ALOHA!
If you’re going to Lahaina, it means you’re going to West Maui!
If you are arriving to Lahaina by cruise ship, then this will be a tender port.
This means that the cruise ship anchors off shore.
And you will take a small boat (“water shuttle”) to get from the cruise ship to land.
See more about a Princess cruise water shuttle.
Read about my transpacific cruise from California that stopped in Hawaii. (Lahaina was canceled!)
Where does the cruise ship dock in Lahaina?
When you step off the tender boat, you will basically be dropped off at Lahaina Harbor, which is in the main part of Lahaina, just a few minutes walk to the shops and restaurants of Front Street.
The Lahaina cruise port isn’t the main cruise port of Maui.
More common is for cruise ships to stop in a more central part of Maui, at the Kahului cruise port.
So just because you know that your cruise ship is going to Maui doesn’t necessarily mean that you will be going to Lahaina.
So just make sure you know which Maui cruise port you are going to!
As of August 2023, the Maui wildfire has destroyed downtown Lahaina and the Lahaina Harbor.
One Hawaii local news source I would recommend following along for post-fire updates about Lahaina is Honolulu Civil Beat.
For post-fire video of Lahaina, see the update under 10:30am in this post about Maui wildfire photos of Lahaina.
I also recommend following the post-fire updates from the Hawaii tourism people. Immediately after the fire, they are asking all tourists to stay away from Maui and choose other Hawaiian islands instead.
You may have seen the Lahaina banyan tree on the news. It’s a massive tree that at first glance looks like tons of trees, but actually it’s just one. You can see just how big it is from the pictures and video I took when I was there before the fire: Lahaina banyan tree
Lahaina cruise port vs Kahului cruise port
Lahaina is the better Maui cruise port if you want to do things from the cruise ship without a car. (Lahaina is a nice walking town, and it’s also an easy bus ride to go up the coast to Kaanapali or Kapalua.)
Kahului is the better cruise port if you want to rent a car. (It’s closer to the airport to pick up a car rental, and it’s in a central location to get to different parts of the island. See about where to go on Maui with a car rental… although it will take time to get to wherever it is you do want to go! Look at the Haleakala National Park summit, the Road to Hana, and the best Maui hikes to get you started!)
If you are in Kahului without a car, then you can also get a bus to do things from the cruise ship without a car.
Queen Kaahumanu Center, which is a shopping mall, is a central hub for buses, so you can get a direct bus to many places, including West Maui and South Maui.
It might be around a 20-30 minute walk from the Kahului cruise port to Queen Kaahumanu Center.
Depending on which direction you’re headed by bus, you might not have to go all the way to the mall to catch the bus, and there might be a closer bus stop with a direct bus to get to your destination.
Use google maps to find your way!
Whether you are cruising to Lahaina or Kahului, see more about taking the Maui bus.
👆 Walking around near Lahaina cruise port: You can walk around near the Lahaina cruise port to Front Street. Front Street is the main street in Lahaina that is also a walk along the ocean!
👆 There are small beaches within walking distance of the Lahaina cruise port.
For example, you can walk toward Kamehameha iki park for beach access. (reviews + map)
Bus from Lahaina cruise port
There is a bus stop near the Lahaina cruise port, so you can take the Maui bus for a day trip from the cruise ship on your own.
The bus stop closest to the cruise port is at the Wharf Cinema Center. (map)
The easiest places to go from Lahaina are north to Kaanapali or Kapalua. (They are the easiest because it’s a direct bus to get there and you won’t have to transfer.)
The bus ride from Lahaina will be 40 minutes (Kaanapali) to 75 minutes (Kapalua) one way.
One of the most important things to know is to make sure to bring cash in dollar bills or a $5 bill with you. You need exact change, as no change will be given to you.
It’s $4 for a day pass, which you need to ask for as you get on the bus.
See more: How to take the Maui bus
But first, the quick list of things to do in Lahaina around the walkable “downtown” area of Lahaina!
Then, below will be a look at things to do by bus from the Lahaina cruise port! (Which will then include how to get to Kaanapali and Kapalua from the Lahaina cruise port!)
What is there to do in downtown Lahaina?
You will be dropped off in downtown Lahaina if you arrive to Lahaina by cruise ship!
The things listed below are all in a walkable area from one another.
1. Front Street
The famous street in Lahaina is Front Street.
This is a waterfront street in part.
There are a bunch of shops located all along Front Street, and you’ll also find oceanfront restaurants aka you can eat with ocean views!
2. Lahaina historic district
Well actually basically the whole “downtown” area of Lahaina is the historic district, and that includes Front Street.
Lahaina is even designated by the National Park Service as a National Historic Landmark.
You can go for a self-guided Lahaina historic district walking tour.
3. Lahaina banyan tree
While you are in Lahaina, don’t miss the chance to see a massive banyan tree, said to be the biggest banyan tree in Hawaii! (Actually it’s said to be the biggest banyan tree in the United States too.)
When you first walk past it, you may think you’re walking by a whole bunch of trees.
But if you take a closer look, you’ll see that it is actually one BIG tree connected together!
