Maui Road to Hana: Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.66 (258 reviews) 83% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/15

Duration12h–13h

GroupPrivate

Audio guideEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Drive Maui's Road to Hana on Your Own Schedule, With Stories Playing as You Go

You download the tour to your phone, start driving from Kahului whenever you want, and listen to narration and stories as you navigate 64 miles of curves, waterfalls, and beaches at your own pace. The app includes offline GPS, 60+ stops from Twin Falls to O'he'o Gulch, restaurant and activity tips, and a return route with minimal stops so you can focus on the drive home. Book Waiʻanapanapa State Park in advance and bring cash for local vendors.

12h–13h

Step-by-step itinerary

Drive and explore Road to Hana

Listen to Hana legends and history
Fill gas and explore Paia town
Visit Ho'okipa Beach for sunset
See Twin Falls waterfalls and pools
Hike Waikamoi Ridge Trail
Explore Garden of Eden Arboretum
View Puohokomoa Falls waterfall
Picnic at Kaumahina State Wayside
Stop at Honomanu Bay
View cliffs and surf at Nua’ailua Bay
Visit Ke’anae Arboretum and rainbow eucalyptus
Buy banana bread at Aunty Sandy’s
Overlook Ke’anae Peninsula
Shop local fruits at halfway point
Enjoy Wailua Valley State Wayside views
See Waikani Falls ("Three Bears Falls")
Stop at Makapipi Falls
Relax at Nahiku viewpoint
Eat at Nahiku Marketplace
Visit Kahanu Garden botanical garden
Explore lava cave adventure
Visit Waiʻanapanapa Black Sand Beach
Relax at Hana Beach Park
Discover Red Sand Beach cove
Stock up food before return
Visit Koki Beach red sand
Relax at Hamoa Beach
View Wailua Falls from road
Hike Haleakalā National Park waterfall trail
Visit Ohe'o Gulch Seven Sacred Pools
Swim and cliff jump at Waioka Pond
Return to Paia Town for dinner

The Experience

You turn onto the Hana Highway from Kahului and the road starts winding almost immediately. The audio kicks in, telling you what's coming before you see it — the first waterfall, the best pullout, where the locals eat. The Road to Hana is 64 miles of curves and one-lane bridges, and without a plan it's easy to miss half of it or waste time at the wrong stops. This self-guided audio tour runs on your phone with offline GPS, so you're not hunting for signal while navigating. You download it before you arrive, start whenever you want, and pause whenever something catches your eye — a black sand beach, a swimming hole, a view that stops you cold.

The tour covers over 60 stops, starting at Twin Falls (where there's a $10 parking fee) and pushing all the way to O'he'o Gulch, also called the Seven Sacred Pools, near Haleakalā National Park. In between you'll pass Waiʻanapanapa State Park with its dramatic black sand, the Ke'anae Arboretum with its rainbow eucalyptus trees, and a string of waterfalls — Wailua Falls at 80 feet, Waikani Falls, Puohokomoa Falls — each one narrated so you know what you're looking at and why it matters. The audio tells you the history, the Hawaiian names, the stories locals know. You stop for Aunty Sandy's banana bread in Ke'anae, grab fruit at the halfway point, eat at Nahiku Marketplace. The return trip from Hana back to Paia takes about three hours, mostly audio and music so you can focus on the road if it's getting dark.

What makes this different from a bus tour is the freedom. You're not locked into a schedule or a group. If Twin Falls is crowded, you skip it and come back. If you want to spend two hours swimming in a pool instead of thirty minutes, you do. If you get hungry at mile marker 20, you eat. The app has turn-by-turn directions, so you're not reading a map or second-guessing which fork to take. Hours of narration play automatically as you drive, but you can pause it anytime. One thing to know: Waiʻanapanapa State Park (the black sand beach) requires a reservation made up to 30 days ahead — same-day bookings aren't allowed. And a few attractions like the Hana Lava Tube and Garden of Eden close at 3 or 4 pm, so timing matters if you want to see everything. The app tells you all of this upfront.

You'll need a smartphone with the Shaka Guide app downloaded before you arrive, and strong Wi-Fi or cellular data to pull the tour down. Once it's on your phone, you don't need signal again — the GPS works offline. Location services have to stay on. If you're staying in Lahaina or Ka'anapali on West Maui, budget 45 minutes to drive to Kahului where the tour starts. Bring cash; some stops are cash-only. And stick to the itinerary the tour lays out — there are spots along the road that look inviting but are on private property or unsafe, and the guide keeps you out of trouble.

What’s included

Your day includes the Shaka Guide app with offline GPS navigation, 60+ stops with turn-by-turn directions, hours of audio narration covering history and culture, activity and restaurant recommendations, lifetime access to the tour, and the flexibility to start anytime and explore at your own pace. You're responsible for your rental car, parking fees (Twin Falls is $10), entrance fees at attractions like the Hana Lava Tube and Kahanu Garden, meals and snacks, and advance reservations for Waiʻanapanapa State Park.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelPets welcome

Operated by Shaka Guide Apps

Is this one for you?Right for travelers who want to see the Road to Hana's main sights without joining a bus tour or hiring a guide — the self-guided format means you set the pace, choose which stops matter to you, and aren't locked into someone else's schedule or group.