5 Routes for the Road to Hana: Choose Your Road to Hana Adventure

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Maui’s famous Road to Hana is an ultimate day-long adventure. Or multiple days. Part of the adventure is the strategy to beat the crowds while seeing your can’t-miss stops. Here are five routes for the Road to Hana so you can choose the best route for you.

The best routes for the Road to Hana are the following:

• Classic Road to Hana: make stops from Kahului to Hana and then drive back
• Stops on the Way Back: drive to Hana and make stops on the way back
• Circle Tour: make stops from Kahului to Hana and continue to the backside
• Reverse Road to Hana: drive the backside of Haleakala to Hana and make stops from Upcountry to Hana to Kahului
• Road to Hana with a Helicopter Tour: take a helicopter with a Road to Hana guided tour to enjoy the view from two perspectives

We have done all these routes for the Road to Hana, except the helicopter tour. Let’s get into the details on each of these routes for the Road to Hana so you can start seriously planning your journey through East Maui.

If driving these routes doesn’t sound like your type of vacation, see our 7 Best Road to Hana Tours. Let a local guide drive you and the family!

Road to Hana Starting Point

The Road to Hana starting point is Kahului on Route 36, Hana Highway. Beginning at Kahului Harbor, Hana Highway switches to Route 360 at Mile Marker Zero for the Road to Hana, 16 miles past Paia Town.

Road to Hana stops, like Ho’okipa Beach or Twin Falls, begin after Paia Town so some consider Paia to be the gateway to the Road to Hana. Mile markers referred to in Road to Hana guides refer to Route 360, not Route 36.

It is confusing, hence many download self-guided driving apps like the Shaka Guide or our Wayfinder Itinerary.

Most visitors drive from their hotel in West Maui (Kaanapali) or South Maui (Wailea) to Kahului to start the Road to Hana. The times and miles in the Road to Hana map below reflect Road to Hana starting point in Kahului, the official Hana Highway. 

The Road to Hana is 52 miles from Kahului to Hana in East Maui. The full Hana Highway is 64.4 miles long. To drive non-stop from Kahului to Maui takes approximately 2.5 hours due to the 620 curves and 59 bridges, of which 46 are one-lane.

Related article:

• Do You Need a Jeep for the Road to Hana?
• The Complete Road to Hana Guide

Drive the Road to Hana with Aloha

The Road to Hana is all about enjoying the stops along the drive to Hana and beyond. While visitors enjoy the stops, locals of Hana drive the road for their commute or to get supplies in Kahului and Wailuku. 

Please be courteous to the locals by letting them pass. See our Road to Hana Etiquette: 7 Tips for First-Time Visitors to help you safely navigate the drive.

Road to Hana Routes for One Day or More

Most visitors complete the Road to Hana in one day. One day with 5 to 8 stops makes for a 10 to 12-hour day in the car. We have a guide on How to Do the Road to Hana in One Day so you can plan your journey.

Due to the long day of driving, many visitors would prefer to spend the night in Hana or East Maui. This is a great way to experience more of the Road to Hana, especially time to explore stops past Hana, but the trouble is lodging. 

There are a few hotels and campsites near Hana. Since there are a few places to stay near Hana, what is available sells out or is expensive. See our Where to Stay in Hana for One Night for information. 

Tent camping is also available at Kipahulu Campground, home of the Pipiwai Trail (bamboo forest hike) and ‘Ohe’o Gulch (Seven Sacred Falls).

Routes for the Road to Hana

There are two main routes to Hana, both have famous stops or points of interest along them. As the old cliche goes, the Road to Hana is about the journey, not the destination. 

Therefore, picking your Road to Hana route is a combination of the following:

• beating the traffic and the crowds,
• the stops you want to make, and
• the condition of the road you want to drive to Hana

See Road to Hana Route #3 for a video on the conditions of driving the backside of Haleakala, the reverse road to Hana. The reverse road to Hana is partially paved and notorious for landslides.

Another strategic consideration is if you’re planning to stop at Maui’s best black sand beach at Wai’anapanapa State Park then a parking and entry reservation is required. You must select your time slot when making the reservation (time slots sell out). 

So, you have to pick a route that gets you to your time slot. The time slots are the following for entry to Wai’anapanapa State Park (slots may change so check the official website):

• Morning I: 7:00AM – 10:00AM
• Morning II: 10:00AM – 12:30PM
• Afternoon I: 12:30PM – 3:00PM
• Afternoon II: 3:00PM – 6:00PM (must enter by 5:30PM)

I’m comparing these routes based on doing the Road to Hana in one day. Therefore, target 10 to 12 hours of driving as you’ll want to get off the winding part of the road before it gets dark.

There is no best route for the Road to Hana. You have to pick the route that works best for you. Let’s get into the routes for the Road to Hana.

