The 6 Best Road to Hana Tours (+ Our Exclusive Discount)
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase through my links we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Read about our affiliate policies here.
Seeing the Road to Hana is a top experience on Maui and deservedly so. 600+ curves and 46 one-lane bridges take you through the beautiful lush landscape of East Maui. Expect waterfalls, a jagged coastline, and a completely different vibe than on the other parts of the island. It is truly beautiful.
While you can drive the road yourself, the tour is done best with the help of a tour guide. Not only does this help with overcrowding issues on the road, but you’ll also not run the risk of trying to find parking or missing the best stops.
A knowledgeable guide can enhance your experience by providing you with great and entertaining education. So there’s no stress on the driver — you can just sit back, relax, and enjoy the stunning scenery on your road trip. There are a lot of tours to choose from, but we’ve rounded up what we consider to be the best.
Quick links to book the best Road to Hana tours:
– Get 10% off with Valley Isle Excursions using code HVG10 and booking here!
– Go local with Hana and Beyond on their unique backside tour.
– Take a private tour with Awapuhi Adventures
– We’d opt for a private halfway to Hana tour with young kids
– Go luxury and customizable with Maui Seasons.
– Get more in a Road to Hana + Haleakala sunset combo tour with Experience Maui.
The Best Road to Hana Tours
While there are plenty of tours to choose from, we think these provide the best overall tour experience:
Valley Isle Excursions: Best Group Tours
We love Valley Isle Excursions. After living on Maui and seeing plenty of tour groups on the Road to Hana, we wholeheartedly recommend Valley Isle Excursions for a group tour. A group tour isn’t for everyone, but if you don’t mind being in a van with fellow visitors, this is a great tour.
On this small group tour, up to 12 people are in the van but this isn’t an uncomfortable van ride. All seats are 23” captain chairs with USB ports. The chairs are elevated and have 40” windows, which help you get a good view along the way. Meals and reservations to Waianapanapa State Park (home of the famous black sand beach) are included. The tour runs 11-12 hours and they allow travelers of all ages to join.
Receive 10% off your booking by using promo code HVG10 at checkout. You must use our direct booking link when using the code.
Hana & Beyond: Best Local Tour
While all great Hawaii tour companies are proud to employ local tour guides (it makes such a difference), Hana & Beyond stands out. They are a Native Hawaiian family-owned and operated business with tour guides that are from Hana. So you get a truly local view of the stops along the Hana highway as well as great stories, education, and more.
Hana & Beyond also provides only Road to Hana tours, so they are hyper-focused on creating exceptional experiences for one specific tour.
Their Road to Hana tour is a full-circle tour, so you get to see sights past Hana. The tour runs roughly 10 hours and you’ll be in a van that holds 9-14 guests.
While they do offer private tours, the tours are not customizable. They provide breakfast and lunch as well as snacks and drinks throughout the day.
Awapuhi Adventures: Best Private Full and Halfway to Hana Tour
If you’re not interested in a group tour and you’d rather customize your trip experience, Awapuhi Adventures is a great choice. They specialize in private tours and you can choose your activity level.
They offer a full Road to Hana tour where you can customize your stops, including being dropped off to enjoy the Pipiwai Trail hike. A full day Road to Hana tour is around 12 hours. If that’s too much for your trip, they also offer halfway to Hana tours which won’t take you all the way to Hana, but you’ll get to experience the beauty of the tropical windward side of the island during the 7-8 hour tour.
It’s also a great option if you’re traveling with kids who you don’t think can do an entire Road to Hana day.
Base pricing is for two people in the vehicle and you can add on passengers for an additional fee. If you have little ones, kids 2 and under are free.
Experience Maui Tours: Best Combo Tour
If you’re prepared for a long day where you get to see both the Road to Hana and Haleakala, this is the tour for you. Experience Maui offers a private group tour that combines a Road to Hana and Haleakala sunset. The tour follows the full loop past Hana town around Haleakala, so you get to drive on the backside.
Each car can hold up to seven passengers (for larger groups, additional cars can be used) and the stops along the Road to Hana are completely customizable. Meals are included and they usually stop for lunch as well as have a light charcuterie board dinner on Haleakala prior to sunset.
The tour runs from approximately 9 am to 8 or 9 pm.
