Maui Trip Itinerary

Maui is the most popular and second largest island in Hawaii. It is a large island with an area of 1884 square kilometers, 64 km in max length, and 42 km in max width. It has diverse geography and diverse fauna and flora: from lush rainforests to desert, from beaches to tall mountains, and of course the pacific ocean it is in. 

Maui - topography  (from Wikipedia) 

There are numerous options for exploration and fun - on the beaches, in the water and in the mountains. The following is our realized 9 day itinerary at Maui, which was adjusted from our original plan according to weather conditions.

Day 1 Arrival, Sunny to Cloudy

Shopping: grocery for breakfast and occasional dinners and snack

Hotel at Lahaina downtown area

view of Maui from Sky on arrival day

Day 2 Rain to cloudy 

Snorkeling at Mala Warf  (late morning)

Watching waves and diving from black rocks,  snorkeling at Kaanapali Beach (afternoon)

Breaking waves at Kaanapali Beach 

Day 3 Cloudy and periods of Sunshine

Visit Iao Needle Monument (morning)  - beautiful but very small

Hike on Waihee Ridge Trail (afternoon) - a good hike, best on sunny day, the trail is very muddy when it rains

Mountain at Ioa Valley

Day 4 Sunny

Road to Hana  - Beaches, Water Falls, Eden Garden  - A must have!!

Rocky shore along the road to Hana

Day 5 Sunny

Southern beaches  - be there early on a sunny day to enjoy it

Beach combing and swimming in the ocean at Makenna beach (morning)

Beach combing and watching waves at Oneuli beach (afternoon - scenic with black sand)

Watching Sunset at roadside of  highway 30 near Lahaina

Makenna Beach

Day 6 Sunny

Visit Turtle rock at Lahaina to see sea turtles (morning)

 Snorkeling at Coral Garden and swimming with sea turtles  (tour, afternoon)  - worth the money to go there with a outfitter

Sea turtle at Turtle Rocks

Day 7 Sunny and Windy

Watching Sunrise at Nakalele Blowhole

Hiking along northern beach coastline (morning)

Snorkeling at Kapalua Bay Beach  

Best be there early on a sunny day (8am or so), combine hiking and snorkeling 

Kapalua Bay

Day 8 Sunny to Cloudy

Hiking at Haleakala National Park on sliding sand trail (14 mile round trip)  - another must have

Day 9 Sunny

Relaxing day

Walked at Hanakaoo Park 

Toured Lahaina downtown

Banyan Tree 

Day 10  Sunny to cloudy

Whale watching near Lanai island  - smaller boat provides better experience!

Watching wind sailing, kite sailing at Paukukalo beach

Tail of a whale

wind surfing and kite surfing at Paukukalo Beach

Notes

1. must have a plan  for Maui - there are so many things one can do or see at Maui

2. adjust plan according to weather  - it is best to go to beaches and drive on road to Hana on Sunny days. 

3. It is best to see Sunrise and Sunset at the summit of Haleakala  - but hard to get permit for Sunrise, harder to have good weather at the summit for either sunrise or sunset. 

4. There are other places to see sunrise or sunset

5. Need to book many activities ahead of time - they sell out quickly

6. If you stay at Maui only for 4 ~ 5 day, the must go places include Road to Hana, Kapalua Bay Beach and Haleakala.

7. We knew that end of the year was not the best of time to visit Maui because of the holiday season, and associated high price of everything there. But that's the only time we had for a family reunion. We decided to go there for the last two weeks of 2021. While planning for the trip, I found out another reason that year end was not good time to go there - it is in rain season (Mid November to late March).