Many head to Maui for different reasons. My husband and I returned yesterday from our one week in paradise. There was never a dull moment and so many different things to see and do. Here is my 7-day itinerary that provides the most out of your Maui vacation with a mixture of adventure and relaxation:
Day 1 – Welcome to Maui
> Arrive Kaluhui airport
> Pick up rental car (we found a great deal at Enterprise)
> Head to Safeway near the airport to stock up on food, snacks, water
> Check into resort (we stayed at the Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort and you can find my full review on the resort here)
> Dinner on the Andaz resort at Morimoto which did not disappoint!
Day 2 – Explore Beaches and Pool
> Grab coffee at Andaz (free from 6:30AM to 9:00AM) and drive to Kamaole Beach and walk up to Kalama Park (approxmimately 2 miles)
> Get lunch at South Maui Fish Company (Even though this is a food truck this is honestly one of my favorite meals in Maui. The poke and fish tacos are amazing!)
> Explore town of Kihei and buy souvenirs
> Get shaved ice at Local Boys Shave Ice
> Walk back along the beach to the car
> Head to hotel and spend the rest of the day soaking up the sun at the Andaz pools
> In the evening use the car service at Andaz to head to dinner at Monkeypod - Make sure to get the infamous Mai Tai's!
Day 3 – Haleakala
> Before your jet lag fully sets in you make sure to see the sunset at Haleakala National Park. You’ll want to leave Wailea at 3:00AM latest and the drive will take about 2 ½ hours to arrive at the top of the summit. For sunrise, make sure to make reservations in advance (link can be found here) and the reservation for your car costs $1.50. Once you arrive at the national park, you will have to pay $25 for the entrance fee (make sure to save this receipt because you can use it during the Road to Hana on the last stop!). Make sure to dress warmly as you'll be close to 10,000 feet elevation and it's very cold! As a side note, you can also opt to do this for sunset, however, I heard the sunrise is better.
> After you see the beautiful sunrise and make your way back down, stop by Kula Lodge for a breakfast with a view
> Head back to Andaz to rest, shower, and freshen up
> Drive down to Makena State Park (also known as Big Beach). This is my favorite beach along this side of Maui and is also good for snorkeling! If you keep driving past Makena State Park you'll hit the lava field which is so pretty!
> In the evening head to Maui Brewing Company to try their amazing beers and eat dinner at the food trucks which are parked outside (if you don’t like the food truck options walk across the street to Cow Pig Bun).
Day 4 – Road to Hana!
> You'll want to wake up early and get on the road (make sure to pack snacks and water!). We woke up around 6:30AM and had breakfast at Kihei Caffe
> After breakfast you'll want to be on the road by 7:30AM. When you reach the start of Road to Hana in Paia make sure to fill up on gas as there are no gas stations on the Road to Hana itself
> Spend the day exploring the 64.4-mile long stretch of Hawaii Routes 36 and 360. As they say, it’s all about the journey and not the destination. There is no cell service during most parts of the trip so we found it helpful to download the GyPSy app. Even though the app is $4.99 it's honestly worth every penny and I highly recommend it! It is not only serves as a GPS but it narrates to you so you don’t miss any stops. The app is interesting with fun facts and stories about Maui's history. One thing to note is that we back-tracked up Hana Highway after the last stop at Haleakala National Park. You could continue onto Route 31 and take the backside of Haleakala which is not recommended (especially if you have a rental car) as it is remote and there are dirt roads. There are so many cute little stands for food and fruit which I highly recommend!
> On the way back stop at Paia Fish Market for dinner
Day 5 – Visit Lahaina on West side of Maui
> Check out of Andaz Maui in Wailea Resort
> Even though this is about 25 minutes out of the way, stop at Mama’s Fish House for lunch (it is expensive but worth it!)
> Check into Sheraton Maui resort in Lahaina
> Using the hotel provided shuttle (included in resort fee), head to Front Street and if there is time make sure to check out the cute stores that line Front Street
> Have a romantic dinner at Lahaina Grill
Day 6 – Snorkeling Day and Luau Night
> Rent Snorkel gear at Snorkel Bob's or directly from Sheraton which is $20 for the day
> Snorkel at the famous Black Rock (we saw so many different colored fishes and even the beautiful and huge green sea turtle!)
> Take advantage of the 10:00AM – 12:00PM happy hour at Mai Tai bar at the Sheraton pool area
> For a late lunch, walk along the beach to Hula Grill
> If time permits, check out Whaler’s Village shopping center
> In the evening head to the Old Lahaina Luau and since this is the best Luau on the island, make sure to make your reservation ahead of time!
Day 7 – Departure Day
> If your flight isn’t until the late evening fit in some last quality time at the beach or pool area (or a massage at the Sheraton like we did!)
> On the way to the airport fill up your stomach at Da Kitchen (their fried spam musubi is the best!)
> Depart from Kahului Airport
We had such an amazing time in Maui and we hope to come back some day! If you have any questions or comments drop some love in the comments below or send me an email!