10 Best Things To Do on Your Next Trip to Maui (+ Honest Reviews)

After spending one full week in Maui, we were able to gather 10 of the absolute best things to do on your next trip to Maui. From sunrise at Haleakala to seeing whales up close, and walking through lavender fields to driving the iconic Road to Hana - we've gathered the best of the best. Because Maui is such a busy spot, we highly recommend booking any tours in advance as early as you can, we've linked the specific tours we did below.

Our Essential Travel Resources :
There are plenty of travel companies, but these are our favorite websites and resources for planning an unforgettable trip. This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
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Car rentals are best through Discover Cars - just make sure to bring your international driver's permit with you!

We always use Expedia's easy to use platform for comparing hotels.

To keep cell service while traveling, we always use Airalo’s easy eSIM’s (no installation required).

For fun things to do, we always recommend Viator to find the best tours in the America's and Europe, and Klook for tours in Asia.

Just in case, Safetywing is what we use for travel insurance.

Lastly, our packing list for any international or domestic travels.

Getting Around in Maui + Where to Stay

​Getting around Maui is pretty easy, but it depends on how much control you want over your schedule. They have a public bus system that covers most of the island and it's the most affordable option, but it can be a bit slower and limited if you're trying to reach more remote beaches, trails, or smaller towns. Uber and Lyft are available, especially near the airport and in more populated areas but wait times and prices can vary the more remote you go. For us, renting a car was the easiest and most convenient option, especially since we wanted to be able to explore on our own time and drive the Road to Hana.

There's are plenty of great options around the island depending on the kind of experience and budget you're looking for, like the Four Seasons Resort for a luxury beachside stay or Days Inn by Wyndham for something a bit more budget friendly, but we loved Lumeria Resort. It's tucked away in a quieter part of the island, and felt more like a peaceful retreat rather than a traditional beach resort. The grounds are lush and private and the rooms and villas are thoughtfully designed, plus it was still within driving distance of any beaches or adventures we wanted to do during our trip.

Our Favorite Tours on Maui : 
- Road to Hana with Lunch
- Molokini with Turtle Town Snorkeling
- Haleakala Sunrise Tour with Breakfast

10 Best Things to Do in Maui

1. Waterfall Rappelling
The most incredible adventure we did during our time in Hawaii was trying waterfall rappelling. We went through Rappel Maui and they were the best guides. After a safety brief and an introduction, we were able to scale down 3 different walls; the first was 40 ft, the second was 110 ft, and the third was 90 ft. The perks of this adventure is it goes rain or shine so you rarely need to worry about it getting cancelled. They'll fit you with all the gear you need, and fun fact, this exact valley is where one of the opening scenes of Jurassic Park was filmed!

2. Sunset & Stargazing at Haleakala National Park
Although most Haleakala tours now focus on enjoying the sunrises, we went for sunset and added on a Stargazing tour at night. Depending on the National Park regulations for the year, you might have to pay the entry fee yourself in addition to the tour, but your guide will let you know. After making it all the way to the summit, over 10,000 feet in elevation, you'll enjoy one of the most epic sunsets of your entire life before ending the night getting expertly coached in the star formations and seeing planets, stars, galaxies, comets, meteors and even other moons in the night sky.

3. Whale Watching & Snorkeling​
We've been on 6 whale watching tours before this one in Maui and none have ever come close to how amazed we were on this tour. Not only did we see multiple babies and whales breaching in what seemed like every direction, while we were snorkeling we even heard whales underwater and saw a whale breach while we were still in the water! This whale watching tour is a must-add to any trip to Maui!

4. Beach Clean Up with PAC Whale
​There's nothing better than doing your part to help clean up local beaches. The best part is that it's completely free and only takes about an hour of your time. While in Maui you can head to any Pacific Whale Foundation store and pick up a free beach clean up kit, then choose any beach and get to work. Record anything you find, throw away the bag in any garbage can, return the form (digitally or in person at one of their stores) and receive a free recycled bag!

5. Drive the West Loop
​This area is perfect for a day trip, and even though we didn't make it the entire way around (we encountered a back up on a one lane road and decided to turn around near Kahakuloa) it had some of the prettiest views we've ever seen. The roads here can get extremely tight, so we only recommend driving it if you're confident you can make it. There's also many stops and hikes along the way that you can get out and stretch your legs at. We definitely recommend checking out Nakalele Blowhole, Nakalele Lighthouse and Honokoau Lookout.

6. Paragliding & Ali'i Kula Lavender Field
​Even though we weren't able to do paragliding on this trip, we were able to watch a few people go and it looked incredible. In addition to amazing views, their landing zone is directly across the street from the Ali'i Kula Lavender Field. The field itself might not be the most impressive lavender field, but at only $3 each we weren't too disappointed. We loved visiting their cafe and trying all their lavender infused items like their coffee, tea, honey, brownies and even potato chips!

7. Lumeria Maui Retreat Center
Even if this isn't your home base for the trip, the Lumeria Maui Retreat Center has an amazing selection of lessons (included for onsite guests) like yoga, breath work, ukulele, chakra, intuition, sound therapy, qi gong, hawaiian hula dance, and hawaiian language classes! You'll leave feeling so refreshed you'll definitely want to stay here on your next visit. Did we mention they have the most incredible, delicious, fresh foods on site?

8. Hang by the Beach
​Maui has some of the world's most beautiful beaches, so it only makes sense to spend some of your time hanging out at the local beaches to take in these views. Try taking a surfing lesson, relaxing in the sand or finding a quiet bay to try stand up paddle-boarding. Our favorite beaches in Maui were Baldwin Beach Park and Baby Beach.

9. Take Yourself on a Food Tour
​One of our favorite ways to explore any new destination is to go on a self guided food tour. You can check out all our favorite places to eat in Maui or just explore on your own! We recommend starting in the Paia or Lahaina areas and making sure to try shaved ice, musubi, loco moco, garlic shrimp, huli huli chicken, fresh coconut and smoothie bowls!

10. Drive the Road to Hana
​There's a reason the Road to Hana made it to the last spot on our list. Considered one of the most dangerous roads in the world, many of the turns are complete 180's and are just barely wide enough to fit a single car. With 64 miles of road from Kahului to Hana, there's a reason Visit Maui recommends that guests only visit the road via a fully guided tour. On our short drive to Rappel Maui at mile marker 10.5, we saw many "no parking" and "pay to park" signs, with barbed wire cutting off access points to many of the once popular hikes and waterfalls. A majority of the buildings we drove by were also closed down.

Watch our Maui Adventures here!

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Other Hawaii Blog Posts Here :
-> Where to Eat on Maui
-> Complete Road to Hana Guide
-> Best Budget Friendly Things to Do on Oahu

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