Road to Hana | 1 Day Guide to Maui’s Best Road Trip

[@guidealong]

Thanks for the shout out, and for bringing us along with you!

[@janiceclark2016]

Maui is our favorite island! Spend 2 weeks every other year. Did road to Hana last trip and watching you do the first hike to the rainbow eucalyptus was great to see! Banana bread was gone before we got back to our resort! Thanks for the memories! Used the same app! what a kick!

[@chrisandsara]

Maui is INCREDIBLE! Especially that banana bread. Ours didn't make it long either! lol :)

[@guidealong]

Thanks for sharing how much you enjoyed our tour on the Road to Hana!

[@colinandmeg]

This is all perfect timing / homework for us! Thank you so much!!!

[@lostamonglocals5382]

Agreed, they did give very good info.

[@chrisandsara]

Thanks, y'all! So glad it was helpful and that you enjoyed it! :)

[@rootznokaoi]

1. I heard the best banana bread is at the halfway stop in Keanae 2. There is camping at Waianapanapa so anyone camping can be at the beach all day. Also locals don’t need to make a reservation and no time limit 3. Kudos to you for sticking to state approved spots. Some apps and guide books encourage illegal and dangerous hikes/waterfalls. As a Hana resident l see too many emergency rescues that could have been prevented! I always quote TLC to visitors “don’t go chasing waterfalls” Glad to see you all had a great time.

[@chrisandsara]

Thank you Ali!! This is such good local insight! We always love getting a local's input and check of approval. :) We definitely try and respect the people and places we visit. ❤

[@Joe-mz6dc]

16:20 Pro tip: it is definitely worth it to go all the way and see the waterfalls! Don't stop there, keep going!

[@chrisandsara]

Ah! Next time we'll have to! Road to Hana is an adventure we could repeat again and again! :)

[@rootznokaoi]

For sure! The top is the best part!

[@chrisandsara]

@@rootznokaoi We'll definitely be back sooner rather than later. We absolutely loved your island! ❤

[@tagoooU]

We drove to Hana in a rented VW Thing on our honeymoon in 1976. The road was awful had not been paved yet. The main thing I wanted to see was Charles Lindbergh's grave. Which is past Hana at a little tiny chapel, accessible through a cow pasture. Great memories.

[@chrisandsara]

Oh wow! What an adventure and a fun memory!

[@raymurray3282]

One mistake I made when My family did the road to HANA back in 2003, was thinking the destination was more important than the journey. Take your time and enjoy it all.

[@lostamonglocals5382]

We agree so much. We have had to many trips where we didn't take our time and missed some experience.

[@chrisandsara]

We agree! the journey is almost always just as good if not better than the destination!

[@ap6252004]

Would you say you'd need two whole days to do this then? We are planning on leaving early am on Sat...

[@ds5651]

Stay in Hana. Make it a 2 or 3 day thing. Airb or Hyatt with credit card points

[@kaylaandmarkalan]

The voice totally does sound like the monorail guy! You guys captured the beauty of Hawaii so well! We’ve never been but definitely hope to some day!

[@chrisandsara]

Doesn't he?! I can't unhear it now! lol Thanks so much, y'all. When you get the chance to visit Hawaii, GO! You'll love it. It 101% lives up to the hype.

[@carbidegrd1]

The road that takes you around is not that bad. We had a jeep but I saw a few little Toyota's. It is an interesting trip because it is a very dry part of Maui. There is a store on the way out that we stopped in. I thought I was having a stroke. Willi Nelson walked past me! Also we came across Charles Lindbergh's grave.

[@lostamonglocals5382]

Wow! What an incredible adventure! So beautiful! This was such a great video with lots of great info. Love the excitement "that was a peacock!"🤣

[@chrisandsara]

Thanks so much!! It was SUCH a fun adventure. Highly recommend it when you visit Hawaii!

[@sheilamurphy3379]

My first time on the road to Hana, was pre-smart phones and there was a trailer (like used for food trucks) selling guides on cassette tapes at a gas station just before you started.

[@chrisandsara]

Love it!! Miss those cassette tape days! lol

[@GodBlessNess]

Thanks for mentioning the America the Beautiful pass. Best money we spent with our travels.

[@Iknowurwhoami]

Wow! This video is top notch! Always looking to travel advise for places all over, doing Maui soon and very happy we found this awesome and informative resource. Please keep it up, best in class I’ve seen 😘

[@chrisandsara]

That's so wonderful, we are so happy we could be helpful to you! Enjoy Maui!

[@explorinwithlaurin]

Such a cool drive with so many places to stop along the way-thanks for sharing!

[@chrisandsara]

Thanks for watching, Laurin! ❤

[@jooooooo2]

Really enjoyed all the tips and honest thoughts on everything!

