ALOHA!
So by now I guess you have heard that the Road to Hana is typically a long full day.
Many people report leaving their hotels at 7am and not returning back until 7pm or later.
That’s a 12 hour day (at least!) and it’s not exactly an easy-going day, because there is just sooooo much to see on the Road to Hana!
So is it possible to shorten the Road to Hana and just do part of it?!
Well, the short answer is that yes, you can shorten it and do just a part of the Road to Hana.
For the vast majority of people, the Road to Hana is an out and back drive.
For a few others, it’s a Road to Hana loop drive.
So for most people, it’s an out-and-back drive along the Hana Highway to Hana or Kipahulu.
So if you want to shorten the drive, “all” you need to do to shorten it is to not drive all the way there and turn around early.
And yes, it is possible for you to still feel like a shortened Road to Hana drive is worth it.
But as with everything, it depends on what makes it worth it to you.
For others, it might not be worth it at all.
A Road to Hana day is all about seeing the lush East Maui, and you can see that even if you turn around early.
You can take a look at the Road to Hana stops in order to see what you can get even by turning around early.
What will you miss by only doing part of the Road to Hana?
By not doing the full Road to Hana experience and only going halfway to Hana, you will miss out on the best of the Road to Hana like Waianapanapa State Park and the Kipahulu District of Haleakala National Park.
But that doesn’t mean that you still can’t enjoy the Road to Hana.
It just really depends on your expectations and what type of things make an enjoyable day for you!
Halfway to Hana
There actually is a sign that says “Halfway to Hana” and this is actually a small shop called Halfway to Hana.
So this actually can be a fine turning around point… although I would recommend going just a bit further! (And then it becomes never-ending, because the next thing is “just a bit further”… and then the next thing is “just a bit further”…!)
If you don’t want to drive all the way to Hana but still want to do a little bit of the Road to Hana, you should at least drive to the Keanae Peninsula.
But if you have made it that far, actually you should keep driving because a bunch of easy to see Road to Hana waterfalls are a bit further up the road!
So if easy-to-see waterfalls sound good to you, then you should keep driving to Makapipi Falls and then turn around there. Along the way to Makapipi Falls are Upper Waikani Falls, Puaa Kaa Falls (Road to Hana bathroom break!), and Hanawi Falls. (There is a small roadside parking lot at Makapipi Falls that can make for an easy turnaround spot.)
But wait, if you are going to Makapipi Falls, then actually you should also go to Nahiku Viewpoint, because the turnoff for Nahiku Road is right next to Makapipi Falls! (This requires a little bit of extra time, because you will drive down a road, hopefully find a parking spot in front of the church, and then walk for a bit to get to the viewpoint. This is not a “must-see” but I would expect it to be a quiet East Maui experience that comes with amazing views!)
And so on it goes on.
Makapipi Falls to Hana is around a 30 minute drive one way… so then at that point you might as well go all the way to Hana, right?!
Do you want to see the best things to do in Hana?! Then you will need even more time! (And you need to make a reservation for Waianapanapa State Park.)
Decisions decisions. 😉
And then you end up being on the Road to Hana for a full day. 😉
Where to turn around if you only want to do half of the Road to Hana
If you only want to do half of the Road to Hana, turn around at the Keanae Peninsula, the Halfway to Hana shop, or Makapipi Falls. You’ll end up past the halfway point by going to Makapipi Falls, but it won’t be as time consuming as driving all the way to Hana!
HAPPY DRIVING HALF OF THE ROAD TO HANA!
Is your concern that you don’t want it to be a tiring day?
Break up your drive and stay overnight in Hana!
There is the Hyatt Hana Resort ($$$) and the Waianapanapa State Park cabins ($)!
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