Related article: Is Driving the Road to Hana Worth It? Here’s How to Decide

Road to Hana Route #1: Classic Road to Hana Route

The most popular route for the Road to Hana is to drive from Kahului to Hana along Route 360. This iconic route will take you through Paia Town and down Route 360 towards Hana Town. 

This is an out and back Road to Hana route.

With this route for the Road to Hana, you will make stops as you drive toward Hana. Most people arrive at Hana for an early dinner and then make the drive back non-stop so they aren’t driving at night.

We recommend making 6 to 8 stops along the Road to Hana. You can expect to make it to Hana in 6 to 8 hours. You can plan to make a few stops on the way back like Hana Lava Tube (closes at 4:00 PM) or Ho’okipa Beach to see the sea turtles.

This route is the most convenient for the following reasons:

• Most tour books follow the mile markers as they increase toward Hana along this route
• The simplest way to plan your trip as you pick stops along the road
• The largest selection of things to do at different price points, see examples below
• Lots of fruit stands, banana bread shacks, and roadside grills to eat at

The drawbacks of the Classic Road to Hana Route are the following:

• Traffic and crowds at the stops: as most visitors are taking this route, you will find the same people at the stops. 
• Lack of parking: the more popular stops, like Twin Falls at the start of the Road to Hana, can fill up due to lack of parking making you have to skip the stop.

There’s an app for the Road to Hana. Automatic GPS navigation, history, and stories as you drive the Road to Hana with the Shaka Guide. Download the Shaka Guide’s Classic Road to Hana.

Example Classic Road to Hana Route Stops

• Twin Falls
• Garden of Eden Arboretum
• Rainbow Eucalyptus Trees
• Waikamoi Nature Trail
• Ke’anae Penisula and Aunty Sandy’s Banana Bread
• Wailua Valley Lookout
• Hanawi Falls (limited parking)
• Wai’anapanapa State Park and Black Sand Beach
• Hana Town
• Hana Lava Tube – if you have time after Hana, stop at the Hana Lava Tubes (closes at 4:00 PM)

Road to Hana Route #2: Stops on the Way Back

Another popular route for the Road to Hana is to drive to Hana without making stops or making only a few. Get to Hana and then drive the Road to Hana backward. The strategy with this route is you will miss the crowds at the popular stops.

This is an out and back Road to Hana route.

Starting the Road to Hana at 8 AM means you will arrive in Hana around 10:30 AM with no stops. Have breakfast, tour Hana, and then enjoy the stops on the way home.

While the Classic Road to Hana visitors are at the Ke’anae Peninsula eating banana bread, you could be leaving Hana to stop at the black sand beach. 

This route is the most convenient for the following reasons:

• Fewer people at the popular stops
• Less road congestion as you get a jump on the drive and then drive back earlier than most
• Local tour guides take this route for the Road to Hana as it is less crowded

The drawbacks of Stops on the Way Back Route are the following:

• Must navigate the mile markers in reverse
• Hana is a sleepy town, you may not find much open in the morning
• Fruit stands and banana shacks close early (2:30 PM or so) as most visitors go through in the morning and early afternoon

Shaka Guide: Download the Reverse Road to Hana (Route #4 below) but you’ll start the tour in Hana or wherever you start to do the Road to Hana backward.

Example Stops on the Way Back Route

• Rainbow Eucalyptus Trees
• Ke’anae Penisula and Aunty Sandy’s Banana Bread
• Wai’anapanapa State Park and Black Sand Beach
• Hana Town
• Hana Lava Tube 
• Hanawi Falls (limited parking)
• Pua’a Ka’a State Wayside Falls (waterfalls)
• Wailua Valley Lookout
• Garden of Eden Arboretum (closes at 4:00 PM)
• Ho’okipa Beach for sea turtles

Road to Hana Route #3: Circle Tour

This was the first route for the Road to Hana that I drove myself. This route maximizes the number of stops with no backtracking. Drive to Hana making stops and then continue past Hana to make a few more stops. 

This route for the Road to Hana takes clockwise around East Maui as you drive the Hana Highway and continue past Hana on the backside of Haleakala.

This route is the most convenient for the following reasons:

• Follow the navigational mile markers for simple trip planning
• No backtracking
• See popular stops past Hana
• Little to no road congestion on the drive past Hana

The drawbacks of Circle Route are the following:

• Backside of Haleakala is partially paved and is a rough road to drive
• Stops can be crowded as you’re on the regular schedule
• Normal road congestion on the Classic Road to Hana route
• No emergency roadside services for car rental companies on the backside

If this route sounds great to you, but you don’t want to drive the backside of Haleakala, let this local guided tour take you on the Circle Tour for the Road to Hana (backside).

Note:  The backside of Hana has some graded dirt roads and rickety guardrails so the drive requires caution. Because of this, some rental car companies will void the insurance and/or not provide emergency roadside service if you drive on the backside of Hana. Confirm that you’re able to drive this section of the island with your rental car company in advance.