[@chrisandsara]

Thanks, Jo jo!! So glad it was helpful! ☺️

[@TheDetourDuo]

Feel like you might told us your dad grew up on Guam before, but I love Guam! Spent 3 deployments there with the Navy. Some of the best diving and hikes

[@chrisandsara]

No way!! I didn't even know you were in the Navy! Thank you so much for your service.❤ We'd absolutely love to visit Guam one day!

[@TheDetourDuo]

@@chrisandsara Yup. getting ready to get out actually. Thank you for your support. When yall go we'll come with. Could probably still remember some spots that really cool

[@jaredmigdal]

Appreciate the google maps links in your description. Thank you!

[@chrisandsara]

We always love sharing as much as we can about the places we recommend!

[@texasgirlhowdy]

Im not sure when the best time slot to get for Wai’anapanapa State Park. I figured the latest because I don't want to feel rushed but I don't want to have to wait around if we fly through stops.

[@JohnandCaraRetiredTravellers]

IM SO HAPPY YOU DOWNLOADED THAT APP! We found it so entertaining and informative! Thanks for taking us to areas we didn’t visit, we forgot bug spray, couldn’t take it! I too lived in Guam for a while. Great video guys! ~Cara 😊

[@chrisandsara]

That app is awesome! Made the journey all the better! Thanks so much, y'all. Hope you're doing well and that you got a little snow up your way in north georgia this week. :)

[@amypriest7751]

Beautiful video and the perfect music...so the usual amazing quality from Chris and Sara! Thank you continually putting out incredible videos that open up doors to the world!

[@chrisandsara]

Aw, thanks so much, Amy!! We always appreciate your sweet comments! :)

[@VisitLiveLoveMaui]

Liked and Subscribed. I just discovered your channel and truly enjoyed watching this video. Now Iʻm going to check out your other Maui videos :)

[@chrisandsara]

Thank you so much for subscribing, we hope you enjoy our other videos!

[@tomeauburn]

Lovely video. I want to visit Hawaii next yrs when I retire. Did the road about 30 yrs ago but you gave some great tips.

[@chrisandsara]

So glad it was helpful!! 3 years will fly by and you’ll be driving the road before you know it. 😎

[@tomeauburn]

@@chrisandsara 12 months 17 days . But who is counting

[@changmichael3660]

Love your show - keep up the good work

[@chrisandsara]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@deanchambers5934]

Another great video!!

[@chrisandsara]

Thanks, Dean! So glad you enjoyed it! :)

[@jimpearson9175]

We are arriving about 8am on NCL PRIDE OF AMERICA. I have put in to rent a car for the day. Any idea how far I could go safely on the Road to Hana? After watching your video on the sunset may do that instead? Thanks. Really enjoy your you tubes.

[@brunnie]

Love it. Just fantastic. Thank you.

[@chrisandsara]

Thank YOU for watching! Hope you're doing well! (p.s.- I think we ow you an email back. so sorry it's taken us a while to respond!)

[@salanicus]

I did this road 20+ years ago for a commercial photo shoot and loved it. Though my experience was a little too rushed trying get (then new) HD video shots. Your way is the best, slow and steady soaking up all the beauty. Kim's never been so here's another added to our couples bucket list:) Great share, James and Kim ❤

[@chrisandsara]

Y'all would love exploring the road together! Especially if you could get your mini over there to drive all those fun hairpin curves. :)

[@stacyweelborg6387]

Did you use this app on your phone or the navigational GPS in your vehicle. Was your cell service spotty on the Road to Hana?

[@chrisandsara]

Cell service is super spotty. If I remember right, you download the guide to your phone and it just auto plays using your phone’s gps even when you don’t have cell signal.

[@prubin111]

The road has been paved for years already. Is a great way to get back to town. Easier than the hairpin turns 🤙🏻

[@chrisandsara]

We'd definitely love to try that next time we're in Maui!

[@rootznokaoi]

It’s not all paved and construction is currently ongoing. Sometimes it’s closed off if one of the rivers running over one of the bridges

[@prubin111]

@@rootznokaoi it has been paved enough to drive thru easier than going back the opposite way. Going upcountry in the rain is another story.

[@chattanoogatalks6301]

Keep it up you two!

[@chrisandsara]

Thanks, Cody!! Good to hear from you! I hope y'all are doing well. :)

[@chrish883]

I enjoyed the back road to Hana much more than normal everyone road. During day and sun with full tank of gas and off road vehicle. You get to see the old farms and history, along with more private beaches that are facing the sun.

[@chrisandsara]

We'd love to see/try that side of the island next time! Sounds like a wonderful adventure!

[@rootznokaoi]

Depends on the time of day, sometimes the traffic is nuts and so dangerous. I’ve roughed up a few of my cars trying to get through the traffic

[@nif82]

We were there for 11 hours and skipped so much. I want to do it again. We got so lucky it didn't rain at all while we were there. We also fell in love with gpsy guide and the dad jokes. The Hawaiian history on the way back was wonderful too

[@mavricrock]

Is it worth to bring drone to Maui?

