With a land area of 729 square miles, Maui is the second largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is only 48 miles long and 26 miles wide at its widest point. You might be wondering how many miles you’ll need to travel if you’re considering taking a road trip around Maui. Your route and the amount of time you want to spend exploring the island will determine the answer. To learn the answers, continue reading.
Do You Need To Rent A Car In Maui?
You can avoid renting a car if you are staying in Kihei’s tourist district and have access to public transportation. This is especially true if you don’t want to drive along Maui’s scenic highways.
If you decide to explore additional areas of the island, you can always take a tour bus or share a car with new acquaintances.
However, we advise renting a car if this is your first (and possibly only) trip there in order to make the most of your limited time by doing instead of just sitting and making plans.
Is It Easy To Drive In Maui?
Main thoroughfares on Maui are kept up well, and they have recognized U.S. rules of the road. Although driving in Maui is generally simple, there are some island customs and etiquette to be aware of.
The most challenging part of the process is usually driving the Road to Hana and stopping whenever there is space to let locals pass when it is safe to do so.
Can You Drive Around Maui’s Island?
Approximately 727 miles envelop the island of Maui. Visitors are able to drive around the entire island in a single day, though they will need all of the time between sunrise and sunset to make the trip. It typically takes between 10 and 12 hours to drive the entire island.
How Long Does It Take To Drive From One End Of Maui To The Other?
Driving from one end of Maui to the other would take about 2 hours and 30 minutes, assuming you are referring to the length of the island. This assumes that you travel along the Hana Highway without stopping.
Plan on taking more time if you want to stop along the way because the Hana Highway is a very scenic drive and there are many places to do so.
The trip to the island’s center from Maui’s west coast should take nine hours. The average length of the trip is 10 to 12 hours. It is referred to as the “death highway of Maui” because it winds along the northern coast of West Maui.”
Maui is at its most beautiful in April, May, and September. Hawaii’s shoulder seasons in the spring and the fall offer the best opportunities for a relaxing getaway. There will be about 9 hours of driving to get to the center of Maui.
On Maui, there are a lot of two-lane roads, so don’t be shocked if you have to wait a while to get your car back. The road known as the Maui Veterans Highway or Mokulele Highway is officially known as Route 311 on the Hawaiian island of Maui.
The Hana Highway is a beautiful drive in a car, but if you aren’t planning to get out, you lose a lot of value.
Hana Highway
It is one of the most well-liked tourist destinations on Maui and one of the most breathtaking locations on the island. The distance between Kahului and Kalepa is 64 miles, and the distance between Kalepa and Hana is 44 miles.
Driving distances on the island total 108 miles. The entire island can be driven around in seven to eight hours. The island of Maui spans a total of 728 square miles and measures 26 miles (41.6 kilometers) by 48 miles (76.6 kilometers) in size.
A 52-mile, winding route that crawls alongside the coast of the East Maui rain forest, the Road to Hana is unquestionably the most well-known (and despised) road on Maui.
Numerous waterfalls can be found just a short distance from the roadside along this all-day journey, and the expansive views that stretch to the horizon will do their best to drain your battery.
If drivers take the required rest breaks and pause to take in the views and Aloha of the island, it can take ten hours or more to travel the scenic Hana Highway to Hana and then loop back through central Maui via the Piilani Highway.
How Long Is The Road Around Maui?
The most well-known Maui road trip is the Hana Highway, which runs 52 miles from the airport to the small village of Hana (population: 782). One of the busiest roads in America, it has a staggering 520 curves and 59 bridges, the majority of which are single-lane.
Can I travel around Maui daily by car? What options do I have for roads if not? It depends on how many stops you make and how long you spend at each one to determine the answer.
The 64-mile, scenic drive from Kahului to Kalepa takes about an hour. If you want to travel the entire length of the route around Hana, it will take you another 44 miles or so.
Since there are fewer visitors and fewer vehicles on the Hana Highway during the summer months, we advise visiting Maui then if you want to avoid driving around the island during the low season.
When visiting Maui, renting a car is a great way to guarantee that you have total freedom when traveling.
The 64.4-mile paved route starts in Paia and ends in Hana. It travels through Paia in West Maui. The road is paved all the way to the end, despite the fact that it is occasionally winding and narrow.
Although construction on the road began in the 1800s, it wasn’t formally inaugurated until 1926. In the 1980s, it was entirely paved. Tourists looking for a picturesque view of the island’s northern region frequently travel this road, which runs along West Maui’s northern shore.