7-Day Maui Itinerary: A Week of the Best Things to Do

Taylor of Brown Eyed Flower Child is a luxury and adventure travel blogger and lifestyle content creator. She has traveled to over 50 countries and territories as well as 35 U.S. states. Find out more

Maui is the second largest island in Hawaii, giving it plenty of space for a diverse range of nature that includes 30 miles of stunning beaches with white, red and blank sand. It’s an iconic holiday spot for its fascinating Road to Hana, the largest dormant volcano, and incredible wildlife. 

The best way to see everything Maui has to offer is to spend at least a week here. To make the most of your 7-day Maui itinerary I recommend spending 3 nights in West Maui and 3 nights exploring the best stops on Road to Hana.

The best way to travel to Maui is by flying into Kahului Airport. From there, the number one way to get around the island is by renting a car. Once you’ve arrived, make sure you’re centrally located in Lahaina on West Maui or the village of Hana on your way to the Road to Hana. 

From snorkeling to hiking, there is something for everyone to enjoy in Maui, Hawaii. Follow our 1-week itinerary to enjoy all of the best things the island has to offer. 

Table of Contents

Day 1: Arrive in Maui and explore Lahaina

Begin an exciting 7-day Maui itinerary by settling into your resort. The best thing to do is to either relax at your resort’s beach or explore Lahaina. 

An interesting starting point in west Maui is Dragon’s Teeth at Makaluapuna Point. It boasts epic rock formations and is a cool place to watch giant waves crash along the cliffs. These unique formations were created when lava from the West Maui volcano was quickly cooled as it dropped into the ocean. You can also see the labyrinth, which is thought to follow the layout of a prayer labyrinth and holds an air of mystery as nobody knows who built it or why. 

From there, a great place to enjoy a cool afternoon snack is Coconut Caboose. This fun food truck sells vegan and organic Hawaiian shaved ice and gelato. As you savor your sweet treat, you can also admire breathtaking views of Honokahua Bay.

In the evening, enjoy a delicious dinner at Merriman’s, located at Kapalua Resort. It’s a great farm to table restaurant that offers delicious seafood, meat, and plant based dishes.

Day 2: Enjoy a fun beach day in Wailea

Your week in Maui wouldn’t be complete without a trip to beautiful Wailea and its gorgeous beaches. 

The best place to sit and relax at is Maluaka Beach, which is also known as Turtle Town. It’s a beautiful spot to find sea turtles, if you’re lucky. You can also book a snorkeling and swimming with sea turtles tour, or try golfing and hiking trails in this area. Plus, the actual town of Wailea boasts incredible restaurants.

Make your way back to the Lahaina area of West Maui, stopping off to watch the surfers at Black Rock Beach, which is situated at the north end of the popular Ka’anapali Beach. 

As the sun goes down, head to Whalers Village where you can enjoy a nice dinner overlooking the ocean. Hula Grill is a great Hawaiian restaurant where you can enjoy tasty seafood, Asian fusion cuisine, and vegetarian dishes. A lovely evening at Hula Grill is not complete without savoring some Hula pie for dessert. 

Another fun thing you can add to your 1-week Maui itinerary is a memorable luau in Wailea. 

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Day 3: Make memories snorkeling at Molokini Crater

A Hawaiian vacation is not complete without spending time in and on the water. One of the most fascinating places to explore in Maui is Molokini Crater, with a snorkeling tour.

Before your adventure, a great place to grab breakfast and fuel up is at Cruzin’ Café in Lahaina. At this adorable spot, you can enjoy Hawaiian roasted coffee, Italian sodas, breakfast sandwiches, hoagies, shaka dogs (Hawaiian hot dogs) and shaved ice.

Start your snorkeling and performance sailing trip to Molokini Crater with a boat ride from Maalaea Harbor to the snorkeling site. Along the way, you will enjoy breathtaking views and may even spot a few whales. 

Molokini Crater is a crescent-shaped atoll that was formed from a volcanic eruption that happened around 230,000 years ago. It is a great place to see different fish, coral, nurse sharks and more.

The snorkeling adventure at Molokini Crater is a fun way to explore it. During this tour, there is a delicious packed lunch included and an inflatable water slide from the top deck of the boat into the beautiful blue sea.

After a fun day of snorkeling around Molokini Crater, savor a delicious seafood dinner at Sea House Restaurant, which is located at Napili Kai Beach Resort.

