Our journey for our Road to Hana was ahead of us. We chose to drive ourselves, but there are many different tour options as well (for those not comfortable driving).
There are so many travelers who advise not to take young children (ages 2 & 4) along on this journey, as it’s an exhausting day across 59 miles, 620 curves & 59 one-lane bridges. Some adults can’t even handle this trip! We then figured we traveled 9 hours from Chicago with them, so at this point we were going to attempt to tackle this once in a lifetime journey.
Start of Our Journey
The morning came early, but we decided to make it through to Hana. The car was packed with plenty of water, snack and car toys for the girls and were on the road by 6:30a. Although we wanted an earlier start, we were happy to be moving. Our path took us through central Maui before starting off on the Hana Highway. Let’s go!
As a tip, we highly recommend using an audio guide along the trip to Hana. The narrator that we recommend is GyPSy Guide Road to Hana. It’s an amazing guide and the prompts aligned perfectly with our location as we drove along.
It doesn’t require cell service or internet after you download the tool, which is important as you will not have service in certain areas along this long trip. We also followed the 7th edition of Maui Revealed and also some recommendations from others as well.
Hana was in our future and we were ready to go. Our trip meter was reset to zero (as prompted on our audio guide at the proper position on the journey)!
On the Road to Hana
We started the trek with a beautiful rainbow over the highway. The scenery to begin our trip was absolutely stunning. I snapped a few pictures and the girls (and adults) were amazed by the rainbow. The picture doesn’t do justice for the depth of colors that were presented in this rainbow.
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We kept moving after seeing the rainbow. At the advice from our guide book & audio narrator, we passed by the Twin Falls (which is the first opportunity to visit a waterfall on the journey) when it was still a little cool and misty and continued on down the road.
Our stop was about a half mile past mile marker 10. All the markers are labeled on the way out to Hana, so pay attention to where you are on the road.
First Waterfall – Haipua’ena Fall
We parked the car in a tiny pullout and carried the girls down a steep and rocky hill through the lush rainforest to our first waterfall of the day – Haipua’ena Falls. It was a decent waterfall and very tranquil. We were the only people there for the first few minutes. We put our feet in the cool water and enjoyed the view before a few other showed up.
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Our next stop was a quick look out over Kaumahina State Wayside, mainly for a bathroom break. The view is supposed to absolutely impressive if there isn’t any cloud cover. Unfortunately we were experiencing a little bit of rain and clouds, so we moved on quickly from this area. Still a stunning view.
Keanae Aroboretum
We almost missed our next planned stop, but fortunately we found the path to the Keanae Aroboretum. The paved paths wound around following a stream and passed by the most surreal Euclyptus trees. The trees were multicolored as if painted by an artist. A real highlight of our day.
We continued on towards Ching’s Pond after a quick stop at Aunty Sandy’s (must stop, picture above). Ching Pond is just before mile marker 17. The area was just below a bridge with a small waterfall.
We were already hungry again, so our next stop was another banana bread stop at Halfway to Hana, also warm and tasty. Maybe even a little better than our first stop at Aunty Sandy’s.
Wailua Valley State Wayside Park
After stopping here, we continued our journey to the Wailua Valley State Wayside Park. There is a nice lookout here. We took turns climbing the stairs for a quick look and got out of there as traffic was starting to build. The parking lot is small and it’s right by a tight curve, so be careful in this area!
Upper Waikani Falls
Our next stop was to the Upper Waikani Falls or Three Bears Falls. We had an easy view from the bridge but scaled a steep ledge to get a closer look and it was definitely worth it. Our biggest kid (Ari – 4 years old) fell asleep on my back as we hiked past the soothing waterfalls.
We boulder hopped to get closer and stayed to enjoy the views. This was definitely a highlight on the journey, as the area is stunning and the falls are simply amazing to visualize. We would have taken a nice dip in the pools below if we didn’t have the kids strapped on our backs (but we at least dipped our feet).
As we left that area, our next stop was just past mile marker 25, we quickly stopped to take a video of the Makapipi Falls plunging straight down to the pools below. This was a different angle from other waterfalls, as we were literally on top of the waterfall with a view looking down. Very cool (see video above).
