The Perfect 5 Day Maui Itinerary: Jungle, Volcano & Beaches

I feel very privileged to have married into a family that frequently vacations on Maui, so I’ve visited this beautiful island a handful of times. Most recently, I brought my mom along on her first trip to the island. Since we only had 5 days in Maui, I carefully planned our itinerary to pack in all the must-see spots and leave plenty of room for beach time and snorkeling in between!

Our itinerary included a day driving the lush Road to Hāna with all my favorite waterfalls, viewpoints, and local spots along the way. We also drove up to the summit of the Haleakalā volcano, swam in the river beneath ʻĪao Valley’s towering mountains, and snorkeled with dozens of sea turtles and tropical fish!

In this article I’m sharing my 5 day Maui itinerary, which includes all these highlights and more! It’s perfect for active, adventurers travelers who want to get the most out of a short trip—and support local businesses along the way. 🤙🏼

Where to Stay in Maui

Kihei is my favorite area to stay in Maui! It’s a well-developed yet relaxed town along the southwest shore with some of the island’s best swimmable golden-sand beaches! Kihei is just north of Wailea, which is home to a variety of resorts, but I personally prefer staying in a locally-owned rental in walkable Kihei.

Alternatively, you can stay in Kaanapali, which is just north of Lahania town. As of 2025, Lahania is still recovering from the devastating wildfires of 2023, so support of local businesses here (and everywhere else on the island) is much appreciated!

I use Booking.com to compare both hotels and vacation rentals—I prefer it over Airbnb since there are still so many illegally operated Airbnbs in Hawaii. Although there aren’t many truly locally-owned hotels in Hawaii, I highly recommend trying to support local businesses as much as possible.

Local & Small Business Accommodations on Maui:

• ☀️ Kohea Kai Hotel, Kihei
• 🌊 Maui Seaside Hotel, Kahului
• 🌺 Locally-Owned Condos (*not all condos are locally-owned)

The Best 5 Day Maui Itinerary for First Timers

This itinerary is designed for visitors who have a rental car, but I include suggestions for local guided tours with transportation if you don’t have a car. We had an excellent experience renting with locally-owned Makoa Car Rental!

And it’s written from the perspective of someone staying in Kihei (or nearby Wailea), but you can easily adapt this itinerary if you’re staying on another part of the island!

🗺️ All of the spots mentioned in this article (and many more!) are pinned in my free Maui map. 📍

Day 1: ʻĪao Valley & Sunset Cruise OR Whale Watching

Start off your first day in Maui by getting your bearings in the area you’re staying! Walk to the beach, and grab a coffee and breakfast from a local spot.

In Kihei, I frequent Hawaiian Moons Natural Foods, a small local health food store with great coffee, smoothies, and delicious breakfast to-go for a good price. Pick up some road trip snacks as we’ll be on-the-go a lot throughout the week!

ʻĪao Valley & Kepaniwai Park

In the morning or early afternoon (your choice), head to one of my favorite places on Maui, ʻĪao Valley! If you’re not a Hawai’i resident, you need to make a reservation with Hawai’i State Parks (but reservations are very easy to secure even last-minute!)

The dramatic ridged mountains that surround this valley remind me of the stunning Nā Pali Coast on Kauai, Waipi’o Valley on the Big Island, and the mountains of O’ahu — so, if you love those landscapes, don’t miss ʻĪao Valley!

ʻĪao Valley is also home to Kuka‘emoku, a striking 2,250-foot tall foliage-covered peak that was traditionally thought of as the phallic stone of the ocean god, Kanaloa…. today it’s often referred to as the ʻĪao Needle.

Besides walking along the short paths that lead to the Kuka‘emoku viewpoint and a small taro field, you’ll also want to reserve some time to swim in the ʻĪao stream (if conditions are safe!)

Some visitors don’t like Iao Valley becuase there really isn’t much to do… but in my opinion, it’s the most beautiful place on Maui, so I highly recommend it—just know there is only a small area to explore!

On your way back from ʻĪao Valley, stop at Kepaniwai Park, which is just 10 minutes down the road!

This small park along the Wailuku Stream honors the many immigrant communities that call Hawai’i home, with a tranquil Japanese garden, Chinese pagoda, and Portuguese gardens, along with a traditional Hawaiian hale.

This is also a favorite park for local family cookouts with several covered picnic areas and places to swim in the stream.

Sunset Cruise OR Whale Watching

End your first day in Maui enjoying dinner, cocktails, and a hula show on a sunset cruise!

This local family-owned sunset cruise departs from Maalaea Harbor, which is located between Kihei and Lahania. It’s only 20 minutes away from ʻĪao Valley if you’d like to head straight there!

