Best time to travel in Maui?
→ The detailed month-by-month page, with 2015-2024 averages
Best time: April to June, September to October
Best avoided if possible: December to February (less pleasant weather or big crowds).
Temperatures and rainfall: 1991-2020 normals from the Kahului (Maui) station, NOAA data (public domain).
Tropical, tempered by the trade winds: 27 to 31°C all year round on the dry, sunny west and south coasts, frequent rain on the north-east coast towards Hana, a wetter season from November to March, and less than 5°C at dawn on the summit of Haleakalā. The best time to visit Maui is April, May, June, September and October, with temperatures reaching 29-31°C (August). By contrast, January, February, March, July, August, November and December are generally less favourable (less pleasant weather or big crowds, depending on the destination), though a trip is still possible with a bit of planning. In high season, book early: prices and visitor numbers climb fast.
Go against the flow. To avoid the crowds without sacrificing too much on the weather, aim for March and November: the crowds thin out, prices drop too, and the climate stays pleasant.
Do these months appeal to you? See what's best elsewhere too: where to go in April · where to go in May · where to go in June · where to go in September · where to go in October.
At a glance
Why go to Maui?
Maui packs the most varied side of the archipelago into a single island of 1,880 km². To the east, Haleakalā, a dormant shield volcano, rises from the sea to 3,055 metres and, at sunrise, reveals a crater 11 km long above the clouds. To the west, the ancient mountains are cut into deep valleys, such as ʻĪao. Between the two, the sugar cane fields of the isthmus closed in 2016, and the beaches of Kīhei, Wailea and Mākena line the leeward coast, dry and sunny almost all year round.
The north-east coast is the other Maui: a rainforest crossed by the Road to Hana, with its waterfalls, one-lane bridges and taro fields, all the way to the village of Hana and the Kīpahulu district, where Haleakalā National Park comes down to the sea. People come for the road itself, a slow day stopping every ten kilometres, and to sleep in Hana, which few visitors do, once the tours have left.
Finally, Maui is the island of whales. From December to April, several thousand humpback whales travel down from Alaska to give birth in the shallow channel between Maui, Lānaʻi and Kahoʻolawe, protected as a marine sanctuary, and they can be seen from the beach at Kīhei as well as from the boats. The west of the island also carries the memory of Lahaina, former capital of the kingdom, destroyed by the fire of August 2023 and now being rebuilt: pass through it with respect, and feel free to stay and spend in the west's businesses that have reopened.
Tourist map of Maui: what's where?
The map below pinpoints the 6 places covered in this guide: a handy way to picture the distances between each stop and plan your route in Maui.
- Haleakalā Summit
- Keʻanae Peninsula
- Hana
- Kīpahulu and Pīpīwai Trail
- Mākena Beach
- Kaʻanapali Beach
How much does a trip to Maui cost in 2026? Budget calculator
Estimate your budget for Maui based on your travel style: accommodation, meals, activities and local transport included (flights excluded). Adjust the length and the number of travellers, and the totals update.
Totals for all travellers over the chosen length; the daily amount is per person. Flights extra, indicative amounts to adjust depending on the season.
Cards are accepted everywhere, including at most of the stands along the Road to Hana, but keep a few notes for the fruit sellers. Prices are shown before tax: the general excise tax adds about 4.5 to 4.7% to purchases, and rooms carry nearly 19% in taxes. Tips of 18 to 22% are expected in restaurants, plus a few dollars a day for housekeeping in hotels.
Safety in Maui: should you be worried?
Maui is a safe island, and the dangers come mainly from the sea and the road. Drowning is the leading cause of death among visitors to Hawaii: swim only at lifeguarded beaches in calm seas, find out about the shorebreak at Mākena and the currents at Waiʻānapanapa, never turn your back on the waves, and do not walk on wet rocks at the water's edge. Flash floods swell the streams of the east coast within minutes: get out of the riverbed as soon as it rains upstream. Turtles, monk seals and whales are protected; stay 3 metres from turtles, 15 metres from seals and 90 metres from whales. At the summit of Haleakalā, the altitude and the cold come as a surprise after the beach. Car break-ins are frequent at trailheads. The island is exposed to tropical storms and wildfires: follow the county's instructions in the event of an alert. Insurance covering medical care in the United States is essential.