Headed to Waianapanapa
As we moved along, the Nahiku roadside vendors were tempting as there were a lot of food options. We didn’t stop though. We were headed to Waianapanapa.
As we arrived, the trail down was incredibly bumpy but, luckily our youngest kid napped peacefully. We took turns viewing the area and checking out the beautiful black sand beach. The lush greens contrasted by the dark lava rocks were breathtaking.
We enjoyed some fresh fruit on the beach watching the waves crash. The area was stunning and we could easily have spent more time here exploring. There were a few paths and different areas to explore.
We enjoyed our time there and continued to move towards Hana. We passed by the Koki beach, a mix of black and white sand but decided to stop instead at Hamoa beach just a little further down the road. The sand was salt and pepper and the powerful waves crashed in the bay.
We watched bodysurfers and played on the sand. The girls had a long bathroom break in the most primitive facilities here – we didn’t point out to them the spider (bigger than a normal human hand) until they were done! The creepiest spider that we’ve ever seen (aside from a tarantula).
Close to Hana
As we continued, we had finally made it to Hana. The beauty is that Hana isn’t really anything too “special” as the final destination, but the journey along the way is the experience. We kept going a little past Hana, as there were some other must see areas close by.
We happily took the guides advice and didn’t make any stops in Hana, and instead continued towards Kipahulu. Next we saw the Wailua Falls, which we stunning and covering the entire mountainside. There was a large group here, so we took a few pictures and kept moving!
The most windy, narrow & bumpy roads ahead led to ‘Ohe’o Gulch or the Seven Sacred Pools. This was the final destination! After paying $25 to park in the Haleakala National Park.
There were a few trails that we could have selected, but we did a shorter hike carrying the girls looping up the mountainside admiring the falls. It was too late in the day but we’d like to return to follow the 4 mile Pipiwai trail.
The kids play in the big grass areas by the park before heading back from this amazing experience. We followed the winding highway back towards our place, stopping for a few beautiful sunset views in a lookout past Paia. We stopped for fresh Mahi takeout dinner at Coconuts Fish Grill in Kihea (which we highly recommend).
The Road Back Home
We finally made it back home after the full day journey. We enjoyed the 14+ hour journey and will certainly do it again in the future. The beauty of the trip is that there are so many areas and stops that you can make along the way. We can make it a different experience on the next trip!
Please contact us if you have any questions on navigating the Road to Hana trip! Also, we are happy to provide tips if you are taking kids as well (or even if you aren’t). Feel free to comment if you enjoyed our blog post!
Thanks Mark! The Road to Hana should definitely be on your list. Just make sure to go slow, plan out your stops and enjoy the journey. Happy to help give you tips as you get closer to planning!
We drove the road to Hana 16 years ago during our honeymoon. It was our favorite part of the trip. We used an audio cassette tape and the Hidden Hawaii book for tips on where to stop. We’ve met several people over the years who disliked the drive. It always ended up being those who drove through and didn’t make all the wonderful stops along the way. Thanks for sharing! It’s inspired me to look back at our honeymoon pictures and reminisce.
Thanks Shalini. It certainly is an amazing experience. It’s interesting to think how the technology has changed from the cassette tapes to the guided apps. We absolutely loved the drive and took our time to enjoy. Even with two kids in the back!
Hello! I am going to Maui in May with my husband and 2 year old and would love to do this! Where did you stay in Maui? Also, what were your favorite stops on the Road to Hana?
Hi Allie, Thanks for the comment and sorry on the delayed response! Did you book your accommodations yet in Maui? If not, I can give you some recommendations.
Also, most of the spots that I listed in the blog above were our favorites. If I had to pick 3 though, I’d say the Keanae Aroboretum. Three Bears Waterfalls and Waianapanapa. We are returning again next month and hope to find a few new favorites!
Thank you so much for this adventure you took us on. Our family consisting of 13 are coming to Hawaii late September if we did the road to Hana we would have at least 2 cars with 7 adults and six kids ages 7 months, 6,7,9,10,11. We are debating doing this. My husband and I have done it a few times and loved it but not sure if it would be to much for the kids. What do you think?