Day 2: Road to Hāna

Driving the winding Road to Hāna is one of the most popular things to do on Maui, and for good reason! The scenic drive passes dozens of waterfalls, scenic viewpoints, black sand beaches, red sand beaches, and plenty of hidden gems.

Resources for planning your drive along the Road To Hana:

• My full article on the Road to Hana, it includes my ideal one-day Hana itinerary after doing it several times! My honest thoughts on which stops to skip and which ones to visit!
• My free Maui Google Map with all my favorite Road to Hana stops pinned for access on-the-go
• Shaka Guides audio tour of the Road to Hana (we always use this!) It aligns with the GPS on your phone with engaging stories

Whatever you do, be sure to start as early as you can and budget plenty of time for all the stops along the way! Don’t feel the need to stop everywhere, and give yourself enough time to drive back before it gets dark.

🚁 Don’t want to drive on the winding Road to Hana? Check out this luxury limo Road to Hana tour with a HELICOPTER ride back!!

Optional: Dinner in Paia

Charming little Paia town is the first real town after the Road to Hana, and it’s where we stop for dinner after our long day of Hana adventures!

On my most recent Maui trip we ate at Wabisabi Soba & Sushi here, which is an absolutely stunning open-air traditional Japanese restaurant. We loved it!! Paia is also home to Mama’s Fish House, which many people consider the best restaurant on the island—but you need advance reservations to dine here!

Day 3: Molokini Crater & Kamaole Beaches

Molokini Crater Snorkeling

On our third day in Maui, we’re finally getting to one of my favorite things to do in Hawai’i: snorkeling! In my experience, Maui has some of the best snorkeling in all of Hawai’i, and the best place to do it is at the crescent-shaped Molokini Crater!

Yes, there are plenty of other excellent places to snorkel on Maui right along the shore, but I highly recommend adding a snorkeling boat tour of Molokini to your itinerary. The massive crater is a coral shelf with an array of marine species, and the shape of the crater protects it from the waves, so Molokini usually has excellent visibility even when snorkeling conditions on Maui are poor!

For best snorkel conditions, book the earliest tour (usually 7am). I recommend the highly-rated 2-hour snorkel tour with locally-owned Redline Rafting. It leaves from the Kihei boat launch (a 5-minute walk from where I usually stay on Maui) and the boat ride out to the crater only takes 15 minutes!

Lunch at South Maui Gardens Food Trucks

For lunch, head to South Maui Gardens in Kihei. This expansive plant nursery is home to at least a dozen food trucks with everything from Thai and burgers to acai bowls and bentos.

Beach Relaxing & Snorkeling at Kamaole III

Spend the rest of your day enjoying Kihei’s golden sand beaches! After all, we’re on Maui, which has the best sandy beaches in Hawai’i (in my opinion).

My favorite beaches in Kihei are the Kamaole I, II, and III beaches, they’re all expansive golden sand beaches with plenty of space to set up a spot and great snorkeling.

If you’re trying to choose between the three beaches, my top choice is Kamaole III, which is the furthest south and borders the Eddie Pu Birding Trail and ‘Turtle Town‘.

If you spend any time here, you’ll notice snorkeling boats anchor just southwest of the beach to snorkel with turtles… and with your own snorkel gear, you can do this for free! Just remember to stay at least 10 feet away from sea turtles both on land and in the ocean.

Gus’ Hawaiian Shave Ice

For a sweet treat, walk up the road from Kamaole Beach II to Gus’ Hawaiian Shave Ice, where you can order shave ice out of a baby blue VW bus! They also serve coconut ice cream and shave fruit, which is frozen fruit shaved—it is soooo good!

Day 4: Volcano Day

On our fourth day in Maui, we’re exploring Haleakalā, which means ‘House of the Sun’ in Hawaiian. This dormant volcano is believed to be about a million years old, and according to Hawaiian legend, its where the demigod Maui lassoed the sun.

The 30,000 acre Haleakalā National Park covers the summit and slopes of the volcano and is home to a variety of endemic plant and animal species that aren’t found anywhere else on earth!

I have a full article on how to spend a day exploring Haleakalā, but here’s a quick overview:

• Stop for coffee, fresh fruit, and other goodies in the Upcountry towns on your way up to the national park
• Begin your Haleakalā adventures with a short hike at the Hosmer Grove Trail. It’s a birding trail and even if you’re not much of a birdwatcher, I highly recommend it! Trek quietly and lookout for the many endemic birds here!
• Drive up to the volcano summit and see the alien-like ʻĀhinahina (Haleakalā silversword), a silvery blue spiky plant that only grows here! On a clear day you can see the other Hawaiian islands from here, too, and on a cloudy day, it feels like you’re walking on clouds.
• Optionally, hike the Keoneheʻeheʻe (Sliding Sands) Trail, which leads you along the summit’s harsh Mars-like landscapes. The trail is 11-miles roundtrip, but you can shorten it!
• Check out the Haleakalā Visitor’s Center for more information about the volcano’s geological, ecological, and cultural significance
• Watch out for the endangered Nēnē (Hawaiian goose)

Many people will tell you that you have to visit Haleakalā at sunrise or sunset… and sure, it’s beautiful to watch the sun rise or set from up here, but visiting during the daytime is still absolutely worth it! The park is technically open 24/7, and I’ve never experienced any sort of traffic here, so visit at the time that feels best to you!