Things to see and do in Maui
Our first-hand favourites, and the great classics:
- Road to Hana
- Sunrise at Haleakalā
- Pīpīwai Trail
- Waiʻānapanapa State Park
- Molokini
- Kaʻanapali Beach
- ʻĪao Valley
- Mākena Beach
What to book before you go to Maui →
🧭 Discover the Maui itinerary, day by dayMap, timings, budget and where to stay: free to access, to fit your dates. Create my tailor-made itinerary →Haleakalā and Upcountry
The summit of the volcano, at 3,055 metres, is reached in two hours from Kahului by a road that crosses the ranches of Kula and the lavender farms. Sunrise requires a reservation, sunset does not, and at night the summit sky, free of light and humidity, is one of the clearest on the planet, hence the observatory set up next to it. The Sliding Sands and Halemauʻu trails descend into the crater for a full day. On the way back down, Makawao keeps the wooden façades of a paniolo town, the Hawaiian cowboys, and its art galleries.
The Road to Hana
104 km of bends and one-lane bridges between Kahului and Hana, with the rainforest on one side and the cliff on the other. Paia, at the start, is a former sugar village turned surfers' quarter, with Hoʻokipa Beach Park, where turtles sleep on the sand in the evening and windsurfers fly over the waves in the afternoon. Then come Twin Falls, the Keʻanae Peninsula and its lava-stone church of 1860, Waiʻānapanapa, Hana and its Hāmoa beach, then Kīpahulu and the Pīpīwai trail. A night in Hana lets you see the sites in the afternoon and the morning, without the crowds.
Kīhei, Wailea and Mākena
The south coast, on the leeward side, is the sunniest on the island. Kīhei lines up 10 km of neighbourhood beaches, condos and reasonably priced motels, with Kamaole I, II and III for family swimming. Wailea, just to the south, gathers the big resorts and a 2.5 km coastal walk from hotel to hotel. Beyond, Mākena keeps its large wild beach of Oneloa, and the road ends on the lava flows of La Perouse Bay, where spinner dolphins come to rest in the morning. The harbours of Kīhei and Māʻalaea are the departure points for Molokini.
Kaʻanapali, Kapalua and Lahaina
The west coast faces Lānaʻi and Molokaʻi. Kaʻanapali lines its hotels along 5 km of sand, while Nāpili and Kapalua, further north, have smaller and calmer bays, including Honolua Bay, a marine reserve for snorkelling. Lahaina, to the south, former capital of the kingdom and 19th-century whaling port, was destroyed by the fire of 8 August 2023, which killed 102 people. Front Street reopened to traffic in August 2026 between Pāpalaua and Shaw streets, and the harbour once again welcomes day boats, but most of the plots remain empty: drive through the town discreetly, without photographing the ruins, and support the businesses that are coming back.
Wailuku and ʻĪao Valley
Wailuku, the county seat, is the least touristy town on the island, with its cafés, its Hawaiian food counters and the Bailey House Museum, a former missionary house that displays Hawaiian artefacts and old surfboards. 5 km away, ʻĪao Valley cuts into the West Maui Mountains up to the peak of Kūkaʻemoku, by reservation. Kahului, next door, groups together the airport, the car hire firms and the big supermarkets, handy for first-day shopping.
Hana and Kīpahulu
Hana is a village of around a thousand people at the end of the road, with a general store dating from 1910, Hasegawa General Store, a coral church and Hāmoa beach below the cliffs. Kīpahulu, 16 km further on, is the coastal district of Haleakalā National Park: the Kūloa Point loop leads down to the ʻOheʻo pools, and the Pīpīwai trail climbs through the bamboo to Waimoku Falls. The park campground takes tents, and a few hotels and rentals in Hana let you stay overnight. Charles Lindbergh is buried in the churchyard of Palapala Hoʻomau, near Kīpahulu.
