. A map and a full tank of gas with a large cup of coffee was all we needed…
After consulting with a few locals, we knew that the trip to Hana was going to be an all day event. From Lahaina, it is about 3 hours away with no traffic and no pit stops. We left around 7am on a Friday and did not run into much traffic which was nice.
The scene was extremely pretty and beautiful. All you see were lush greens and amazing botanicals. The waters along the way just added more beauty.
A lot of the waterfalls and pools are not marked and we missed quite a few. The GPS was not able to give exact location either. Many of the excursions were not obvious to the eyes and therefore you have to really look for landmarks. The road made it difficult to turn around once you realized you passed it, so we had to pass it. The road did become super narrow and were winey and all bridges only allowed one way traffic so you have to yield to oncoming traffic in order for them to pass through.
After traveling 2 hours, the bridge to cross through was closed! No warning… just closed! We were upset about that. We had no choice but to turn back around and go back to where we started. There are no other roads. Heading back, we encountered a few cars and had to really share the road which was difficult when there isn’t a lot of room to spare. Especially in areas with no guard rails along the cliffs.
We did miss a few spots that we wanted to see but due to the road closure and having to back track, we lost a lot of time and it started to rain. To avoid driving in the dark, we had to forgo the missed spots and continue on.
As we completed the R2H, the last leg of the road was very bumpy and full of loose rocks and had to drive very slow. Although it was beautiful and seeing the different side of Maui was breathtaking, the last leg of the road was a lot of work getting through. Once the unpaved road was clear, the road was smooth but very winey and a lot of up and downhill road.
We got back after 8pm and encountered traffic. The trip itself was well worth the scene but we wished that the roads were marked more clearly.

This drive had sent me through an emotional roller coaster ride due to countless awe moments along with too many butt-​squeezing moments (sorry for the TMI). There were so so much too see, from breath-​taking waterfalls to jaw-​dropping views of the coastline. In one day, you may even experience the weather change several times. One day here is definitely not enough to see and experience all that this journey has to offer. You may make this drive several more times and feel there’s still more to explore.
I, on the other hand, will hold off on my exploration after doing this drive twice. As beautiful as this drive is, it can be quite dangerous if you are not cautious. Though you may see yourself as a very safe driver, you’ll need to be aware of other reckless drivers. We had one driver who kept tailing us even though we were going 5 – 10 over the speed limit and also a couple of drivers that cut us off.
The roads in itself can be dangerous, too. There are many parts of the road that allows only one car. If two cars meet half-​way on these one car bridges, a driver will have to eventually give in and reverse all the way back to the beginning of the bridge. The road can also come up real close to the cliffs, these parts are where I feared for my life. There are also so many sharp, blind turns — making them a perfect spot for an accident to happen. What did amaze me though is that I did not see any potholes. The paving of the roads are really well-​kept.
These roads may be treacherous, but do not let them keep you from coming. It really is worth the drive, and you’d probably enjoy it much more if you’re not the driver. My advise to you… call shotgun before anyone else does ;)

Awesome,
we purchased a CD that coincides with the mile markers on the road to hana. lots to do and see. it takes forever but its so beautiful you don’t mind the drive!
when we arrived at Hana it was a little disappointing but your in Hawaii at that’s all that matter.
i would do this drive 10 times over its great!

What’s not to like? This place is amazing! I have been on the Road to Hana 5 times and EVERYTIME I am never displeased. I have been when it’s raining or when its sunny, or really hot!
There are plenty of things to stop and look at. Waterfalls, shaved ice shacks, ice cream, banana brea, iced coffees, coconut drinks, fresh fruit and much much more!
Lush scenery and my favorite part of the entire trip is the 7 sacred pools!

Best ride ever! Starting a little early like what others recommend is the best, like sometime in the morning. Otherwise, it’ll be dark by the time you return back to where you came from. Also, bring some goodies, like lunch and snacks, and lots of water. There are parks along the way where you can take a pit stop to munch a bit and enjoy the park scenery. Bring some towels and casual clothing, because you may get wet while traversing through some water or if you want to get right at the waterfalls.
The ride is practically along one side of the island through some really narrow roads and blind curves, most of them unpaved, and there are lots of bridges where roads converge into one lane only. It’s good to just take it easy and wait your turn to cross if someone else is coming from the another side, and watch out for locals. Some of them don’t want to stop and will want to play chicken with you on the one-​lane roads. Also, car rental companies do not encourage continuing the ride and prefer that we return back, especially when the road becomes unpaved and really, really narrow. They said no one will pick us up if the ride breaks down, and there’s no phone coverage in some areas. But I continued on anyway, and got through alright. Four-​wheel drive vehicle is good to use for this trip.
Drive safely and enjoy the views. There’s no reason to be in a hurry, we’re on island time here. Stop by once in a while to really soak the views in — lots of Kodak moments, waterfalls, and beaches to see along the way here. I’d do it again!

Let me first start off by saying «if you have motion sickness take pills»
Road to Hana is a must do activity when in Maui. The drive takes a long time so I do advise you to leave ur resort, condo, home as early as possible. Preferably 5 am
The narrow winding roads take you throughout the lush green mountains where your surrounded by trees, flowers, waterfalls, and the beach. I didn’t use the guide to Hana cd but I recommend it. There’s many little spots to stop and take breathtaking pictures so be prepared to get in and out of the car.
The reason I give this place four stars is because of the safety. I recommend them to add more signs because there’s many blind spots and narrow roads to be aware of.

Talk about Heaven. I can only dream this is what i’s like.
Imagine driving around a mountain and making a few stops here and there to:
— jump into a waterfall,
— stop at a black sand beach,
— take pictures of a few peacocks
— admire the hibiscus trees that look to beautiful to be real
— Or stop at a hippies wagon for the best fish in the world.
— stop for the best shaved ices in the world.
The list goes on and on! This R2H CD helped us along the way. Without this guide I’m not sure we would have found all of the places we visted. A dream come true.

we wouldn’t have known where the great stops are if not for this guide. we loved it so much we took the road twice and even went the full loop the first time.
awesome customer service! had an immediate reply to my email after realizing that i might have ordered the cd too late. it was delivered to our hotel instead of mailing to CA and was waiting for us when we checked in as promised. :)