If you’re coming to Maui, you don’t want to miss these great resources:
Is there a Best Time to Visit Maui? Yes (and here’s when)
Where to Stay on Maui: Hotels and Vacation Rentals for a Range of Budgets
5 Best Maui Food Truck Parks
The 17 Best Maui Beaches (with parking, directions, and tips)
Best Road to Hana Tours For:
If you’re looking for a specific tour to meet your traveling needs, these tours have you covered.
Best Road to Hana tour for the solo traveler
If you’re a party of 1 heading out on a Road to Hana trip, one of the group tours is going to be the best option for you. Both Valley Isle Excursions and Hana and Beyond offer Road to Hana tours that you can book just for one person. This won’t be a private tour, but you’ll meet some friends on your tour and have a great time. I would much rather do a group tour than drive the road alone!
Best Road to Hana tour for a luxury private experience
If you are looking to ride around in style on a luxury private Road to Hana tour, Maui Seasons is the one to book. For parties up to six people, take their Cadillac SUV on a 10-12 hour tour which can be customized to fit what you want to see. They include breakfast and lunch, pick you up from your hotel/vacation rental, and take care of all of the details. It’s a comfortable way to enjoy this adventure.
They also offer a halfway to Hana tour that is 6-8 hours which will take you as far as the Ke’anae Peninsula, where you can get out and buy some delicious banana bread from Aunty Sandy.
Road to Hana Tour FAQs:
Should I drive the Road to Hana or take a tour?
The Road to Hana is at the top of most visitors’ bucket lists. And it is truly an incredible experience. You spend the day traversing to East Maui, heading past lush rainforests, and waterfalls, and stopping for views of the dramatic coastline.
While you can drive the Road to Hana yourself, we recommend considering a tour. The tours help you learn and see more on the road, make things like finding parking and visiting legal spots much easier, and help ease congestion on the road. For example, tour operators usually won’t stop at Waikani Falls or Hanawai Falls because safe and legal parking is hard to come by there. Going with a knowledgeable guide helps you stay on public property and visit sites safely.
Visit our full Road to Hana Guide to read more about driving yourself or taking a tour.
What can you expect on a Road to Hana tour?
On a Road to Hana tour, you can expect a long but really enjoyable day. While there are different tours and companies to choose from, they all offer the same key components:
- Transportation (pickup and drop off at your hotel)
- A guide (knowledgeable and entertaining, hopefully!)
- An itinerary of legal stops
- Water and drinks (usually)
At a bare minimum, a Road to Hana tour should alleviate the headaches of driving, planning your route, and finding parking at different locations. Some tours go above and beyond that with smaller vehicles and group sizes, a fantastic guide (which makes all the difference), and meals, like a picnic or buffet lunch.
What should you bring on a Road to Hana tour?
Your tour guide will give you a list of what to bring with you on the tour, but this list will help you get started:
- Light jacket
- Shoes for hiking (we love Tevas)
- Bathing suit
- Sunscreen
- Towels
- Water and snacks (your guide will probably provide these but you will want to have your own if you have any dietary restrictions)
- Change of clothes
- Cash for food stalls along the way
What to consider before booking a Road to Hana tour?
The biggest factor to consider when choosing a Road to Hana tour is balancing the needs and wants of your group with your budget.
Do you have young children? A group tour probably won’t be as relaxing for you as a private half-day tour. Do you want to be able to choose your stops? A private tour is the way to go. Do you just want to get out on the road with a great guide and have a nice experience? Finding a small group with around 10 people or fewer will probably offer you a good experience at a lower cost.
Check out the chart below to compare our favorite options and book!
Find more great things to do on Maui (by area)!
31 of the BEST Things To Do On Maui
The 15 Best Things to do in Kapalua and Napili
14 Amazing Things to Do in Kihei: your South Maui bucket list
The 14 Best Things to Do in Wailea (+ how to get to Molokini FIRST)
The Best Maui Shore Excursions for Your Hawaii Cruise
Plan Your Dream Trip…Easily
Stop searching and taking notes. Our itineraries take you step by step on amazing excursion days around the island. So you can have your dream vacation without all the work.
Wow, we are on a roll. Love the itinerary for Maui. We are just getting back from Hana today. My uncle complimented me on my ability to pack it all in.
Paula M.
Get The Maui Itinerary
The step-by-step itinerary takes you to all the best beaches, snorkeling spots, restaurants, and sights. You’ll get six carefully planned excursion days to help you see the can’t miss stops no matter how limited your time is.
Get all the details on our itinerary and download it for a memorable and easily planned trip to Maui.