How many days, and which itinerary in Maui?
Five days cover Haleakalā, the Road to Hana and two days of beaches and snorkelling. A week allows a night in Hana, a trip to Molokini and a relaxed day on the west coast. To combine it with another island, allow ten days in total, as the inter-island flight takes less than an hour.
🗺️ Day-by-day Maui itinerary · 📓 Printable Maui travel guide (PDF) · 🌍 Discover all of the American West
The essentials (4 days)
Day 1: arrival in Kahului, check in at Kīhei or Wailea, Kamaole beach and sunset at Mākena. Day 2: sunrise at Haleakalā, descent into the crater along Sliding Sands for 2 or 3 km, back via Makawao and Paia. Day 3: Road to Hana leaving at 7am, Waiʻānapanapa with a booked time slot, Pīpīwai Trail at Kīpahulu, back the same way before nightfall. Day 4: Molokini by boat in the morning, ʻĪao Valley in the afternoon.
Maui without rushing (1 week)
Three nights on the south coast for Haleakalā at sunrise, Molokini and Mākena. One night in Hana to do the road over two days, Waiʻānapanapa in the evening, Kīpahulu and Pīpīwai in the morning before the tours arrive. Three nights on the west coast, at Kaʻanapali or Nāpili, for Black Rock, Honolua Bay, the north-west coastal road to Kahakuloa and a whale-watching trip in season.
Maui and Oahu (10 days)
Three days on Oahu for Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head and Waikīkī, then a 40-minute flight to Kahului. Seven days on Maui following the one-week format, with a night in Hana. Book the time slots for Haleakalā, Waiʻānapanapa, Diamond Head and Hanauma Bay as soon as your dates are fixed, as they are what shape the trip.
How to get to Maui and get around?
There is no direct flight from Europe: Kahului airport is reached with a connection on the US West Coast, in Los Angeles, San Francisco or Seattle, or via Honolulu, for 20 to 23 hours of travel. The overnight return to the West Coast is common. Hawaiian Airlines inter-island flights link Honolulu to Kahului in 40 minutes.
A car is essential: the Maui Bus links the main towns but goes neither to Haleakalā, nor to Hana, nor to most of the beaches. Allow €60-100 a day at the airport, more in high season, and book early for Christmas and summer. A 4x4 is only useful for the tracks that rental contracts forbid anyway.
Distances are short but the roads are slow: 30 minutes from Kahului to Kīhei, 50 minutes to Kaʻanapali, two hours to the summit of Haleakalā, two and a half hours to Hana without stopping. The north-west coast road, towards Kahakuloa, narrows in places to a single lane above the drop.
Park only in authorised spaces along the Road to Hana, as fines and towing are frequent. Leave nothing visible in the car at trailheads, where break-ins are common. The state parks of Waiʻānapanapa, ʻĪao and Mākena charge non-residents for parking.
Where to stay in Maui?
Wailea and Kapalua gather the big resorts, from €500 to over €1,200 a night, with tiered pools, spas and groomed beaches. Almost all of them charge a resort fee of $35-60 a night, plus parking, never included in the advertised price.
Kaʻanapali, on the west coast, and Kīhei, on the south coast, offer the widest choice of hotels and rental condos, from €250 to €450 a night. Condos have a kitchen, which lightens the food budget, and Kīhei remains the most central base for Haleakalā, Molokini and Mākena.
Kahului and Wailuku, near the airport, have the cheapest hotels on the island, around €170-250 a night, with no beach but 30 minutes from everything. Paia and Upcountry offer a few charming inns and B&Bs, at the foot of Haleakalā and at the start of the Road to Hana.
In Hana, a few hotels and rentals let you sleep at the end of the road, to be booked well in advance. Prices shown in Hawaii are before tax: the state accommodation tax rose to 11% on 1 January 2026, and with the county tax and the general excise tax, add nearly 19% to the bill.