[@rimasmeleshyus9486]

The Best climate in the Pacific ocean. Hawaiian islands 🏝 and Tahiti islands 🏝 one of the most beautiful in the world 🌎 that's for sure .

[@Beemer917]

We went to Ono Farms which is past Hana.Ono Farms was well worth the trip.

[@gloriama1144]

great video! How strongly would you recommend to spend a night in Hana?

[@chrisandsara]

Highly recommend! I wish we had. There were so many stops we either breezed through or even skipped passed and we still got back after dark. If you're looking forward to the waterfalls and beautiful views, spend the night in Hana. ☺️

[@shwetadesai857]

beautiful place and wonderful video. Does the gypsy guide take arboretum? did u go to the twin falls? how far is black sand beach is in to the drive., gypsy guide recommended the banyan tree? the banana bread that u stop at was it aunty Sandy's banana bread.? thank you

[@chrisandsara]

Hey there! Thanks for the kind words, hoping we answered most of your questions here -- The Gypsy Guide does guide you to the arboretum and even tells you where to legally park. We didn’t go to Twin Falls. We had planned to do it one the way back from Hana but it was already dark and closed. There’s so much to see on the Road to Hana! I don’t remember if the Gypsy Guide recommended the Banyan Tree, but it did recommend stopping at Haleakala National Park, and the Banyan Tree was one of the most popular trails from the visitor center. Just ask a park ranger how to get to it. :) I don’t think it was Aunt Sandy’s bread, unfortunately! We tried lots of banana bread while in Maui and loved just about every single one. Aunt Sandy’s is definitely the most popular though!

[@shwetadesai857]

@@chrisandsara thank you

[@sulysanchez1681]

Awesome video, very helpful! My husband and I will be going to Maui for the first time and want to see the most of Road to Hana, I would love to do it in one day but know it's impossible. Do you guys recommend going a second time during our stay to see the rest of the stops ?

[@chrisandsara]

Hi there! You can definitely do the Road to Hana in one day (we did) but it was very rushed. Plan your day and space your stops appropriately before you even set out. If we could do it over again we would have stayed one night down in Hana. There are a few places to stay there and that would give you so much more time to really explore all that the road has to offer. Here's my blogpost on the road that might help you plan: www.chrisandsara.com/post/road-to-hana-hawaii Have fun and enjoy Maui!

[@SashOkVR]

If you ever go on the road to Hana, you will encounter a lot of stupid tourists, so I suggest to go around corners slower and if someone in something like a pickup truck beeps behind you, they are mostly likely a local, so you should pull over for them and let them pass when it is appropriate. If they do a burst of small short beeps, that means thank you. Also, you can encounter Aunty Sandy’s bread shop if you take a stop on the left side of the island and Huli Huli chicken if you stop farther on. The reason I mention them is because Gordon Ramsey actually went and reviewed them. If you have a rental car, there is a point past Hana where all rental cars have to turn around because it gets very rough, and if you stop at night, your car has a 90% chance of getting stripped. Even if you don’t have a rental car, I wouldn’t go throughout all of it, as the 480 curves are quite unforgiving. Most importantly, remember not to do anything stupid! A lot of people have died on this trail doing something they weren’t supposed to do. I recommend that instead of driving this yourself, you look up “Hawaii Dynamic Tours” and for $700, you can go through the entire road, to all of the stops I mentioned, black sand beach, red sand beach, etc. They were very professional and the tour guide was amazing and very skilled in driving this road. You can also see some of Oprah’s land on that tour!

[@ap6252004]

We rented a car and on the map I can see where we are not permitted to drive. We already paid so much money for the Jeep rental, so my family is thinking of doing Road to Hana ourselves. Is this something that is okay?

[@SashOkVR]

@@ap6252004 it’s ok but be EXTREMELY careful. Don’t do anything stupid, and I don’t work for the people I recommended, but if you want the full experience and can afford it, I would recommend that specific tour bus, because the woman who drove us was very fun and professional and she drove us around the ENTIRE island. Yes, the ENTIRE ISLAND. If you choose to go with the tour bus route and a woman maybe mid 50s is your driver, tell her Alex, Katerina, Daniel, and Alexis recommended you guys. But you can look them up and see what they offer

[@nataliederemiah1854]

If you have the america the beauiful pass do you still have to buy the reservation to black sand beach in Waiʻānapana State Park?

[@chrisandsara]

Hey there, good question! Yes, America the Beautiful Pass is just for properties managed by the National Park Service. Waianapanapa is a state park run by Hawaii and requires a different pass.

