⚠️ AUG 27, 2023 – IMPORTANT UPDATE ON THE FIRES IN MAUI!
Much of the island of Maui has been tragically impacted by recent fires, with the region known as West Maui being most affected and Historic Lahaina Town having been all but destroyed.
All fires are contained (or nearly so) at this point, including the most recent wildfire in Ka’anapali on Aug 26. Travel is safe and encouraged, outside of the West Maui region!
The Hawaii Tourism Authority message to tourists is to maintain travel plans to visit the island and to help support the local economy, but to be mindful and respectful of the hardships the locals are enduring, and to avoid the West Maui region.
You can find out more about the Hawaii fires and find the most current updates here: HAWAII TOURISM AUTHORITY.
There are several important considerations when planning a trip to Maui for the first time that will determine the budget, pace, and success of your visit.
Most notably, finding the best possible flights, choosing the right place to stay, and creating an itinerary that is right for you will be paramount.
This guide will walk you step by step through each the planning phases for your first visit to Maui to ensure you have a perfect vacation.
Disclosure: In order to keep providing you with free content, this post likely contains affiliate links. If you make a booking or purchase through one of these links we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. So a HUGE thank you to you if you click one of these links 🙂
🚒 Impact of Fires on Planning a Trip to Maui
⚠️ Aug 27 Update: The entire West Maui region is closed to tourists. This includes the following areas: Lahaina, Ka’anapali, Kapalua, and Napili.
These closures are expected to remain in place through October 2023.
The rest of Maui is open and the Hawaii Tourism Authority is urging travelers to visit to help support the local economy.
On August 8, 2023, high winds sent several wildfires raging across several regions of Maui.
Most of the island was able to recover quickly, but the West Maui region was severely impacted with the historic tourist town of Lahaina tragically reduced to rubble.
The Hawaii Tourism Authority urges visitors to continue to vacation in Maui to help support the local economy and recovery efforts, but to avoid the West Maui region entirely and to be mindful of the hardship that locals are enduring.
🏝 Planning a Trip to Maui Overview
Below is a quick summary overview detailing the most important considerations and things to know when planning a trip to Maui.
Maui Overview
Best Hawaiian Island for:
Travelers who want a little bit of everything such as romance and luxury, but also family-friendly options, as well as fantastic nature, hiking, incredible famous and secret beaches, and so much more.
☀️ How to Plan a Trip to Maui: Step by Step
- Step 1: Review Hawaii travel restrictions
- Step 2: Book your flights to and from Maui
- Step 3: Book any inter-island flights or ferries
- Step 4: Find the best place to stay for your trip and budget
- Step 5: Create your perfect Maui Itinerary
- Step 6: Book tours and activities early
- Step 7: Establish how to get around (car rental, tours, etc)
- Step 8: Pack your bags!
✈️ Step 1: Hawaii Travel Restrictions in 2023
Domestic Travel to Hawaii
There are no current domestic restrictions for domestic flights to Hawaii. Additionally, the REAL ID enforcement date has been pushed back to May 7, 2025 due to the recent pandemic.
International Travel to Hawaii
For those traveling from international destinations with direct flights to Hawaii, you will only need to follow federal requirements for international visitors to the USA. There are no additional State of Hawai‘i requirements.
As of May 12, 2023, visitors to the U.S. no longer need to show proof of a negative test or proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
You will need to ensure you either have a valid ESTA or visa for entry.
🛫 Step 2: Book Flights To / From Maui
The most important rule of planning a trip to Hawaii is this: always book non-stop flights for arrival, if possible.
Obviously, not every airport provides direct flights to Maui. That said, finding one is important if available as it substantially reduces the risk of having your Hawaiian vacation derailed.
All too often, your first flight is delayed causing you to miss a connecting flight and thus being stuck somewhere between home and Maui. Or worse, the connecting flight is canceled altogether!
Return flights are typically less catastrophic when something goes wrong as it will not derail an entire week’s worth of reservations and bookings. Of course, it is still worth weighing the risk of being delayed on your return to determine whether or not to prioritize a non-stop flight home as well.
The next priority and the trick to finding the best flights to Maui is flexibility. The less restrictions you have on the date of arrival and departure, the easier it is to find affordable direct flights.
Bearing all this in mind, the best tool available for booking airfare is SkyScanner. This allows flexible searches which makes it easy to find the best, cheapest dates to fly. You can search for the cheapest flights from home to Maui by date, month, or even by year!
Once you have your flights to and from Maui booked, you should look to book inter-island travel if you plan on doing any island hopping.
🛬 Step 3: Arrange Inter-Island Flights
If Maui is the only Hawaiian Island you will be visiting, you can skip this section. However, it is worth noting that the small and lesser-visited sister islands of Lanai and Molokai can be included as a day trip in most Maui itineraries, even if you do not intend on staying overnight!
Molokai, also known as “The Friendly Isle” and more grimly as “The Leper Colony”, is a beautiful sister island that can be seen from much of Maui. The only way to get to and from Molokai from Maui is with a 20-minute scenic flight serviced by Mokulele Airlines.
