This is a pretty aggressive plan but we were able to enjoy the whole island in 7 days following this itinerary. We stayed in Kaanapali and had a rented convertible Jeep . Hope you will enjoy it.
Day 1
- Honokōwai Beach Park
- Get there early morning, grab some fruits from the store across the road and enjoy sunrise from the beach
- There are many tide pools to see little critters
- Kāʻanapali Beach
- Paia Fish Market, Lahaina
- Hard to get parking and expect some waiting to get a good seat, but food makes it worth the wait
- Wahikuli Wayside Park Whale watching
- If you are travelling during Jan-April months, pick some quiet beach to sit and enjoy the whales. You will be able to see them right from the beach- just look for spouts
Day 2
- Haleakala National Park
- Make your reservation at least 2 weeks early for Sunrise https://www.nps.gov/hale/planyourvisit/sunrise.htm
- The drive if beautiful, if you are not in a hurry to reach the summit for sunrise stop to enjoy the view, unique flora and fauna
- Dress for changing weather
- Hike down the crater via Sliding Sand trail
- Paia town
- On the way back, stop and enjoy a good dinner and the buzz of the small Hawaiian town
Day 3
- Molokini Crater and Turtle Town Snorkeling
- There are many tours available from Lahaina, make sure to book a few days early to get the earliest spot
- Snorkeling is always best early in the morning and you will get to enjoy another great sunrise from the boat
- Iao Valley
- Dress to jump in the water
- Stop and visit the fruit farm on the way
- Hike down the valley path towards the river to enjoy some beautiful swim holes.
- This place is surreal, remember to capture some good family pictures
Day 4
- Road to Hana : 1st Day
- Remember to buy a travel app like GypSy to help you navigate
- Few highlights (We stopped at every road sign, so this is just a small subset)
- Waikamoi Falls
- Ching’s Pond: Very hard to find, park the car and hike down private property to reach the pond. We had a few great locals help us get there. The water is crystal clear and you can swim up to a small water fall
- Black rock beach- Honomanu Bay Beach
- Ke’anae Peninsula: This place is not for swimming as the sea is very rough, but great picture op
- Puaakaa park
- Back road to Hana
- View is great and this is definitely for the adventurous lot
- Make this trip only if there is enough sunlight, it is pretty remote and you wont be able to get help if you get stuck
- If you keep going through the backroads next to the sea, you can get back to Lahaina
- One of the most beautiful but treacherous road I have ever driven – be prepared for no cell reception, sharp cliffs and rocky overhangs.
Day 5
- Waianapana State Park
- Need to reserve up to 30 days early, (No one was checking it but the park closes early)
- Swim in the black sand beach
- Walk through Lava tube
- Nakalele Blowhole
- Walk up the lava rocks for a beautiful scenic hike and great pictures
- Halekeila National Forest
- Oheo Gulch or the 7 sacred pools
- Makahiku Falls: Do not stop there, keep walking to see the better falls, Waimoku
- Bamboo Trail
- Waimoku Falls: 400 Ft waterfall. If you feel adventurous, keep walking towards the bottom of the falls and take a shower under. Make sure you wear good shoes, the rocks are slippery and there is no way to get help if you fall
- Hamoa beach
- Waioka Pond or the Venus Pools : Good place to swim, but you have walk through a private property and jump a fence to get there
Day 6
- Westside drive to Paia, Start from Lahaina and go up, there are many trails you can take here
- Nakalili Blowhole
- Olivine Pool: The best natural infinity pool next to the sea. You can swim here but a bit difficult trail to get there
- Kapalua Beach
- Scuba – Make sure to plan this ahead of time and do not keep this for the last day. You cannot fly for 24 hrs. after Scuba diving
- Enjoy a Luau in the evening, there are many in the Lahaina area : Book ahead
Day 7
- Blackrock beach – saw a few big Turtles there. Great for Cliff jumping and Diving
- Baby beach – this is a great beach protected by a reef. Great for ‘not so strong’ swimmers and kids to do snorkeling
- Honokowai beach park – Buy lunch at Fish Market Maui and picnic in the beach
- Kapalua Back & Dragons teeth – This is a great short hike and really beautiful spot for sunset
- Drive to the airport through the west side