Many visitors to Maui flock to the resorts on Maui’s coasts – while the beaches are undeniably beautiful, my favorite part of Maui is the lush upcountry. Located in the foothills of Haleakala volcano and surrounded by abundant wildlife, upcountry Maui has a beauty all its own, as well as plenty of amazing things to do! For a more authentic Hawaiian experience, you can’t miss this stunning region.
Read on to learn about my favorite things to do in upcountry Maui!
Top Things to Do in Upcountry Maui
Look how cute our leis are! We’re not too bad either ;)
Make Your Own Lei at Haku Maui
Flower leis are an important piece of Hawaiian culture: they’re given on special occasions as a sign of love and celebration. Instead of just hoping you’ll get one from your resort, why not learn to make your own? Haku Maui, a local flower shop, offers all types of classes, from traditional necklace style leis to flower crowns! I booked a similar experience through Airbnb because Haku Maui’s classes were full, but if I came back, I would do it here, their flowers look so beautiful!
Classes are typically about $80 for around two hours of instruction. All the flowers you’ll need to make the lei are provided. All you need are a good attitude and some nimble fingers!
This fish is making my mouth water just looking at it!
Visit Paia
Paia is a little surfing town on the northern coast of Maui. Filled with pastel-colored shops and restaurants, you should definitely spend an afternoon wandering around. There are plenty of shops with beachy souvenirs and decor, as well as a few surf shops with equipment and gear. We particularly liked Hi-Tech Surf Sports!
Make sure you also stop for a meal at the Paia Fish Market! This popular restaurant serves up a variety of fresh, local fish. I love the simplicity of the menu: you select your fish, the way you want it cooked, and your sides. And that’s it! Simply delicious. Try either the ono or the opah for native Hawaiian fish!
Tip: if it’s packed, you can always order ahead for pickup and eat it on the nearby Paia beach!
This little town is surrounded by the most peaceful scenery.
Explore Makawao
Another little town you can’t miss in upcountry Maui is Makawao! Located on the slopes of Haleakala, Makawao has plenty for you to explore.
Park downtown and meander through the various art galleries and local craft stores. If you’re looking for non-touristy gifts, something from one of these boutiques will definitely catch your eye!
You can also stop into Makai Glass and watch the glassblowers work their magic! It’s mesmerizing. Many of their glass-blown items are for sale in their gallery as well.
Make sure you also stop by Cowgirl Coffee in downtown Makawao! This gem is inside a horse trailer turned coffee food truck and has some of the best coffee on Maui. Don’t miss it!
Get ready, the entire road looks like this!
Drive the Road to Hana
The Road to Hana is one of Maui’s most popular tourist attractions, and for good reason! So many of the island’s beautiful sites are along this route. This 50 mile road famously has over 600 tight turns and over 20 one lane bridges. Never fear – the road is well maintained and can be driven by any careful driver.
To beat the crowds, I recommend leaving as early as possible – before sunrise if you can. (Although make sure to take motion sickness medication before you go, as driving the winding curves of this road in the dark is likely to make even the most hardy passenger feel queasy.)
I also recommend downloading an audio guide app before you leave. The best ones are the Shaka Guide or Gypsy Guide. These apps use your phone’s GPS signal to follow along as you drive and provide informational and entertaining commentary along the way. As you won’t have cellular signal for much of the trip, this is a great way to know where you’re going and where the best places to stop are! After all, it’s about the journey, not the destination!
There are tons of stops that you can make along the way, but my favorites were the Keanae Peninsula, Waianapanapa State Park and the black sand beach, Wailua Falls, and Haleakala National Park.
The scenery here, with the waves crashing against the lava rocks, was just incredible.
Kaenae Peninsula
The turnout for Keanae Peninsula is just after mile marker 16. Here, you can find the famous Aunty Sandy’s banana bread (literally the most delicious on the island, and perhaps in your life). Enjoy this snack while taking in the beautiful views of the ocean crashing against the lava rocks.