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Day 4: Welcome to Hana, the next stop on your 7-day Maui itinerary

The fourth day of the trip is the best time to head to Hana in Maui. This part of the island is considered the most scenic and features unique natural habitats, a lot of Hawaii’s biodiversity and untouched beauty spots.

From Lahaina to Hana, Maui Wine makes a great stopping point. This winery produces unique blends that are made from estate grown grapes, pineapples and raspberries. While you’re at Maui Wine, you can also enjoy a pineapple wine tasting and try the pineapple champagne. 

Maui Wine is a great place to relax, enjoy delicious food and listen to live music. From there, head to Hana, where I recommend staying at the Hana Maui Resort. It boasts a restaurant, pool, fitness classes and other fun activities, as well as a great restaurant. 

Day 5: Drive the Road to Hana

On day 5 of your 7-day Maui itinerary, it’s time to set off from Hana and explore the famous road. There are plenty of tours you can book to explore the Road to Hana if you don’t want to plan it yourself. If you decide to drive the Road to Hana, it’s best to start early and follow this self-drive sightseeing road trip. 

As you’re starting in Hana, you’ll actually be driving the wrong way round and taking your very own “Road from Hana”. What is great about this beautiful stretch of road is that there are plenty of awesome spots to enjoy fresh and delicious food. Some of the best spots are Nahiku Café for different fruit breads; Coconut Glens for vegan ice cream and Aunty Sandy’s Banana Bread for mouthwatering banana bread, smoothies, sandwiches and coconut candy.

Along the Road to Hana, you must stop at Hana Lava Tube, which is a cave that was formed a thousand years ago as molten lava came up from underground and flowed towards the ocean. As the lava was draining out, the tunnel was formed. In addition to the cave, there are beautiful gardens and plant life to admire at Hana Lava Tube.

The road itself is a truly beautiful destination in Maui, and there are plenty of lookout points where you can pull over on the road at designated areas and snap some pictures.

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Day 6: Go on a hike at Haleakala National Park

If you keep riding along the Road to Hana, you will drive through one of the most breathtaking areas in Maui. This jaw dropping area of the island is home to Haleakalā National Park. 

Your 1-week Maui itinerary should not exclude a fun hike in this amazing National Park. In fact, one of the best things to do at Haleakala National Park is to experience sunrise at the summit, which sits at over 10,000 feet above sea level. If you’re not a hiker, you can enjoy a sunrise tour to the Haleakala summit, which will take you to this beautiful spot by car and also includes breakfast.

If you plan to hike to the summit at any other time throughout the day, it is recommended you either hike the Keonehe’ehe’e Trail, otherwise known as the Sliding Sands Trail, or the Halemau’u Trail.

The Sliding Trail is a popular yet challenging 11-mile, full-day hike that takes you up 2,500 feet. The Halemau’u Trail is a 7.5 mile, heavily trafficked and challenging half day hike with over a 2,300 foot elevation change. No matter which trail you choose, you’ll get to enjoy incredible views of the Haleakala Crater, which is 2,300 feet deep. 

After your fun day at the National Park, enjoy dinner at the food truck park in Hana (next to Hana Maui Resort). You can savor delicious Thai food, fresh seafood, smoothie bowls, coffee and so much more. There is also plenty of outdoor seating at this food truck park.

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Day 7: Fly home from Maui

On the last day of your 7-day Maui itinerary, you’ll need to drive back along the Road to Hana on your way to Kahului Airport. It only takes about 2 hours, so leave with plenty of time and take the opportunity to revisit your favorite spots and restaurants, or find some new natural wonders. 

Check out the stunning Hanawai Falls, the waterfalls at Pua’a Ka’a State Wayside Park, Makapipi Falls where you can swim in crystal clear waters, take a last minute photo and just relax in the peaceful forest surroundings. 

Two other epic spots on the Road to Hana that you won’t want to miss are the Bamboo Forest at Haleakalā National Park and Black Sand Beach in Wai’anapanapa State Park.

Taylor of Brown Eyed Flower Child is a luxury and adventure travel blogger and lifestyle content creator. She has traveled to over 50 countries and territories as well as 35 U.S. states. Taylor fell in love with travel during a college study trip to Spain and some of her favorite experiences have been her solo trips to the European Christmas markets; hiking the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu in Peru; snorkeling the bright blue waters of Belize; road tripping around the United States; paragliding on the South Island of New Zealand; sailing around the Greek Islands and exploring her roots around Italy. Overall, Taylor has been blogging since 2018 and you can find great travel inspiration on both her blog and Instagram @brown.eyed.flower.child.