Hawaii

REVERSE ROAD TO HANA (Road Closed)

DurationDuration 10-12 hrs
DirectionTour Directions 1
tour Tour Stops 33
$19.99

Description

NOTE: The Road to Hana is currently impassable.

Most Road to Hana tours start in Paia, but our Reverse Road to Hana Tour begins in Kula on the opposite side of the island. There are some serious advantages to this. Mainly, you’ll beat the crowds at some of the Road to Hana's most popular spots, like Oheo Pools and Hana Town. Not only that, you’ll visit the rarely explored backside of the Road to Hana.

Here are just a few of the fun things you can do on the tour!

•⁠ Explore the back road to Hana
•⁠ Beat the crowds to Oheo Gulch (Seven Sacred Falls) + the Pipiwai Trail
• Visit Hana Town
•⁠ Explore Wai'anapanapa State Park to visit a Black Sand Beach⁠ (advance reservation required)
•⁠ Visit loads of scenic waterfalls

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Recommended Start Time: Before 8:00 a.m.
Tour Starting Point(s): Kula Town
Direction: Counterclockwise, beginning in Kula Town in Upcountry Maui and ending in Kahului
Please Note: The backside of Hana has some graded dirt roads and rusty guardrails so the drive requires extra caution. Because of this, some rental car companies will void insurance if you drive on the backside of Hana. Confirm that you're able to drive this section of the island with your rental car company in advance.

ROAD TO HANA ADVISORY:
There is only one road into and out of Hana. People who live in nearby communities have to drive this road everyday and the thousands of daily drivers on this one-lane highway greatly impacts their lives. Please be respectful — do not park illegally, pay attention to signs, drive responsibly, and pull over to let locals pass. Do not enter private property or visit sites that are unsafe. And, please remember to pick up your trash.

All Shaka Guide tours come with customer support and a satisfaction guarantee. Tours never expire.

Tour Stops

Preview Audio

About the Tour - Reverse Road
To Drive or Not to Drive
Epic Adventures of the Soul
SEA ARCH

Tour Route

Important Travel Info

Safety & Etiquette
Budgeting, Fees & Reservations
Time & Schedule
Suggested Packing List

The Road to Hana is not a theme park. It is a rare natural resource that many locals call home. With so many visitors driving this road everyday the impact is real. In Hawaiian the word malama means “to take care” and the word aina means “land.” When you’re in Hawaii, we ask that you practice this and pick up your trash; respect the marine life, plants, and animals; and avoid spots that are unsafe. Hawaii’s natural resources are precious, it’s up to all of us to help preserve these resources for generations by respecting the land and culture when you visit.

For more on being a responsible traveler to Hawaii, click here. You can also learn about proper Road to Hana etiquette here. And, before you travel to Hawaii, be sure to take the Pono Pledge here.

Other Safety Precautions to note:

Waterfall Safety: Do not go underneath any waterfall due to falling rocks.

Swimming and Rock Jumping: Check depth before jumping off rock into pools

Hiking Safety: Bring water & hike in groups, stay away from ledges

Driving Safety:  3-5 cars per at a time for one-lane bridges. Pull over for locals.

Ocean safety: Watch for rogue waves. Be aware of strong undercurrents and waves especially during Winter months.

IMPORTANT: Beginning 3/1/2021 reservations are required to visit Waianapanapa State Park (black sand beach) - book up to 14 days in advance, no same-day reservations allowed, the price for entry is $10 to park AND $5 per person. Click here to book. Click here to learn more about planning your day based on your reservation time.

$30 per car: Haleakala National Park (Oheo Pools)

$15 for adults: Garden of Eden (per person)

$10 per car, $5 per person: Waianapanapa State Park 

$11.95 per person: Hana Lava Tube

$10 per person: Kahana Gardens

If you wanted to do EVERYTHING on the tour, we recommend you plan to spend about 12 hours on the tour. Since there’s so much to see, we've created this suggested itinerary so you can plan which spots you want to visit in advance. Also, some advice: don’t get caught up in visiting every spot, sure you’ll want to make the most of your day, but this road trip is truly about the journey. Stay flexible and enjoy your time at the spots you do visit.

We recommend starting the tour from Kula by 8am. We know it’s early, but it’s imperative if you want to visit all the spots and minimize nighttime driving. This means if you’re staying in West Maui, you’ll want to hit the road by 7am.