Look at that black sand!!
Waianapanapa State Park
Waianapanapa State Park is located at mile marker 32, about an hour and a half into your drive. This sand is the blackest on Maui! Explore the lava tube near the beach as well as several trails to hike along the rugged coastline. Just be sure to buy your entrance tickets in advance, as they cannot be purchased on the day of.
I could’ve sat here all day.
Wailua Falls
Wailua Falls is supposedly the most photographed waterfall on Maui! Located at mile marker 45, this gorgeous waterfall is visible from the road. There is a small parking lot for visitors to stop and hike closer to the waterfall and enjoy the stunning landscape.
Finally, you’ll reach Haleakala National Park, where you can hike the Pipiwai trail or visit the ‘O’heo Gulch. (More on that below!)
No matter where you choose to stop on this road trip, it’s sure to be a highlight of your trip. Even the views from your car are simply stunning!
One of the best desserts ever!
Eat at the Famous Mama’s Fish House
Mama’s Fish House is perhaps the most famous restaurant on Maui, and with good reason! First, the (lengthy) story behind the restaurant’s founders is incredible. Essentially, they traveled around the South Pacific for years in a 38-foot boat, absorbing Polynesian culture and food. They brought all of this back to Maui with them when they decided to settle down and open the restaurant.
The open-air restaurant is located right on the beach and decorated tastefully in a Polynesian style. Just sitting at the table, staring out at the water and feeling the ocean breeze was a joy!
Of course, the best part about Mama’s is the food. Fish are caught fresh off the coast and brought to the restaurant and served within 24 hours. The menu even highlights where the fish was caught and by whom! The fish are then cooked to perfection with a fine dining twist. As a seafood lover, this was an absolute dream.
For dessert, you can’t miss their popular chocolate mousse black pearl! It’s gorgeous and melts in your mouth.
Reservations should be made as soon as possible to ensure you get a spot! If they’re booked, I recommend setting up a notification on OpenTable to let you know if a cancellation creates an opening. That’s what we did, and we were able to get in!
The terrain at the top of Haleakala looks like it could be on another planet.
Visit Haleakala National Park
Haleakala National Park covers the majority of the eastern part of the island. Named after the volcano that created this part of the island, it has an incredibly diverse climate – from the desert-like conditions of the 10,000-foot summit to the lush rainforest near the eastern coast, there is so much to explore in this park!
No caption needed.
Sunrise at the Summit
One of the most popular things to do in the park is watch sunrise from the summit. Watching the sun rise from above the clouds is an otherworldly experience unlike any other sunrise I’ve watched – it is a must do when visiting upcountry Maui! This means it is also quite popular, and so to limit overtourism, advance reservations are required. Tickets are only $1.50 per car, but are limited to 50 per day, so be sure to book as far in advance as you can! If you can’t get a reservation, sunset is also supposed to be spectacular.
There’s so much to see along the Pipiwai trail!
Pipiwai Trail Hike
Another popular activity within the park is to hike the Pipiwai trail. This 4-mile out and back trail can be reached from the entrance on the eastern side of the park at the end of the Road to Hana. There is a fair amount of elevation, but the scenery is worth it! You’ll hike past a giant banyan tree and serene bamboo forest, and end with a stunning clearing at the foot of a 400-foot waterfall! Try to start this hike as early in the day as possible to avoid the crowds (and the midday heat).
You can also view the ‘O’heo Gulch (also known as the Seven Sacred Pools, despite having many more than seven pools) from the eastern side of the park. These beautiful pools are made as the Palikea stream spills down toward the ocean. Near the Pipiwai trail entrance is a short 0.5-mile hike that will take you past these pools as well.
You can’t go wrong with any of the wines here!
Sample Local Wines at Maui Wines
You may know that Hawaii is known for pineapples, but did you know that they also have pineapple wine?! At Maui Wines, you can try a variety of delicious locally made pineapple wines (as well as grape varietals). This adorable winery is located in the hills of upcountry Maui on a beautiful historic farm. The tasting room was built in the late 1800’s and some of the last Hawaiian kings even visited!