[@DanielSilva-mq6kd]

Sorry if I missed it, but about how long did the round trip drive take you?

[@jenat2602]

Fantastic video!! I LOVE the song at the end that has the words “Where we begin”. Who is the artist who sings the song?

[@chrisandsara]

Thank you! That would be Mike Mains (he has a band called Mike Main and the Branches) but here's the direct link to that song. www.musicbed.com/songs/where-we-begin/53751

[@jenat2602]

@@chrisandsara Thanks so much for the info about the song. I had tried to Shazam it a few times and it didn’t come up, so I appreciate it. 🙂. You both do a great job on your videos!

[@bethvogt4319]

Thank you. Very good video. You said you left at 6:30am. Where did you leave from? Lahaina? We are staying in Lahaina and trying to figure out how early to leave. Thank you

[@chrisandsara]

We were staying is Paia. I would give yourself about 30 minutes extra to get to Paia

[@conniewaite1996]

Those apps could be useful in the states as well.so many times you take a trip only to get home and find out you missed seeing stuff

[@chrisandsara]

Exactly! We're definitely going to download some of his other guides when we head back out west. So much fun to learn about what we're seeing!

[@johnnyb9797]

Where do you reserve to go to the sand beach?

[@chrisandsara]

Hi Jonatan! Here’s the link for the reservations for the black sand beach: dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/parks/maui/waianapanapa-state-park/

[@ap6252004]

Hello! I'm so glad I found your video. May I ask what time you left for your Hana trip? You mention early morning, but I know early can be subjective lol. Also, just wanted to clarify you do not need to be a part of an official tour group in order to do Hana, correct? I figured we paid so much money in renting a jeep that we can drive ourselves and do it using the Gypsy Guide Road to Hana app. Thank you so much for sharing your travels! They are truly inspiring~

[@chrisandsara]

Hey there! I believe we left Paia around 6:15am and were getting coffee at the Baked on Maui shop when they opened at 6:30. You can 100% do the road on your own! In fact, I’d recommend it! Tour guides are great in some places, but Road to Hana is a looooong day and having the car to yourself will be nice. Gypsy Guide is incredibly thorough and entertaining. Have so much fun!

[@robypaul202]

Really enjoyed this video and thank for the info about the fees/passes. I'll be going to Maui for the first time in July. Do you have any recommendations on which area to stay between Kaanapali and Kihei? We want to do some adventures and Kihei seems more convenient for driving, but how are the beaches between the two places? Does one area have calmer beachers?

[@chrisandsara]

Lahaina is a great little town to stay in! The beaches just east of town are great for beginner surfers and there are plenty of them so they’re not too crowded. Up near Kaanapali there’s some great snorkeling, too. Lahaina is a really great place to make as a home base while in Maui. Have so much fun!! :)

[@kyrawaiwaiole9884]

We just booked our trip for March 4-8! Super excited and so glad I caught this video! Did you guys go see any other beaches that you reccomend?

[@chrisandsara]

Ah! So excited for you (and also a lot jealous)! :) For beaches we'd recommend the south side of the island because the waters are calmer. The north side of the island has beautiful beaches but the rip tides are really strong making it dangerous in spots. If you'd like a good beach along the Road to Hana, checkout Hamoa Beach. Have so much fun in Maui!! :)

[@nif82]

Hamoa Beach for sure. Also find Aunty Sandy's banana bread and get some. I just shared the last of mine with my coworkers at home.

[@ap6252004]

@@nif82 Is there any sort of reservation/fees to be paid to enter this beach?

[@mission140.6]

They say you'll only do the Road to Hana once...true?

[@chrisandsara]

Hey Tony! I think that's true for a lot of people because it's such a long (and tiring) road. However, we could definitely see ourselves doing this road multiple times because of all the trails, swimming pools next to waterfalls, and beaches. It's a long drive, but absolutely beautiful!

[@Stickerbob11]

Apple bananas are the best

[@DavidLee-wx6dg]

The important things we learned on the road to Hana: buy machetes at walmart, start chopping down bamboo,get locals angry at you :) Swing on vines in the jungle , they are strong right ? No , they break and you land on a stick puncturing your eyebrow. Have your buddies drive as fast as they can back to the hotel so you can ? : watch tv ? But all in all very good fun.

[@micktheman6]

Worst experience of my life definitely not worth it

[@XantinwoX]

Why , what did you do?

[@micktheman6]

@@XantinwoX I drove the road normal like anyone but I don’t find long dangerous winding wet roads with a bunch of one lane bridges and almost getting hit by foreign drivers multiple times and no cell service if you are in danger. There’s nothing much to see anyhow sense not really any parking at most waterfalls and most of the coast is blocked by trees. I had multiple times where I had to back up because people couldn’t fit through the narrow roads. It was extremely dangerous and it caused a lot of stress and anxiety.