Here are some things to note: 

  • The Hana Lava Tube and Garden of Eden close at 4 p.m. 
  • Kahanu Gardens close at 3 p.m. 
  • Very Important: Car Charger
  • Layers and a Jacket
  • Sneakers
  • Hiking Clothes
  • Water Bottle
  • Bug Spray
  • Towel
  • Bathing Suit
  • Sandals
  • Sunscreen
  • Sun Glasses and/or Hat
  • Snacks
  • Cash - many spots are cash only
  • Phone Mount

Tour FAQs

Our Reverse Road to Hana tour takes you to the rarely discovered backside of Hana. It begins in Kula Town and travels to Paia Town, in the opposite direction of the traditional Road to Hana.


Here are some of the popular spots you can explore on the tour! 


  • Backside of Hana
  • Charles Lindberg's Grave
  • Wailua Iki Falls
  • Oheo Gulch & Pipiwai Trail
  • Venus Pools 
  • Hamoa Beach
  • Hana Town
  • Wai'anapanapa Black Sand Beach
  • Nahiku Landing 
  • Keahua Peninsula 
  • Honomanu Bay
  • Twin Falls

For help planning your day check out our Reverse Road to Hana suggested itinerary and here's everything you need to know before you go.

Please pay attention to all parking signs. Parking illegally on the Road to Hana can not only result in a ticket, it is extremely disrespectful to people who need to use this road everyday. The traffic on the road greatly impacts their lives, so you can help do your part by parking legally and adhering to all signs. We’ll advise you on where to park during the tour, and if there are no spots available, just wait for a spot to open up.

Yes! Feel free to join the tour along the route. Just make sure that you follow the numbers in chronological order from where you are starting from.  If you don’t begin at one of the tour starting points you’ll miss a few stories, but you’ll still have a great experience.

Here’s our packing list for this tour. It may seem a little long, but remember, what you bring depends on the activities you choose to do for the day.

  • Layers of clothing and a jacket
  • Sneakers
  • Hiking Clothes
  • Water Bottle
  • Bug Spray
  • Towel
  • Bathing Suit
  • Sandals
  • Sunscreen
  • Sun Glasses and/or Hat
  • Snacks
  • Cash - many spots are cash only
  • Car Charger *Very Important*
  • Phone Mount

How much you spend truly depends on what you do along the tour route, but here’s a breakdown of some costs:

  • $30.00 per car: Haleakala National Park (Oheo Pools)
  • $15.00 for adults: Garden of Eden (per person)
  • $10.00 per car: Waianapanapa State Park 
  • $5.00 per person: Waianapanapa State Park
  • $11.95 per person: Hana Lava Tube
  • $10.00 per person: Kahana Gardens
  • $15.00 per person: Lunch
  • $10.00: Local snack, like banana bread or shave ice

No, this tour can only be done counterclockwise starting in Kula Town. If you’d like to start the tour in Paia or Kahului check out our Loop Road to Hana Tour. 

From the start of the tour in Kula, it takes about three hours to get to Hana, depending on the stops you make and how long you stay at each spot. 


Check out our Reverse Road to Hana suggested itinerary for help managing your time and planning your day.

Great! This means you can really take your time and break the tour up into two days. Just switch the tour off when you arrive in Hana, and turn it back on when you’re ready to get on the road the next day.

Yes, however, the Road to Hana is a one-lane highway with twists and turns. For this reason, we recommend you start this tour early to avoid night-time driving as much as possible. One pro to this tour  you’ll arrive to some of the most popular stops before anyone else and you’re traveling in the opposite direction. This means you’ll save time sitting in traffic. 


Check out our suggested itinerary to learn more about planning your day to avoid driving at night.



Do you have other questions that we didn’t list here? 

Feel free to message us through the in-app chat box, Facebook Messenger, our emailor give us a call at 1-888-250-2261. We will be glad to help and answer your questions as soon as possible!


Mahalo,

Shaka Guide

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Customer Reviews

Maui

So helpful to people who want to see the sights and see things we never would have known about!!

McNeal Family

What an excellent way to enjoy the Road to Hana. Excellent tips and details of history to enjoy and explore. This was extremely helpful!

Great app

My mom and I used this on our trip to Maui and we loved it. The guid was fun to listen too and we liked the music.

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