🌺 Destination guide
Maui
Three Kihei, Kaanapali, and Wailea plans with estimates we wrote. Kahului is the airport. The south and west shores are where these hotels sit.
Best time to visit
When to go, written in our own words. Highlighted months are the ones we would book first.
| Month | What we would expect |
|---|---|
| Jan | Humpbacks are in the channel. Windward Hana is wetter than Kihei, and holiday weeks are still busy. |
| Feb | A month we would book. Whales are still around, and the south shore is the drier side. |
| Mar | Whales thin out late in the month. School breaks fill the west-side hotels. |
| Apr | A shoulder month. The water is fine and the holiday crowd has left. |
| May | Warm and still short of the summer rush. Afternoons can cloud up inland. |
| Jun | Dry, hot, and more crowded. Book the condo before you book the flight. |
| Jul | Peak summer. The beaches are the plan, and parking at the popular parks fills. |
| Aug | Still summer. Hana highway days run long, so these plans keep that drive short. |
| Sep | A month we would book. The ocean is warm and the hotels ease off a little. |
| Oct | Another good month. Trade winds are the usual weather, not a storm calendar. |
| Nov | Quieter, with a chance of a wetter windward day. The south shore still works. |
| Dec | Whales return and the holidays book up. Go early in the month if you can. |
By budget
Kamaole Sands and the free beach. The aquarium is the paid stop.
Kaanapali Beach Hotel and a slower five days.
Hotel Wailea for two, with one reserved dinner at Mama’s Fish House.
Typical budget
Per person per day, computed from 4 public TopVacay trips in Maui. Planning ranges from those itineraries, not a live quote.
Where to stay
The value plan stays here, across from Kamaole Beach Park. It is a drive to Lahaina, and that is fine.
The moderate plan uses Kaanapali Beach Hotel. The beach is in front. The parking is the resort’s, not a town lot.
Hotel Wailea is the deluxe stay. The estimate is a standard room, not a suite.
Top activities
Ranked by how many public trips here include them. Lodging, flights, and transfers are left out of the count.
- Kamaole Beach Parkon 3 trips
- Iao Valley State Monumenton 2 trips
- Maui Ocean Centeron 2 trips
- Ululani's Hawaiian Shave Iceon 2 trips
- Haleakalā sunrise (reservation)on 1 trip
- Mama's Fish Houseon 1 trip
- Molokini and Turtle Town snorkelon 1 trip
- Pīpīwai Trail to Waimoku Fallson 1 trip
Top trips
- A slow couple stay at Hotel Wailea4 days · @topvacay
- Five Maui days: Molokini, the Road to Hana, and Haleakalā sunrise5 days · @topvacay
- Four days in Kihei at Kamaole Sands4 days · @topvacay
Questions people ask
Do these plans include a rental car?
No. The hotel and activity lines are the estimate. A car is usual on Maui and it is extra.
Is the Road to Hana a day with kids?
Not the whole loop. The moderate plan makes one stop and turns around.