Hana In A Day Itinerary

Aloha friends! Here is an awesome Hana itinerary I edited a bit, contributed by my friend, Kara Bernal. Enjoy! 

Hana!

So a lot of people start out their journey by seeing so much in the first 11 miles that they are rushed at the end for all the best stuff. If you can spend a night or two, that would be he best, but this itinerary is for people who only have a day to spend in Hana.

Maui Revealed: Buy this book.  You can get it as Costco, on Amazon or any bookstore on Maui.

Twin falls is one that people get hung up on, but really it's packed and there are better falls for sure! Anyways, it is really easy to lose time and I'm going to highlight the best of the best and time spent at each. I recommend leaving no later than 8am, although the earlier the better to beat crowds.

The first 11 miles (you will see an 11 mile marker), don't stop too much. You will see pretty rainbow eucalyptus trees on the side of the road past the bamboo forest, but really, I advise you to just keep driving. There are a few scenic lookouts that are cool but don't stop for more than 10 minutes, maybe 3 times.

1st stop:

Stop here for sure! Coconut Glenn's ice cream. It's hand made fresh ice cream using only ingredients from Glenn's farm and out of a coconut shell. A must try!

2nd stop: Wainapanapa black sand beach and caves about 45 miles and right before you hit Hana town. Spend no more than 45 minutes checking out the caves and reading the legends. Go to the black sand beach for a look and on the right there is a cool cave you can walk through. If you have more than a day in Hana, go for a hike along the bluffs. It's gorgeous. 

3rd stop: Now you are in Hana town. Red sand beach. You can probably Google it for better directions, but a must see. Spend an hour here and swim here too. The walk around is only about a 20 minute walk and the most stunning views. Sometimes there are a few nudes.

So, did I mention you will not have cell phone service till you get to Hana? So you may want to make sure to have all this saved and you can follow. Also, the Road to Hana CD is quite amazing and $20, but worth it because you will hear all the history.

4th stop: 7 sacred pools state park, $10 charge to get in and park (no parking anywhere around the area). 2 choices and depends on your mood. 1 is that is the water is calm you can hang out by the pools. Or, my best suggestion would be to do the hike. It is a nice hike where you will get to hike through a bamboo forest, see a big banyan tree, and end at one of the largest waterfalls, 500ft high I believe it is. Ask the guard when you enter where the foot of the hike starts. The name of the hike is called Waimoku Falls. AMAZING! Time spent here is 2 hours.

5th stop: Charles Linbergs grave site. Pretty views and a piece of history. It is quite a few miles past the seven sacred pools, and you may have to google for location on that one too. Or ask guard at 7 pools. Right about here is where you are about to make a turn for home and it will probably be 4pm by now! Phew! But it's okay! The rest of the drive is a little quicker from here and I definitely recommend you drive home the back side (as we call it) rather than turning around. You will be now approaching the south side of the island.  So much more desert like instead of green forest from here on out. Roads are smoother after a few bumps and it's a nice drive. If you leave the grave site by no later than 5, the best is to hit the back side drive when the sun is setting! You will then end up in upcountry area and it may be dark by now but you are about 30-40 minutes from home in the dark and not bad at all.

Don't forget to watch the time and stay on schedule! And if you don't, don't complain to me that you missed half of the trip because you ran out of time hahahaha! I hope you have the best time ever! Hana has a little piece of me and if you take it all in, it is truly remarkable.

If you have more than a day: 

Other amazing spots are Hamoa beach in Hana, Venus pools, and the three Bears waterfall on the side of the road. These are nice options too, but I think the others are better and you are just not going to have time for all!

The Hana gold chocolate is the best chocolate on this earth.  I (Sonia) have traveled the world visiting cacao farms and looking for the world's best chocolate!   It is a family run business in Hana and they do everything themselves from planting the cacao trees to harvesting to roasting the nibs amd making the chocolate right on their property.  They may have tours as well, which are awesome.

Also, don't forget to stop and get some of the best banana bread at one of the stands. If you are hungry, right past Hana town they have a guy who stands out and does plate lunches. It's quicker and great food! But I usually bring a packed lunch or a sandwich and snacks and just eat along the way! No time to waste on eating lol!

Aloha! Enjoy!