ALOHA!
So you are trying to figure out whether you should do a Road to Hana tour or if you should do the Road to Hana on your own!
Driving the Road to Hana means that you will be driving the Hana Highway.
You are driving the Hana Highway to the town of Hana! (And maybe beyond!)
The Road to Hana is known for having winding roads.
It is also known for having a lot of one-lane bridges that only allow cars to drive through in one direction at a time.
Is the Road to Hana dangerous?
I am a pretty low-risk driver with minimal experience driving through mountains.
In general I did not find the main part of the Road to Hana to be particularly dangerous or scary.
Well sure, there was that one time where I encountered a truck on a more narrow and winding part of the Hana Highway that made my heart skip a beat.
But in general, I did not think the Road to Hana was dangerous or scary.
That said, of course DO take care while you are driving the Road to Hana!
The “main part” of the Road to Hana which is not particularly dangerous means the drive that most people do.
So…
How do most people drive the Road to Hana?
The popular way is to start the Road to Hana is by passing through the town of Paia.
And then, most people will “end” the Road to Hana at Hana or Kipahulu.
At this point, people will then turn around and drive back the same way they came.
The Road to Hana (aka the Hana Highway) does not dead-end, so instead of turning around, it is possible to keep driving.
But, if you do keep driving, you will end up on what is known as the back road to Hana!
And this is the part of the Road to Hana that I DO think is scary!
So, you will want to look into driving the back road to Hana further to see if you feel comfortable with it!
Eventually, the Hana Highway turns into the Piilani Highway.
🌴
And so…
Is the Road to Hana safe?
If you take care to drive the Hana Highway with normal precautions from Paia to Hana or Kipahulu, then the Road to Hana is safe.
The most dangerous part of the Road to Hana is the back road to Hana.
The most dangerous part of the Road to Hana is the back road to Hana because this is where you will find one-lane roads with no shoulders and a cliff that drops off right alongside the road.
This is also the scary part of the Road to Hana.
But you can completely avoid this dangerous and scary part of the Road to Hana by making it an out-and-back drive on the Hana Highway.
Side note!
Here are some popular activities you need to know about to get some very-Hawaii experiences! Read the reviews on the partner websites listed below!
🐢 You can swim with turtles on Maui!
Read the reviews for the molokini and turtle town tour on viator and the turtle town kayak and snorkel tour.
🌺 Eat Hawaiian food at a luau with a fire show! Have a look at the Maui Nui Luau
🐳 Winter means it's WHALE WATCHING season in Hawaii! And Maui is the best Hawaiian island for whale watching! 🐳
Read the reviews for the whale watching by raft tour and the whale watching catamaran tour.
🐠 If you're going snorkeling (or to the beach!), here are things you must consider packing for Hawaii!
You can find these things on Amazon. I am an Amazon Associate.
- Swimsuit or swimming shirt aka rash guard
- rash guard: swim set for women and swim shirt for men
- Water shoes
- Waterproof phone case (so you can capture pictures of fishies underwater!)
- cheapo phone case OR waterproof camera
- I also have this "camera" wrist float to attach to my cheapo waterproof phone case so my phone won't sink to the bottom of the ocean in case I somehow let go of it. (Mine does stay afloat - test this for yourself before completely trusting it!)
- Swimming goggles or snorkeling mask set
- Reef-safe(r) sunscreen
- lightweight travel towel
- walking sandals perfect for Hawaii
- teva is a popular outdoor shoe brand
- teva sandals for women
- teva sandals for men
I also don't go snorkeling in Hawaii without a personal swim float buoy. Not only does it help to keep me visible, but it makes for a perfect way to rest out in deeper water! Oh, and it also serves as a dry bag so I can take stuff into the water with me.
Another way I have taken valuables into the water with me is to wear a travel money belt that I don't mind getting wet with salt water (it's not waterproof but I have several so I just use one of them) and then I put things in a ziplock freezer bag, and put that freezer bag in the money belt.
There are also designated waterproof waist pouches that you can store your valuables and take into the water with you.
How to save money on your trip
I tend to use booking.com or hotels.com to look for the cheapest hotels. You can also try the expedia hotels site (good for car rentals too) or see if you like any of the vrbo vacation rentals.
Search for the cheapest car rentals at the Maui airport.
/end side note
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The back road to Hana is not like this the whole way, or even most of the way, but it is there!
👆 Left: Driving the Road to Hana from Paia to Kipahulu is relatively safe. Right: Driving the back road to Hana is where you will find roads that can be dangerous or scary!
I did not want to drive this most “scary and dangerous” part, and I walked part of the back road to Hana.
After walking it, I did not have any regrets in deciding not to drive the back road to Hana!
But, there are plenty of people who think the back Road to Hana isn’t really a big deal.
For comparison, there was a mom and daughter duo that I met at the Maui hostel that I was staying at who did the back road to Hana, and they thought it was fine. And, they also did do another one-lane road drive on Maui… and for that drive, they DID think that the West Maui’s “back road” was scary!
This is to say, they will say if something is scary, and the back road to Hana was not, to them.
And so, it just depends on the kind of driver you are!
Also to note, the Hawaii tourism people do encourage you to do a Road to Hana tour because of the potential dangers of the Road to Hana.
Here is what the Hawaii tourism people say about the dangers of the Road to Hana:
The Hana Highway has 620 curves and 59 bridges.
The road leads you through flourishing rainforests, flowing waterfalls, plunging pools and dramatic seascapes.
Please keep in mind that you’ll encounter challenging turns and narrow bridges along the way, so it’s important to exercise caution and take your time.
Joining a tour will eliminate stress for the driver and passengers, allowing for a more enjoyable experience and guides provide valuable insights about the surrounding area and its cultural history.
If you are still undecided about whether or not you want to drive the Road to Hana on your own, there are Road to Hana tours.
You can read Road to Hana tour reviews on getyourguide.
HAPPY DRIVING THE ROAD TO HANA SAFELY!
👇 Explore the Road to Hana map on google maps!
See the list:
- Road to Hana stops (for views!)
- Things to do on Maui (for views!)
- Things to do in Haleakala National Park
- Things to do on Lanai
There are affiliate links on this page. Among other partners, as an Amazon Associate, I may earn a commission from this.
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