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.
🌴
Top Maui tours
Read the reviews at partner website Viator!*
- Road to Hana small group adventure tour
- Turtle town snorkeling tour (with photo and video)
- Lahaina ATV adventure tour
- Horseback riding tour with Hawaiian cowboys
Things you might want to pack for your Maui vacation
Read the reviews on Amazon! I'm an Amazon Associate.*
- For women: Search for a rash guard for swimming and you won't have to worry as much about putting on sunscreen!
- Search for a rash guard for men
- Water shoes for snorkeling if you won't be wearing fins, or just generally for the beach!
- Cheapo waterproof phone case so you can capture pictures of colorful fishies swimming underwater!
- I always have a camera float attached to my phone case that I put around my wrist
- Snorkeling set: mask and fins
- Fins allow you to propel further faster (aka see more in less time and energy!)
- Go cheap if you accept that you need to come up for air frequently: regular swimming googles. They are not as fashionable but if you get swimming goggles, make them the clear kind so you won't be seeing dimmed colors of the colorful fishies!
- If you are able, I recommend trying out the mask at your local lake (in summer) or pool so you will be good to go in Hawaii when there's actually stuff to see!
- Travel-friendly turkish towel for the beach (lightweight compared to regular beach towels)
- For women: Teva walking sandals (one of the best sandal brands for the outdoors, perfect for lots of walking around outside - that's not a lava field!)
- For men: Teva sandals
- For women: Merrell hiking shoes (one of the best outdoor shoe brands, perfect for walking over rugged terrain like lava fields!)
- For men: Merrell hiking shoes
- Moisture-wicking tech t-shirt for women perfect for hiking and hot days when you'll be outside a lot sweating
- tech-t-shirt for men
- For more ideas, do a search for hiking clothes or swimming clothes!
*As a Viator partner and Amazon Associate, I may earn a commission.
📌 Save this post for later! Save on Pinterest! 👈📌
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!
Things to buy on Amazon for your adventures!
I am an Amazon Associate. I may earn a commission.
- Lightweight quick-dry hiking shorts (comfortable shorts that are good for movement!)
- for women: hiking shorts | for men: hiking shorts
- Lightweight quick-dry hiking pants
- for women: hiking pants | for men: hiking pants
- capris for women
- Some of the best outdoor travel brands:
- When you fly: If you have an iphone, you can put an airtag tracker in your luggage so you can better keep track of it! Buy just one, or buy a pack of 4. (Read the reviews!) This also makes a good travel gift!
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.
Top things to pack for your Hawaii vacation!
The ultimate beach towel for travel?!
Turkish towels are considered to be more absorbent and lightweight than your average beach towel. Be sure to check out turkish towels like these!The cheapo way to waterproof your phone
You can take underwater pictures with a simple waterproof phone case like this. Touch screen may not work well underwater - try the volume button to snap the pic instead!Get your suitcase more organized!
Packing cubes can make it so you're spending less time on your vacation looking for things! They are basically a form of drawers in your suitcase. Take a look at these packing cubes.Wear less sunscreen by wearing a UPF swim shirt!
Wearing a swim shirt means less skin that's exposed to the sun which means less sunscreen you need to apply! See about wearing swim shirts with UV protection like these when you're snorkeling.More for your Maui packing list
- How a cheapo waterproof phone case works
- Why wear water shoes for the beach
- Why a personal swim buoy is an essential for snorkeling and swimming in the ocean
- Essentials to pack for Maui
- Best shoes for Maui