Lanai is the other sister island visible off the west coast of Maui from pretty much anywhere on the island. This is the only island you can get to by ferry as of 2022. Like Molokai, you can also visit Lanai via a small plane flight from the airport through Mokulele.
If you plan on doing any island hopping during your visit, booking your flights or ferries should be the first thing you do after arranging transport to and from Maui.
✈️ READ THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO
HAWAII ISLAND HOPPING
🏨 Step 4: Book Accommodation in Maui
🏠 RECOMMENDED COMPLETE GUIDE:
WHERE TO STAY ON MAUI: BEST AREAS, HOTELS, AND RESORTS
Deciding where to stay is one of the most important parts of planning a trip to Maui! Accordingly, you may want to spend a little extra time getting to know the regions and best areas to stay prior to booking.
For those readers that just want the short version, here are a few useful things to know that will help you decide which is the best area for you.
- Maui is very small. The entire drive from the two most distant towns (Kapalua Bay to Hana) is only a 2 hour 45 minute (81 miles) drive.
- The least rain and most sunshine is in South Maui. For this reason, and the incredible beaches nearby, Kihei and Wailea are the most popular areas to stay.
- ‘Lahaina and Ka’anapali in West Maui are the next most popular areas and, prior to the summer 2023 wildfires, were two of the best towns in Maui. While Lahaina has been destroyed, Ka’anapali remains intact and has a large collection of resorts.
- East Maui is the rainy side of the island and the North Shore is the windy side.
- For 5+ day visits, consider splitting your time between two regions to experience more of Maui and reduce drive times in your Maui itinerary.
💕 Planning a trip to Maui for your honeymoon? Consult our
COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE BEST MAUI HONEYMOON HOTELS
The majority of the hotels in Maui can be found in West Maui and South Maui. Ka’anapali in West Maui is the best for those who do not want to leave their resorts and have everything they need for a Hawaiian vacation in one place.
For everyone else, especially those looking to explore at least a little bit, Kihei in South Maui should be where you look for accommodation. It is centrally located with beautiful beaches and the bustling town of Kihei offers a wealth of spectacular beach resorts.
For those who want to drive the Road to Hana and/or get off the beaten path, Hana is a lovely town on the rainy side of Maui that most visitors will only ever see as a stopover town.
🌴 Step 5: Plan your Maui Itinerary
THE PERFECT MAUI ITINERARY
The most important thing you can do to ensure an amazing vacation in Maui is to spend a little time creating your ideal itinerary.
Only you know your ideal pace and the types of tours and activities that appeal to you. Eight hours by a pool would be boring for some, but relaxing for others.
Crafting your itinerary involves more research and thoughtfulness than we can pack into this guide.
For help with the most critical details of planning a trip to Maui such as finding out the best places to stay and the best things to do, consult the complete guide below:
THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CREATING
THE PERFECT MAUI ITINERARY
⛵️ Step 6: Arrange Tours & Activities
Once you have your flights booked and have created your ideal itinerary, you will want to begin booking the tours and activities that require them.
Be forewarned that the most popular activities tend to sell out weeks or even months in advance! This means that if there are certain tours or activities you are intent on including, such as Maui’s best luau or a Molokini Crater snorkel adventure, you will want to book it immediately.
Additionally, some popular beaches and areas require permits! The most important to get a jump on if you wish to visit are Haleakala sunrise visits and Waianapanapa State Park, home to the famous Maui Black Sand Beach.
While you are once again encouraged to consult our 5-7 Day Maui Itinerary for specific recommendations, the tours, destinations, and activities below are the most popular things to do in Maui and should be booked as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
- Molokini Crater Snorkel Tour
- Haleakala Sunrise Tours
- A Hawaiian Luau (we highly recommend the Feast at Mokapu)
- Sunset Dinner Cruises
- Whale Watching Tours
- Ferry to Lanai
- Road to Hana Tours
- Waianapanapa State Park Permits
🚗 Step 7: Transportation & Rental Cars
Renting a car is by far the best way to get around Maui. This guarantees you the ultimate freedom to explore and is surprisingly affordable. Also, Maui is perhaps the easiest Hawaiian island to explore by car as there are nearly no roads that require 4WD. You can compare car rentals here.
As you will need transport and accommodation anyway, the more adventurous readers may want to consider renting a campervan. While we typically recommend this option to anyone who is planning a trip to Maui for exploration over relaxation, this may not be the island to attempt it as laws and enforcement have become very strict regarding overnight camping.
If you are not comfortable driving on Maui, your options will be limited to tours, rideshare apps (Uber / Lyft), and public transportation. Be warned that the public transportation option is available but will require careful scheduling; this is not recommended with such precious little time for your vacation!
🧳 Step 8: Pack Your Bags
You’ve done it! The flights are booked, the schedule is made, and you are ready for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Maui! All that’s left is to pack your bags!
If you do not get to travel often, or even if you do, having a printable checklist that includes all the essentials can help relieve the stress and nagging feeling of what you may have forgotten.
Beyond that, there are going to be some things beyond the basics that you’ll want to pack that you maybe didn’t even know existed. These are items like reef-safe sunscreen, sand-repellent towels, and reusable grocery bags as Hawaii has banned plastic bags.