Our picks stop by stop, in three price ranges →
What to eat in Maui?
The plate lunch is the everyday meal: white rice, macaroni salad and a meat, grilled huli huli chicken, shredded kalua pork or loco moco, a hamburger patty topped with gravy and an egg, for $14-20. Poke, cubes of marinated raw fish, is sold by weight in grocery stores and supermarkets.
Paia and Makawao have the best simple places, from grilled fish to açaí bowls, and Upcountry produces vegetables, goat's cheese and wine, at the Maui Wine estate in ʻUlupalakua. The banana bread of the Road to Hana, sold at roadside stands, is a ritual.
The resort restaurants of Wailea and Kaʻanapali serve Hawaiian regional cuisine, catch of the day, mahi-mahi, ono, ʻahi, for $45-80 a dish. Shave ice, crushed ice topped with fruit syrups, is eaten in the late afternoon, and a luau, a feast with dancing, costs $150-250 per person.
Supermarket prices are 30 to 50% higher than on the US mainland, because almost everything arrives by ship. Do your shopping at the Costco or Safeway in Kahului when you arrive, and buy fruit and vegetables at the farmers' markets in Kīhei and Upcountry.
Which kind of traveller is it for?
Maui lends itself to a nature-focused, active and relaxing trip. Whether you travel as a couple, with family or even solo, everyone finds their own pace. For accommodation, you will mostly find resorts, classic hotels and apartments and rentals.
Entry requirements & practical info
UK, Australian and most EU passports need an ESTA, applied for online before departure, for stays of up to 90 days; a few EU countries sit outside the Visa Waiver Program and need a full visa. Canadians need neither, only a passport. Anyone who has been to Cuba since January 2021 cannot use an ESTA and must apply for a visa.
Rules change: before you leave, check your country's official travel advice.
Once there, to stay online without paying roaming charges, an Maui eSIM activates in a few minutes and works as soon as you land (plans from €3.99). Remember suitable travel insurance too.
Frequently asked questions about Maui
When is the best time to visit Maui?
April to June and September to October combine calm seas, fine weather and lower prices than at Christmas or in July. From December to April, the humpback whales are around and the north coast gets the big swells, with more showers on the Hana side. The south and west coasts stay sunny almost all year round.
Do you need a reservation for sunrise at Haleakalā?
Yes, for any car entering between 3am and 7am. The reservation costs $1 per vehicle on recreation.gov, released 60 days ahead at 7am Hawaii time, with a second batch two days before. It comes on top of the park entrance fee, $30 per vehicle, about €26. Sunset needs no reservation.
How long does the Road to Hana take?
Two and a half hours of driving without stopping from Kahului, but a full day with the waterfalls, Waiʻānapanapa and Kīpahulu, coming back the same way. A night in Hana lets you split the journey and see the sites without the crowds.
Can you visit Lahaina?
You can drive through the town: Front Street reopened to traffic in August 2026 between Pāpalaua and Shaw streets, and businesses are returning, but much of the burnt area is still being rebuilt. The rest of West Maui, Kaʻanapali, Nāpili and Kapalua, welcomes visitors as normal. Behave respectfully, avoid photographing the ruins, and favour local businesses.
Which sites on Maui require a reservation?
Haleakalā between 3am and 7am, and Waiʻānapanapa State Park and ʻĪao Valley for non-residents, with a time slot. Boat trips to Molokini and luaus are booked a few days ahead. The beaches, the Road to Hana and Kīpahulu need none.
Do you have to pay the $100 national park surcharge at Haleakalā?
No, Haleakalā is not one of the eleven parks that have applied it since January 2026. Entry costs $30 per vehicle, about €26, for three days, summit and Kīpahulu included.
Maui, Kauai or Oahu: which island should you choose?
Maui for a mix of easy beaches, the Road to Hana and a volcano, with the widest choice of beach hotels. Kauai for hiking and the Nā Pali coast, wilder. Oahu for Honolulu, Pearl Harbor and the surf of the North Shore. With ten days, two islands combine easily.
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