Hi Karen – Thanks for reading our post and glad that you enjoyed it. I am always a fan of the Road to Hana adventure. I would certainly take the entire family out on the trip. I think the key is planning a few must visit areas (as you know you’ve done it before) and then be flexible depending on the kids. We just went back a year ago with our kids and they enjoyed it just as much as the first time (aged 5 & 3 and a 5 month old).
Thanks Chelsea! I’m glad that you read our post and we need to update it (as we went on another trip last year). So we drove out and then turned back around. Most people do, but you can go around the loop (one thing to note is that you must get approval from the rental car company, as many don’t allow you to drive on the rougher side of the island and often you don’t have cellular service out there). I’m sure you’ve read about it, but wanted to make sure that you are aware.
Awesome summary! How could you not want to add this to your list! Wondering if you guys did the trek again in and out in one go even a third babe in tow? Would you recommend that still? We are a group of 11…two cars with 6 adults and 5 kids who will be 11, 8, 6, 4 and almost 2 at the time we go in early May. Thanks for any advice! 🙂
Thanks Jacob! We did do the trek again in and out with the third babe. I’d still recommend it. It’s a long day, but it’s nice to keep our hotel as a base during the trip and not have to pack/unpack again at another hotel/accommodation. How many days will you be in Maui? If you are staying longer than a week, then maybe it could make sense to stay out there for a night or two in Hana.
Thanks for the information it looks beautiful, we are going to Maui in March with a 5 year old, a 2 and a half year old and I will be 29 weeks pregnant. Do you still recommend we do this?, is it possible for the girls to walk on their own during the hikes or we will need to carry them?, is it possible to make it shorter?, I saw your trip took 14+hours. We will be staying in wailea.
I’m going to Maui in March 2023 with my 4 and 2 yo and I’ve been going back and forth on doing the road to Hana with the kids. Our kids are really good but people have said, its not enjoyable for kids or they could get carsick. Just curious how did your kids do on the trip? What recommendations or tips would you suggest for going with young children? Thanks so much for sharing this experience.
dshorter
As a tip, we highly recommend using an audio guide along the trip to Hana. The narrator that we recommend is GyPSy Guide Road to Hana. It’s an amazing guide and the prompts aligned perfectly with our location as we drove along.
It doesn’t require cell service or internet after you download the tool, which is important as you will not have service in certain areas along this long trip. We also followed the 7th edition of Maui Revealed and also some recommendations from others as well.
Hana was in our future and we were ready to go. Our trip meter was reset to zero (as prompted on our audio guide at the proper position on the journey)!
Our next stop was a quick look out over Kaumahina State Wayside, mainly for a bathroom break. The view is supposed to absolutely impressive if there isn’t any cloud cover. Unfortunately we were experiencing a little bit of rain and clouds, so we moved on quickly from this area. Still a stunning view.
We continued on towards Ching’s Pond after a quick stop at Aunty Sandy’s (must stop, picture above). Ching Pond is just before mile marker 17. The area was just below a bridge with a small waterfall.
We were already hungry again, so our next stop was another banana bread stop at Halfway to Hana, also warm and tasty. Maybe even a little better than our first stop at Aunty Sandy’s.
We enjoyed our time there and continued to move towards Hana. We passed by the Koki beach, a mix of black and white sand but decided to stop instead at Hamoa beach just a little further down the road. The sand was salt and pepper and the powerful waves crashed in the bay.
We watched bodysurfers and played on the sand. The girls had a long bathroom break in the most primitive facilities here – we didn’t point out to them the spider (bigger than a normal human hand) until they were done! The creepiest spider that we’ve ever seen (aside from a tarantula).
The most windy, narrow & bumpy roads ahead led to ‘Ohe’o Gulch or the Seven Sacred Pools. This was the final destination! After paying $25 to park in the Haleakala National Park.
There were a few trails that we could have selected, but we did a shorter hike carrying the girls looping up the mountainside admiring the falls. It was too late in the day but we’d like to return to follow the 4 mile Pipiwai trail.
The kids play in the big grass areas by the park before heading back from this amazing experience. We followed the winding highway back towards our place, stopping for a few beautiful sunset views in a lookout past Paia. We stopped for fresh Mahi takeout dinner at Coconuts Fish Grill in Kihea (which we highly recommend).