For a PRINTABLE CHECKLIST and COMPLETE guide to packing for Maui, consult our
ULTIMATE HAWAII PACKING LIST
🌺 Top 10 Maui Travel Tips
- First book flights, then accommodation, then tours, in that order. These will be your biggest costs and each item determines the date range for the next.
- Bring your own snorkel and mask. Daily rentals often cost more than buying new equipment!
- Pack beach shoes! Lava rock, as well as thorns from kiawe trees, are common on Maui beaches and painful.
- Get your permit or book a tour way in advance and bring warm layers for the two most popular tours: Haleakala sunrise and Molokini Crater.
- Buy an underwater camera. You are guaranteed to swim with a few turtles if you know the right secret beaches on Maui to find them!
- Beat the crowds on the famous Road to Hana scenic drive by staying overnight in Hana.
- Bring only reef-safe sunscreen. All other sunscreens are illegal in Hawaii.
- Take advantage of the close proximity of Maui to the lesser-traveled sister islands of Lanai and Molokai by arranging some day trips. Flights and ferries are very affordable.
- Wailea in South Maui has the most reliably sunny weather on the island.
- Do not miss the secret Red Sand Beach; one of the few of its kind in the world!
🤙🏾 Hawaiian Words, Customs & Culture to Observe
There are a few customs that are helpful to understand. All too many tourists forget that while this is a vacation destination to them, it is home to the locals. As such, it is important to treat people on the island as if you are guests in their home.
Beyond typical manners, here are a few Hawaiian customs to note:
- Tipping: Locals survive on tourism! In the US, 18-20% has become standard, 15% minimum.
- Aloha: This word means a lot in Hawaiian, including both “hello” and “goodbye”, but also “love” and “peace”.
- Mahalo: The Hawaiian word for “thank you”.
- Island Time: The Hawaiian culture is a “lei-d” back culture (pun alert!) Expect a slower pace and less concern with punctuality on Hawaii than on the mainland.
- Attire: Outside of a few luxury clubs or restaurants, casual attire is the expectation. Flip-flops (known as slippers in Hawaii) can be worn to any restaurant or outing.
- Shaka: The “shaka” is the hand signal using the thumb and pinky with a side to side motion that is often translated to “hang loose” on the mainland. In actuality, it is closer to “aloha” and/or “mahalo” in Hawaii. It can be hello, goodbye, thank you, or anything really with positive intention. Think of it a bit like a polite wave or a thumbs up.
📆 When to Visit Maui
There is no bad time to visit Maui or any of the Hawaiian islands. However, certain months offer certain advantages or disadvantages, such as a higher likelihood of rain and clouds or less availability due to crowds.
The rainy season in Maui is from November-March. The West Maui Mountains and Haleakala create their own weather systems, so the best place to stay during these months will be in South Maui near Wailea. However, the winter months also bring migrating humpback whales which are truly incredible to witness off the shores of Maui.
The best months to visit Maui are April, early-May, September, and early-October. This is during the dry season but avoids peak tourist season.
🌴 More Maui Travel Guides
The two of us work very hard to create these free travel guides to help you plan your dream vacation. If you think we’ve done a good job and would like to say thanks, please consider clicking the donate button below 🙂
If you found this guide useful in planning your visit to Maui, you will want to browse some of our other guides to the island as well:
- HAWAII PACKING LIST: A printable essential packing list + 25 useful items to consider
- 5-7 DAY MAUI ITINERARY: How to see the entire island in one week or less
- WHERE TO STAY ON MAUI: The best places and areas to stay on the island
- PLANNING A TRIP TO MAUI: Step by step guide for planning your first visit to Maui
- ROAD TO HANA STOPS: The Top 25 places to visit on the Road to Hana
- ROAD TO HANA ITINERARY: How to plan for a 1-2 day self drive.
- BEST MAUI PHOTO SPOTS: 15 best places for photographing Maui
- SECRET BEACHES OF MAUI: The 10 most incredible hidden beaches on the island
- MAUI SUNSETS: The Top 10 places & activities for watching sunset in Maui
- KIHEI BEACHES GUIDE: Photos, locations, and descriptions for all 15 beaches in Kihei
- BEST SNORKELING IN MAUI: Best snorkel spots, tips, tours and more.
🌄 More Hawaii Travel Guides
- Printable Hawaii Packing List
- Planning a Trip to Hawaii: The Ultimate Guide
- Hawaii Island Hopping Guide: How to See Every Island
- Best Things to Do on Hawaii: The ULTIMATE Hawaii Bucket List
- Hawaii Beach Hopping Guide
- Top 25 Places to Visit in Hawaii
- Best Beaches of Hawaii: Top 5 on Each Island
- 7-Day Hawaii Itinerary
- 10-Day Hawaii Itinerary
- 14-Day Hawaii Itinerary
- Hawaii Photography Guide
The two of us work very hard to create these free travel guides to help you plan your dream vacation. If you think we’ve done a good job and would like to say thanks, please consider clicking the donate button below 🙂
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