They do get quite full, so I recommend making a reservation beforehand to avoid a wait. However, even if you do have to wait, a stroll around the gorgeous grounds is well worth it.
We love trying a range of wines when we visit wineries, so we each ordered a flight of three wines for about $15 each. You can also order a glass for about $10-20 each.
Read more: Planning to visit more of Maui than upcountry? Check out my guide on the top things to do in Kihei!
The cutest welcome sign I ever did see.
Know Before You Go
It’s no secret that everything on Maui is super expensive – after all, most things have to be flown in! To get an idea of what to expect, most of our meals dining out were at least $15-20 per plate, many cocktails were $15 or more, and most hotels or resorts ran upwards of $500 per night (even for a standard room).
To help keep our costs reasonable, we employed a few key strategies that can help you save money too! First, we stayed at mostly Airbnbs, which were around $300 per night. We also went grocery shopping a few times and made most of our meals in our rentals. However, we’re big foodies, so it was important to us to still try local restaurants too! To balance cost with local experience, we went out to eat about one meal per day, usually at an off time to hold us over. This worked really well!
Finally, we also went souvenir shopping at the grocery store. Sounds weird? It’s actually one of my favorite things to do! There is typically a local products section of the store where you can buy local treats like chocolate covered macadamia nuts, hawaiian sea salt, and local fruit candies. My favorites were chocolate and coconut covered macadamia nuts, black hawaiian lava salt, and a few types of beer and wine :)
Getting There
There are quite a few direct flights from the mainland US to Maui’s Kahului Airport (OGG). We were lucky and even found one direct from Chicago (where we live) to Maui! There are even more flights direct to Honolulu where you can connect to Maui via a short, 40-minute flight. This is common especially for travelers who want to visit multiple islands on their trip.
Once in Maui, I recommend renting a car to drive yourself around the island. This allows for ultimate freedom to explore! The roads in Maui are well maintained (even the Road to Hana!), so a sedan should be sufficient. Rental car reservations can fill up fast, so I recommend booking one as soon as you can.
How incredible is this place?!
Where to stay
You won’t find any mega resorts or hotel chains in this quiet area of Maui. Instead, I recommend staying at a rental home for a more authentic Hawaii experience. We stayed at an amazing coffee farm at this Airbnb. The house is on a ridge where you have incredible views of both the ocean and the mountains. Plus, the owner can take you on a tour of the amazing 26-acre grounds, which include avocado, tangerine, and grapefruit trees for your foraging pleasure, a natural waterfall outside your bedroom window, and a private swimming grotto. It doesn’t get more secluded and romantic than this!
Packing Considerations
The climate in Maui is quite diverse, so it can be hard to know what to pack! Layers will be your best bet here so you’re prepared for anything.
Upcountry Maui is often chillier than its beachy counterparts due to being in and around the foothills of the mountains. Therefore, I recommend having a jacket with you, especially if it’s windy. When you’re in the sun, it is still quite warm, so layers are best!
There aren’t many places more romantic than Maui!
LGBTQ+ Considerations
Hawaii is a very LGBTQ+ friendly state, and we felt very welcomed during our visit! In fact, same-sex relationships and non-binary individuals were common in pre-colonial Hawaiian society. After Hawaii became a state, it was the first to legalize same-sex sexual activity, and has a wide variety of legal protections for queer folks.
In the laid back vibes of upcountry Maui, we didn’t run into any issues with people looking at us weirdly or treating us differently. We felt completely ourselves in the Maui wilderness!
Read more: Top Safety Tips for Queer Travelers
Overall
Upcountry Maui is a hidden gem that many visitors overlook. Yet with so many things to do (and so many less crowds) it was easily my favorite part of our trip to Maui.
Do you have other favorite things to do in upcountry Maui? Let me know in the comments below!
Leave A Comment