Haleakalā is a part of the national parks system, so you can visit with an America The Beautiful Pass ($80 annually), or pay a one-time $30 fee per vehicle. You don’t need to make a reservations in advance, unless you intend to visit between 3am-7am (for sunrise).

Day 5: ‘Āhihi-Kīna‘u Snorkeling & Mākena Beach

For our last day in Maui we’re snorkeling and relaxing on the beach again! If you’ve had enough beach time and snorkeling (is that even possible??), you can swap out today’s adventures for something else (suggestions below!)

Snorkeling & Volcanic Landscapes at ‘Āhihi-Kīna‘u Natural Reserve

Drive 20 minutes south of Kihei to ‘Āhihi-Kīna‘u, a natural reserve area with striking lava fields and some of the island’s best snorkeling!

The lava fields here are from Haleakalā’s most recent eruption 200-500 years ago. And the coral reef here is the only recorded reef within the local Natural Area Reserves that isn’t declining—in other words, its the healthiest reef that has been studied around here!

Although this spot is still a bit of a hidden gem, given how close it is to Kihei, you want to arrive early-ish (before 10am) to easily find parking and enjoy the clearest snorkeling conditions.

Parking costs $5. After we paid we were greeted by an enthusiastic volunteer who told us all about the reserve and shared some snorkeling tips for this specific reef!

The snorkeling area is about a 7-minute walk from the parking lot. Expect to navigate sharp lava rock to get into the water, but its so worth it—we saw such a variety of tropical fish and vibrant coral here! As always, keep your distance from marine wildlife and only use reef-safe (mineral) sunscreen.

Mākena Beach

Nicknamed Big Beach, Mākena Beach at Mākena State Park is literally one of the biggest beaches on Maui, with a 1.5 mile stretch of golden sand. It’s only a few minutes down the road from ‘Āhihi-Kīna‘u, so it’s worth stopping here on your way back.

This gorgeous beach is our second favorite beach on Maui after Kamaole III, but depending on the time of year and ocean conditions, swimming here can be dangerous! That said, on a calm winter day, it can sometimes be a lovely place to snorkel if you’re a strong swimmer. Either way, be careful and always follow ocean safety guidelines.

Spend the rest of your day here or at another beach in Kihei before going back to your hotel to pack up before heading home!

More Things to do in Maui:

If you have more time in beautiful Maui 💕

• 🐋 Whale Watching (December-April): Each winter, 12,000+ humpback whales migrate all the way from Alaska to Maui’s warm waters. If you’re visiting in the winter, a whale watching tour is a MUST! Tours cost $50–100 and are worth every penny! Locally owned tour rec.
• 🥾 Waihe’e Ridge Trail: One of the most beautiful hikes in Maui! The 4.2 mile trail leads you along a ridge with panoramic views of the ocean and lush Mauna Kahalawai.
• 🚁 Helicopter Tour over Maui and Molokai: This doors-off helicopter ride worth the splurge (especially for a special occasion) to see the island’s razor sharp ridge lines, hidden waterfalls, and rugged coastlines from the air. Helicopter tour recommendation.
• 🌿 Road to Hana Ziplining: Soar through the rainforest canopy in beautiful Haiku town on the Road to Hana! Reserve your spot.
• 🚢 Lānaʻi Day Trip: Take the ferry or join a fun snorkel tour to check another Hawaiian island off your bucket list!
• 🏄🏽‍♀️ Surfing: Learn to ride the waves in Kihei or Kaanapali Beach! Or go check out pro surfers at Pe’ahi (Jaws), Honolua Bay, and Ho’okipa.
• 🚘 West Side Coastal Drive: A wild, winding drive with coastal views, lesser-known snorkel spots, and the bumpiest road on the island 😜

More Hawaii Travel Guides

• The Perfect 1 Day Road to Hana Itinerary (& What to Skip)
• How to Spend One Day at Haleakalā, Maui’s Volcano
• Hawai’i Big Island Travel Guide (For First-Time Visitors)
• 21 Kauai Hidden Gems for Exploring Off the Beaten Path
• 4 Day Oahu Itinerary Full of Sunshine, Aloha, and Adventure

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