Maui travel guide

Plan your trip, step by step

• Where to stay
  Pick West or South Maui, then a resort, condo or whole-home rental.
• Things to do
  Decide which boats, summit slots and park entries to reserve.
• Maui in 3 days
  Follow a plan grouped by drive rather than by wish list.
• Estimate your trip cost
  See what Maui costs once the car and the taxes are in.
• First-timer mistakes to avoid
  Sidestep the errors that cost first-timers whole days.
• Maui on a budget
  See what a lean, comfortable or generous day really costs.

The island’s regions at a glance

West Maui (Kāʻanapali, Nāpili, Kapalua)

Known for the long resort beachfront, the Black Rock reef at the north end of Kāʻanapali Beach, and the quieter, greener Kapalua headlands with Honolua Bay beyond them.

Lahaina

Known for the historic West Maui town destroyed in the August 2023 wildfires and now rebuilding — Front Street reopened to traffic between Pāpalaua and Shaw streets on 1 August 2026, with businesses returning block by block.

South Maui (Kīhei, Wailea, Mākena)

Known for the dry, sunny leeward stretch — the Kamaʻole beach parks and condo blocks of Kīhei, the manicured resorts and paved coastal path at Wailea, and the wide open sand of Mākena at the end of the road.

Central Maui (Kahului & Wailuku)

Known for the airport, the island’s real supermarkets and hardware stores, ʻĪao Valley State Monument in the mountains behind, and Wailuku’s small historic main street.

Upcountry (Makawao, Kula, Haleakalā)

Known for cool ranch and farm country on the volcano’s western slope — paniolo (Hawaiian cowboy) Makawao, Kula’s upland farms, and the switchback road to the Haleakalā summit.

North Shore & East Maui (Pāʻia, Haʻikū, Hāna)

Known for the surf-and-windsurf town of Pāʻia, the last dependable coffee and fuel before the Hāna Highway, and the rainforest, waterfalls and black sand of East Maui at the far end of it.

Deciding which coast to base on? The where-to-stay guide turns these regions into a lodging decision.

When to go — month by month

Average daytime high (bars) and rainy days per month, from 5-year climate normals. Greener months are the most comfortable to visit.

Best months to visit: Apr–Dec

Destinations with a similar climate

Like Maui’s weather? These places have the closest year-round climate in our data — tap through for each one’s best time to visit.

• Honolulu →
• Gold Coast →
• Nairobi →
• Casablanca →
• Rio De Janeiro →
• Brisbane →

Know before you go

Money & taxes

US dollars; cards work everywhere. Lodging is taxed heavily and separately: the state transient accommodations tax rose to 11% on 1 January 2026 under Hawaii’s climate-impact “green fee” law, Maui County adds its own 3% accommodations tax (in force since 1 November 2021), and general excise tax is passed on at roughly 4.7% here — close to 19% on the room before any resort fee, cleaning fee or parking charge.

Language & place names

English, alongside ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, an official state language you meet constantly in place names. The ʻokina (ʻ) is a consonant — a glottal stop — and the kahakō (ā) lengthens a vowel, so Kāʻanapali and Haʻikū have real breaks in them rather than being run together.

From the airport

Kahului Airport (OGG) sits in Central Maui, roughly 20 minutes from Kīhei and an hour from Kāʻanapali. Nearly everyone collects a rental car on arrival; taxis and rideshare exist but are metered by the mile, which makes the run out to the West Maui resorts expensive enough that few people repeat it.

Getting around

Rent a car. Maui Bus fixed routes cost $2 a ride, $4 for a day pass or $45 a month, and are fare-free for seniors 55 and over, students 24 and under, Medicare holders, people with disabilities and income-eligible riders — but only the Upcountry and Haiku Islander routes stop at the airport, and luggage is limited. It is a commuter service for residents, not a visitor network.

Best time

Warm year-round; what changes is the ocean. Humpbacks are in Hawaiian waters roughly November through April, which is also when big north and west swell makes those shores rough and pushes calm snorkelling to the south. Central Pacific hurricane season runs 1 June to 30 November. Christmas–New Year and the February–March school holidays are the tightest, priciest weeks.

Reservations you need

Entering Haleakalā National Park between 3am and 7am for sunrise needs a $1 per-vehicle reservation from recreation.gov, released 60 days out and again 48 hours out, one per person per three-day period — the $30 per-vehicle entrance fee (valid three days, both park districts) is separate. Waiʻānapanapa State Park and ʻĪao Valley State Monument each require advance entry reservations for non-residents, currently $5 per person plus $10 per vehicle.

For the best months to visit and a day-by-day plan, see Maui in 3 days.