Itinerary | Hawaii

Hawaii

Itinerary

Hawaii is made up of six main islands and we would recommend exploring maximum of two Islands in one trip. Each Island has its own beauty but we chose Maui & Big Island for our first trip to Hawaii and loved every bit if it.

duration

6 Days

MONTH

APRIL

SEASON

SUMMER

TRANSPORT

SELF-DRIVE

Day 1 - Arrival in Maui

Land in Maui and check-in at The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Ka'anapali by noon
Sign up (in advance) for Westin Luau Show which starts in the evening, it’s a great way to kick-off the trip

Day 2 - Road to Hana

Leave early morning for a full day trip to Road to Hana - Stops along the road to Hana include the bamboo forest, red and black sand beaches, Wai’anapanapa State Park, Wailua Falls or Twin Falls, Seven pools, rainbow Eucalyptus trees and local Fruit stalls (We took a guided tour with Valley Isle Excursions Company - 7am to 6pm round-trip back to the hotel)
Important Note: There is a lot of conflicting information on the Internet around if it is safe to drive on your own instead of taking a guided tour - Based on our experience, if you are a confident driver and are comfortable driving on winding steep roads, it is totally doable and will definitely give you more flexibility, though that is something you might want to not tell your car rental company about!

Day 3 - Big Island

Take the 8am Mokulele Airlines flight from Maui to Big Island (30 mins flight time)
Check-in at Hilo Seaside Hotel, Big Island for a night
Drive to Volcano National Park - Things to see include Kilauea crater, Thurston Lave-tube, and Jagger Museum; stop by at Kona coffee shop
Drive to Mt Mauna Kea visitor point, since rental cars are only allowed to drive up to Mauna Kea visitor center and not to the final peak point - The best option is to visit on a Saturday, park at the visitor center and take the official free guided tour from the visitor center to the 14,000 ft peak (they also offer free stargazing programs after sunset)

Day 4 - Chill at the Westin Maui Resort & Spa

Fly back from Big Island to Maui in the morning
Spend the day lazing at the beach at Westin Maui resort - Most hotels offer equipment for snorkeling and other water activities

Day 5 - Haleakala Peak

Book an early lunch at Mamas Fish House (this is a must visit to try some amazing local cuisine by the beach)
Drive to Lavender Farms before 3pm
Drive to Haleakala peak for sunset - It does get busy so better to get there early
Book a stargazing tour 8-10pm at Haleakala
Drive back to Westin