Road To Hana: Guide To Having An Epic Driving Tour

Here at Shaka Guide, we like to think of ourselves as your local Road To Hana guide. And we love sharing our knowledge--and love--of this region with visitors! We know driving the road can be intimidating for first-timers, but don't let that stop you.

When we talk about the Road to Hana, we mean the scenic stretch of Hana Highway that begins as you approach Pa'ia Town from Kahului, all the way to the turnaround-point at Kipahulu inside Haleakala National Park.

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Driving & Directions

Our Classic Road to Hana Tour begins in Kahului and ends in Pa'ia Town. When you're using Shaka Guide as your Road to Hana Guide, directions and stories play automatically using your GPS location. No need to worry about directions at all!

Shaka Guide Tour Road to Hana Maui nlang06 / Pixabay

Drive Time

It’s over 2.5 hours of straight driving from Kahului where the tour begins to the turnaround-point at Kipahulu. That makes over 5 hours of total drive time. On top of that, you need to add the drive time from your hotel to Kahului. To help you plan, here are approximate one-way drive times to Kahului where the tour gets started:

20 minutes from Kihei
40 minutes from Lahaina and Ka'anapali

Depending on which route you take, the total drive times will vary. In general, plan to spend about 10-12 hours total with stops.

Road Conditions

For the most part, the road conditions on Hana Highway are pretty good. Most of the highway is well-paved and well-maintained. Safety guardrails are in place wherever there is a concern for going off the road. However, the federal highway ends outside of Hana Town towards Kipahulu. After that, the road is not as well-maintained. In addition, the stretch of highway just before you reach Kipahulu in the Haleakala National Park goes from a two-lane road to a one-lane road. You do not need a four-wheel drive to get to Kipahulu in the national park, but just know that past Kipahulu, the road conditions really start to deteriorate.

Note: (Updated 7/26/24) Traveling past Kipahulu is not recommended at this time.

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Narrow & Windy Roads

With more than 600 curves, the Road to Hana can be a real challenge to navigate, so you're going to have to be extra alert! Not only are there hundreds of hairpin turns, but the road also gets very narrow at points. Sometimes only one car can pass. The car going the opposite direction will need to pull off to the side of the road as much as possible to make room for the other car to pass. Surprisingly though, there haven't been many accidents on the Road to Hana over the years. Probably because most people come knowing to be extra careful.

Warning about bottom-outs: As mentioned before, on the stretch of Road to Hana where there’s only a one-lane road, you might need to pull off to the side of the road to yield the other car. On rare occasions, people have bottomed-out their cars by accidentally driving into holes in the grass. Look carefully and avoid this. But if this misfortune does happen to you, find rocks and tree branches to stick under the stuck tire. This will provide traction for the tire and allow you to steer the car carefully out of the hole.
Shaka Guide Tour Road to Hana Maui Road to Hana; Abbs Johnson / Unsplash

Crossing One-lane Bridges

You’ll have to cross many many one-lane bridges.

Roll down your window to wave at the other car if you want to let them go first. And when people yield at you, give them a shaka. That’s the way we say thanks here in Hawai'i. Also, be sure to let locals pass. Remember, residents must drive this one-lane highway daily.

For more on Road to Hana driving etiquette click here.

Restrooms

What happens when nature calls? Don't worry. There are restrooms spread out on the Highway about every 30 minutes. Here is a short list of restroom stops:

Kaumahina State Park
Pua’a Ka’a State Wayside Park
Ke'anae Peninsula Park
Nahiku Marketplace (porta-potties)
Wai'anapanapa State Park
Hana Bay
Kipahulu Visitor Center at Haleakala National Park

Gas Station

There is a gas station is at Pa'ia Town. The next station is 50 miles away in Hana Town.

Advice: Make sure your car is filled up before the drive.

Bring Cash

Cash is king! Although there are several places to buy food, drinks, and gas on the Road to Hana, some places only take cash. Especially the smaller fruit and snack stands you'll find scattered along the drive. And, trust us, they're really hard to resist!

Do You Need A Road To Hana Guide Or Not?

Well, ultimately it's up to you. We sure are partial to the Shaka Guide Road to Hana tours. But, if you don't want to take our word for it, cruise on over the app store and check out the thousands of 5-star reviews. You might not need a Road to Hana guide in the physical sense, but having our app will help you learn more about the spots you're visiting and give you useful safety tips, tell you where to stop, and give you instructions for how to plan your day.