See more about things to do from the Lahaina cruise port: Lahaina banyan tree
See more banyan trees during your Hawaii cruise:
4. Boat tour from Lahaina Harbor
Lahaina also has a boat harbor that’s a popular spot to take whale watching boat tours from during whale season, which is generally speaking the winter months.
The channel that’s off the coast of Lahaina is considered to be one of the best places for whale watching in Hawaii.
You may also see whales without even getting off the cruise ship too!
More below on how to take the bus from the Lahaina cruise port!
🌴
Now…
How to take the bus from Lahaina cruise port
What can you do by bus from the Lahaina cruise port?!
So the best way to figure out how to get to a place from the Lahaina cruise port by bus is google maps.
Just check the public transit option! As long as your GPS is on, it will tell you the bus stop that’s nearest to you too. It makes navigating Maui by bus super easy!
The bus stop closest to the cruise port is the Wharf Cinema Center bus stop. (map)
See more about general guide to getting around Maui by bus.
This will take you through how to actually take a bus on Maui.
You will probably find that the vast majority of Maui bus drivers are friendly, so don’t hesitate to ask them any questions you may have!
Here are a few quick things to know about going from Lahaina by bus!
If this seems like a lot of information, just know that google maps makes really does make this seem a lot easier!
Really all you need to do is open up the google maps app on your phone when you’re in Maui and type in your destination.
Then you are nearly good to go!
Still, here are things that might be helpful to know before you go.
I took the Maui bus a number of times in January and February 2020 and this is based on my experience.
It’s always best to confirm as things can change, but here are some general things to start to get to know how to get around West Maui from Lahaina.
1. Kaanapali Islander or West Maui Islander bus route: There is a direct bus from Lahaina to Kaanapali.
Kaanapali is where you can find the popular Kaanapali Beach.
At the far north end (right end as you are facing the ocean) you’ll also find Black Rock, which is one of the top snorkeling spots on Maui.
There is also a paved coastal walk that runs alongside Kaanapali Beach, and you can find a number of restaurants and bars with ocean views here.
To go to Kaanapali, you will take the bus on the Kaanapali Islander route or the West Maui Islander route.
You may consider taking the bus to Whaler’s Village, which is the outdoor shopping mall of Kaanapali.
Then when you get to Whaler’s Village, you can walk through the mall to get to the beach.
Going by bus from downtown Lahaina to Kaanapali may take around 30-40 minutes. (google maps)
2. West Maui Islander bus route: There is a direct bus from Lahaina to Kapalua.
Kapalua is a bit further north than Kaanapali, and this is where you can find the generally quiet Kapalua Coastal Trail.
To go to Kapalua, you will take the West Maui Islander bus route.
You may consider taking the bus to Kapalua Bay or Dragon’s Teeth Trail.
Both of these spots are near access spots to the Kapalua Coastal Trail.
Going by bus from downtown Lahaina to Kapalua may take around 1 hour and 15 minutes. (google maps)
See more about things to do from the Lahaina cruise port: Kapalua Coastal Trail
3. The furthest north you can go in West Maui by bus is near the Dragon’s Teeth Trail in Kapalua.
For reference on a map, you can look for Dragon’s Teeth Trail to find the furthest north you can go by bus.
The nearest bus stop to here is about a 5-10 minute walk away.
4. The West Maui bus routes are generally every 30 minutes to once an hour.
In google maps, you can expand out to see future bus timings.
5. Wharf Cinema Center is the transit hub in Lahaina
The Wharf Cinema Center is an outdoor shopping mall in Lahaina with shops and restaurants.
This is another thing you can do within walking distance from the cruise port.
This is basically the main transit hub in Lahaina, and it’s where bus routes start and end.
The Wharf bus stop is where you’ll definitely go if you want to go to Central Maui or South Maui.
Depending on where you’re starting from, you may also come here to go to Kaanapali and Kapalua too if it’s the nearest bus stop to you.
There is a waiting area at this Lahaina bus stop.
6. Lahaina Islander bus route: Lahaina to other parts of Maui
There is a bus route called the Lahaina Islander.
This is the bus route that goes between Lahaina in West Maui and Kahului in Central Maui.
This is basically the bus route you will take if you want to go to a part of Maui that is not West Maui.
You can also take the Lahaina Islander bus route to go from Lahaina to the Maui Ocean Center near the Maalaea Harbor, and that will be about a 40 minute bus ride. (google maps)
And that’s a bit about what to do when you’ll be arriving to Lahaina by cruise ship!
Plan more of your Hawaii cruise
- What to pack for Hawaii
- Haleakala National Park (Maui with a car)
- Road to Hana (Maui with a car)
- Honolulu cruise port map (Honolulu without a car)
- Things to do in Waikiki (Honolulu without a car)
- Pearl Harbor without a tour (Honolulu)
- Diamond Head hike (Honolulu)
- Things to do near Hilo cruise port (Big Island with a car)
- Things to do on the Kona coast (Big Island)
HAPPY LAHAINA CRUISE PORT PLANNING!
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