Looks great we may make Hawaii the next family vacation and this should be on our list
Thanks Mark! The Road to Hana should definitely be on your list. Just make sure to go slow, plan out your stops and enjoy the journey. Happy to help give you tips as you get closer to planning!
We drove the road to Hana 16 years ago during our honeymoon. It was our favorite part of the trip. We used an audio cassette tape and the Hidden Hawaii book for tips on where to stop. We’ve met several people over the years who disliked the drive. It always ended up being those who drove through and didn’t make all the wonderful stops along the way. Thanks for sharing! It’s inspired me to look back at our honeymoon pictures and reminisce.
Thanks Shalini. It certainly is an amazing experience. It’s interesting to think how the technology has changed from the cassette tapes to the guided apps. We absolutely loved the drive and took our time to enjoy. Even with two kids in the back!
A great resource for a trip I certainly hope to take with my family someday!
Hello! I am going to Maui in May with my husband and 2 year old and would love to do this! Where did you stay in Maui? Also, what were your favorite stops on the Road to Hana?
Hi Allie, Thanks for the comment and sorry on the delayed response! Did you book your accommodations yet in Maui? If not, I can give you some recommendations.
Also, most of the spots that I listed in the blog above were our favorites. If I had to pick 3 though, I’d say the Keanae Aroboretum. Three Bears Waterfalls and Waianapanapa. We are returning again next month and hope to find a few new favorites!
Thank you so much for this adventure you took us on. Our family consisting of 13 are coming to Hawaii late September if we did the road to Hana we would have at least 2 cars with 7 adults and six kids ages 7 months, 6,7,9,10,11. We are debating doing this. My husband and I have done it a few times and loved it but not sure if it would be to much for the kids. What do you think?
Hi Karen – Thanks for reading our post and glad that you enjoyed it. I am always a fan of the Road to Hana adventure. I would certainly take the entire family out on the trip. I think the key is planning a few must visit areas (as you know you’ve done it before) and then be flexible depending on the kids. We just went back a year ago with our kids and they enjoyed it just as much as the first time (aged 5 & 3 and a 5 month old).
I’m also a big fan of the Heleakala National Park. I’m not sure if you’ve already done that as well, but a fun experience with our kids – http://thetimelytraveler.com/haleakala-national-park-summit-at-sunset/
Please let me know if I can help with any other Maui related questions!
Love the blog! We are traveling with a 4 year old. Can I ask did you drive the full loop or did you drive and turn back around?
Thank you!
Thanks Chelsea! I’m glad that you read our post and we need to update it (as we went on another trip last year). So we drove out and then turned back around. Most people do, but you can go around the loop (one thing to note is that you must get approval from the rental car company, as many don’t allow you to drive on the rougher side of the island and often you don’t have cellular service out there). I’m sure you’ve read about it, but wanted to make sure that you are aware.
Awesome summary! How could you not want to add this to your list! Wondering if you guys did the trek again in and out in one go even a third babe in tow? Would you recommend that still? We are a group of 11…two cars with 6 adults and 5 kids who will be 11, 8, 6, 4 and almost 2 at the time we go in early May. Thanks for any advice! 🙂
Thanks Jacob! We did do the trek again in and out with the third babe. I’d still recommend it. It’s a long day, but it’s nice to keep our hotel as a base during the trip and not have to pack/unpack again at another hotel/accommodation. How many days will you be in Maui? If you are staying longer than a week, then maybe it could make sense to stay out there for a night or two in Hana.
Thanks for the information it looks beautiful, we are going to Maui in March with a 5 year old, a 2 and a half year old and I will be 29 weeks pregnant. Do you still recommend we do this?, is it possible for the girls to walk on their own during the hikes or we will need to carry them?, is it possible to make it shorter?, I saw your trip took 14+hours. We will be staying in wailea.
Thank you!
Hi,
I’m going to Maui in March 2023 with my 4 and 2 yo and I’ve been going back and forth on doing the road to Hana with the kids. Our kids are really good but people have said, its not enjoyable for kids or they could get carsick. Just curious how did your kids do on the trip? What recommendations or tips would you suggest for going with young children? Thanks so much for sharing this experience.