Occasionally the dirt road past Kipahulu District (Route 31) is closed to traffic due to landslides. However, although it is somewhat rough in places, it is by no means a daunting or particularly dangerous road if taken slowly.

See our Backside of Haleakala video for a tour of this cautionary part of the journey.

The Shaka Guide has a self-guided tour for the Circle Tour route. Download their Loop Road to Hana guide with 36 stops.

The backside is a rough road. If you don’t feel comfortable driving the road, let a local tour guide take you. Check out Hana and Beyond Guided Tour as they take you on the Circle Tour route.

Example Circle Route Stops

• Twin Falls
• Garden of Eden Arboretum
• Rainbow Eucalyptus Trees
• Ke’anae Penisula and Aunty Sandy’s Banana Bread
• Wailua Valley Lookout
• Wai’anapanapa State Park and Black Sand Beach
• Hana Town
• Hamoa Beach 
• Wailua Falls
• Kipahulu District of Haleakala National Park:‘Ohe’o Gulch (Seven Sacred Falls)
• Palapala Ho’omanu Church with Charles Lindburgh Grave
• Kula or Makawao towns for dinner

Road to Hana Route #4: Reverse Road to Hana

This is a combination of routes #2 and #3. Start your drive in Kula, Upcountry Maui, to take the backside of Haleakala and continue past Hana to Kahului. Make stops as you go.

This is a full circle of East Maui going counterclockwise. Start in Upcountry Maui and travel the road in reverse from the traditional Road to Hana routes.

From Kula to Hana takes about 3 hours. We recommend you start the tour at 8:00 AM in Kula and budget 12 hours to get to Kahului.

This route is the most convenient for the following reasons:

• No backtracking
• Experience more stops with the full circle
• Fewer crowds as this is the least traveled route. Pipiwai Trail and Hana will have far fewer people visiting when you arrive.

The drawbacks of the Reverse Road to Hana are the following:

• The backside of Haleakala is partially paved and is a rough road to drive
• No emergency roadside services for car rental companies on the backside
• Manage your time well as the slow drive to Hana plus additional stops is time-consuming
• Fruit stands and banana shacks close early (2:30 PM or so) as most visitors go through in the morning and early afternoon. 

Shaka Guide download: the Reverse Road to Hana self-guided tour to take you from Kula to Kahului with 31 stops.

Note:  The backside of Hana has some graded dirt roads and rickety guardrails so the drive requires caution. Because of this, some rental car companies will void the insurance and/or not provide emergency roadside service if you drive on the backside of Hana. Confirm that you’re able to drive this section of the island with your rental car company in advance.

Example Reverse Road to Hana Route Stops

• Grandma’s Coffee in Upcountry
• Palapala Ho’omanu Church with Charles Lindburgh Grave
• Kipahulu District of Haleakala National Park: ‘Ohe’o Gulch (Seven Sacred Falls) and Pipiwai Trail
• Wailua Falls
• Koki Beach 
• Hana Town
• Wai’anapanapa State Park and Black Sand Beach
• Wailua Valley Lookout
• Ke’anae Penisula Arboretum
• Rainbow Eucalyptus Trees
• Twin Falls
• Ho’okipa Beach and Lookout
• Dinner at Paia Fishmarket

Road to Hana Route #5: Road to Hana with a Helicopter Tour

Another route for the Road to Hana is a helicopter tour. You can do this route in two ways, you can go on a helicopter tour of Haleakala and Hana (air only) or pair a helicopter tour with a van tour. 

A helicopter tour while on Maui is on a lot of people’s bucket list. Seeing the Road to Hana without the drive is tempting for many. But, the helicopter tour and van tour is the best of both worlds.

We share Hawaii helicopter safety and the safest tour operators here as Hawaii has the highest crash rate due to the changing weather conditions, especially around Haleakala.

Here are Hana helicopter tours worth checking out:

• Choose a Hana helicopter tour, zipline, or kayak trip, and then go halfway to Hana in a van with Hawaii Tours. Learn More Here.
• Hana Rainforest Experience: touch down in East Maui with this tour. It features two 20-minute flights plus a 30-minute landing in Hana to walk around and see a bit of the tropical terrain by foot. Tour by Maverick Helicopter Tours.
• Hana & Haleakala: Fly over two of the most beautiful locations on Maui with this 45-minute tour. Tour by Air Maui.

Routes for the Road to Hana Itinerary

We provided a sampling of the best stops for each Road to Hana route above. For our favorite stops all planned out in a perfect itinerary, check out our Maui Wayfinder Itinerary below.

The itinerary includes 8 excursion days around Maui, with one day dedicated to driving the Road to Hana along the Classic Road to Hana Route. If you want to finish your Maui trip planning with one download, this is it.